| 42v La Complainte dou conte Hue de Nevers Quil a maint borc et mainte vile
Laissie por morir au servize
Celui Seigneur ⋅ qui tot justize
Et Diex li rent ⋅ en bele guize
Ne cuidiez pas ⋅ que se soit guile
Quil fait granz vertuz a devize
Bien pert ⋅ que Diex a sarme prise
Por metre en son roial concile
Encor fist li cuens a sa mort
Quavec les plus povres samort
Des plus povres ⋅ vot estre el conte
Quant la mors .i. teil home mort
Que doit quele ne ce remort
De mordre ⋅ si tost .i. teil conte
Car qui la veritei nos conte
Je ne cuit pas que jamais monte
Sor nul cheval feble ne fort
Nuns hom ⋅ qui tant ait doutei honte
Ne mieulz seust que honeurs monte
Na ci doleur ⋅ et desconfort.
Li cuers le conte ⋅ est a Citiaux
Et larme la sus en sains ciaux
Et li cors en gist outre meir
Cist departirs est boens et biaux
Ci a trois precieulz joiaux
Que tuit li boen doivent ameir
La sus elz cielz fait boen semeir
Nestuet pas la terre femeir
Ne ne ci puet repaitre oiziaux
Quant por Dieu se fist entameir
Que porra Diex ⋅ sor li clameir
Quant il jugera ⋅ boens et maux ⋅
Ha cuens Jehan biau tres dolz sire
De vos puisse hon ⋅ tant de bien dire
Com hon puet dou conte Huede faire
Quen lui a si bele matyre
Que Diex cen puet joer et rire
Et sainz paradix cen resclaire
A iteil fin ⋅ fait il bon traire
Que hon nen puet nul mal retraire
Teil vie ⋅ fait boen eslire
Doulz et pitouz et debonaire
Le trovoit hon ⋅ en toz afaires
Sages est ⋅ quen ces faiz ce mire
Mes sire Erart ⋅ Diex vos maintiegne
Et en bone vie vos tiegne
Quil est bien mestiers en la terre
Que cil avient que tost vos preigne
Je dout li pais ⋅ ne remeigne
En grant doleur et en grant guerre
Com li cuers ⋅ el ventre vos serre
Quant Diex a mis ⋅ si tost en serre
Lou conte ⋅ a la doutee enseigne
Ou porroiz teil compaignon querre
En France ne en Aingleterre
Ne cuit pas com le vos enseingne
Ha ⋅ rois de France ⋅ rois de France
Acre est ⋅ toute jor en balance
Secoreiz la ⋅ quil est mestiers
Serveiz Dieu ⋅ de vostre sustance
Ne faites plus ci remenance
Ne vos ne li cuens de Poitiers
Diex vos i verra ⋅ volentiers
Car toz est herbuz ⋅ li santiers
Con suet batre ⋅ por penitance
Qua Dieu sera ⋅ amis entiers
Voit destorbeir ⋅ ces charpentiers
Qui destorbent notre creance.
Chevalier ⋅ que faites vos ci
Cuens de Blois ⋅ sire de Couci
Translationfor he left behind many towns and many villages
to die in the service of
That Lord who renders justice to all.
And God repays him hansomely
—do not think this is a trick—
for He performs many great miracles.
It truly appears that God took his soul
to place him in his royal council.
The Count arranged that at his death
he would be as one with the most poor.
He wished to be counted among the poorest.
When Death bites such a man
how can She have no remorse for
devouring such a count so early in life?
For, if truth be told,
I think that no man
has ever mounted a horse, either weak or strong,
who so feared shame,
or better understood the meaning of honor.
Is this not a tale of sadness and pain?
The heart of the count is at Citeaux
and the soul, in the saintly heavens above,
and the body lies beyond the sea.
This division is good and beautiful
for we now have three precious jewels
that every good person should revere.
There, in heaven on high, it is good to sow seeds;
one need not fertilize the soil,
nor can birds feed upon them.
Since he allowed himself to be torn apart in God's name,
what claim can God make against him,
when He judges the good and the evil.
Ah, Count John, fine, sweet lord
may as many great things be said about you
as one can say about the count Eudes.
For in him, we have such good material
which God can rejoice and delight in,
and with which that saintly paradise is brightened.
It is good to pursue such an end,
for no one can find any wrong in it;
it is good to choose that kind of life.
People found him to be
sweet and pious and noble in all regards;
wise is the one who sees himself in his [Eudes'] deeds.
My lord, Erard, may God preserve you
and keep you well,
for in that Land there is great need.
But should He take you early
I fear those lands would remain
in a state of great suffering and war.
Oh how your heart tightens in your chest
knowing that God brought the count,
with his much-feared standard, to His side so soon.
Where would you seek such a companion?
For I do not think, either in France or in England
anyone will point one out to you.
Ah! King of France, King of France
Acre daily hangs in the balance.
Send help to her, for it is needed.
Serve God with all you have.
Do not remain here any longer,
neither you, nor the Count of Poitiers.
God will be pleased to see you there,
for the path that others were able
to clear as penance has become overgrown.
He who will be a wholehearted friend of God,
go then, and confront these who wield the ax
and undermine our faith!
Knights, what are you doing here?
