Early
Lyric Poetry
Examples
of Jarchas
Yosef al-Katib
(Joseph the Scribe, Jewish, first half of 11th c.)
Tanto amare, tanto amare, / habib, tanto amare:
¡Enfermaeron welyos nidios / e dolen tan male!
(So much loving, so much loving, / my lover, so much loving
has made bright eyes grow dim / and suffer so much!)
Yehuda
Halevi (c. 1086-1145)
Garid bos, ay
yermanellas, / ¿kom kontenere meu male?
Sin al-habib non bibreyo / ed bolarey demandare.
(Tell me, O my little sisters, / how can I bear my pain?
I can't live without my lover; / I shall fly away to find him!)
From: Samuel G. Armistead and James J. Wilhelm in
Lyrics of the Middle Ages An Anthology. New York & London: Garland
Publishing Inc, 1990, 238 -41.
Hispano-Arabic
Poetry: Female Voices
Walladah
Bint Mustakfi
(c. 1001-1080) – Walladah, the daughter of the Umayyad Caliph Mustakfi
(976-1025). She had a passionate and stormy relationship with the
important Arab poet, Ibn Zaidun (1004-1071). She is considered one of the
most important female poets of her time "My lover I offer the curve of my
cheek/ And my kiss to whoever desires it."
These
verses are found on one of her robes:
Righthand
side:
I am fit for high positions,
by God
And am going my way with pride
Lefthand
side:
Forsooth,
I allow my lover to touch my cheek,
And bestow my kiss on him who
craves it.
To
Ibn Zaidun
Wallada
(11th Century, Spain
)
Can't
we find some way
to meet again
and speak of our love?
In winter with you near
no need for coals -
our passion blazed.
Now - cut off, alone
day darkens deep
the fate I feared
Nights pass. You're still away
Longing chains me
and Patience brings no release
Where
morning find you
may God stream down upon your land
refreshing, fertile rain
Hebrew Poetry of Al-Andalus
Yehuda
Halevi (c. 1086-1145) The most famous
Jewish literary figure associated with
Toledo
. His poetry gave immortal expression to the
fervent hopes of the Jewish people. Physician, philosopher and poet, Halevi
ranks with the greatest Hebrew writers of all time. Many of his religious poems
have become part of the Sidur used in the synagogue on Yom Kippur and Rosh
Hashanna. In his stirring poem, Ode to Zion, Yehuda Halevi gave voice to
the yearning of the Jews to return to Eretz Avot'enu. After completing his
famous philosophic work, The Kusari, Halevi made preparations for the
long and dangerous journey to Eretz Hakodesh. En route, he wrote of his
passionate longing for Yerushalayim:
My
Heart Is In the East
Yehuda
Halevi
My
heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west--
How
can I find savour in food? How shall it be sweet to me?
How
shall I render my vows and my bonds, while yet
Zion
lieth beneath the fetter of
Edom
, and I in Arab chains?
A
light thing would it seem to me to leave all the good things of
Spain
--
Seeing
how precious in mine eyes to behold the dust of the desolate sanctuary
Source: Translated from
the Hebrew by Nina Salaman, 1924 This edition published in 1924 by Jewish
Publication Society of America, Essential
Texts of Zionism
A Love Song
Yehudah Halevi
"Do
you see over my shoulders falling,
Snake-like ringlets waving free?
Have no fear, for they are twisted
To allure you unto me."
Thus
she spoke, the gentle dove,
Listen to your plighted love:
"Oh, how long I wait, till my sweetheart comes back," she said,
"Laying his caressing hand underneath my burning head."
My Sweetheart's Dainty Lips...
Yehudah Halevi
My
sweetheart's dainty lips are red,
With ruby's crimson overspread;
Her teeth are like a string of pearls;
Down her neck her clustering curls
In ebony hue vie with the night,
And over her features dances light.
The
twinkling stars enthroned above
Are sisters to my dearest love.
We men should count it joy complete
To lay our service at her feet.
But oh what rapture is her kiss!
A forecast 'tis of heavenly bliss!
