'Amor de lonh' by Jaufré Rudel

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            <title>'Amor de Lonh' by Jaufré Rudel<lb/> A French 341 Digital Humanities
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            <editor>: Katie Barnes, JoAnn Michel, Hannah Falchuk</editor>
            <sponsor>
               <address>
                  <addrLine>Washington and Lee University</addrLine>
                  <addrLine>204 W. Washington St.</addrLine>
                  <addrLine>Lexington, VA 24450</addrLine>
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            <respStmt>
               <resp>Transcriber</resp>
               <name>Katie Barnes</name>
            </respStmt>
            <respStmt>
               <resp>Transcriber</resp>
               <name>JoAnn Michel</name>
            </respStmt>
            <respStmt>
               <resp>Transcriber</resp>
               <name>Hannah Falchuk</name>
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            <pubPlace>Lexington, VA</pubPlace>
            <address>
               <name type="institution">Washington and Lee University</name>
               <street>204 W. Washington St.</street>
               <name type="city">Lexington</name>
               <name type="state">Virginia</name>
               <postCode>24405</postCode>
               <name type="country">USA</name>
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            <date>March 2016</date>
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                  <settlement>Blaye, France</settlement>
                  <repository>Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français
                     854</repository>
                  <idno>FR 854</idno>
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                     <author>Jaufré Rudel</author>
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                     <textLang mainLang="OC">The primary language in this manuscript is
                        Occitan</textLang>
                  </msItem>
                  <msItem n="3">
                     <note>Missing a sheet between fol. 116 and 117</note>
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                  <msItem>
                     <locus from="121v" to="122r">ff. 121v-122r</locus>
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                        <extent> Foliation: ii+8+189+iv </extent>
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                           <p>In double columns.</p>
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                  <handDesc>
                     <p>Written in one hand.</p>
                  </handDesc>
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                     <p n="1">The poem by Jaufré Rudel is preceded by a vida, known as the
                        fictionalised biography that introduces the legend of Rudel's life. It tells
                        the tale describing the troubadour's inspiration to go on Crusade upon
                        learning about the Countess of Tripoli, who is the inspiration for this
                        poem, 'Amor de Lonh,' far-off love. However, all such vidas were written
                        well after the deaths of their subjects so there is no confirmation that the
                        vida legend is true. There is little known about Rudel's biography. Also,
                        these stories gleaned not from facts but legends that had grown out of
                        images in the poems.</p>
                     <p n="2">This manuscript contains an illumination at the start of the poem. The
                        image is said to depict Jaufre Rudel embracing the Countess of Tripoli. Each
                        figure has brown hair and wears a robe of pastel blue or green. The Countess
                        is wearing a crown and Rudel's eyes are closed. The two are placed against a
                        background of gold, and their image is framed by blue, green, red, white,
                        and gold, with Rudel's black boots overlapping the frame. Extending downward
                        and to the left from the illumination is a geometric design of blue, gold,
                        green, and red. The golden portion of the frame forms the letter "L," the
                        first letter of the poem.</p>
                     <p n="3">There is filigree of blue straight and curving lines to the left of
                        the text on f.122r. There are four colored letters marking the start of each
                        new paragraph.</p>
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                     <p>Written in Occitan in the <origDate notAfter="1300" notBefore="1200">13th
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                  <provenance>Bibliothèque nationale de France</provenance>
                  <acquisition>
                     <p>Date published online: May 30, 2011</p>
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         <p n="4">For our TEI digital humanities project, we chose to interpret and encode a poem by
            troubadour Jaufré Rudel. The poem features the first exploration in troubadour canon of
            'amor de lonh.' This poem gives the story of what would become a traditional motif of
            troubadour poetry: love from afar. Jaufré Rudel, the twelfth-century poet, wrote this
            poem about the love he held for the Countess Hodierna of Tripoli, a woman whose beauty
            was sung across continents. Although he had never seen her, he writes of his unmatched
            love for her with the superlatives popular among the medieval poets. </p>
         <p n="5"> The <ex>vida</ex> biography before the poem tells the story of their first – and
            last - meeting. When Rudel was finally able to visit the Countess, he becomes ill on the
            trip to Tripoli (Lebanon). Hodierna had heard of his coming and met him at a hospice
            when he reached the shore. The poet died in her arms, and the embrace is memorialized in
            the manuscript illumination. This poem creates the literary trope of the “distant
            princess” who is known not for her political prowess but for her simple attractiveness
            and shows the power of the troubadours’ true love – amor de lonh.</p>
         <pb facs="../images/page1.jpeg" n="f.121v"/>
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         <lg rhyme="ababccd">
            <l n="1"><emph>L</emph>an quan il jorn son long e<ex>n</ex><rhyme label="a"
