LOS MOTZ EL SO - Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Library ...

“LOS MOTZ E.L SO”: 

WORDS, MELODY, AND THEIR INTERACTION 

IN THE SONGS OF FOLQUET DE MARSEILLE 

A Dissertation 

Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the 

Louisiana State University and 

Agricultural and Mechanical College 

in partial fulfillment of the 

requirements for the degree of 

Doctor of Philosophy 

in 

The College of Music and Dramatic Arts 

by 

Nancy Ellen Washer 

B.S., Cornell University, 1982 

M.S., University of Florida, 1986 

December 2002

©Copyright 2002 

Nancy Ellen Washer 

All rights reserved 

ii

Acknowledgments 

I would first like to thank my committee–Jan Herlinger, Gregory Stone, Alison 

McFarland, Thomas Neff, and David Smyth–for all their helpful suggestions on improving the 

dissertation. I would also like to thank previous members of the committee–Wallace MacKenzie 

and Jennifer Brown–who were so helpful in the earliest phases of my doctoral work. I would 

also like to thank Elizabeth Aubrey of the University of Iowa, Adelaide Russo, Jeff Perry, 

Richard Kaplan, Steven Beck, and all the other members of the Louisiana State University 

faculty who provided intellectual and moral support. 

I could not have completed my work without consulting manuscripts or microfilms at the 

Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris, the Pierpont Morgan 

Library in New York, the Ambrosiana Collection in the Medieval Institute Library at Notre 

Dame, and Sibley Music Library in Rochester. My references would have been much less 

complete without the help of Bob Gilliam at Drake Library at SUNY Brockport. 

Next, I need to thank all my friends in Baton Rouge, Brockport, and Rochester who 

provided tremendous moral support during the dissertation process. I need to mention my fellow 

graduate students: Linda Cummins, Ed Eanes, Melissa Goldsmith, Nigel Gwee, and Steve Isaac; 

inhabitants of the Library porch; the Jimmy Mac’s crowd; the Park Avenue neighbors; members 

of the Baton Rouge Consort of Viols; members of the Mean-tone Consort in Rochester; and my 

colleagues in the Earth Sciences Department and Delta College at SUNY Brockport. 

Finally, it could not have been accomplished without the support of my parents, Betty 

and Bob Washer; my cat, Mimi (who suggested many changes to the manuscript); and my 

husband, Whitney Autin. 

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Table of Contents 

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii 

List of Tables. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi 

List of Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .viii 

List of Manuscripts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi 

Abstract . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii 

Chapter 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 

Folquet de Marseille. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Assessments of His Works. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 

Biography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 

Scope of the Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 

Editorial Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

Analytical Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 

Chapter 2. Poetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Lectio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Versification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 

Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Rhymes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 

Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 

Classical and Medieval Ways to Divide the Sentence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 

Divisions in Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 

Ennarratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 

Proverbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 

Chapter 3. Pitch Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 

Melodic Notation and Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 

Modern Scholarship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 

Medieval Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 

The Gamut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 

Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 

The Note between a and c' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100 

Classification of Folquet’s Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 

Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 

Finals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 

Notated and Unnotated b-flats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 

Modal Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 

iv

Compositional Suggestions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 

Beginnings and Endings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 

Pitch Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 

Pitch Structure in Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 

Chapter 4. Musical Form and Melodic Repetition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 

Repetition of the Same Music for Every Stanza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 

Repetition of Complete Melodic Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .146 

Repetition of Melodic Lines in Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 

Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149 

Classification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162 

Repetition of Shorter Melodic Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 

Structural Linguistic Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171 

Troubadour Scholars’ Discussions of Motivic Repetition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178 

Medieval Discussions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180 

Motivic Repetition in Folquet’s Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .188 

Chapter 5. Relationships between the Music and the Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 

Musical Form and Versification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200 

Musical and Verbal Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .223 

The Cesura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 

Musical Expression of the Cesura . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226 

Melodic Contour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .240 

Longer Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245 

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258 

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259 

Appendix A. Vida and Razos in Manuscript R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 

Appendix B. Other Songs in Manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275 