Count of Blois, Lord of Coucy | 42v La Complainte dou conte Hue de Nevers Quil a maint borc et mainte vile
Laissie por morir au servize
Celui Seigneur ⋅ qui tot justize
Et Diex li rent ⋅ en bele guize
Ne cuidiez pas ⋅ que se soit guile
Quil fait granz vertuz a devize
Bien pert ⋅ que Diex a sarme prise
Por metre en son roial concile
Encor fist li cuens a sa mort
Quavec les plus povres samort
Des plus povres ⋅ vot estre el conte
Quant la mors .1. teil home mort
Que doit quele ne ce remort
De mordre ⋅ si tost un teil conte
Car qui la veritei nos conte
Je ne cuit pas que jamais monte
Sor nul cheval feble ne fort
Nuns hom ⋅ qui tant ait doutei honte
Ne mieulz seust que honeurs monte
Na ci doleur ⋅ et desconfort ⋅
Li cuers le conte ⋅ est a Citiaux
Et larme la sus en sains ciaux
Et li cors en gist outre meir
Cist departirs est boens et biaux
Ci a trois precieulz joiaux
Que tuit li boen doivent ameir
La sus elz cielz fait boen semeir
Nestuet pas la terre femeir
Ne ne ci puet repaitre oiziaux
Quant por Dieu se fist entameir
Que porra Diex ⋅ sor li clameir
Quant il jugera ⋅ boens et maux ⋅
Ha cuens Jehan biau tres dolz sire
De vos puisse hon ⋅ tant de bien dire
Com hon puet dou conte Huede faire
Quen lui a si bele matyre
Que Diex cen puet joer et rire
Et sainz paradix cen resclaire
A iteil fin ⋅ fait il bon traire
Que hon nen puet nul mal retraire
Teil vie ⋅ fait boen eslire
Doulz et pitouz et debonaire
Le trovoit hon ⋅ en toz afaires
Sages est ⋅ quen ces faiz ce mire
Mes sire Erart ⋅ Diex vos maintiegne
Et en bone vie vos tiegne
Quil est bien mestiers en la terre
Que cil avient que tost vos preigne
Je dout li pais ⋅ ne remeigne
En grant doleur et en grant guerre
Com li cuers ⋅ el ventre vos serre
Quant Diex a mis ⋅ si tost en serre
Lou conte ⋅ a la doutee enseigne
Ou porroiz teil compaignon querre
En France ne en Aingle terre
Ne cuit pas com le vos enseingne
Ha ⋅ rois de france ⋅ rois de france
Acre est ⋅ toute jor en balance
Secoreiz la ⋅ quil est mestiers
Serveiz Dieu ⋅ de vostre sustance
Ne faites plus ci remenance
Ne vos ne li cuens de poitiers
Diex vos i verra ⋅ volentiers
Car toz est herbuz ⋅ li santiers
Con suet batre ⋅ por penitance
Qua Dieu sera ⋅ amis entiers
Voit destorbeir ⋅ ces charpentiers
Qui destorbent notre creance ⋅
Chevalier ⋅ que faites vos ci
Cuens de Blois ⋅ sire de Couci
Translationfor he left behind many towns and many villages
to die in the service of
That Lord who renders justice to all.
And God repays him hansomely
—do not think this is a trick—
for He performs many great miracles.
It truly appears that God took his soul
to place him in his royal council.
The Count arranged that at his death
he would be as one with the most poor.
He wished to be counted among the poorest.
When Death bites such a man
how can She have no remorse for
devouring such a count so early in life?
For, if truth be told,
I think that no man
has ever mounted a horse, either weak or strong,
who so feared shame,
or better understood the meaning of honor.
Is this not a tale of sadness and pain?
The heart of the count is at Citeaux
and the soul, in the saintly heavens above,
and the body lies beyond the sea.
This division is good and beautiful
for we now have three precious jewels
that every good person should revere.
There, in heaven on high, it is good to sow seeds;
one need not fertilize the soil,
nor can birds feed upon them.
Since he allowed himself to be torn apart in God's name,
what claim can God make against him,
when He judges the good and the evil.
Ah, Count John, fine, sweet lord
may as many great things be said about you
as one can say about the count Eudes.
For in him, we have such good material
which God can rejoice and delight in,
and with which that saintly paradise is brightened.
It is good to pursue such an end,
for no one can find any wrong in it;
it is good to choose that kind of life.
People found him to be
sweet and pious and noble in all regards;
wise is the one who sees himself in his [Eudes'] deeds.
My lord, Erard, may God preserve you
and keep you well,
for in that Land there is great need.
But should He take you early
I fear those lands would remain
in a state of great suffering and war.
Oh how your heart tightens in your chest
knowing that God brought the count,
with his much-feared standard, to His side so soon.
Where would you seek such a companion?
For I do not think, either in France or in England
anyone will point one out to you.
Ah! King of France, King of France
Acre daily hangs in the balance.
Send help to her, for it is needed.
Serve God with all you have.
Do not remain here any longer,
neither you, nor the Count of Poitiers.
God will be pleased to see you there,
for the path that others were able
to clear as penance has become overgrown.
He who will be a wholehearted friend of God,
go then, and confront these who wield the ax
and undermine our faith!
Knights, what are you doing here?
Count of Blois, Lord of Coucy |
EN