1. Quan lo rossinhols el foillos
When the nightingale among the leaves
2. Dona son cant e s’esbaudis,
Gives its song and rejoices,
3. E·l dous chans s’en vai pels broillos,
And the sweet melody goes through the groves,
4. E reverdejon li pradis,
And the meadows grow green again,
5. Adoncs m’es belhs qu’ieu chant e ri,
Then it is fitting that I sing and rejoice,
6. Car ai en joi mon cor assis;
For I have set my heart in joy;
7. Mas d’una ren sui en pensis,
But of one thing I am troubled,
8. Que ma dompna no·m fai merce.
That my lady shows me no mercy.
9. Be·m plai lo temps quan flor e folha,
I delight in the time when flower and leaf appear,
10. E·l rossinhols leva sa votz,
And the nightingale lifts its voice,
11. Mas mos cors sospira e dolha,
But my heart sighs and grieves,
12. Qu’ieu non ai de ma dompna motz;
For I have not a word from my lady;
13. Tant ai d’amor en mon talan,
So much love have I in my desire,
14. Que no·m puesc partir un sol jorn,
That I cannot withdraw even a single day,
15. Ni ja no·m lais de son toran,
Nor ever leave her domain,
16. Qu’ella m’a pres en sa merce.
For she has taken me into her power.
17. Ben es fols qui s’en desdiz,
Truly foolish is he who renounces it,
18. Amors, pois tan es dous e fis,
Love, since it is so sweet and pure,
19. Qu’en totz bes es raiz e flor,
For in all good it is root and flower,
20. E fai valen l’home cortes;
And it makes the courteous man worthy;
21. Mas a mi torna en dolor,
But for me it turns into sorrow,
22. Qu’ieu no·n ai jauzir ni deport,
For I cannot enjoy nor delight in it,
23. Si no·m dona joi ma senhor,
Unless my lady grants me joy,
24. Qu’ieu am plus que no sai dire.
Whom I love more than I can say.
25. Per qu’ieu li man e li suplic,
Therefore I send to her and beg her,
26. Qu’ella·m gard de mort e d’afan,
That she guard me from death and anguish,
27. E no·m lais morir en tal pic,
And not let me die in such distress,
28. Car ja per lieis no farai dan;
For never will I do her harm;
29. Ans la servirai leialmen,
Rather I will serve her loyally,
30. E lauzarai son pretz e sen,
And praise her worth and wisdom,
31. Si·m vol aver en son talen,
If she will have me in her favor,
32. Qu’ieu sui totz sieus sanz paratge.
For I am wholly hers without reserve.
33. Tornada
Tornada
34. Dompna, si us platz, prenetz de me
Lady, if it please you, take from me
35. Lo cor e l’arma e·l pensamen,
My heart and soul and thought,
36. E no·m laissetz morir soven,
And do not let me die in suffering,
37. Qu’ieu sui vostres e serai.
For I am yours and shall remain so.
Completion Status
This is a complete version of the poem, including the tornada. It is not truncated.
Commentary
Lines 1-16
1. Quan lo rossinhols el foillos
When the nightingale among the leaves
2. Dona son cant e s’esbaudis,
Gives its song and rejoices,
3. E·l dous chans s’en vai pels broillos,
And the sweet melody goes through the groves,
4. E reverdejon li pradis,
And the meadows grow green again,
5. Adoncs m’es belhs qu’ieu chant e ri,
Then it is fitting that I sing and rejoice,
6. Car ai en joi mon cor assis;
For I have set my heart in joy;
7. Mas d’una ren sui en pensis,
But of one thing I am troubled,
8. Que ma dompna no·m fai merce.
That my lady shows me no mercy.
9. Be·m plai lo temps quan flor e folha,
I delight in the time when flower and leaf appear,
10. E·l rossinhols leva sa votz,
And the nightingale lifts its voice,
11. Mas mos cors sospira e dolha,
But my heart sighs and grieves,
12. Qu’ieu non ai de ma dompna motz;
For I have not a word from my lady;
13. Tant ai d’amor en mon talan,
So much love have I in my desire,
14. Que no·m puesc partir un sol jorn,
That I cannot withdraw even a single day,
15. Ni ja no·m lais de son toran,
Nor ever leave her domain,
16. Qu’ella m’a pres en sa merce.
For she has taken me into her power.
