Guillaume de Machaut
Tels
rit au main qui au soir pleure He
laughs in the morning who weeps in the evening.
Et
tels cuide qu’Amours labeure And
he believes Love works
Pour
son bien, qu’elle il court seure For
his benefit when she is attacking him
Et
mal l’atourne; And
doing him wrong;
Et
tells cuide que joie aqueure And
he thinks joy is hastening
Pour
li aidier, qu’elle demeure, To
help him, while she lags behind.
Car
Fortune tour ce deveure, Fortune
does all this harm
Quant
elle tourne, As
she turns her wheel,
Qui
n’atent mie qi’il adjourne And
she doesn’t wait for daybreak
Pour
tournier; qu’elle ne sejourne, To
turn it; she doesn’t stop,
Eins tourne, retourne et bestourne, But turns,
turns again, turns it upside down,
Tant
qu’au desseusre Until
she brings to the top
Mest
celui qui gist mas en l’ourne; He
who was lying flat in the gutter;
Le
sormonté au bas retourne He
who was exalted she brings low,
Et
le plus joieus mat et mourne And
makes the happiest man sad and gloomy
Fait
en po d’eure. In
no time at all.
Car
elle n’est ferme n’estable, For
she’s not fixed or stable,
Juste,
loyal, ne veritable; Just,
loyal or true;
Quant
on la cuide charitable, When
you think she’s charitable
Elle
est avere, She’s
stingy,
Dure,
diverse, espouentable, Hard,
fickle, frightening,
Traitre,
poignant, decevable; Treacherous,
biting, deceptive;
Et
quant on la cuide amiable, And
when you think she’s aimiable,
Lors
est amere. Then
she’s bitter.
Car
ja soit ce qu’amie appere For
even though she appears a friend
Douce
com miel, vraie com mere, Sweet
as honey, true as a mother,
La
pointure d’une vipere The
viper’s bite
Qu’est
incurable Which
is incurable
En
riens a li ne se compere, Is
nothing compared to her,
Car
elle traitroit son pere Because
she’d betray her own father
Et
mettroit d’onneur en misere And
cast him from a place of honor
Deraisonnable. Into
unspeakable misery.
Fortune
est par desssous les droits; Fortune
is above rights;
Ses
estatus fait et ses lois She
makes her own statutes and laws
Suer
empereurs, papes et rois, Over
emperors, pope, and kings,
Que
nuls debat And
no opposition
Ni
porroit mettre de ces trois Can
these three present,
Tant
fus fiers, orguilleus ou rois, No
matter how bold, proud or firm they are.
Car
Fortune tous leurs desrois Because
Fortune breaks and overthrows
Freint
et abat. All
their resistance.
Bien
est voirs qu’elle se debat It’s
true enough that she strives
Pour
eaus avancier, et combat, And
struggles to elevate them,
Et
leur preste honneur et estat And
lend them honor and status
Ne
sai quens mois. For
I don’t know how many months.
Mais
partout ou elle s’esbat But
everywhere she wanders
De
ses gieus telement s’esbat She
gets so much pleasure from her tricks
Qu’en
veinquant dit: “Eschac et mat!” That
in victory she exclaims “Checkmate!”
De
fiere vois. In
a proud voice.
Einsi
m’a fait, ce m’est avis, Fortune
has treated me, I believe,
Fortune
que ci vous devis. Just
as I’ve told you here;
Car
je soloie estre assevis For
once I abounded in
De
toute joie. Every
sort of joy.
Or
m’a d’un seul tour si bas mis But
now with a single twist she’s brought me so low
Qu’en
grief pleur est mué mon ris. That
my laughter has turned to bitter tears
Et
que tous li biens est remis And
all the good I had
Qu’avoir
soloie. Is
left behind.
Car
la bele ou mes euers s’ottroie, For
the beauty to whom my heart is devoted,
Que
tant aim que plus ne porroie, Whom
I could not love more,
Maintenant
vëoir n’oseroie Now
I would not dare
En
mi le vis. Look
her in the face.
Et
se desire tant que la voie And
I desire so much to see her
Que
mes dolens euers s’en desvoie, That
my sad heart goes mad;
Pour
ce ne say que faire doie, So
I don’t know what I should do,
Tant
sui despris. I’m
so miserable.
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