18r La Complainte de monseigneur Joffroi de Sergines

the interests of the soul in favor of those of the body.
They do not wish to seek anything more
outside of honoring the body on earth.
There are two different rules;^{1For more on Rutebuef's attitudes towards the religious life, see his "Dit des regles."}
one for those in orders and one for those in the world.
But whoever might have
such prowess and knowledge within himself
that the soul would be both pure and unstained,
and the body honored in the world;
he would have a great advantage.

But among these, I know but one so worthy,
and he is full of God's teachings.
My lord, Geoffrey of Sergines is the name
of the prudhomme of whom I speak.
Emperors, kings counts, and many more--
more than I can even tell you--
deem him to be a prudhomme.
Others are not even worth two cents
compared to him, because his good qualities
make him a model of correction far and wide.
Allow me to touch upon these qualities for you
a bit, based on what I know.
For whoever would challenge me to exchange
his soul for mine,
and if I were to chose
among all those who are living right now,
who battle for their soul in the world--
whether they beg for bread, go shoeless
through great cold and heat
or wear a hairshirt, or gird themselves with a cord,^{2This is a reference to the mendicants, and to the Franciscans specifically}
or go to greater lengths than I can even say--
I would seize up his soul first,
far more so than anyone else's.
As for the body, may I tell you,
if anyone would ask me to choose

one from among the good knights of France
or of the kingdom,^{3Perhaps this is a reference to the Kingdom of Jerusalem, or to the Kingdom of France as opposed to the Ile de France.} in my opinion
I would choose no other than him.
I do not know what more I might say.
He is truly a prudhomme, it seems to me,
who embodies these two things at once:
valor of body and goodness of soul.
May our sweet lady be the garantor
when his soul leaves his body,
and may she know where it is going
and may she have the body under her protection
so that she will ensure its safekeeping.
When he was in this land^{4We think this means France, before he departed for the Holy Land.}--
may I not seem foolishly naive
because of how I have praised him--
there was no one, young or old,
who could accomplish such feats of arms.
Those within his household found him
to be gentle, courteous, and gracious,
but once armed and in the thick of it
his enemies deemed him to be otherwise.
He loved God dearly, and the Holy Church.
Therefore, whenever possible,
he did not wish to mistreat
anyone, strong or weak, in any way.
He loved his poor neighbors
and willingly shared what he had,
giving in such a manner that as he gave the gift,
his pleasing countenance
was worth more than the gift itself.
This fine prudhomme trusted and honored prudhommes;
and among his company, no false flatteres remained
once he found out about them.