42r La Complainte dou conte Hue de Nevers

Here begins the Lament
of Count Eudes of Nevers

Death, which always preys upon those
who stay true to the path of good deeds,
reveals to me my feelings for
the one among them whom I loved the most
and whom I would most like to resemble
more than any man who exists, ^{1Expand on the notion of "Language" in this footnote}among speakers of any tongue.
His name was Eudes, a prudhomme and wise,
the count of Nevers, brave of heart
whom death has taken as its prey.
He was the flower of his lineage.
His death is such a great pity
that could not describe it to you.

The count is dead, may god receive his soul.
May Saint George and the Sweet Lady,
pray to the Sovereign Master
that he place the count at His right side,
into that joy, which cannot be corrupted,
and without the fear of the flames of Hell.
And he must rightly be there
since he left his home and way of life
for this glorious gem
that is called celestial joy.
In my opinion, it will not be possible for a better
man than he to be of woman born.

The count was quickly knighted,
when the time and necessity arose,
as soon as he was able to bear arms.
Then, there was neither a course nor a path
that he did not take most eagerly
if one were able to venture thereupon.
If I might tell you truly and swear to it,
had he been able to live out the full measure of his days,
never would there have been a better lord of his lands;
so well did he know how to administer justice to the good and to renounce the deceitful.
To the former he is mild, and to the latter, harsh.
During the short time of life that he bore arms,
all the good men wanted
to resemble him in their bearing.
If God did not love his company
He would not have deprived Acre
of such a formidible standard.^{1This refers to the flag presented in battle to represent opposing forces}
Death has set back the cause of
Acre, which was the last thing it needed.
That land remains dumbstruck.^{2"La terre" in this context is probably a reference to the Holy Land}
There, there is death, so painful and terrible
that no one can put a brave face on it
except for those vile, hated people.

Oh Land, full of nobility
charity, and generosity,
you have suffered such a dreadful loss.
If gentillesse were not dead,
as well as courage and prowess,
you would not be so desolate.
Alas, alas, you malingering men,
the gate of heaven is open.
Do not back away out of laziness.
God did not hesitate to present this opportunity
to the good count as his reward,
which he siezed during his youth.

He did not turn his back on his cross^{1The sense of the line is, "he did not turn his coin from heads to tails." However, this is a play on words involving the term "cross." A cross was depicted on the obverse side of some medieval coins and was also the symbol of a promise to go on crusade; to turn your coin from heads to tails means to be deceitful, but here, Eudes remained true to his commitment to go on crusade.}
as do tens of thousands who so often
take it with great insincerity.
Thus, he did it according to the gospel: