La Dousa Votz
The melody is conjunct, and sung by the male tenor vocalist, who repeats the melody with every verse. The meter is in 4/4, and the melody is predominantly on quarter notes, with the embellishment being in the sixteenth or eighth notes as necessary. Some of the embellishment also comes along with the accompaniment. The harmony is provided by a simple accompaniment in the lute, which follows a pattern, emphasizing the beats, and changing pitches the last two beats of every other measure in the A section. In the B section, the pitches change every two beats and alternate between two sets of pitches.
The melody is carried solely in the male tenor voice, and the accompaniment is a repetitive pattern on the lute. The form is strophic in nature, with little variation between verses. There are three verses in this recording, however the full song has 8 verses and a coda. Within each verse, the structure is A, A’, B.
This piece is secular and strophic in nature, and is about the love of the singer for a woman he cannot have. This song is by Bernart de Ventadorn, who was one of the first troubadour poets of the 12th Century. He served (and loved) the Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was the wife of Henry II of England. This song was one of the first secular pieces written at this time, contrived for playing in court. The song is written in Provençal, which is the Middle Ages combination language of Old French and Old Spanish.
This piece is secular and strophic in nature, and is about the love of the singer for a woman he cannot have. This song is by Bernart de Ventadorn, who was one of the first troubadour poets of the 12th Century. He served (and loved) the Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was the wife of Henry II of England. This song was one of the first secular pieces written at this time, contrived for playing in court. The song is written in Provençal, which is the Middle Ages combination language of Old French and Old Spanish.
The purpose of troubadours and trouvères in France in the Middle Ages was to entertain the court. These singers played alone and were hired in long-term positions to serve royalty. These men, and even occasionally women, wrote poems and songs, which they either performed themselves or gave to jongleurs to play. This is recognizable in "La Dousa Votz" with the lack of a score written originally by Bernart de Ventadorn, though the original penned poetry exists. Though there are modern reproductions of this piece, it is impossible to tell exactly how it would have sounded in the Middle Ages when played for Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine.
These are the lyrics of all eight verses, translated from Provençal to English (De Ventadorn, Bernart. "Translation").
LA DOUSA VOTZ AI AUZIDA ...
Bernart de Ventadorn "La dousa votz ai auzida del rosinholet sauvatge, et es m'ins cor salhida si que tot lo cosirer e·ls mals traihs qu'amors me dona, m'adousa e m'asazona; et auria·be mester l'autrui jois al meu damnatge. Ben es totz om d'avol vida c'ab joi non a son estatge e qui vas amor no guida so cor e so dezirer; car tot can es s'abandona vas joi e refrim' e sona: prat e deves e verger, landas e pla e boschatge. Eu, las! cui Amors oblida, que sui fors del dreih viatge, agra de joi ma partida, mas ira·m fai destorber; e no sai on me repona pus mo joi me desazona; e no·m tenhatz per leuger s'eu dic alcu vilanatge. Una fausa deschauzida träiritz de mal linhatge m'a träit (et es träida, e colh lo ram ab que·s fer); e can autre l'arazona, d'eus lo seu tort l'ochaizona; et an ne mais li derrer qu'eu que n'ai faih lonc badatge. Mout l'avia gen servida tro ac vas mi cor volatge; e pus ilh no m'es cobida, mout sui fols, si mais la ser. servirs c'om no gazardona, et esperansa bretona fai de senhor escuder per costum e per uzatge. Pois tan es vas me falhida, aisi lais so senhoratge, e no volh que·m si' aizida ni ja mais parlar no·n quer. mas pero qui m'en razona, la paraula m'en es bona, e m'en esjau volonter e·m n'alegre mo coratge. Deus li do mal' escharida qui porta mauvais mesatge, qu'eu agra amor jauzida, si no foso lauzenger. fols qui ab sidons tensona, qu'e·lh perdo s'ela·m perdona, e tuih cilh son mesonger que·m n'an faih dire folatge! E Lo vers mi porta, Corona, lai a midons a Narbona, que tuih sei faih son enter, c'om no·n pot dire folatge." |
I HAVE HEARD THE SWEET VOICE SING ...
Brenart De Ventadorn trans. James H. Donalson (from Provençal) "I have heard the sweet voice sing of the timid nightingale, it's impressed upon my heart so that all the care and pain and mistreatment love can give he has sweetened and made mild, so to heal my pain I need joy that rises from outside. It's a bad life that one leads if there is no joy with him, or if he won't guide to love his desiring and his heart: all things that exist run free when chimes out joy's happy sound: meadow, hedgerow, garden, grove, heaths and. plains and woodland too. But if I forget to love I have surely lost my way: I may have my share of joy - sadness will disturb me still, and I don't know where to hide since joy's taken me away and don't think that I am bad if some base remark slips out. One who's false, with ill-intent, traitress of a mean descent, has betrayed me (and herself: cut the branch to beat her with!) then when someone questions her she excuses her mistake, and the worst are better off than am I, who've waited long. I served my lady very well till she thought my heart had changed and no longer took my side. It were foolish to go on and to serve without reward and with only Breton hope makes a knight into a squire both by custom and by use. Since she had withdrawn from me I departed from her rule. I don't want her to be near me, and I don't want to speak on, but when someone speaks of her all the talk seems good to me and enjoyment is renewed and within my heart I'm glad. May God give a bad reward to the bearer of bad news, I would have had joy of love if there were no slanderers. Only fools debate their ladies; I forgive if she forgives, and they're liars, one and all who've let me speak foolishness. E O Corona, take my verse to my lady in Narbonne, since her acts are all complete, no one may speak foolishness." |