               >mai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="2">M'es belg douse chanz d'auzels de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="3">E quan mi sui partiz de <rhyme label="a">llai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="4">Remenbran d'un amor de <rhyme label="b">loi<ex>n</ex>g</rhyme></l>
            <l n="5">Vauc de talan enbroncs <rhyme label="c">clis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="6">Si que chanz ni flors d'abes <rhyme label="c">bis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="7">Nom platz pl<ex>us</ex> que li vert <rhyme label="d">geletz</rhyme></l>
         </lg>
         <lg rhyme="ababccd">
            <l n="8"><abbr type="rubric"><hi rend="red">J</hi></abbr>a mais d'amor n'om <rhyme
                  label="a">jauzirai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="9">Si n'<ex>om</ex> gaug<pb facs="../images/page2.jpeg" n="f.122r"/> d'est amor
                  <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="10">Que gensor ni meillor n'<ex>on</ex>
               <rhyme label="a">sai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="11">Ves nuilla part ni pres ni <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="12">Tant es sos p<ex>re</ex>tz verais <rhyme label="c">fis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="13">E que lai el rene del <rhyme label="c">Sarrazis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="14">Fos eu p<ex>er</ex> leis caitius <rhyme label="d">clamatz</rhyme></l>
         </lg>
         <lg rhyme="ababccd">
            <l n="15"><abbr type="rubric"><hi rend="blue">J</hi></abbr>ratz iausens m'en <rhyme
                  label="a">partrai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="16">Qan verai c'est amor de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="17">Que p<ex>er</ex> un ben q<ex>ue</ex> m'en <rhyme label="a">eschai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="18">N'ai dos mals si ben sui de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="19">Acon fora o dreichs <rhyme label="c">pellerins</rhyme></l>
            <l n="20">Si iamos focs ni mosta <rhyme label="c">pis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="21">Fos p<ex>er</ex> fos bels oills <rhyme label="d">remiratz</rhyme></l>
         </lg>
         <lg rhyme="ababccd">
            <l n="22"><abbr type="rubric"><hi rend="red">D</hi></abbr>ieus que fes tot quant es
                  <rhyme label="a">efai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="23">E formet no <ex>st</ex>r'amor de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="24">Bidon poder q<ex>u</ex>n qui a <rhyme label="a">lai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="25">Fu remir c'est amor de <rhyme label="b">loi<ex>n</ex>g</rhyme></l>
            <l n="26">Veraiamen en tal <rhyme label="c">aisis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="27">Si que la canbra el <rhyme label="c">iardis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="28">Mi senblo<ex>n</ex>mai sos e <rhyme label="d">palatz</rhyme></l>
         </lg>
         <lg rhyme="ababccd">
            <l n="29"><abbr type="rubric"><hi rend="blue">B</hi></abbr>en para jois quant li <rhyme
                  label="a">querrai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="30">P<ex>er</ex> amor Dieu l'alberc de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="31">E s'a lei platz <rhyme label="a">albergarai</rhyme></l>
            <l n="32">p<ex>re</ex>s de llei si bem sui de <rhyme label="b">loing</rhyme></l>
            <l n="33">Ado<ex>n</ex>cs paral parla me<ex>n</ex>s <rhyme label="c">fis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="34">Quan drutz londans er tan <rhyme label="c">vezis</rhyme></l>
            <l n="35">ab bels ditz jausira <rhyme label="d">solatz</rhyme></l>
         </lg>
         <l n="36"><abbr><hi rend="red">Jaufré Rudel</hi></abbr></l>
         <lb/>
         <l n="37">Translation</l>
         <p>While the days are long in May, it makes me happy to hear the song of faraway birds, and
            when I am there, it makes me remember a love from afar: I go, then, pensive, sad, and
            with a lowered head; and neither songs nor hawthorn flowers make me happy while the
            winter freezes over.</p>
         <p>I hold, certainly, for true, the gentleman who will let me see this faraway lover; but
            for every good that comes my way, two evils befall me, all for this love that is so far!
            Alas! That I might not pilgrim there, before my lance and my slave are seen by her
            beautiful eyes.</p>
         <p>What joy will appear to me, when I will ask him, the distant host, for the love of God,
            to accommodate me: and, if it pleases him, I will be put up close to her, for far away I
            am now. What charming meetings will pass, when the lover from afar will be so close to
            her that he will be able to gain pleasure from her sweet words.</p>
         <p>Sadly and joyfully, I will leave her, if ever I see her, this princess from afar; but I
            do not know when I will see her, for our countries are so far from each other; there are
            so many passages and ways that I dare not predict. It will pass as it pleases God!</p>
         <p>Never will I have such pleasure of love if I am not with this faraway lover; for I do
            not know of any woman who is gentler or better, either near or far; her merit is so true
            and so great that I would like to be her captive in the country of the Sarrasins
            [medieval European name for Muslims].</p>
         <p>That God, who creates all that will come and has come, and will form this love from
            afar, gives me the power – for I do not have the courage – to go to see this distant
            love, in person and in her demureness, such that the room and the garden are now in my
            eyes a palace.</p>
         <p>He who calls me avid and desirous of a faraway lover is correct; for no other joy
            pleases me than to enjoy my distant lover. But there is an obstacle to my desires.
            Wretched, therefore, is the godfather who vowed that I would never be loved!</p>
      </body>
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</TEI>
'Amor de Lonh' by Jaufré Rudel A French 341 Digital Humanities Project : Katie Barnes, JoAnn Michel, Hannah Falchuk
Washington and Lee University 204 W. Washington St. Lexington, VA 24450
Transcriber Katie Barnes Transcriber JoAnn Michel Transcriber Hannah Falchuk
Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
Washington and Lee University 204 W. Washington St. Lexington Virginia 24405 USA
March 2016

