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Medieval Music Database

Tant doucement me sens emprisonnes
rondeau by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

Cambridge: Magdalene College, Pepys Library 1594, fol. 35 (4/1);
New York: Pierpont Morgan Library M. 396, fol. 214v (2/1); Wildenstein Collection, fol. 318v (4/1);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 475 (4/1), 477v (2/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 317v (4/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 202v (4/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 134 (4/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 151 (4/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds nouv. acq. français 23190 (olim Serrant Château, ducs de la Trémoïlle), fol. 32 (lost);
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Library, French MS 15, number 177 (text).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 58.
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. 150.
3. Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377), p. 10.
4. Medieval Music, edited by W. Thomas Marrocco and Nicholas Sandon, London: Oxford University Press, 1977, no. 71.
5. Guillaume de Machaut: 2 Rondeaux for 4 voices or instruments, edited by Bernard Thomas, London: London Pro Musica Edition, 1989. Early Music Library EML 156, p. (Pn1584).

Text Editions

Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 571.

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. 159-160.
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 4.2.
3. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Zitate in französischen Liedsätzen der Ars nova und Ars subtilior', Musica Disciplina, XXVI (1972), p. 60.
4. 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. La Messe de Notre Dame, Virelais, Rondeaux, Ballades, Lai, The Purcell Choir with instrumental ensemble, John Caldwell, directed by Frank Ll. Harrison, Grayston Burgess (1969): Oiseau-Lyre SOL 310 (GB) [ZTT-717-IG].
2. The Medieval Romantics, Gothic Voices, directed by Christopher Page (1991): CDA66463.

Text

Tant doucement me sens emprisonnes
Qu'onques amans n'ot si douce prison.

Ja mais ne quier estre desprisonnes.
Tant doucement me sens emprisonnes;
Car tous biens m'est en ceste prison nez
Que dame puet donner sans mesprison.

Tant doucement me sens emprisonnes
Qu'onques amans n'ot si douce prison.

Translation

So sweetly I feel myself imprisoned
That never did a lover have so sweet a prison.

Never do I ask to be freed from prison.
So sweetly I feel myself imprisoned;
For all good things are born to me in this prison
That a lady may give without dishonour.

So sweetly I feel myself imprisoned
That never did a lover have so sweet a prison.

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