Poem in Occitan,"Lady Castelloza: To Her Lover Gone Away"- Translated by A Z Foreman Poems Found in Translation

Poems Found In Translation: “Lady Castelloza: To Her Lover Gone Away (From Occitan)”

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Lady Castelloza: To Her Lover Gone Away (From Occitan) Posted: 07 Aug 2015 11:32 AM PDT We know little about the trobairitz Lady Castelloza beside what her later vida records. The latter says that she was from Auvergne, the wife of Truc de Mairona, and the lover of Armant de Brion (both nobles, incidentally, though the latter would have been of higher social status than the former.) There seems to me to be no reason to either believe or disbelieve this.    To Her Lover Gone Away By Lady Castelloza (c. 13th cent.) Translated by A.Z. Foreman My darling, it has been so long Since from my arms you took your leave. And it is painful, cruel and wrong. You promised, pledged, made me believe That you would take no other lady Until the day death do us part. Now if some other holds your heart Then you have murdered me, betrayed me Who hoped your love was no conceit But undivided and complete. My handsome noble-natured dear, I've loved you since the day you pleased me. How great a fool I am is clear. For you held back, while such love seized me That I not once have turned away. Though you repay my good with ill I'll stand my ground and love you still, For love so has me in its sway That I now doubt my life can offer Much good without you as my lover. I set no proper precedent For other women in love's course,  Since it is for the man to send Word in well-chosen, well-turned verse. And yet it does my spirit good To show how great a faith you test; To be a suitor suits me best.  The wealthiest of women would Be all the richer for the trove  Of your embrace, your kiss, your love. God doom me if I've ever shown A fickle heart or been untrue, I have not wanted anyone, However noble, who was not you.  No, I am pensive, pained in bed Because your mind has left my love. If you don't send joy soon enough You may discover I am dead. In ladies, slight disease can kill Without a man to lance the ill.1  For everything you've done to me, For all the hurtful grief and gall, You've thanks from all my family And from my husband most of all.  If you have sinned toward me, my dear Then in good faith I pardon you And pray that you'll at last come true To me, the moment that you hear My song. I promise as I live The fairest welcome I can give.  Notes: 1 - "lancing" i.e. drawing blood. Draining out the "ill humors" by controlled bloodletting was thought to relieve a patient's suffering in medieval European medicine. Of course, there is more to the line and its imagery than reference to a medical technique.   The Original: "Mout avetz fach lonc estatge..." Na Castelloza Mout avétz fach lonc estatge, Amics, pos de mi·us partitz; Et es me grèu e salvatge, Quar me jurètz e·m plevitz Quez als jorns de vòstra vida Non acsétz dòmpna mas me: E si d'autra vós perté, M'avétz mòrta e trahida, Qu'avi' en vos m'esperança Que m'amassetz sés dubtança Bèls amics, de fin coratge Vós amèi, pois m'abellitz, E sai que faich ai follatge, Que plus m'en ètz escaritz Qu'anc non fis vas vos ganchida, E si·m fasètz mal per be: Be·us am e non m'en recré; Mas tan m'a amórs sazida Qu'ièu non cre que benenança Puòsc' avér ses vostr' amança. Mout aurai mes mal usatge A las autras amairitz Qu'óm sòl trametre messatge E motz triatz e chausitz. Et ièu tenc me per garida, Amics, a la mia fe, Quan vos prèc, qu'aissi·m cové; Que·l plus pros n'es eniquida S'a de vos qualqu' abondança De baisar o d'acoindança. Mal aj'ièu, s'anc còr volatge Vos aic ni·us fui camjairitz, Ni drutz de negun paratge Per me non fo encobitz; Anz sui pensiv' e marrida Car de m'amór no·us sové, E si de vos jòis no·m ve Tòst me trobarétz fenida: Car per pauc de malanança Mòr dómpna, s'óm tot no·il lança. Tot lo maltraich e·l dampnatge Que per vos m'es escaritz Vos fai grazir mos linhatge E sóbre totz mos maritz; E s'anc fétz vas me fallida, Perdón la·us per bòna fe; E prèc que venhatz a me, Despois quez aurétz auzida Ma chansón, que·us fatz fiança Sai trobétz bèlla semblança