The text is freely available.

Blaye, France Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français 854 FR 854 Jaufré Rudel The primary language in this manuscript is Occitan Missing a sheet between fol. 116 and 117 ff. 121v-122r

vélin

Foliation: ii+8+189+iv

In double columns.

Written in one hand.

The poem by Jaufré Rudel is preceded by a vida, known as the fictionalised biography that introduces the legend of Rudel's life. It tells the tale describing the troubadour's inspiration to go on Crusade upon learning about the Countess of Tripoli, who is the inspiration for this poem, 'Amor de Lonh,' far-off love. However, all such vidas were written well after the deaths of their subjects so there is no confirmation that the vida legend is true. There is little known about Rudel's biography. Also, these stories gleaned not from facts but legends that had grown out of images in the poems.

This manuscript contains an illumination at the start of the poem. The image is said to depict Jaufre Rudel embracing the Countess of Tripoli. Each figure has brown hair and wears a robe of pastel blue or green. The Countess is wearing a crown and Rudel's eyes are closed. The two are placed against a background of gold, and their image is framed by blue, green, red, white, and gold, with Rudel's black boots overlapping the frame. Extending downward and to the left from the illumination is a geometric design of blue, gold, green, and red. The golden portion of the frame forms the letter "L," the first letter of the poem.

There is filigree of blue straight and curving lines to the left of the text on f.122r. There are four colored letters marking the start of each new paragraph.

Written in Occitan in the 13th cent.

Bibliothèque nationale de France

Date published online: May 30, 2011

For our TEI digital humanities project, we chose to interpret and encode a poem by troubadour Jaufré Rudel. The poem features the first exploration in troubadour canon of 'amor de lonh.' This poem gives the story of what would become a traditional motif of troubadour poetry: love from afar. Jaufré Rudel, the twelfth-century poet, wrote this poem about the love he held for the Countess Hodierna of Tripoli, a woman whose beauty was sung across continents. Although he had never seen her, he writes of his unmatched love for her with the superlatives popular among the medieval poets.