Paraphrase:
The poem opens in springtime, when the nightingale sings among the leaves, filling the groves with its sweet song and bringing the meadows back to life. This natural joy mirrors the speaker’s own desire to sing and rejoice; his heart is filled with delight. Yet, this happiness is incomplete. The speaker is troubled because his lady, the object of his devotion, shows him no mercy or response.
He takes pleasure in the renewal of nature, the blooming of flowers and the singing of birds. However, despite the beauty around him, his heart suffers because he has not received any word from his lady.
His love is so intense that he cannot leave her, cannot step back even for a single day. He is completely bound by her, held captive in her power. His joy and sorrow are intertwined: nature lifts him, but love’s absence weighs him down.
Glossary
• rossinhols – Nightingale, a symbol of song, spring, and romantic inspiration.
• foillos – Leaves, representing foliage or the leafy branches of trees.
• broillos – Groves or small wooded areas; often a poetic term for natural settings.
• reverdejon – Grow green again; revival or renewal of plants in spring.
• dompna – Lady; the lady of courtly love, object of devotion.
• merce – Mercy or favor; in troubadour poetry, often denotes attention or reciprocation of affection.
• talan – Desire, inclination, or intention; personal emotional drive.
• toran – Domain, territory, or protective sphere; figuratively, the lady’s influence or control.
Historical Note
Peire Vidal (c. 1175–c. 1215) was an Occitan troubadour known for exuberant, often exaggerated expressions of courtly love. His poetry frequently blends celebration of nature with the pangs of unrequited love. In the late 12th–early 13th century, troubadours cultivated elaborate codes of love: a knightly devotion to a lady of higher social rank, often idealized, with emotional suffering seen as ennobling. Nature was a mirror of the lover’s soul; spring, birds, and blossoming flowers were standard motifs linking external and internal beauty.
Author
Peire Vidal composed songs that combined energy, wit, and intense feeling. He traveled widely across Occitan-speaking regions and beyond, performing at courts and sometimes exaggerating his own exploits for effect. This poem reflects his characteristic mix of admiration for nature and obsessive devotion to a lady—typical of Vidal’s poetic persona, blending real emotion with literary flair.
Modern Connection
Even today, love often mixes joy and frustration. We can relate to moments when life seems beautiful and full—like spring in the poem—yet relationships leave us anxious or unfulfilled. The poem reminds us that emotional intensity can coexist with external delight; one can experience life fully even while longing for attention or connection.
Deeper Significance
This section explores love as a binding force, both exalting and constraining. The speaker’s passion elevates him, aligning him with the beauty of the natural world, yet he is powerless without reciprocity. In the early troubadour tradition, love often began as an idealized, almost spiritual experience: devotion ennobled the lover and demanded patience.
Over time, troubadours like Vidal emphasized the tension between joy and suffering, portraying love as something that could dominate reason and body alike. Here, love’s meaning is dual: it connects the lover to the universe and beauty, but it also imposes a form of captivity, reflecting the medieval view that love’s true power lay in both its sweetness and its trials.
Lines 17-37
17. Ben es fols qui s’en desdiz,
Truly foolish is he who renounces it,
18. Amors, pois tan es dous e fis,
Love, since it is so sweet and pure,
19. Qu’en totz bes es raiz e flor,
For in all good it is root and flower,
20. E fai valen l’home cortes;
And it makes the courteous man worthy;
21. Mas a mi torna en dolor,
But for me it turns into sorrow,
22. Qu’ieu no·n ai jauzir ni deport,
For I cannot enjoy nor delight in it,
23. Si no·m dona joi ma senhor,
Unless my lady grants me joy,
24. Qu’ieu am plus que no sai dire.
Whom I love more than I can say.
