AMS Handout

1 Anna Kathryn Grau ([email protected])
Hearing Voices: Heteroglossia and Estates Satire in an Old French Motet
AMS New Orleans
Fig. 1. Difference in content between voices in L’autre jour par un matinet/Hier matinet/ITE MISSA EST
Triplum
Motetus
The other day, in the morning, I went out to amuse myself,
and found—without her shepherd—a pleasant shepherdess
making great joy. I sat down near her very joyfully, and gently
asked for her love. She said: “Oh! Sir, I have a love fair and gay
to my liking: Robin, for whom I prefer to refuse all others. For
I see him both handsome and fair and he knows well how to
play the pipes, so that I will always love him, and never leave
him.
Yesterday morning I found—without her shepherd—a lonely
shepherdess. I went up to her in the little field, and took her in my
arms. She pulled back and said: “I love Robin better, who loves me
more.” Then I embraced her; she said: “Get away from me!” But I
wouldn’t ever stop for that. When I had caressed her, she promised
her love to me and said: “Sir, good gentlemen, I love you more than
Robin.”
Fig. 2. Difference in content between voices in Je ne quier/Dieus! Top mal/MISIT
Triplum
Motetus
I do not seek ever in my life to go through the woods alone, for
my lover is not there, who used to love me so and serve and
honor me; God! And I could not long last without him. Oh,
God, alas! From him to me come too many thoughts of grief,
and I have very well proven that the thing that grieves me most
is the pain of love.
God! It seems to me that I have loved poorly, when in the middle of
the shady wood I have not met my sweetheart, who had summoned
me here. Oh, God! The pain of love makes me suffer sorrow, right
here, there where I hold my finger; alas! From him to me come too
many thoughts of grief, well I must worry when I have to go through
the woods alone.
2 Fig. 3. Ce que je tieng/Certes mout est bone vie/Bone compaignie/MANERE. Edition from Hans Tischler, The Montpellier Codex. Madison, WI:
A-R Editions, Inc., 1978.
Quadruplum
Triplum
Motetus
Ce que je tieng pour deduit, c’est ma dolors;
car ce qui plus m’i destraint, c’e[s]t bone amors,
ou je m’ai doné tous jors
sans repentir,
si que ne m’en quier partir
ne mon cuer de li movoir.
A mon gré me fait doloir ;
s’en doi mieus mes maus souffrir
et plus doucement sentir
en bone espoir
et pour mieus valoir ;
car nus ne puet sans amie
savoir sens ne cortoisie,
ne grant joie avoir,
ne le cuer mie
removoir.
Par toz sainz, qu’en ore et prie,
mout a Amours grant pooir,
qui si me destraint et lie
qu’a li remanoir
m’estuet main et soir.
Certes mout est bone vie
d’estre en bone compaignie,
vraie et esprovee ;
car plus tot trovee
est, orendroit, tricherie,
traïsons et mauvestés
que valors ne loiautés,
sens ne cortoisie.
Detractions et fausetés
est si essaucie
par ypocrisie,
que sozmise en est equités
et la fois abaissie.
Dieus, tant est granz folie
de mener tel boidie !
Cil par qui fois et verités
devroit estre enseignie
ont les cuers si avuglés
d’estre en signorie,
que trop pou reluist lor bontés,
car il sunt trop enclin
au monde d’assés.
A peines voit on devin,
qui n’i soit adounez.
Bone compaignie,
quant ele est bien privee,
maint jeu, mainte druerie
fait fere a celee.
Mes quant chascun tient s’amie
cointe et bien paree,
lors a par droit bone vie
chascun d’aus trovee.
Li mangiers est atornés
et la table aprestee,
de bons vins y a assés,
par qui joie est menee.
Apres mengier font les dés
venir en l’asamblee
sour la table lee,
et si ai sovent trové
maint clerc, la chape ostee,
qui n’ont cure, que la soit
logique desputee.
Li hostes est par delés,
qui dit : « Bevés ».
Et quant vins faut, si criés :
« Ci nous faut un tour de vin,
Dieus, car le nos donez ! »
3 Anna Kathryn Grau ([email protected])
Hearing Voices: Heteroglossia and Estates Satire in an Old French Motet
AMS New Orleans
Fig. 4. Translation of Ce que je tieng/Certes mout est bone vie/Bone compaignie/MANERE
Quadruplum
Triplum
Motetus
That which I hold as pleasure, it is my sorrow;
for that which so torments me, it’s good love,
to which I have given myself always
without repenting,
and from which I do not seek to part
nor to move my heart.
By my will it makes me suffer:
and because of it I ought to better suffer my ill
and to feel more gently
in good hope
and to be more worthy;
for no one can, without a lover,
know sense or courtesy,
or have great joy,
nor at all move their heart.
By all the saints, to whom one prays and begs,
Love has very great power,
and he so oppresses and binds me
that I must remain
with him morning and night.
Certainly it is a very good life
to be in good company,
true and proven;
for one sooner
finds trickery,
betrayal and evil
than valor or wickedness
good sense or courtesy.
Denigration and falsity
is so increased
by Hypocrisy,
that justice is overcome
and faith abased.
God, it is such great folly
to carry on such hypocrisy!
Those by whom faith and truth
should be taught
have hearts so blind
from being in power,
that their goodness too little shines,
for they are too inclined
to the world of petty things.
One is at pains to see a theologian
who is not given over to it.
Good company,
when it is truly private,
causes many games, much loving,
to be done in secret.
But when each has a lover
gracious and well turned-out,
then, rightly, a good life
each of them has found.
The meal is prepared
and the table set,
there is enough good wine there,
by which joy is brought.
After the meal they bring dice
among the company
on a large table.
And thus I have often found
many a clerk, cowl taken off,
who isn’t concerned that
logic be disputed there.
The host is close by,
who says: “Drink.”
And when wine is needed, cries:
“Here we need a round of wine,
God, give it to us!”
4 Fig. 5. Ce que je tieng/Certes mout est bone vie/Bone compaignie/MANERE, mm. 1-11. Based on Tischler, The Montpellier Codex, no. 33.
5 Anna Kathryn Grau ([email protected])
Hearing Voices: Heteroglossia and Estates Satire in an Old French Motet
AMS New Orleans
Fig. 6. Ce que je tieng/Certes mout est bone vie/Bone compaignie/MANERE, mm. 39-48. Based on Tischler, The Montpellier Codex, no. 33.