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Plus dure qu'un dyamant Ne que pierre d'aÿmant Est vo durté, Dame, qui n'avez pité De vostre amant Qu'ociés en desirant Vostre amitié. Dame, vo biauté Qui toutes passe, à mon gré, Et vo samblant Simple et plein d'umilité, De douceur fine paré, En sousriant, Par un acqueil attraiant, M'ont au cuer en regardant Si fort navré Que ja mais joie n'avré, Jusques à tant Que vo grace qu'il atent M'arez donné. Plus dure qu'un dyamant Ne que pierre d'aÿmant Est vo durté, Dame, qui n'avez pité De vostre amant Qu'ociés en desirant Vostre amitié. J'ay humblement enduré L'amoureus mal et porté, En attendant Vostre bonne volenté Que j'ay et tous cas trouvé Dure et poingnant. Et quant tous en vo commant Suis, je me merveil comment Vostre bonté M'a se grace refusé, Quant en plourant Vous ay et en souspirant Merci rouvé Plus dure qu'un dyamant. Helas! dame, conforté Ne m'avez en ma grieté, Ne tant ne quant, Eins m'avez desconforté, Si que tout deconfort hé. Mais nompourquant J'ameray d'or en avant Plus fort qu'onques mais, et que quant Mort en miné M'ara vostre cruauté Qui m'est trop grant, Lors sera bien apparant Ma loyauté. Plus dure qu'un dyamant Ne que pierre d'aÿmant Est vo durté, Dame, qui n'avez pité De vostre amant Qu'ociés en desirant Vostre amitié.
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), "Plus dure qu'un dyamant" [vocal duet], virelai [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "Harder than a diamond", 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: 61
Word count: 219
Harder than a diamond
Or a stone of adamant
Is your hardness,
Lady, who have no pity
On your lover
Whom you kill for desiring
Your love.
Lady, your beauty
Which surpasses all beauties in my view
And your simple appearance,
Full of humility
Embellished with true sweetness,
As you smiled
With an attractive welcome
Have so deeply wounded
My heart as I looked on them
That I shall never have joy,
Until such time
As you shall have given me
Your favour which I await.
Harder than a diamond
Or a stone of adamant
Is your hardness,
Lady, who have no pity
On your lover
Whom you kill for desiring
Your love.
I have humbly endured
A lover’s hurts, and borne them,
While awaiting
Your good will,
Which I have in every case found
Harsh and wounding.
And since I am entirely at your command
I am amazed how
Your goodness
Has refused me its favour,
When in weeping
And sighing I have
Begged you for your mercy.
Harder than a diamond….
Alas my lady, you have not
Comforted me in my suffering,
Not even that but rather
You have taken away my comfort,
So that I have all discomfort.
But nevertheless
I shall love in future
Even more fiercely than ever, and when
Your cruelty,
Which to me is too great, has
Led me to death,
Then my fidelity will be
Very apparent.
Harder than a diamond
Or a stone of adamant
Is your hardness,
Lady, who have no pity
On your lover
Whom you kill for desiring
Your love.
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)
This text was added to the website: 2015-01-13
Line count: 61
Word count: 262