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Medieval Music Database

Ma chiere dame, a vous mon cuer envoy
ballade by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 153 (3/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 149v (3/1);
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Library, French MS 15, number 172 (text).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 48.
2. Geschichte der Musik in Beispielen, edited by Arnold Schering, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1931, no. 26a, p. 17.
3. 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. 136.

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 564.

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, p. 54.
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. 'Chronologie und Stil der Kompositionen Guillaume de Machauts', Acta Musicologica, XXXV (1963), p. 107.
4. MARTINEZ, Marie L. Die Musik des frühen Trecento, Tutzing: Hans Schneider, 1963. Münchener Veröffentlichungen zur Musikgeschichte 9.
5. DÖMLING, Wolfgang. Die mehrstimmigen Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais von Guillaume de Machaut: Untersuchungen zum musikalischen Satz, Tutzing: Schneider, 1970. Münchener Veröffentlichungen zur Musikgeschichte 16, p. 32.
6. SWARTZ, Anne. 'A new chronology of the ballades of Machaut', Acta Musicologica, XLVI (1974): 192-207.
7. COVINGTON, K. 'A theory of dissonance in the fourteenth-century', Indiana Theory Review, II/1 (1978): 29-40.
8. HIRSHBERG, Jehoash. 'Hexachordal and modal structure in Machaut's polyphonic chansons', Studies in Musicology in Honor of Otto E. Albrecht, 1980.
9. LEGUY, Sylvette. 'Les procédés de composition dans l'oeuvre de Machaut (à l'exclusion de la Messe)', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 307-320.
10. 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. Dances of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Zurich Ricercare Ensemble, Lionel Rogg (chamber organ, harps, directed by Michel Piguet, Rene Clemencic: Harmonia Mundi HMU 2472(2) (FRA).
2. Dictionnaire des Instruments Anciens, Clemencic Consort, Ars Musicae, Atrium Musicae, Ensemble Ric: Harmonia Mundi HMU (3) 445.
3. Musique du Moyen Age et Début Renaissance, Collegium Musicum Krefeld, directed by Robert Haas (1956): Anthologie Sonore LD 3012 (FRA).
4. [Guillaume de Machaut], Illinois Collegium Musicum, Thomas Binkley (lute), directed by George Hunter (1956): Westminster XWN 18166.
5. French Troubadour Songs, H. Cuenod (T), G. Leeb (lute) (1958): Westminster XWN 18683.
6. Ballades, Rondeaux & Virelais from the 14th and 15th Centuries, Ancient Instrument Ensemble of Zurich, directed by Austin Miskell (1967): Odyssey 32 16 0178.
7. Französische Musik aus Mittelalter und Renaissance, Studio für Alte Musik, Düsseldorf (1969): Da Capo SM 91702.
8. Dufay: Missa sine nomine; Danses médiévales; Livre de danses de Marguerite d'Autriche, Clemencic Consort, directed by Rene Clemencic (1973): Harmonia Mundi HMU 939 (FRA)/ HMU 2472 (set).
9. Hommage à Machaut, Ars Cameralis, Prague (1978): Panton 8111 0056.

Text

Ma chiere dame, a vous mon cuer envoy
Qui vous dira les maus que je recoy.
La grant doleur, la tristesse, l'anoy
Et le tourment
Que liement et humblement conjoy
Pour vo gent corps cointe et de bel arroy
Que j'aim cent fois plus qu'autre ne que moy.
Tres loyaument.
Se vous suppli, dame, tres humblement
Que le weillies oir courtoisement
Et avoir soing de mon aligement;
Car, par ma foy.
Sans retollir sui vostres ligement
Et se vous aim si amoureusement
Qu'einsi ne puis endurer longuement.
Se ne vous voy.

Douce dame, se le tres dous espart
Pooie avoir de vo tres dous regart.
Tous seroie garis, se Dieus me gart.
De ma dolour.
Mais ce ne puet avenir par nul art
Que j'en aie ne le tiers ne le quart.
Car trop sui loing de vous et, d'autre part.
Vostre doucour.
Vo gentil corps et vos faitis atour.
Vostre biaute, vostre fresche coulour
Ne puis oir ne veoir par nul tour
Tempre ne tart.
Et vo bonte qui tant vous fait d'onnour
Que vous estes la souvereinne flour
De tous les biens que Dieus par fine amour
Au siens depart.

Mais vraiement, j'ay un noble confort.
Qu'en vous servir et en vous amer fort
Et en espoir me delite et deport
Par Souvenir
Qui me moustre vostre gracieus port
Dont nuls ne puet dire villain rapport.
La pren je force et vigour et ressort
Contre Desir;
Quar s'il avient qu'il me veigne assaillir.
C'est mes recours: la ne puis je faillir.
Esperence qui ne me puet guerpir
La pas ne dort
Ne Dous Pensers qui fait a moy venir
Vo gentil corps que je voy et remir;
Ce m'est avis. La sont tuit mi plaisir.
La me confort.

Translation

My dear lady, to you I send my heart
Which will tell you the ills I suffer.
The great pain, the sorrow, the anguish
And the torment
Which gladly and humbly I accept
For the sake of your dainty body, finely arrayed.
Which I love one hundred times more than any other, or than my own.
Most loyally.
So I pray you, lady, most humbly.
That you deign graciously to hear it
And take care for my relief;
For, by my faith.
Without retracting I am bound in your service
And love you so deeply
That I cannot long live like this
Unless I see you.

Gentle lady, if the most sweet spark
I might have from your soft glance.
I would be quite cured, may God help me.
From my pain.
But it cannot happen by any art
That I have even a third or a quarter of it.
For I am too far from you and, besides.
Your sweetness.
Your fair body, and your neat adornment.
Your beauty, your fresh colour
I cannot hear or see in any way.
Early or late.
And your goodness which does you so much honour
That you are the sovereign flower
Of all the good things which God in great love
Gives to his own.

But truly, I have a noble comfort.
For in serving you and loving you well
And in hope I take delight and pleasure
By means of Memory
Who shows me your gracious bearing
On which none may make unworthy remarks.
There I take strength and vigour and succour
Against Desire;
For if it happens that he should come to assail me.
To this I have recourse: there I cannot fail.
Hope which cannot leave me
Does not sleep there
Nor Soft Thought which makes appear to me
Your sweet body which I see and recall:
This is my mind. There are all my pleasures.
There I take comfort.
Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham

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

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