ABSTRACT
Nothing that Sir Bertran de Born ever said about King Felip in verses or sirventes, not even his reminders of the wrongs and insults that had been done to him, could make him go to war with King Richard. But Sir Richard set out for war when he saw the weakness of King Felip. He robbed, took over castles and burned them along with towns and cities, and he took men as prisoners and killed them. All the barons who were unhappy with the peace were greatly pleased by this and Sir Bertran de Born more than any other for he loved war more than any other man and believed that it was on account of what he had been saying that King Richard, with whom he shared the nickname Yes-and-No, undertook this war. All this you will hear about in the sirventes that he composed as soon as he heard that Sir Richard had set off to start a war. He composed this sirventes which begins: I can’t prevent my song from spreading about..
Song 80, 29
Bertran de Bom: “Non puosc mudar mon chantar non esparga…”
Source: Paden et al., 370.
MSS: A 193, C 138, D 120, F 64,1 178, K 163, M 232, R 7, T 172, U 140, V 27, a1 447.
Other English translations: Blackburn, 164; Bonner, 151; Lindsay, 149; Paden et al., 370; Smythe 83.
1. I can’t prevent my song from spreading about Since Sir Yes-and-No has set fires and drawn blood. A great war makes a stingy lord generous; That’s why I love to hear the clash of kings. Let’s hope they need stakes and cords and tent-knobs 5 And that their tents will be set up outside for sleeping And that well meet them by the hundreds and thousands So that after us they will sing epics about our deeds. 2. By now I would have taken blows on my shield And turned my white banner bright red 10 But for this: I hold off and bide my time For I see that Sir Yes-and-No is loading my dice. I don’t even have Lusignan or Rancon 108And I couldn’t very well wage war at a distance without funds. But I can help out with my know-how, 15 My shield at my neck and my helmet on my head. 3. If King Felip had burned his boat Before Gisors, or let loose a dam, Or entered the park in Rouen by force And attacked him by hill and vale 20 So that no letter could get out except by pigeon, Then I am sure that he would want to be like Charlemagne, the best of his lineage, Who conquered Apulia and Saxony. 4. War brings shame and takes away the good reputation 25 Of any man who is found not to give it his all; That’s why I don’t think my Yes-and-No will give up Cahors or Cajarc, since he knows so much about sudden reversals. If the king gives him the treasure of Chinon, He’ll then have might; the heart for war he already has. 30 He gets so much pleasure out of trouble and spending That he assails both his friends and his enemies! 5. Never did a seagoing ship, having lost its lifeboat In bad weather and wanting to veer away from the reef, Plunging forward with more force than an arrow from a bow, Being lifted on high, then plummeting down below, 36 Have it any worse than what I go through for her; And I’ll tell you why: because she doesn’t want to take me on. She won’t keep me for a day or night, or keep her promises; And that is why my joy, which once blossomed, now withers. 1 6. Go forward, sirventes, now, fast and running 41 To Treignac, and may you be there before the feast day. 7. Tell Sir Roger and all my family for me That I can’t find any more “ombas,” “oms” or “estas.” 2