Songs

Plourés, dames, ploures vostre servant (Ballade: from ‘Le Voir Dit’)

by Guillaume de Machaut

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Text & Translation

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Plourés, dames, ploures vostre servant (Ballade: from ‘Le Voir Dit’)
French source: GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT

Plourés dames, plourez vostre servant,
Qui ay toudis mis mon cuer et m’entente,
Corps et desir et penser en servant
L’onneur de vous, que Diex gart et augmente.
Vestés vous de noir pour mi
Car j’ay cuer, taint et viaire pali,
Et si me voy de mort en aventure
Se Diex et vous ne me prenez en cure.

Mais certeins sui qu’en vous de bien a tant
Que dou peril ou je sui sans attente
Me geterez, se cuer en plourant,
Priez a dieu qu’a moy garir s’assente.
Et pour ce je vous depri
Qu’a Dieu vueilliez pour moy faire depri;
Ou paier criens le treu de Nature,
Se Diex et vous ne me prenez en cure.

Weep ladies, weep for your servant
English translation © R. Barton Palmer

Weep ladies, weep for your servant,
I who has every day spent my heart and energy,
Body and desire and mind in serving
Your honour, which may God preserve and exalt.
Dress in black for me
Because my heart’s afflicted, my face pale,
And I see myself in danger of death
If God and you don’t attend to me.

But I’m certain you’ve enough goodness
To save me from this peril
Where I lie hopeless, if weeping you pray
From the heart that God agrees to my cure,
And so I beg you
Pray God for my sake;
Else I fear paying Nature’s debt
If God and you don’t attend to me.

Plourés, dames, ploures vostre servant (Ballade: from ‘Le Voir Dit’)
French source: GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT

Weep ladies, weep for your servant
English source: R. Barton Palmer

Plourés dames, plourez vostre servant,
Weep ladies, weep for your servant,
Qui ay toudis mis mon cuer et m’entente,
I who has every day spent my heart and energy,
Corps et desir et penser en servant
Body and desire and mind in serving
L’onneur de vous, que Diex gart et augmente.
Your honour, which may God preserve and exalt.
Vestés vous de noir pour mi
Dress in black for me
Car j’ay cuer, taint et viaire pali,
Because my heart’s afflicted, my face pale,
Et si me voy de mort en aventure
And I see myself in danger of death
Se Diex et vous ne me prenez en cure.
If God and you don’t attend to me.

Mais certeins sui qu’en vous de bien a tant
But I’m certain you’ve enough goodness
Que dou peril ou je sui sans attente
To save me from this peril
Me geterez, se cuer en plourant,
Where I lie hopeless, if weeping you pray
Priez a dieu qu’a moy garir s’assente.
From the heart that God agrees to my cure,
Et pour ce je vous depri
And so I beg you
Qu’a Dieu vueilliez pour moy faire depri;
Pray God for my sake;
Ou paier criens le treu de Nature,
Else I fear paying Nature’s debt
Se Diex et vous ne me prenez en cure.
If God and you don’t attend to me.

Composer

Guillaume de Machaut

Guillaume de Machaut is presumed to have been born around the year 1300; the first surviving documentary evidence from 1330 lists him as a ‘clerk’ in the household of John of Bohemia and suggests that he had been in service since 1323. Machaut was…

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