A Middle French Vowing Poem

A Middle French Vowing Poem

John L. Grigsby, Norris J. Lacy, Norris J. Lacy

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780429615283
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Published in 1992, this text discusses Les Voeux du Heron, a short text, comprising only 442 lines that was popular in the late Middle Ages but is virtually unknown today. This book includes and English translation, as well as a reconstruction of Manuscript U, published in its entirety for the first time.

Les Voeux du heron

The Vows of the Heron

LES VOEUX DU HERON

I

Ens el mois de setembre qu’estés va a declin

Que cil oisillon gay ont perdu lor latin

Et si sekent les vignes et meurent li rosin

Et despoillent li arbre et coevrent le chemin,

L’an mil .cccxxxviii., ensi le vous affi,

Fu Edouars a Londres en son palais marbrin.

Avoecques lui seoient duc, conte et palasin,

Et dames et pucheles et maint autre meschin.

Edouart Loeÿs l’apelent si voisin.

Li roys seoit a table sans penser mal engin,

En pensees d’amours, tenant le chief enclin.

Du gentil roy de Franche s’apeloit il cousin

Et le tint en chierté com son loiel voisin;

Envers li ne pensoit bataille ne hustin.

Mais quant fortune tourne ensi com je devin,

Tost moevent tes paroles dont il naist grant venin.

Ensi en avint il en che propre termin

Par un gentil vassal qui estoit de grand lin.

Robers d’Artois ot non, ce dïent palasin.

Chiex commencha la guerre et l’orible hustin

Dont maint boin chevalier fu jeté mort souvin,

Mainte dame en fu vesve et et maint povre orfelin,

Et maint boin maronnier a courchiét son termin,

Et mainte preudefeme mise a divers destin,

Et tante bele eglise fu arse et mise a fin

Et encore sera, se Jhesu n’i met fin.

II

Signeur, a ichel tamps de coy je vous devis,

Que li airs se reffroide apprés le douch tamps prin

THE VOWS OF THE HERON

I

In the month of September, when summer is on the wane,

When the happy birds have ceased to sing

And the vines dry up and the grapes are ripe

And the trees lose their leaves, which cover the roads,

In the year 1338, I tell you truthfully,

Edward was at London in his marble palace.

With him sat dukes, earls, and courtiers,

And ladies and maidens and many others.

Those close to him call him Edward Louis.

The king was seated at table, without evil thoughts;

With his head bowed, he was thinking of love.

He was cousin to the good king of France

And held him dear, as his loyal neighbor;

He had no thought of war or strife against him.

But when Fortune changes, I believe,

Then words are spoken that give birth to evil.

Thus it occurred at that time,

Because of a noble vassal who was of high lineage:

His name, according to the courtiers, was Robert of Artois.

He began the war and the terrible strife,*

In which many fine knights were struck down dead,

Many ladies were made widows, and there were many orphans,

And many fine seamen had their lives shortened,

And many good women were forcibly corrupted;

And a great many churches were burned and destroyed—

And many more will be, unless Jesus brings this to an end.

II

Lords, at the time of which I am telling you,*

When the air becomes cool after the warm season

Et nature esvoisie dekiét de ses delis

Et chil bos se desfoeillent et pres sont desflouris,

Fu Edouars a Londres, avoec lui ses marchis;

Mout y ot asanlé de gens de son païs.

La fu Robers d’Artois, .j. hons de moult grant pris.

Banis estoit de Franche, le nobile païs,

Escachiés de le tere roi Philippe au cler vis,

Et n’osoit demourer de cha mer ou païs,

N’en Henau n’en Breubant n’en trestout Cambresis

N’en Flandres n’en Namur n’en Auvergne autressi;

Et li falirent tout, et parent et amy,

Pour l’amour du boin roy qui tenoit Saint Denis,

Fors le roy d’Engletere, dont bien fu recoeillis.

Chieux le prinst a tenser contre ses anemis;

Moult le tint en chierté, qu’il estoit ses amis,

Estrais de sen lignage de per les fleur de Us.

Che jour estoit a Londres quens Robers le marchis,

Et d’aler en gibier envie Pot sousprins

Pour ce qu’il li souvint du tres gentil païs,

De Franche l’alosee, dont il estoit ravis.

Che jour ala voler par camps et par larris.

.J. petit faucon porte, qui de luy fu nourris.

.J. faucon muskadin l’apelent ou païs.

Tant vola par riviere qu’il a .j. hair on prins.

Si tost com il le prinst, si li rougi li vis,

Et dist qu’il le dourra Edouart Loeÿs,

S’en fera faire veus a chiaux de son païs.

A Londres s’en repaire, avoec li ses soubgis.

En la quisine entra; la fu li hairuns mis.

Et la fu il moult bien et plumés et farsis,

Et si fu quis en rost ensi com je devis.

Entre .ij. plas d’argent fu li hairons assis.

.Ij. maistres de vïele a quens Robers saisis,

Avoec .j. guistreneur acordant par devis.

.Ij. pucheles apele, filles de .ij. marchis.

Le hairon aporterent ens ou palais vautis.

Les deus pucheles cantent ansi com par devis,

Et chil Robers s’escrie hautement a haut cris:

“Widiés les rens! Widiés, mauvaise gent falis!

And joyous nature falls from its delights

And the woods lose their leaves, and the meadows their flowers,

Edward was at London, and his nobles with him,

And a great many of his countrymen.

Robert of Artois, a man of great worth, was there;

He had been banished from the noble country of France,

Exiled from the land of fair King Philip,

And he dared not stay in the land this side of the sea,*

In Hainaut or Brabant or all of the Cambrésis

Or in Flanders or Namur or in the Auvergne;

For the...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Original Title Page
• Original Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Preface of the General Editors
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Introduction
• Les Voeux du heron and The Vows of the Heron
• Rejected Readings and Emendations
• Notes
• Appendix I: Manuscript U
• Appendix II: Chronographia regum francorum