25. Per qu’ieu li man e li suplic,
Therefore I send to her and beg her,
26. Qu’ella·m gard de mort e d’afan,
That she guard me from death and anguish,
27. E no·m lais morir en tal pic,
And not let me die in such distress,
28. Car ja per lieis no farai dan;
For never will I do her harm;
29. Ans la servirai leialmen,
Rather I will serve her loyally,
30. E lauzarai son pretz e sen,
And praise her worth and wisdom,
31. Si·m vol aver en son talen,
If she will have me in her favor,
32. Qu’ieu sui totz sieus sanz paratge.
For I am wholly hers without reserve.
33. Tornada
Tornada
34. Dompna, si us platz, prenetz de me
Lady, if it please you, take from me
35. Lo cor e l’arma e·l pensamen,
My heart and soul and thought,
36. E no·m laissetz morir soven,
And do not let me die in suffering,
37. Qu’ieu sui vostres e serai.
For I am yours and shall remain so.
Paraphrase:
The speaker reflects on the nature of love, asserting that anyone who renounces it is truly foolish. Love is sweet, pure, and the source of all good—it is both root and flower, giving worth to the courteous man. Yet for him, love brings only sorrow because he cannot experience joy without the favor of his lady. His devotion is overwhelming; his words cannot fully express the intensity of his affection.
He sends his plea directly to his lady, asking her to protect him from death and suffering and to not abandon him in anguish. He vows that he will never harm her, and will instead serve her loyally, praising her worth and wisdom. If she accepts him in her favor, he will belong entirely to her, without reservation.
In the tornada, he condenses his message: he offers her his heart, soul, and thoughts, pleading that she not let him die in distress. He declares himself fully hers, committing completely and eternally to her service.
Glossary
• desdiz – To renounce or abandon; to give up voluntarily.
• dous e fis – Sweet and pure; often applied to the quality of love or feeling.
• totz bes – Literally “all good things”; root and flower symbolize both origin and full flourishing.
• valen – Worthiness or valor; moral or social virtue enhanced by love.
• jauzir – Enjoy, experience pleasure, or delight.
• deport – Joy, merriment, or light-hearted delight.
• lieis – Harm, injury, or misdeed.
• leialmen – Loyally, faithfully; adherence to a promise of service.
• pretz – Value, merit, or esteem; often moral or personal worth.
• sen – Wisdom or sound judgment.
• sanz paratge – Without reserve, wholly; total devotion.
Historical Note:
In troubadour poetry, the tornada serves as a closing address, often personalizing the poem toward the lady or patron. Peire Vidal frequently uses this device to directly appeal to his lady, intensifying the performative nature of his devotion.
By the late 12th century, troubadours had refined courtly love into a complex code: praise of the lady, acknowledgment of her power over the lover, and the lover’s unceasing loyalty. Vidal’s work demonstrates the tension between idealized affection and the real suffering it can provoke, a hallmark of the period’s lyric tradition.
Author:
Peire Vidal was known for exuberant, sometimes hyperbolic expressions of love, often blending deep emotional sincerity with performative bravado. He traveled widely, performing for various courts, and his poetry frequently emphasizes complete devotion to a lady, situating the lover as morally elevated yet emotionally vulnerable. This poem exemplifies his skill in combining lyrical beauty with persuasive emotional appeal.
Modern Connection:
The poem resonates today with anyone who has felt love as simultaneously uplifting and painful. It shows that devotion can demand patience, restraint, and integrity, and that love is not simply pleasure—it involves responsibility, emotional labor, and the humility of waiting for reciprocity. Modern relationships still echo these dynamics: heartfelt commitment may coexist with longing, uncertainty, or frustration.
Deeper Significance:
This section deepens the exploration of love as both ennobling and binding. Love is portrayed as a moral and spiritual force: it cultivates virtue, worth, and appreciation for beauty. Yet it also imposes vulnerability and dependence on the lady’s favor. Over time, troubadours like Vidal shifted from portraying love as a subtle, ennobling longing to depicting it as a passionate, consuming force capable of overwhelming the lover entirely. The tornada crystallizes this evolution: love is not just idealized admiration but complete surrender—heart, soul, and thought offered without reservation. In Vidal’s view, love’s highest meaning lies in total commitment, where joy and sorrow are inseparable, and devotion itself becomes an existential statement of identity.