I
I saw upon the pier one day
A maiden faire in every way
And though the skies were dull and gray
She brightened up the bleary dock
She cleaned the harvest of the bay
And descaled fish around her lay
Of herring she had goodly stock.
II
“Faire maid, for you I fear,” I said
“The sun is gone, the wind blows dread
no woolen cap to warm your head
adorns you on this cheerless dock”
Said she “the wind I freely shed
And For this weather was I bred
I have no need for cape or frock.”
III
“Tis most unseemly” I did cry
“that you alone should have to lie
with only fish to poke and pry
upon this breezy wooden dock-
Is not your father near the by?
If you were mine, you’d have my eye
I’d count you chief among my flock.”
IV
“A monger’s daughter I may be
born to those of low degree
but due to this I know I’m free
to grace this common ocean dock
and those of common sense will see
that none of high born company
was meant this windy place to walk.”
V
“Though Monger’s daughter you were born
a beauty doth your face adorn
which leaves me feeling most forlorn
to be denied this ocean dock
your words do make my spirit mourn
and wish that you would show less scorn
and not intend this sir to mock.”
VI
“For many generations gone
my family has met the dawn
and harvested the ocean’s spawn
and smelled of fish upon this dock
and yet,” she said with stifled yawn,
“A smell that is not fish or prawn
comes from you when I hear you talk.
VII
“Oh, herring mongers’ daughter, few
are beautiful and wise and true
and certainly I think that you
should leave this sad, unseemly dock
and with me try of something new
we’ll make just one where once were two
upon this smooth and speckled rock.”
VIII
“Sir, how can you dare to persist
in actions you should now desist?
you shall not here be held or kissed
upon this lonely, windy dock
throughout the day I will resist
and if you feel you must insist
I’ll have you thrown into the stock.
IX
“But if on me you will depend
I swear to you to make amend
And your sweet honor I’ll defend
So swear I upon this dock
If only you will be a friend
Then you and I to earth descend
Together 'til the cry of cock.
X
“Sir, as I stand upon this pier
I say to you I have no fear
That anything should happen here
Upon this hallowed herring’s dock
I’m sure you hold your manhood dear
And if it should by chance appear
It shall meet with my scaling block.
XI
My lady, you are most unkind
Of evil heart, and unrefined
And so I will now leave this dock.
XII
My Lord, a catch I hope to find;
You aren’t the one I had in mind
Good day, good sir; enjoy your walk.
About the poem:
This poem is based upon a Pastoral written by Marcabru, a well known
troubadour of the first half of the twelfth century. There are several
surviving works by Marcabru ( 42 remain intact, 4 of which, including
this one, have music to them) (1, page 51). They range from songs of war
to songs of love. Like some of the other troubadours of the time,
Marcabru had a very biting wit that he was not afraid to use to
criticize things he did not approve of. He was also one of the ‘racier’
troubadours in that he was not afraid to make direct references to
unseemly acts. Marcabru was an avid proponent of ‘High Love’ (what some
others would call ‘courtly love’ or ‘Fin’amor’) and an avid critic of
‘low love’, which others might just call lust.
One of the acts which Marcabru denounces in several of his works is the
mixing of social stations- wherein a member of the upper classes
attempts to seduce a member the lower classes. This was a disgusting act
to Marcabru, as is evidenced in this translation of another poem he
wrote . . .
‘a lady who loves her farmhand
just doesn’t know refined love
no, she’s got the bitch’s instinct
like the greyhound for the cur’.
(From reference #3, page 70)
In ‘L’autrier jost’una sebissa’, the poem in which this work is based,
Marcabru certainly shows his disdain for one who would practice low
love- especially with a member of the lower classes! (the full poem this
work is based on is included, with translation, in this documentation,
along with an image of the document in which it can be found. )
I personalized this poem by making it a fish monger’s daughter upon the
docks. As the father of two young daughters, it is my hope that this
will serve them as a lesson of how to act when confronted with pushy
ne’er do wells. (A Scaling block, by the way, is a grooved piece of wood
upon which one would lay the fish in order to keep it in place while
using a sharp knife to clean the scales off of it. Scaling blocks would
not be found on docks, but in households. I took some artistic liberty.
