A ''gab'' or ''gap'' (, "boast") is a

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a ''trobairit ...

boasting song. It is often considered related to the ''

tenso A ''tenso'' (; french: tençon) is a style of troubadour song. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position; common topics relate to love or ethics. Usually, the tenso is written by two different poets, but several examples ...

'' and ''

partimen The ''partimen'' (; ca, partiment ; also known as ''partia'' or ''joc partit'') is a cognate form of the French jeu-parti (plural ''jeux-partis''). It is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry composed between two troubadours, a subgenre of the ''tenso'' ...

'', two types of debate poem. Sometimes the ''gab'' is not considered a separate genre of poetry but simply a boast found within another genre, commonly the ''

sirventes The ''sirventes'' or ''serventes'' (), sometimes translated as "service song", was a genre of Old Occitan lyric poetry practiced by the troubadours. The name comes from ''sirvent'' ('serviceman'), from whose perspective the song is allegedly wr ...

''.Veronica M. Fraser (2006), ''The Songs of Peire Vidal: Translation and Commentary'' (New York: Peter Lang, ), 153. The Occitan word ''gab'' means "boast" and comes from the verb ''gabar'' (to open the mouth wide, i.e. gape). The song is innately competitive and the boast is often presented as a challenge, which may generate poetical responses. The boasting, however, is made in good fun and typically follows a formula ensuring it will be well-received (unlike a real boast). Often it is heavily ironic, and the boasts are intended specifically to entertain the audience that knows better. The first ''gab'' was "Ben vuelh", composed by

William IX of Aquitaine William IX ( oc, Guilhèm de Peitieus; ''Guilhem de Poitou'' french: Guillaume de Poitiers) (22 October 1071 – 10 February 1126), called the Troubadour, was the Duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and Count of Poitou (as William VII) between 1086 and ...

(died 1126).Don A. Monson (1999), "The Troubadours at Play: Irony, Parody and Burlesque", ''The Troubadours: An Introduction'', Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay, edd. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ), 199. For text of the poem, se
here
/ref> The ''sirventes'' "De mots ricos no tem Peire Vidal" by

Uc de Lescura Uc de Lescura or de l'Escura (fl. 1190–1204) was a minor troubadour. The ''Lescura'' of his birth is unknown. There is a Lescurre in Ariège, Aveyron, and Tarn. Based on references in his work, historian Alfred Adler placed him at the court ...

For text of the poem, se
here
/ref> begins with a ''gab'' proclaiming the composer's superiority to eight of his contemporary troubadours, including the man of the title,

Peire Vidal Peire Vidal ( fl. 12th century) was an Old Occitan troubadour. Forty-five of his songs are extant. The twelve that still have melodies bear testament to the deserved nature of his musical reputation. There is no contemporary reference to Peire o ...

, who was himself a famous composer of ''gabs''. One of his works opens:

References

{{Western medieval lyric forms Western medieval lyric forms Occitan literary genres