Analysis of Lancan vei per mei la landa

Bernard de Ventadorn 1135 – 1194



Lancan vei per mei la landa
dels arbres chazer la fòlha,
ans que.lh frejura s'espanda
ni.l gens termini s'esconda,
m'es bel que si' auzitz mos chans,
qu'estat n' aurai mais de dos ans,
e cové que.n fass' esmenda.

Mout m'es greu que ja reblanda
celeis que vas me s'orgòlha
car si mos cors re.lh demanda,
no.lh platz que mot m'i responda.
Be m'auci mos nescis talans,
car sec d' amor los bels semblans
e no ve c' amors lh' atenda.

Deus, que tot lo mon garanda,
li met' en cor que m'acòlha,
c' a me no te pro vianda
ni negus bes no.m aonda.
Tan sui vas la bela doptans,
per qu' e.m ren a leis merceyans:
si.lh platz, que.m don o que.m venda!

Mal o fara, si no.m manda
venir lai on se despòlha,
qu'eu sia per sa comanda
pres del leih, josta l'esponda,
e.lh traya.ls sotlars be chaussans,
a genolhs e umilians,
si.lh platz que sos pes me tenda.

Faihz es lo vers tot a randa,
si que motz no.i deschapdòlha,
outra la terra normanda,
part la fera mar prionda;
e si.m sui de midons lonhans,
vas se.m tira com azimans
la bela cui Deus defenda.

Si.l reis engles e.l ducs normans
o vol, eu la veira abans
que l'iverns nos sobreprenda.

(parlé)Pel rei sui engles e normans,
e si no fos Mos Azimans,
restera tro part calenda.

(When I see the leaves of the trees fall off in the middle of the fields, before the cold spreads and the good season disappears, it seems good to me that my song be heard, for I have not done so in over two years, and I should atone for that.
It is painful for me to serve still the one who is so haughty towards me, for if my heart demands something of her she doesn't wish to speak even a word. My foolish desire kills me, because it pursues the fair appearance of love, and does not see that love awaits.

May God, who guards the universe, place in her heart a welcome for me, for no food is of benefit to me, and no bounty consoles me. I am so uncertain concerning the fair one that I deliver myself, pleading for mercy, to her. So if she wishes, she can give me away, or sell me.

She would do a wrong if she did not invite me to come to the place where she undresses, so that I may be at her command, next to her, at the edge of the bed, and I would take off her graceful slippers, on my knees and humble, if it pleased her to extend to me her feet.

This poem is perfectly made, without a single badly-made word, beyond the land of Normandy, beyound the wild and deep sea. And although I am far from my lady, I am drawn to her like a magnet, she whom God may protect.

If the English king and the Norman duke wish it, I shall see her before the winter takes us by surprise. By grace of the king I am English, and Norman, and if it were not for My Magnet, I would remain here until after Christmas.)


Scheme ABAACCA ABAACCA ABAACCA ABAACCA ABAACCA CCA CCA XC X X X C
Poetic Form
Metre 1111110 111111 1111 11101 11111111 1111111 11111 1111111 1111111 111111 1111111 11111 11110111 1111111 111111 111111111 1011111 110111 11011101 1111011 1111111 1111110 111111 11111 11111 11111 0111 1111111 11111010 111111 11101 111011 1110111 11111 110111 1110111 1111101 1111 111101011 111111 1111 111011011100101010101100110011111111111111111010110110111 1110111110111110011111101101011011110011100101101101010101101111101 111101010010101111111100110110011111010010011110101101101011110111101111 11101111101111101111111111001110101101011110101011101011101011101 1101100101010101101011100101011011111110111101010111101 1010100101111110010101110111101111001001101111011011011010
Closest metre Iambic octameter
Characters 2,682
Words 558
Sentences 40
Stanzas 12
Stanza Lengths 7, 7, 7, 7, 7, 3, 3, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
Lines Amount 47
Letters per line (avg) 44
Words per line (avg) 11
Letters per stanza (avg) 171
Words per stanza (avg) 45
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 14, 2023

2:51 min read
44

Bernard de Ventadorn

Bernart de Ventadorn, also known as Bernard de Ventadour or Bernat del Ventadorn, was a prominent troubadour of the classical age of troubadour poetry. He was born in 1135, and died in 1194. Now thought of as "the Master Singer" he developed the cançons into a more formalized style which allowed for sudden turns. He is remembered for his mastery as well as popularisation of the trobar leu style, and for his prolific cançons, which helped define the genre and establish the "classical" form of courtly love poetry, to be imitated and reproduced throughout the remaining century and a half of troubadour activity. Bernart was known for being able to portray his woman as a divine agent in one moment and then, in a sudden twist, as Eve – the cause of man's initial sin. This dichotomy in his work is portrayed in a "graceful, witty, and polished" medium. more…

All Bernard de Ventadorn poems | Bernard de Ventadorn Books

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