Appendix C. Other Songs in Manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301 

Appendix D. Songs in Manuscript W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 

Vita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .328 

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List of Tables 

1.1. Order of Folquet’s Songs in Manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 

1.2. Order of Songs Attributed to Folquet in Manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 

1.3. Order of Folquet’s Songs in Manuscript W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

1.4. Standard Incipit, Catalogue and Edition Numbers, and Genre for Each Song . . . . . . . . . . . .25 

2.1. Metrical Properties of Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

2.2. Rhyme Characteristics of Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 

2.3. Rhyme Pattern for “En chantan” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 

2.4. Shifting of Rhyme Sounds in “Amors, merce!” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 

2.5. Shifting of Rhyme Sounds in “Ay! tan gen vens” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

2.6. Rhyme Scheme Modules in “Ay! tan gen vens” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 

3.1. Ranges and Finals of the Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 

3.2. Numbers of Melodies that Exhibit a Given Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 

3.3. Numbers of Songs with Each Final . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 

3.4. Modal Classification of Folquet’s Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 

3.5. Modal Characteristics and Assignments for Individual Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 

3.6. Beginning and Ending Notes for Melodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 

3.7. Numbers of Lines Beginning or Ending on Scale Steps in Relation to the Final . . . . . . . . .131 

4.1. Five Scholars’ Assessments of Folquet’s Musical Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .150 

4.2. Summary of Repetition in Folquet’s Songs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .161 

4.3. Musical Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .168 

5.1. “Mout i fez,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, Common to Both Versions . . . . . . . . 202 

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5.2. “Tan m’abellis,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 

5.3. “Ay! tan gen vens,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . .203 

5.4. Rhyme Scheme Modules in “Ay! tan gen vens”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 

5.5. “Ben an mort,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, Common to Both Versions . . . . . . . .205 

5.6. “Tan mou,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209 

5.7. “Sitot me sui,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .210 

5.8. “Us volers,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212 

5.9. “S’al cor plagues,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .215 

5.10. “Greu fera,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .219 

5.11. Percent of Ten-syllable Lines that Exhibit a Given Scale Degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239 

5.12. “Amors, merce!,” Relationship between Musical Form and Syntax . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 

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List of Figures 

3.1. “Mout i fez” in manuscript G, line 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

3.2. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript G, line 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 

3.3. “Tan mou” in manuscript G, line 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

3.4. “Tan mou” in manuscript W, line 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112 

3.5. “Amors, merce!”in manuscripts G and R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 

3.6. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, transcription of line 2 in the manuscript . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 

3.7. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, corrected version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 

3.8. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 

3.9. “Per dieu! Amors” in manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 

3.10. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 

3.11. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscripts G and R, line 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138 

3.12. “Tan m’abellis” in manuscripts G and R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140 

4.1. “Greu fera” in manuscript G, lines 8 and 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153 

4.2. “Mout i fez” in manuscript G, lines 1 and 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 

4.3. “Us volers” in manuscript G, lines 3 and 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154 

4.4. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, lines 1 and 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .155 

4.5. “Greu fera” in manuscript G, lines 2 and 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156 

4.6. “Greu fera” in manuscript R, lines 2 and 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157 

4.7. “Per Dieu! Amors” in manuscript G, lines 3 and 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158 

4.8. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, lines 1 and 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 

4.9. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, lines 2 and 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .159 

viii

4.10. “En chantan” in manuscript G, lines 4 and 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 

4.11. Two Representations of Lines 4 and 7 of “Us volers,” manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .174 

4.12. Line 1 of “Ja no.s cug hom” and Line 5 of “Us volers,” manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .176 

4.13. Two Representations of Lines 3 and 6 of “Us volers,” manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 

4.14. Marchetto’s Second Intermediation of the First Species of Fifth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .187 

4.15. Motives in “En chantan” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .189 

4.16. “En chantan” in manuscript G, complete melody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 

4.17. Motives in “Amors, merce!” manuscript G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .193 

4.18. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript G, complete melody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .194 

4.19. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, complete melody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .197 

