part 4 (end)

Music of Cyprus, 1413-1422 (Ensemble Project Ars Nova)

"THE ISLAND OF ST. HYLARION"

CONTRE DOLOUR

Contre dolour, alegresse et plaisir,
Contre dur plour, ris et joieuse vie,
-- Contre mal jour, bon jour et chiere lye
-- M'a fait Amour avoir com je desir.
Dont l'en graci et ly veuil requerir
Qu'aie de lui tousdis par courtoisie,
Contre dolour alegresse et plaisir,
Contre dur plour, ris a joieuse vie,
Car lonctans a que rnaint grant desplaisir
Ai en mon cuer porté par unne envie,
-- Qui me tenoit en dure maladie;
-- Mais Dieu merci, ore di sans mentir:
Contre dolour, alegresse et plaisir,
Contre dur plour, ris et joieuse vie,
-- Contre mal jour, bon jour et chiere lye
-- M'a fait Amour avoir com je desir.

ASPRE FORTUNE

Aspre Fortune, dure et engingneuse,
A tous me plains du tres mal portement
Ques contre moi tous les tens sans huiseuse
As maintenue fort oultrageusement.
Si ne sçai pas pour ques entendement
De ce mal veuil est si ton cuer espris,
Car onques mais ne t'ai de riens mespris.

Mon tres bon droit , injuste er vicieuse,
Contre ton fait ira bien justement,
Et, par raison, ta loi fort damageuse
Abattera s'ansi, tout prestement,
La quelle m'est tousjours d'empecement;
Na sai pourquoi s'en sue du tout sourpris,
Car onques mais ne t'ai de riem mespris.


Rondeau - tenor, harp

Against pain, pleasure and good cheer
Against heavy weeping, laughter and a life of joy;
-- Against curses, salutations and cheerful greetings
-- Love has given me as I desire.
Wherefore I thank him and wish to beseech him
that I may always have from him, in courtesy;
against pain, pleasure and good cheer;
against heavy weeping, laughter and a life of joy.
-- For it has been long that I have borne
-- great unhappiness in my heart, through envy
that possessed me in harsh sickness;
but thank God, I can now say truly:
against pain, pleasure and good cheer;
against heavy weeping, laughter and a life of joy;
-- against curses, salutations and cheerful greetings
-- Love has given me as I desire.

Ballade - two voices, vielle

Harsh and hard fortune, and deceitful,
I complain to everyone of the wretched treatment
that you have sustained against me always,
without respite and always hurtfully.
I don't know for what reason
your heart has contracted this malevolence;
for I've never in any way offended you.

My strong case, O unjust and wicked woman,
will proceed justly against your deeds.
And your destructive law will by reason
fall, and quickly,
your law which always opposes me.
Nor do I know why I am at all suprised by this;
for I've never in any way offended you.
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