Provenzal Lyric Poetry
Modern scholars separate the treatment of Provencal literature from that of French. It was written
in a different dialect, was subject to somewhat different laws of development, and after a short period
of activity died almost completely away. Provencal literature is that produced in ancient Provence or
Southern France. Its period of life extended from the eleventh to the fifteenth centuries, its middle and
only important period being that of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. This literature contains examples
of all the varieties of French literature of the Middle Ages, but the only work that is original and important
is its lyric poetry. This was composed by the troubadours (corresponding to the French trouveres) and sung
by jongleurs or minstrels. The names of 460 Provencal poets and 251 anonymous pieces have come down
to us. The one great theme of troubadour-singing--one, too, upon which he was original and a master--was
that of passionate love. With this as subject, these poets united an eagerness for form, and were the first
to perfect verse in any modern language.
Canso (courtly love-song):
Quan lo rius
Jaufre Rudel
When
the fountain stream
clears,
as always,
and
the
hawthorne
flowers
and
to his branch the nightingale
drops,
trilling, turning, smoothing
his
sweet embellished song,
I
feel it time to begin mine.
Distant
love,
my
heart's grief for you
finds
no restorative
but
in your call,
sweet
with attractions
of
love in an orchard or behind closed curtains,
with
you, my desire.
Comfort
always fails,
no
wonder I'm consumed
by
love, a fairer
Christian,
Jew, Saracen
never
was. A token of her love:
a
gift divine.
Love
discovers
endless
desire,
but
wishes deceive.
I
believe from desire
I
will bleed from sadness
more
cutting than thorns. But no pity.
(By
word of mouth I send
this
verse to be sung
in
plain romance language
by
Filhol to Lord Hugo Brun,
for
they all like him,
the
Poituans and Berrians,
Guianese
and Bretons.)
Guillaume de Machaut
Dame,
a vous sans retollir
from
Le Remede de Fortune
(virelai)
Refrain:
Refrain:
[A]Dame,
a vous sans retollir
My lady, to you without reservation
Dong
cuer, pensée, desir
I give my heart, thought, desire,
Corps,
et amour,
Body and love,
Comme
a toute la millour
As to the very best woman
Qu'on
puist choisir,
Who can be chosen,
Ne
qui vivre ne morir
Or who can live or die
Puist
a ce jour.
In this time.
[b]Si
ne me doit a folour
I must not be held
Tourner,
se je ne vous äour,
A fool if I adore you,
Car
sans mentir,
For it's no lie
[b]Bonté
passés en valour,
That you surpass goodness in value,
Toute
flour en douce odour
And in sweet fragrance any flower
Que
on peut sentir.
That one might smell.
[a]Vostre
beauté fait tarir
Your beauty withers
Toute
autre et anïentir,
And destroys all other (beauty),
Et
vo douçour
And your sweetness
Passe
tout; rose en coulour
Surpasses all; I see your complexion
Vous
doi tenir,
The color of roses,
Et
vos regars puet garir
And your glance can heal
Toute
doulour.
Every sorrow.
[A]Refrain
Refrain
[b]Pour
ce, dame, je m'atour
Therefore, my lady, I gird myself
De
trés toute ma vigour
With
all my strength
A
vous servir,
To serve you,
[b]Et
met, sans nul villain tour,
And I devote, without base artifice
Mon
cüer, ma vie et m'onnour
My heart, my life, and my honor
En
vo plaisir.
To pleasing you.
[a]Et
se Pité consentir
And if Pity wishes
Vuet
que me daigniez oïr
To grant that you deign to hear
En
ma clamour,
My appeal,
Je
ne quier de mon labour
I wish for my trouble
Autre
merir,
No other recompense,
Qu'il
ne me porroit venir
For no greater joy
Joie,
gringnour.
Could come to me.
[A]Refrain
Refrain
[b]Dame,
ou sont tuit mi retour,
My lady, in whom are all my resources
Souvent
m'estuet en destour
I must often, far from you,
Pleindre
et gemir,
Lament and mourn;
[b]Et,
present vous, descoulour
And, near you, I grow pale
Quant
vous ne savez l'ardour
Since you don't know the passion
Qu'ay
a souffrir
I have to suffer
[a]Pour
vous qu'aim tant et desir,
For you whom I love and desire so much
Que plus ne le puis couvrir.