5.1. “Ben an mort,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .206 

5.2. “Sitot me sui,” Complete Melody and Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .211 

5.3. “Us volers,” Complete Melody and Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213 

5.4. “S’al cor plagues,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .216 

5.5. “Greu fera,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 

5.6. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, line 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 

5.7. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, line 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .232 

5.8. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 

5.9. “Greu fera” in manuscript R, line 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .235 

5.10.“En chantan” in manuscript G, line 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .236 

5.11. Distribution of Multi-pitch Neumes in Ten-syllable Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 

5.12. “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript G, line 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .241 

ix

5.13. “En chantan” in manuscript G, line 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .242 

5.14. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, line 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 

5.15. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript G, line 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245 

5.16. “En chantan” in manuscript G, lines 8 and 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247 

5.17. “Per Dieu! Amors,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 

5.18. “Ay! tan gen vens,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .253 

x

List of Manuscripts 

Troubadour Manuscripts with Music 

G Italy, Milan, Biblioteca Ambrosiana S.P. 4.4 (olim R71 sup.) 

R France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 22543 

W France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 844 

Other Troubadour Manuscripts 

C France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 856 

H Italy, Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, latini 3207 

N United States, New York, Pierpont Morgan Library M819 

V Italy, Venice, Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana 278 (fr. App. cod. XI) 

X France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 20050 

Z France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 1745 

f France, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale fonds français 12472 

Other Manuscripts 

Admont United States, Rochester, NY, Sibley Music Library, ML92 1200 

Darmstadt Germany, Darmstadt, Hessiche Landesbibliothek, Codicem 2663 

Harley Great Britain, London, British Library, Harley 281 

MC 318 Italy, Monte Cassino, 318 

Rossi Italy, Rome, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Rossi codex 215 

Squarcialupi Italy, Florence, Biblioteca Laurenziana, Mediceo Palatino 87 

xi

Abstract 

Although the poems of the troubadours have been extensively studied almost since they 

were first composed and the troubadours themselves indicate that they tried to create interactions 

between the melodies and the words, the melodies and the interactions between the poems and 

melodies in the complete songs have been examined much less intensively. In this dissertation I 

delve into the songs of the late twelfth-century troubadour Folquet de Marseille whose thirteen 

songs surviving with their melodies provide a varied collection of a suitable size to permit 

intensive analysis of poetic and musical compositional practices and the interactions between the 

two. 

A medieval grammatical theory for understanding texts, a theory which encompasses and 

links the verbal and musical texts, provides the thread of continuity. I first examine the poetic 

parameters: the versification, division of the words into sense units, and proverbs. Next, I 

analyze the pitch organization of the melodies and the division of the stanza into musical units 

based on repetition. Finally, I locate the interactions between the versification and melodic 

repetition and between the musical and verbal units. In the process of developing methods for 

examining the words and melodies in these terms I evaluated and reconciled many medieval and 

some modern theories on verbal and musical organization. 

Through this scrutiny of Folquet’s poems and melodies as combined into songs I found 

his songs to be creatively and carefully organized. The poetic and melodic parameters cannot be 

understood in isolation, but only through the interactions of the poems and melodies. Poetic and 

musical units combine flexibly so that monotony is avoided and coherence achieved as the same 

melody is sung for five or six stanzas of words. The musical settings of the proverbs underscore 

xii

their separation from the overall first-person lyric discourse; melodic repetition links the 

proverbs within the song. 

xiii

Chapter 1. Introduction 

The troubadours produced the first large repertory of vernacular songs with attributions 

to specific composers during the Middle Ages. Troubadour poetry is by definition written in Old 

Occitan or Provençal (both terms in common use, although Occitan is preferred) during the 

period from the end of the eleventh century through the beginning of the fourteenth century. 