Go figure.)
The Mechanics:
I wrote this poem in English for one simple reason: I do not speak
French. The rhyme scheme is rigorous enough that I chose not to even
collaborate with a fluent speaker of French, as I feared that enough
liberty in translation would have to be taken to effectively transfer
rhyme scheme that my original work in English would be ruined. (Having
said that, I would still like to get this work translated into French
whether it rhymes or not.)
Meter scheme in the original poem consists of 7 line verses in roughly
iambic quatrameter (8 syllables with every other one being stressed).
Rhyme scheme is as follows:
1st
verse:
A
A
A
B
A
A
B |
2nd
verse:
C
C
C
B
C
C
B |
and so
on... |
With B being consistent
throughout the whole poem (in the original Marcabru uses the word for
peasant girl in the fourth line and rhymes it with a varying word in
every seventh line of every verse. I use the word dock and do the same.
This rhyme scheme changes slightly in the last two verses, which are
simply end statements by the two characters:
L’Autrier jost’una sebissa
original words by Marcabru (ca 1129-1150)
translation by Margaret Switten
I
L'autrier jost'una
sebissa
Trobei pastora mestissa,
De joi e de sen massissa,
Si cum filla de vilana;
Cap' e gonel'e pelissa
Vest e camiza treslissa,
Sotlars e caussas de lana.
II
Ves lieis vinc per la planissa:
"Toza, fi.m ieu, res faitissa,
Dol ai car lo freitz vos fissa.
"Seigner, so.m dis la vilana,
Merce Dieu e ma noirissa, "
Pauc m'o pretz si.l vens m'erissa,
Qu'alegreta sui e sana."
III
"Toza, fi.m ieu, cauza pia,
Destors me sui de la via
Per far a vos compaignia;
Quar aitals toza vilana
No deu ses pareill paria
Pastorgar tanta bestia
En aital terra, soldana."
IV
"Don, fetz ela, qui que.m sia,
Ben conosc sen e folia;
La vostra pareillaria,
Seigner, so.m dis la vilana,
Lai on se tang si s'estia,
Que tals la cuid'en bailia
Tener, no.n a mas l'ufana."
V
"Toza de gentil afaire,
Cavaliers fon vostre paire
Que.us engenret en la maire,
Car fon corteza vilana.
Con plus vos gart, m'etz belaire,
E per vostre joi m'esclaire,
Si.m fossetz un pauc humana!"
VI
"Don, tot mon ling e mon aire
Vei revertir e retraire
Al vezoig et a l'araire,
Seigner, so.m dis la vilana;
Mas tals se fai cavalgaire
C'atrestal deuria faire
Los seis jorns de la setmana."
VII
"Toza, fi.m ieu, gentils fada,
Vos adastret, quan fos nada,
D'una beutat esmerada
Sobre tot'autra vilana;
E seria.us ben doblada,
Si.m vezi'una vegada, I
Sobira e vos sotrana."
VIII
"Seigner, tan m'avetz lauzada,
Que tota.n sui enojada;
Pois en pretz m'avetz levada,
Seigner, so.m dis la vilana,
Per so n'auretz per soudada "
Al partir: bada, fols, bada
E la muz a meliana."
IX
"Toz'estraing cor e salvatge
Adomesg'om per uzatge.
Ben conosc al trespassatge
Qu'ab aital toza vilana
Pot hom far ric compaignatge
Ab amistat de coratge,
Si l'us l'autre non engana."
X
"Don, hom coitatz de follatge
Jur' e pliu e promet gatge:
Si.m fariatz homenatge,
Seigner, so.m dis la vilana
Mas ieu, per un pauc d'intratge,
Non vuoil ges mon piucellatge
Camjar per nom de putana."
XI
"Toza, tota creatura "
Revertis a sa natura;
Pareillar pareilladura
Devem, ieu e vos, vilana,
A l'abric lonc la pastura,
Car plus n'estaretz segura
Per far la cauza doussana."
