How better could one speak of his ills

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by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Comment puet on miex ses maus dire

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Comment puet on miex ses maus dire
A dame qui congnoit honnour
Et c'on l'aimme de vraie amour,

Quant amans ressoingne escondire
Et s'a de son courrous paour?
  Comment puet on miex ses maus dire
  A dame qui congnoist honnour?

[Celle]¹ voit qu'il tramble et souspire
Et mue maniere et coulour
Et qu'il soit mus et plains de plour,
  Comment puet on miex ses maus dire
  A dame qui congnoist honnour
  Et qu'on l'aimme de vraie amour?

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ in some editions, "S'elle"

Text Authorship:

by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377), "Comment puet on miex ses maus dire" [vocal trio], rondeau [
text verified 1 time
]

Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):

ENG English (David Wyatt) , title unknown, copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 77

How better could one speak of his ills

Language: English after the French (Français)

How better could one speak of his ills 
To a lady who understands honour
And whom one loves with true love?

When a lover is worried he’ll be refused
And is afraid of her anger?
   How better could one speak of his ills 
   To a lady who understands honour?

[She]¹ sees that he trembles and sighs
And changes his manner and complexion
And is silent and full of tears:
   How better could one speak of his ills 
   To a lady who understands honour
   And whom one loves with true love?

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ in some editions: "If she"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by David Wyatt, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Guillaume de Machaut (c1300 - 1377)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2015-01-13
Line count: 13
Word count: 90