Songs

Faulse beauté, qui tant me couste cher,
False beauty, for whom I pay so great a price,
Rude en effect, hypocrite doulceur,
Harsh, in truth, behind a mask of sadness,
Amour dure, plus que fer, à mascher;
A love that’s tougher to chew than steel,
Nommer te puis de ma deffaçon sœur.
I name you sister of my undoing.
Charme felon, la mort d’ung povre cueur,
Criminal charm, death of my poor heart,
Orgueil mussé, qui gens met au mourir,
Hidden pride that sends folk to their destruction,
Yeulx sans pitié! ne veult droict de rigueur,
Eyes devoid of pity—will not Justice
Sans empirer, ung povre secourir?
Help a poor man without crushing him?

Mieulx m’eust valu avoir esté crier
It had been better to have begged
Ailleurs secours, c’eust esté mon bonheur:
For help elsewhere, it might have made me happy.
Rien ne m’eust sceu de ce fait arracher;
Nothing could snatch me from this fate.
Trotter m’en fault en fuyte à deshonneur.
Now I must retreat in shame.
Haro, haro, le grand et le mineur!
Help me, help me, one and all!
Et qu’est cecy? mourray sans coup ferir,
But what? Am I to die and not strike a blow?
Ou pitié peult, selon ceste teneur,
Or will Pity, softened by these sad words,
Sans empirer, ung povre secourir.
Help a poor man without crushing him?

Ung temps viendra, qui fera desseicher,
A time will come that will dry up,
Jaulnir, flestrir, vostre espanie fleur:
Fade and wither your full-grown flower;
J’en risse lors, se tant peusse marcher,
Then I shall laugh, if I can still walk.
Mais las! nenny: ce seroit donc foleur,
But alas! Nay—that would be folly:
Vieil je seray; vous, laide et sans couleur.
I shall be old; you ugly and wan.
Or, beuvez fort, tant que ru peult courir.
So drink deep, while the river still runs.
Ne donnez pas à tous ceste douleur,
Give this pain to no one else—
Sans empirer, ung povre secourir.
Help a poor man without crushing him.

Prince amoureux, des amans le greigneur,
Prince of lovers, greatet of them all,
Vostre mal gré ne vouldroye encourir;
I had sooner not incur your wrath,
Mais tout franc cueur doit, par Nostre Seigneur,
But every honest heart should, by our Lord,
Sans empirer, ung povre secourir.
Help a poor man without crushing him.