Clara d'Anduza was a

trobairitz The ''trobairitz'' () were Occitania, Occitan female troubadours of the 12th and 13th centuries, active from around 1170 to approximately 1260. ''Trobairitz'' is both singular and plural. The word ''trobairitz'' is first attested in the 13th-c ...

from the first third of the 13th century, probably born to the ruling family of

Anduze Anduze (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Gard Departments of France, department in southern France.Anduze", Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. II, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, p. 24 . The village is at the foot of the ...

. Her only surviving work is a '' canso'' beginning ''En greu esmay et en greu pessamen ("In grave distress and great trouble")''. This poem describes her suffering and attributes her separation from her ''amic'' to the harm done by slanderers (''lauzingier''). The poem connects to other common motifs in other works by women troubadour: unfailing infidelity, self-reflexivity, and metaphors representing love, pain, and desire. She was mentioned in a long ''

razo A ''razo'' (, literally "cause", "reason") was a short piece of Old Occitan, Occitan prose detailing the circumstances of a troubadour composition. A ''razo'' normally introduced an individual poem, acting as a prose preface and explanation; it mi ...

'' to a ''canso'' of

Uc de Saint Circ Uc de Saint Circ (San Sir) or Hugues (Hugh) de Saint Circq (fl. 1217–1253Aubrey, ''The Music of the Troubadours'', 22–23.) was a troubadour from Quercy. Uc is perhaps most significant to modern historians as the probable author of sever ...

and was probably the addressee of a '' salut'' of

Azalais d'Altier Azalais or Azalaïs d'Altier was an early-13th-century trobairitz. She was from Altier in the Gévaudan. She has sometimes been confused with Almucs de Castelnau. Azalais wrote "Tanz salutz e tantas amors", the only '' salut d'amor'' by a woman. ...

. A narrative commentary on

's "Anc mais non vi temps ni sanzo" identifies Uc as Clara's secretary and would-be lover. She was probably acquainted with

Pons de Capduelh Pons de Capduelh (fl. 1160–1220Chambers 1978, 140. or 1190–1237Aubrey 1996, 19–20.) was a troubadour from the Auvergne, probably from Chapteuil. His songs were known for their great gaiety. He was a popular poet and 27 of his songs are prese ...

Sources

*Bruckner, Matilda Tomaryn; Shepard, Laurie; and White, Sarah. ''Songs of the Women Troubadours''. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Clara Danduza Trobairitz Medieval women poets 13th-century French troubadours French women poets 13th-century French women writers People from Gard