A poem from Baudri

Translated letter:

Receive, noble virgin, Constance, our song,
take the special greeting to you from Bourgueil.
My custom is greeting our men and women in song,
I cannot do otherwise, I know no other way.
A rustic in deeds, I fall back often on songs,                                             5
so at least my rusticity may remain hidden.
Now therefore writing, I refer to our girl,
whom our father draws to be ours.
As our father he compels this labor,
as our daughter, this labor, hence the father.                                           10
Now in writing to you, virgin Constance,
I send what suits with tender wishes.
God and you made a pact, you gave the pledges,
that you would be the bride (sponsa) to him and he the groom (sponsus) to you.
Act therefore to please your spouse with all your effort,                         15
the groom promised that he would please you.
As you vowed to give your virginity to him,
he gives the dower which he agreed to give.
Unimpaired flesh is dear and near to Christ,
if integrity of the breast is joined with it.                                                    20
Integrity of the flesh without integrity of the breast
is in no way a sacrifice pleasing to god.
Therefore offer what pleases Christ more than other things,
chaste to god in breast and flesh both.
Let no wantonness of growing flesh conquer you,                                    25
nor the clever care of lascivious youth,
Let your heart and breast, thought and hope and faith
embrace him whose sign you bear outside
for whom you put on the dark and vile habit,
so that you may say with your virgin comrades:                                      30
“You are the flowers of the church, the offspring of Jerusalem,
offspring spread out, thriving with fertility,
cease to wonder that I am dark,
for the heat of the sun makes me black.
A contrite heart, worn flesh makes me black,                                          35
love of the true sun makes me black.
Dark indeed to the world, white to heavenly things,
filthy and pitch on the ground, beautiful and shining in heaven.”
Such things, or their equal, you may say.
If I advise you well, do what I advise.                                                        40
Be mindful, virgin, of my precepts,
so that you may love the vow of twin virginity,
and with our greetings on the part of the sister
remake the bond of friendship between us.
Moreover, I ask, do not forget us,                                                               45
make your heart and liver special/intimate to me.
If you wish to send something commit it to tablets,
this kind of sending is suitable to us, therefore it pleases.
With sweet conversations soothe the innards of the father,
and gratify me with your sweet conversation.                                          50
Moreover, let me not be forgotten to/by Emma
present our greeting three and four times. 

Original letter:

Suscipe, virgo decens, nostrum, Constantia, carmen,
Fac speciale tibi Burguliensis ave.
Carmine mos meus est, nostros nostrasque salutem
Non aliter possum, non aliter sapio.       
Rusticus in factis ad carmina saepe relabor,                                         5
Ut saltem lateat sic mea rusticitas.
Nunc igitur nostrae scribens alludo puellae,
Quam nostram noster allicit esse pater.
Quod pater est noster, noster labor esse coegit,
Filia quod nostra est, hinc labor, inde pater.                                        10
Ad te nunc ergo scribens, Constantia virgo,
Mando quod teneris competat auspiciis.
Pactum firmastis deus et tu, arrasque dedistis,
Ut sis sponsa sibi sponsus et ipse tibi.
Fac igitur sponso placeas conamine toto,                                               15
Sponsus promeruit quod tibi complacuit.
Quam sibi vovisti sibi solvas virginitatem,
Solvet enim dotem solvere qui pepegit.
Illibata caro cara est et proxima Christo,
Pectoris integritas si comitetur eam.                                                       20
Integritas carnis sine pectoris integritate
Non est omnino victima grata deo.
Ergo quod potius placet inter caetera Christo,
Offer, casta deo pectore carne simul.
Carnis adulantis non te petulantia vincat,                                             25
Nec lascivorum cura sagax juvenum,
Cor pectusque tuum meditatio spesque fidesque
Complectatur eum quem geris exterius,
Propter quem fuscos et viles tolles amictus,
Ut valeas sociis dicere virginibus:                                                             30
« Ecclesiae flores vos, Jherusalem sua proles,
« Proles diffusa fertilitate vigens,
« Fusca [q] uod existo mirare desinitote,
« Ardor enim solis me facit esse nigram.  
« Me facit esse nigram cor contritum, caro trita,                                 35
« Veri solis amor me facit esse nigram.
« Fusca quidem mundo, caelestibus albico rebus,
« Turpis et atra solo, pulcra nitensque polo ».
Haec quoque sive quod his sit par ut dicere possis.
Si bene te moneo, quae moneo facito.                                                     40
En praeceptorum, virgo, memor esto meorum,
Ut geminae votum virginitatis ames,
Atque salutata nostra de parte sorore
Inter nos refice foedus amicitiae.
Praeterea, quaeso, non obliviscere nostri,                                             45
Fac speciale mihi corque jecurque tuum.
Si mandare velis aliquid committe tabellis,
Mandandi genus hoc nos decet, ergo placet.
Dulcibus alloquiis leni penetralia patris,
Et mihi gratifica dulcibus alloquiis.                                                          50
Praeterea nostrae ne sim velut immemor Emmae
Praesenta nostrum terque quaterque vale.

Historical context:

This may be Baudri's first poem to Constance, asking her to repond, and encouraging her to commit herself to a life of virginity.

Printed source:

Baudri de Bourgueil, Oeuvres Poétiques, ed. Phyllis Abraham (Paris:  Champion, 1926, repr.Geneva:  Slatkine, 1974), 261-62, #CCIV.

Date: