57r Li Diz de la voie de Tunes

out of fear of the thief,
he would have kept watch
as best he could
so the thief would do him no harm."^{1This is a paraphrase of Matthew 24:43}

Also we do not know
when God will say "Come!"
He who is poorly prepared at that time
will be sorely out of luck.
Because God will
rage at him like a lion.
You are failing to take heed, you
who are taking your time.

The King, to whom sweet France is everything,
is not delaying.
He loves his own soul so much
that he does not fear death,
rather, he will cross the sea
to attack this vile pack of dogs.
May Jesus Christ, by His grace
protect him and his expedition.

Princes, prelates, barons,
take heed of this, for God's sake.
France is so well-fatted a land
that it should not be further larded.
And so he who maintains and protects it
wishes to leave it
for the love of Him
who has all under His protection.

Now that preudhomme [the king]
should stay
and attend to his
own state.
And yet he wishes to
leave sweet France behind.
May God grant that
he return to Paris with joy.

And the count of Poitiers—
who rules over an entire people
and who holds his place
in sweet France so well that
any place he passes through
is better for a fortnight—
is going overseas
and nothing will hold him back.

He loves God more than his fellow man,
who undertakes such a voyage
which is the greatest of
all pilgrimages.
He puts his body in peril
and sails across the sea
out of love for Him
who made him in His Image.

And my lord Philip
and the good Count of Artois
and the Count of Nevers,^{1See roll C of the inventory for an echo of this passage}
who are wise and courtois
create by their journey,
beautiful songs of service^{2serventois is a genre of religious poetry, and plays on the word "service"} for God.
A knight who does not follow them
in not worth a penny to me.

The good King of Navarre—
who leaves behind such beautiful lands
that I do not know where
one might seek or find any more beautiful,
but one must leave it all behind
to attain the Love of the God;
this journey is the key
that unlocks paradise—

does not worrry about the things
that he might have had to do