La Trobe University - Library: Medieval Music Database - Annual cycle of feasts of liturgical chant, liturgical polyphony and secular music of the late middle ages.

Library Home

MMDB Home

Browse

	By Text
	By composer
	By Genre
	By Manuscript
	Complete Manuscripts
	By Liturgical Feast

	By Text
	By Melody
	By Descriptor

Scribe Software

What's New

Contact

Medieval Music Database

Dame, comment qu'amez de vous ne soie
ballade by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 25v (text), 304 (2/1);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843, fol. 192v (text), 239 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 202 (text), 462v (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 42v, 302 (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 146 (text), 164v (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1587 (olim 612), fol. 31v (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 11 (text), 154 (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 139v (2/1).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 15.
2. The Works of Guillaume de Machaut, Second Part, edited by Leo Schrade, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1956. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century III, p. 87.
3. La Louange des Dames, edited by Nigel Wilkins, Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Press, 1972, New York: Barnes and Noble, 1973, p. 125 (NYw).

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 165.

Literature

1. MACHABEY, Armand. Guillaume de Machault, 130?-1377: La vie et l'oeuvre musicale, 2 vols, Paris: Richard-Masse-Editeur, 1955. Bibliothèque d'études musicales, pp. 30-31.
2. GÜNTHER, Ursula. Der musikalische Stilwandel der französischen Liedkunst in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts, dargestelt an Virelais, Balladen und Rondeax von Machaut., Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hamburg: 1957, Chapter 4.1.
3. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Der Gebrauch des tempus perfectum diminutum in der Handschrift Chantilly 1047', Archiv für Musikwissenschaft, XVII (1960), p. 296.
4. SALOP, Arnold. 'The secular polyphony of Guillaume de Machaut', [chapter 2 of his] Studies on the History of Musical Style, Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1971, p. 69.
5. DÖMLING, Wolfgang. 'Aspekte der Sprachvertonung in den Balladen Guillaume de Machauts', Die Musikforschung, XXV/3 (1972), pp. 302-306.
6. SWARTZ, Anne. 'A new chronology of the ballades of Machaut', Acta Musicologica, XLVI (1974): 192-207.
7. REANEY, Gilbert. 'La tonalité des ballades et des rondeaux de Guillaume de Machaut', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 299, 300.
8. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Contribution de la musicologie à la biographie et à la chronologie de Guillaume de Machaut', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 95-116.

Recordings

1. Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300 - 1377). La Messe de Nostre Dame. 9 Weltliche Werke, Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and soloists, directed by August Wenzinger (1969): Archiv-IMS 2533 054 (INT).
2. [Renaissance and Contemporary Works], Solveig Faringer (S), Jörgen Rörby (lute), Clas Pehrsson (recorder) (1974): BIS LP 2 (SWE).

Text

Dame, comment qu'amez de vous ne soie.
Si n'est il riens qui tant peust grever.
Moy ne mon cuer, com ce que je savoie
Que vossissies autre que mi amer;
Car riens conforter
Ne me porroit ja mais ne resjoir.
S'il avenoit, fors seulement morir.

Car dous espoir qui me nourrist en joie
Et qui soustient mon cuer en dous penser
Contre desir qui toudis me guerroie
Feries de moy sans cause dessevrer.
Si qu'einsi durer
Ne voudroie sans li contre desir.
S'il avenoit, fors seulement morir.

Car vraiement, dame, se je perdoie
L'esperance de merci recouvrer.
Par autre amer, desesperes seroie.
Car foibles sui pour telz cops endurer;
Ne je n'os penser
Que vous ne Amours me peussies garir.
S'il avenoit, fors seulement morir.

Translation

Lady, although I am not loved by you.
There is nothing which can so grieve me
Or my heart, as to know
That you should wish to love another than me;
For nothing could ever
Comfort me or make me rejoice.
If that should happen, but only to die.

For sweet hope which feeds me in joy
And which sustains my heart in sweet thoughts
Against desire which constantly wars against me
You would without cause cut off from me.
So that thus to endure
Against desire I would not wish without it (.i.e. hope)
If that should happen, but only to die.

For truly, lady, if I should lose
The hope of regaining mercy
By another love, I should be in despair.
For I am weak to endure such blows;
Nor do I dare think
That you or Love would be unable to cure me
If that should happen, but only to die.
Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham

Content Approved by: MMDB Director
Last updated: Wednesday, 19 March 2003

Cantus

CAO-ECE

Cantus Planus

Vulgate

DIAMM

TML

Latin Dictionary