Songs in Old Occitan were composed by poets living not only within the geographical area of 

Provence, but also by poets born and living in the rest of the south of France, Spain, Italy, and 

the north of France. 1 

The repertory is one of song, consisting mostly of strophic poems to be sung to particular 

melodies. It is thus not only the earliest large collection of vernacular poetry, but also of secular 

melodies. 2 Although only four of the forty-one main surviving manuscripts containing 

troubadour poetry provide their musical settings, these four do indicate that the works were 

originally songs. 3 In addition, Arnaut Daniel and other poets allude to making the words 

harmonize with the sounds. 4 The songs are usually attributed to particular individuals; some 

manuscripts include short biographies of the composers (vidas) and short explanations of 

individual songs (razos). 

1 To avoid confusion, the geographic terms I use in the dissertation refer to the modern 

political entities because there are no real medieval equivalents. 

2 Discussed in most introductory works, most concisely, Rosenberg, “Introduction,” 1. 

3 The standard reference for manuscript descriptions and locations of troubadour songs 

within them is: Pillet and Carstens, Bibliographie der Troubadours. The revisions to the 

manuscript list proposed by Zufferey, Recherches linguistiques, are not universally accepted. 

4 “qui.ls motz ab lo son acorda,” line 9 in “Autet e bas entre.ls prims fuoills,” Riquer, Los 

Trovadores, 621. Aubrey discusses many more such references in “References to Music.” 

1

Although medieval composers, critics, and audiences regarded songs as words and music 

composed by a single person, modern scholars have generally studied medieval songs either as 

poetry or as music, rarely examining the two together. Troubadour songs, compelling through 

their poetic and musical richness, exemplify this segregation by academic discipline. 

Troubadour poems and poetic theory have been studied and discussed almost since their 

composition, beginning with grammatical works like the late thirteenth-century Razos de trobar 

by Raimon Vidal; 5 the melodies are occasionally mentioned in such works, but not discussed in 

any detail. Dante and Francesco da Barberino cite troubadour poems in some of their works, but 

show little evidence of familiarity with the melodies. 6 Most modern scholarship, likewise, has 

focused exclusively on the poems; many editions of troubadour poems do not even mention the 

existence of melodies. 7 Similarly, studies of the melodies rarely include the words for the 

complete poem; if the words are provided at all they are most often the words for the first stanza 

only. 8 

Musicologists and literary scholars have begun to examine the interactions between 

poetry and music in this repertory. Probably because this sort of study has arisen relatively 

5 Shapiro, “De vulgari eloquentia,” 113-31. 

6 The melodic implications of the poetic theories expressed by Dante in De vulgari 

eloquentia and Francesco da Barberino in the glosses to the Documenti d’amore are discussed in 

greater detail in Chapter 4. 

7 Stronski, for example, does not mention the melodies in his edition of Folquet’s songs; 

Squillacioti does mention the presence of melodies and uses them in the construction of the 

manuscripts’ stemmata. 

8 This procedure is exemplified in the three editions of all known troubadour melodies. 

Gennrich’s Der musikalische Nachlass der Troubadours provides only the melodies without 

words; Fernandez de la Cuesta, Las Cançons dels trobadors, and van der Werf, Extant 

Troubadour Melodies, provide the words for only the first stanzas. 

2

ecently, there is no consensus of what kinds of interactions to examine; different scholars 

approach the problem from vastly different perspectives, gathering such disparate kinds of data 

that generalizations about music-text interactions in troubadour song become difficult. A few 

observations, however, may be made. Most studies, especially those that examine the entire 

repertory, locate the points of contact or coordination between the music and the words, an 

approach that Margaret Switten labels “structural.” 9 The structural approach may be divided into 

two branches: the first, chronologically and methodologically, seeks to solve the problem of the 

musical rhythms; 10 the second examines the ways in which the music and poetry interact to form 

an expressive unit. 

The rhythmic problem arises because the manuscripts that transmit troubadour melodies 

use musical notation that indicates pitch but not duration and medieval music theorists provide 

only ambiguous hints at how to identify durations; the proposed solutions fall into the area of 

music-text relationships because the musical rhythm is most often derived from the metrical 

patterns in the words in some way. Most editors choose one of two solutions: the first applies 

modal rhythms to produce patterns of long and short notes derived from the location of the last 

accented syllable in the line of poetry, 11 and the second assumes that each syllable has the same 

9 Switten, “Music and Words,” 15-16. 

10 I do not attempt to cover this topic exhaustively because virtually every scholar who 

discusses medieval monophony produces a literature review of previous, usually incorrect 

understandings of the rhythms. Several do describe various rhythmic theories in detail, most 

recently, Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 240-54. 