The vida biography before the poem tells the story of their first – and last - meeting. When Rudel was finally able to visit the Countess, he becomes ill on the trip to Tripoli (Lebanon). Hodierna had heard of his coming and met him at a hospice when he reached the shore. The poet died in her arms, and the embrace is memorialized in the manuscript illumination. This poem creates the literary trope of the “distant princess” who is known not for her political prowess but for her simple attractiveness and shows the power of the troubadours’ true love – amor de lonh.

view page image(s)
Lan quan il jorn son long en mai M'es belg douse chanz d'auzels de loing E quan mi sui partiz de llai Remenbran d'un amor de loing Vauc de talan enbroncs clis 5 Si que chanz ni flors d'abes bis Nom platz plus que li vert geletz Ja mais d'amor n'om jauzirai Si n'om gaug view page image(s) d'est amor loing Que gensor ni meillor n'on sai Ves nuilla part ni pres ni loing Tant es sos pretz verais fis 5 E que lai el rene del Sarrazis Fos eu per leis caitius clamatz Jratz iausens m'en partrai Qan verai c'est amor de loing Que per un ben que m'en eschai N'ai dos mals si ben sui de loing Acon fora o dreichs pellerins 5 Si iamos focs ni mosta pis Fos per fos bels oills remiratz Dieus que fes tot quant es efai E formet no str'amor de loing Bidon poder qun qui a lai Fu remir c'est amor de loing Veraiamen en tal aisis 5 Si que la canbra el iardis Mi senblonmai sos e palatz Ben para jois quant li querrai Per amor Dieu l'alberc de loing E s'a lei platz albergarai pres de llei si bem sui de loing Adoncs paral parla mens fis 5 Quan drutz londans er tan vezis ab bels ditz jausira solatz Jaufré Rudel Translation

While the days are long in May, it makes me happy to hear the song of faraway birds, and when I am there, it makes me remember a love from afar: I go, then, pensive, sad, and with a lowered head; and neither songs nor hawthorn flowers make me happy while the winter freezes over.

I hold, certainly, for true, the gentleman who will let me see this faraway lover; but for every good that comes my way, two evils befall me, all for this love that is so far! Alas! That I might not pilgrim there, before my lance and my slave are seen by her beautiful eyes.

What joy will appear to me, when I will ask him, the distant host, for the love of God, to accommodate me: and, if it pleases him, I will be put up close to her, for far away I am now. What charming meetings will pass, when the lover from afar will be so close to her that he will be able to gain pleasure from her sweet words.

Sadly and joyfully, I will leave her, if ever I see her, this princess from afar; but I do not know when I will see her, for our countries are so far from each other; there are so many passages and ways that I dare not predict. It will pass as it pleases God!

Never will I have such pleasure of love if I am not with this faraway lover; for I do not know of any woman who is gentler or better, either near or far; her merit is so true and so great that I would like to be her captive in the country of the Sarrasins [medieval European name for Muslims].

That God, who creates all that will come and has come, and will form this love from afar, gives me the power – for I do not have the courage – to go to see this distant love, in person and in her demureness, such that the room and the garden are now in my eyes a palace.

He who calls me avid and desirous of a faraway lover is correct; for no other joy pleases me than to enjoy my distant lover. But there is an obstacle to my desires. Wretched, therefore, is the godfather who vowed that I would never be loved!

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'Amor de Lonh' by Jaufré Rudel A French 341 Digital Humanities Project : Katie Barnes, JoAnn Michel, Hannah Falchuk
Washington and Lee University 204 W. Washington St. Lexington, VA 24450
Transcriber Katie Barnes Transcriber JoAnn Michel Transcriber Hannah Falchuk
Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
Washington and Lee University 204 W. Washington St. Lexington Virginia 24405 USA
March 2016

The text is freely available.

Blaye, France Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Département des manuscrits, Français 854 FR 854 Jaufré Rudel The primary language in this manuscript is Occitan Missing a sheet between fol. 116 and 117 ff. 121v-122r

vélin

Foliation: ii+8+189+iv

In double columns.

Written in one hand.

The poem by Jaufré Rudel is preceded by a vida, known as the fictionalised biography that introduces the legend of Rudel's life. It tells the tale describing the troubadour's inspiration to go on Crusade upon learning about the Countess of Tripoli, who is the inspiration for this poem, 'Amor de Lonh,' far-off love. However, all such vidas were written well after the deaths of their subjects so there is no confirmation that the vida legend is true. There is little known about Rudel's biography. Also, these stories gleaned not from facts but legends that had grown out of images in the poems.