XII
"Don, oc; mas segon dreitura
Cerca fols sa follatura,
Cortes cortez'aventura T
E.il vilans ab la vilana;
En tal loc fai sens fraitura
On hom non garda mezura,
So ditz la gens anciana."
XIII
"Toza, de vostra figura
Non vi autra plus tafura
Ni de son cor plus trefana."
XIV
"Don, lo cavecs vos ahura,
Que tals bad'en la peintura
Qu'autre n'espera la mana." |
I
The other day beside a hedge
I found a humble shepherdess,
Full of joy and good sense
Like the daughter of a peasant girl;
A cape, a coat and fur
She wore, and a shirt of rough cloth,
Shoes and woolen stockings.
II
I came to her across the plain
"Young girl," I said, "charming creature
" I am pained because the cold pierces you."
"Sir," said to me the peasant girl,
"Thanks to God and my nurse,
It does not concern me if the wind ruffles my hair,
" For I am cheerful and healthy."
III
"Young girl," I said, "sweet thing,
I have turned out of my way
To keep you company,
For such a young peasant girl
Should not, without a comrade,
Pasture so many beasts
In such a place, alone."
IV
"Sir," said she, "be what I may,
I know common sense from folly;
Your company,
Sir," so said to me the peasant girl,
"Should be offered where it is fitting,
For one who thinks she can hold it
In her power, has nothing but the illusion."
V
"Young girl of noble condition
Your father was a knight
Who got your mother with child
For she was a courtly peasant girl.
The more I look at you, the prettier you seem,
And by your joy I am gladdened,
If only toward me you were more human!"
VI
"Sir, all my lineage and my family
I see returning and going back
To sickle and plow,
"Sir," so said to me the peasant girl;
"But some pass themselves off as knights
Who should be doing likewise
Six days of the week."
VII
"Young girl," said I, "a noble fairy
Blessed you, when you were born,
With perfect beauty
Above any other peasant girl;
And it would be doubled
If I saw myself just once
Above and you below."
VIII
"Sir, you have praised me so much
That I am quite annoyed;
Since you have raised me in worth,
Sir," so said to me the peasant girl,
"You will have for recompense
On departure: gape, fool, gape
Vainly waiting at noonday."
IX
"Young girl, a wild and skittish heart
One can tame by using it.
I certainly realize on passing by here
That with such a young peasant girl
A man can find noble company
With heartfelt friendship,
If neither deceives the other."
X
"Sir, a man pressed by madness
Swears and pledges and guarantees:
Thus you would do me homage,
Sir," so said to me the peasant girl;
"But I, for a cheap entrance fee,
Do not want to exchange my virginity
For the name of whore."
XI
"Young girl, every creature
Reverts to its nature;
We should prepare to form a couple,
You and I, peasant girl,
Under cover beside the pasture,
For you will be in greater safety there
To do the sweet thing."
XII
"Sir, yes; but according to what is right,
The fool seeks his foolishness,
The courtly, courtly adventures,
And the peasant boy, the peasant girl;
Wisdom is lacking in any place (circumstance)
Where moderation is not observed,
"So say the ancients."
XIII
""Young girl, about your face,
I never saw one more dishonest,
Nor a heart more deceitful."
XIV
"Sir, the owl promises you
That one man gapes before the painting
While the other expects reward." |
Bibliography:
1. Goldin, Frederick. Lyrics of the Troubadours and Trouveres: An
Anthology and History, Peter Smith press, Gloucester, Mass.
1983.
2. Rochefort, Deborah. The Troubadours. From Compleat
Anachronist, #44, Society
for Creative Anachronisms, 1989
3. Wilhelm, James. Seven Troubadours: the Creators of Modern Verse.
University
park, Penn Stae University Press, 1970.
4. Image of Medieval Manuscript taken from the website
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/medst/medieval_lyric/marcabru/ms.html
The Image is from the manuscript found in the Bibliothèque Nationale de
France, Paris
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