by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Ma maistresse
Language: Old French (Ancien français)
Ma maistresse et ma plus grant amye
De mon desir la mortelle ennemye
Parfaite en biens s'onques mais le fut femme
Celle seule de qui court bruit et famme
D'estre sans per, ne vous veray je mye ?
Helas de vous bien plaindre me devroie
S'il ne vous plaist que briefment vous revoye
M'amour par qui d'aultre aimer n'ay puissance
Car sans vous voir en quelque part je soye
Tout ce que voys me desplaist et ennoye
Ne jusqu'alors je n'auray suffisance.
Incessament mon dolent cuer larmye
Doubtant qu'en vous pitie soit endormye
Qui ja ne soit ma tant amee dame
Mais s'aincy est si malheureux me clame
Que plus ne quiers vivre heure ne demye.
Ma maistresse et ma plus grant amye
De mon desir la mortelle ennemye
Parfaite en biens s'onques mais le fut femme
Celle seule de qui court bruit et famme
D'estre sans per ne vous veray je mye.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , title 1: "My mistress", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2012-09-10
Line count: 21
Word count: 152
My mistress
Language: English after the Old French (Ancien français)
My mistress and my greatest love
Mortal enemy of my desire
Perfect in good things if ever woman was
She alone whom fame and reputation hold
To be peerless -- shall I never see you again?
Alas, I ought indeed to complain of you
If you aren't willing to see me again briefly,
My love, because of whom I have no power to love another;
For without seeing you, wherever I am
Everything I see displeases and irritates me.
Not till then [when I see you] will I be satisfied.
Unceasingly my grieving heart weeps,
Suspecting that in you pity has fallen asleep,
You who may never be my beloved lady;
But if it is so, I call myself so unfortunate
That I wish to live not an hour -- or half an hour -- longer.
My mistress and my greatest love
Mortal enemy of my desire
Perfect in good things if ever woman was
She alone whom fame and reputation hold
To be peerless -- shall I never see you again?
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Old French (Ancien français) to English copyright © 2012 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.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2012-09-10
Line count: 21
Word count: 168