A letter from Elias de Barjols (1225-28)

Translated letter:

I. One should with one's good lord love and serve and honor and obey, for his honor in every way, and with a bad lord without mercy, when he destroys/undoes his people, one who can should remove himself since his service does him no good.

II. In the same way one should from love depart with good reason, when one sees that she cannot give joy, nor help, nor want to; which is why I depart, constrained and discouraged by love to whom I am suppliant, for never has she wanted to benefit me nor has she had pity on me.

III. I have departed from the error in which love used to hold me, and from the long desire, for which I do not feel pain; and, if I never derived much from the bad nor rejoiced at all in the good, it is hard for me to relate her ills because I am so faithful to her.

IV. Never will they hear from me a deceiving semblance, nor will my treacherous eyes make me languish/lose strength, for he is a fool who believes his foolish eyes, many times, so it seems to me, and a fool who looks too much at what is not suitable or fitting for him.

V. To the valiant emperor I want to show and say that God is angry with all but his servants; and since God has given him the wherwithal, may he preserve the emperor rightly for no one can derive more than the good he will do.

VI. Countess Beatrice, great good I hear said and related of you, for you are the most beautiful of the ladies seen in the world.

VII. Sir Blacas does give up enhancing his real worth, rather he is more valiant than he used to be and betters and increases what he has.

Original letter:

I. Ben deu hom son bon senhor amar e servir et honrar, et obezir a tota s'onor, e demal senhor ses merce, quant ponha'los sieus en desfaire, se deu hom qui pot estraire, quant sos servizis pro no'lh te.

II. Atressi’s deu hom ‘amor per bon dreg partir, quant ve que no’n pot iauzir ni’l val ni’l acor; per qu’ie’m part forsatz e’m recre d’amor cuy suy merceyaire, car anc iorn no’m volc ben faire ni non ac chauzimen de me.

III. Partitz me suy de l’error, en que’m sol tenir amors, e del lonc dezir, don non sen dolor; e s’eu anc dels mals trais granre e dels bes no’m lausei guaire, sos dans m’es greus a retraire aitan li port de bona fe.

IV. Ia mais semblant trichador no’m poiran ausir ni’ll meu no’m faran languir huelh gualiador, quar folhs es qui sos folhs huelhs cre, mayntas vetz, so m’es veiaire, e fols qui trop es guardaire d’aisso que no’l tanh ni’l cove.

V. Al valent emperador vuelh mostrar e dir que totz met Dieus en azir mas son servidor; e pus Dieus l’a donat de que, sera’l a dreg l’emperaire qu’om del mon no pot plus traire mas tant quant aura fach de be.

VI. Comtessa Beatris, gran be aug de vos dir e retraire, quar del mon etz la belaire de las autras dompnas qu’om ve.

VII. En Blacas ies no se recre de son fin pretz enan-traire ans val mais que no sol faire e melhur’ e creys so que te.

Historical context:

Elias was at the court of Provence in the time of Raymond Berengar's father, Alfonso, and wrote poems for Raymond's mother countess Garsenda (#5-8), herself a poet, as well as for Beatrice (#10-13) and for Beatrice's mother, Margeurite (9). The emperor alluded to in stanza V is Frederick II, whose relations with Raymond Berengar and Blacatz were good in the 1220's. Blacatz was a principal patron of Elias.

Printed source:

Le Troubadour Elias de Barjols, ed. Stanislas Stronski (Toulouse: Edouard Privat, 1906), 29-32, #12.

Date:

1225-28