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"Douce Dame Jolie", sometimes referred to only as 'Douce Dame', is a song from the 14th century, by the French composer
Original French From
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Modern French translation
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English translation
:''Sweet, lovely lady
:''for God's sake do not think''
:''that any has sovereignty''
:''over my heart, but you alone.
For always, without treachery
Cherished
Have I you, and humbly
All the days of my life
Served
Without base thoughts.
Alas, I am left begging
For hope and relief;
For my joy is at its end
Without your compassion.
:''Sweet, lovely lady....
But your sweet mastery
Masters
My heart so harshly,
Tormenting it
And binding
In unbearable love,
So that
"Douce Dame Jolie", sometimes referred to only as 'Douce Dame', is a song from the 14th century, by the French composer Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...
. The song is a virelai, belonging to the style ars nova, and is one of the most often heard medieval tunes today. Many modern recordings omit the lyrics, however.
One of the most famous musical pieces of the Middle Ages, 'Douce Dame' has been performed by a plethora of artists, mostly but not always in medieval style. Among others are Annwn
Annwn, Annwfn, or Annwfyn (in Middle Welsh, ''Annwvn'', ''Annwyn'', ''Annwyfn'', ''Annwvyn'', or ''Annwfyn'') is the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn (or, in Arthurian literature, by Gwyn ap Nudd), it was essentially a world ...
(with lyrics), Ayragon (with lyrics), Theo Bleckmann
Theodor Raoul Bleckmann (born 28 May 1966) is a German singer and composer.
Biography
Bleckmann was born in Dortmund, West Germany. He planned to be an ice skater before becoming a vocalist. In 1989 he moved to New York City and recorded his ...
(with lyrics), Els Berros de la Cort, Corvus Corax
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, Schelmish
Schelmish was a German Mittelalter rock band from the city of Bonn. The band originally formed in 1999 for a birthday celebration for band member Des Demonia's mother. The language of their songs varies between German, English, Latin, French and ...
(with lyrics), Dr Cosgill, Fable of the Bees, Filia Irata, Två fisk och en fläsk (with lyrics), Wisby Vaganter, A La Via! (with lyrics), Lisa Lynne, The John Renbourn Group
John Renbourn (8 August 1944 – 26 March 2015) was an English guitarist and songwriter. He was best known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group Pentangle, although he maintained a solo care ...
(with English lyrics), WirrWahr, Wolfenmond, Saltatio Mortis, Angels of Venice (soprano Christina Linhardt, harpist Carol Tatum) and Legião Urbana
Legião Urbana (Portuguese for Urban Legion) was a Brazilian rock band formed in 1982 in Brasília, Distrito Federal. The band primarily consisted of Renato Russo (vocals, bass and keyboards), Dado Villa-Lobos (guitar) and Marcelo Bonfá (d ...
(no lyrics, named "A Ordem dos Templários" (The Templar Order))
Lyrics
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y heart
Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or seventh ...
desires nothing
but to be in your power.
And still, your own heart
renders it no relief.
:''Sweet, lovely lady....
And since my malady
Healed
Will never be
Without you, Sweet Enemy,
Who takes
Delight in my torment
With clasped hands I beseech
Your heart, that forgets me,
That it mercifully kill me
For too long have I languished.
:''Sweet, lovely lady....
See also
*Courtly love
Courtly love ( oc, fin'amor ; french: amour courtois ) was a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasized nobility and chivalry. Medieval literature is filled with examples of knights setting out on adventures and performing vari ...
*Medieval music
Medieval music encompasses the sacred and secular music of Western Europe during the Middle Ages, from approximately the 6th to 15th centuries. It is the first and longest major era of Western classical music and followed by the Renaissance ...
*Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...
* List of compositions by Guillaume de Machaut
References