That I can no longer hide it.
Et se
tenrour
And if I show no
N'en
avez, en grant tristour
Tenderness, in great sadness
M'estuet
fenir.
I must end my days.
Nonpourquant
jusqu'au moror
Nonetheless
until death
Vostres
demour.
I remain yours.
[A]Refrain
Refrain
Translation
by Margaret Switten; Adaptation by James Wimsatt and William Kibler (1988)
Trobairitz: Female
Voices
These poets flourished
in
Southern France
between the years 1150-1250. Bogin states that
the 400 or so troubadours were not wandering minstrels but serious court poets.
The women in their rank were often related to the male poets, served also as
patronesses, or both.
Joyce
Todd writes:
"The
trobairitz repertory is unique in being the largest body of women's lyric poetry
to have been composed in the medieval period. The poems of the sixteen
trobairitz who are named in the manuscripts were composed between 1170-1260,
during the latter part of the troubador tradition. Much research has been
directed in recent years toward the status of women in medieval culture.
Historians have documented that women experienced a general decline in social
position from the 10th to the 13th century, yet they have also shown that women
did temporarily recover several important legal rights during a period roughly
corresponding to the activities of the trobairitz. These rights, to hold
property, administer estates, and create wills, are indications of a society
which fostered the participation of noblewomen in diverse aspects of medieval
culture."
Meg Bogin's book, The
Female Troubadours, p. 82
THE
COUNTESS OF DIA was probably from Die,
northeast of Monte'limar. She was descended from seigneurial families of the
Viennois and
Burgundy
and was married to a lord of Die, William of
Poitiers. She fell in love with Raimbaut d'Aurenga and wrote several songs about
him. Four of
her poems have survived.
I thrive on youth and
joy,
and youth and joy keep me alive,
for my friend's the very gayest,
which makes me gay and playful;
and since I'm true, he should be faithful:
my love for him has never strayed,
nor is my heart the straying kind.
I'm very happy,
for the man whose love I seek's so fine.
May God with joy richly repay
the man who helped us meet.
If anyone should disagree,
pay him no heed; listen only
to the one who knows one often picks the blooms
from which one's own broom's made.*
The lady who knows about
valor
should place her affection
in a courteous and worthy knight
as soon as she has seen his worth,
and she should dare to love him face to face;
for courteous and worthy men
can only speak with great esteem
of a lady who loves openly.
Canso:
Estat ai en greu cossirier
Beatritz de Dia
I
am hot with desire
for
a knight I've had;
I
wish it always said
I've
loved excessively;
now
I see I'm self-betrayed:
I
didn't give my love,
and
my great error is displayed
to
me, in bed, or dressed.
I
truly wish to hold my knight
one
night in naked arms:
he'd
succumb to all my charms,
if
I cushioned his delight;
for
I am made more fair, thereby,
than
was to Floris, Blancheflor;
I
grant my love and heart,
my
sense, my eyes, my life.
Sweet
friend, my rightful bliss,
shall
I hold your heart in fee?
And
shall I lie with you one night
to
share my amorous kiss?
My
desire's surely great
to
hold you in my husband's place--
provided
that you pledge to me
you'll
make my every wish complete.
Please provide
short written responses to the follwing:
1. Analyze Ibn Hazm's concept of
love in the selections of his The Dove's Necklace (course pack and
62-72; MI). According
to Ibn Hazm, what is love? What are its signs? What causes love?
2.
What do we learn about the socio-cultural situation of this period in the
history of Al-Andalus from Hazm's work? How would you describe the tone of the
work and why?
Compare
and contrast the poems above and those poems in Medieval
Iberia
1. How
is love expressed according to the gender of the poet?
2. Do
you see any cultural differences about love? For example, do the images and
metaphors used by Hispano-arabic poets differ from Provenzal poets?
3.
What do the poems convey about attitudes toward women? How are women portrayed
in the poems? Is this the same for male and female poets?
4.
What other socio-cultural issues do the poems convey?