This manuscript contains an illumination at the start of the poem. The image is said to depict Jaufre Rudel embracing the Countess of Tripoli. Each figure has brown hair and wears a robe of pastel blue or green. The Countess is wearing a crown and Rudel's eyes are closed. The two are placed against a background of gold, and their image is framed by blue, green, red, white, and gold, with Rudel's black boots overlapping the frame. Extending downward and to the left from the illumination is a geometric design of blue, gold, green, and red. The golden portion of the frame forms the letter "L," the first letter of the poem.

There is filigree of blue straight and curving lines to the left of the text on f.122r. There are four colored letters marking the start of each new paragraph.

Written in Occitan in the 13th cent.

Bibliothèque nationale de France

Date published online: May 30, 2011

For our TEI digital humanities project, we chose to interpret and encode a poem by troubadour Jaufré Rudel. The poem features the first exploration in troubadour canon of 'amor de lonh.' This poem gives the story of what would become a traditional motif of troubadour poetry: love from afar. Jaufré Rudel, the twelfth-century poet, wrote this poem about the love he held for the Countess Hodierna of Tripoli, a woman whose beauty was sung across continents. Although he had never seen her, he writes of his unmatched love for her with the superlatives popular among the medieval poets.

The vida biography before the poem tells the story of their first – and last - meeting. When Rudel was finally able to visit the Countess, he becomes ill on the trip to Tripoli (Lebanon). Hodierna had heard of his coming and met him at a hospice when he reached the shore. The poet died in her arms, and the embrace is memorialized in the manuscript illumination. This poem creates the literary trope of the “distant princess” who is known not for her political prowess but for her simple attractiveness and shows the power of the troubadours’ true love – amor de lonh.

Lan quan il jorn son long en mai M'es belg douse chanz d'auzels de loing E quan mi sui partiz de llai Remenbran d'un amor de loing Vauc de talan enbroncs clis Si que chanz ni flors d'abes bis Nom platz plus que li vert geletz Ja mais d'amor n'om jauzirai Si n'om gaug d'est amor loing Que gensor ni meillor n'on sai Ves nuilla part ni pres ni loing Tant es sos pretz verais fis E que lai el rene del Sarrazis Fos eu per leis caitius clamatz Jratz iausens m'en partrai Qan verai c'est amor de loing Que per un ben que m'en eschai N'ai dos mals si ben sui de loing Acon fora o dreichs pellerins Si iamos focs ni mosta pis Fos per fos bels oills remiratz Dieus que fes tot quant es efai E formet no str'amor de loing Bidon poder qun qui a lai Fu remir c'est amor de loing Veraiamen en tal aisis Si que la canbra el iardis Mi senblonmai sos e palatz Ben para jois quant li querrai Per amor Dieu l'alberc de loing E s'a lei platz albergarai pres de llei si bem sui de loing Adoncs paral parla mens fis Quan drutz londans er tan vezis ab bels ditz jausira solatz Jaufré Rudel Translation

While the days are long in May, it makes me happy to hear the song of faraway birds, and when I am there, it makes me remember a love from afar: I go, then, pensive, sad, and with a lowered head; and neither songs nor hawthorn flowers make me happy while the winter freezes over.

I hold, certainly, for true, the gentleman who will let me see this faraway lover; but for every good that comes my way, two evils befall me, all for this love that is so far! Alas! That I might not pilgrim there, before my lance and my slave are seen by her beautiful eyes.

What joy will appear to me, when I will ask him, the distant host, for the love of God, to accommodate me: and, if it pleases him, I will be put up close to her, for far away I am now. What charming meetings will pass, when the lover from afar will be so close to her that he will be able to gain pleasure from her sweet words.

Sadly and joyfully, I will leave her, if ever I see her, this princess from afar; but I do not know when I will see her, for our countries are so far from each other; there are so many passages and ways that I dare not predict. It will pass as it pleases God!

Never will I have such pleasure of love if I am not with this faraway lover; for I do not know of any woman who is gentler or better, either near or far; her merit is so true and so great that I would like to be her captive in the country of the Sarrasins [medieval European name for Muslims].

That God, who creates all that will come and has come, and will form this love from afar, gives me the power – for I do not have the courage – to go to see this distant love, in person and in her demureness, such that the room and the garden are now in my eyes a palace.

He who calls me avid and desirous of a faraway lover is correct; for no other joy pleases me than to enjoy my distant lover. But there is an obstacle to my desires. Wretched, therefore, is the godfather who vowed that I would never be loved!