11 This solution was proposed by Beck in the early twentieth century and championed 

currently by Tischler; most of Beck’s Die Melodien der Troubadours is devoted to deriving 

modal theory. 

3

duration, regardless of how many pitches it contains. 12 Unfortunately, rhythm is barely discussed 

by theorists who cover monophonic music; it apparently only becomes a topic of interest when it 

becomes necessary to coordinate the parts when writing down polyphonic music. Proponents of 

the modal theory cite medieval theorists who discuss the rhythm of polyphonic music; the 

applicability of these rhythmic theories to earlier monophonic music is uncertain. None of the 

proposed solutions resolves all problems satisfactorily, and the analytical approach I take in the 

dissertation (discussed further below) does not privilege one solution to the rhythmic problem. 

More recently scholars have followed the second branch of the structural approach. 

Elizabeth Aubrey most clearly expresses its logic, contending that the melodies and the words 

cannot be fully understood in isolation: 

The interaction [between the poetry and the melody] is most effective when the poem 

achieves excellence in the disposition of poetic materials, and when the melody achieves 

a similar excellence in its disposition of musical materials. The poem is heard once 

during a performance, while the melody is repeated five or six times, both together 

creating a multi-layered texture of meaning. 13 

Numerous scholars, including John Stevens, Margaret Switten, and Claudio Vanin 

approach troubadour songs using this philosophy. 14 Other scholars, especially those focused on 

a limited selection of songs, begin with this approach, then focus on how the melody and text 

reinforce each other as the two unfold together through time in what Switten terms the 

“rhetorical approach.” 15 

12 The isosyllabic hypothesis in which every syllable is of the same duration was first 

proposed by Sesini, Melodie trobadoriche and later modified by Stevens, Words and Music. 

13 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, xviii. 

14 Stevens, Words and Music; Switten, Raimon de Miraval; and Vanin, “Musical Form.” 

15 Switten, “Music and Words,” 15-16. 

4

Gisela Scherner-van-Ortmerssen, for example, seeks to understand better the poetic and 

musical style of an individual composer; she focuses on Bernart de Ventadorn’s songs, 

examining each for poetic structures, musical structures, and the interaction between the two. 

She begins with the structural relationships, then identifies more expressive relationships, such 

as the ways in which melismas emphasize key words. 16 Chantal Phan, in contrast, seeks to 

understand certain compositional procedures common to the troubadour repertory and thus 

examines a sample of songs selected to represent different chronological periods, genres, and 

styles. She identifies the patterns in the poetic and musical structures, then locates breaks in the 

pattern that emphasize certain words and phrases. 17 

There are many studies of the rhetorical relationships between the music and words in 

individual troubadour songs, but each song stimulates exploration of a particular set of 

interactions. Two such studies may serve as examples: Switten examines Arnaut Daniel’s 

sestina “Lo ferm voler” as an embodiment of Plato’s Timaeus in song; Ferrante dissects the 

interactions between the verbal music and melody in Bernart de Ventadorn’s “Ab joi mou lo 

vers.” 18 Although they do provide some tools, these unique approaches make it difficult to 

formulate general principles behind the union of words and music in troubadour song. 

16 Scherner-van Ortmerssen, Bernart de Ventadorn. She, unfortunately, does not provide 

the music or the poems; instead, she cites Appel, Bernart von Ventadorn, as her source for the 

poetry and the melodies from facsimiles of the manuscripts supplied by Appel. 

17 Phan, “Structures textuelles et mélodiques.” 

18 Switten, “Arnaut Daniel”; Ferrante, “‘Ab joi mou lo vers.’” 

5

Folquet de Marseille 

In this dissertation I use some of these tools to examine the songs of the late twelfth- 

century troubadour Folquet de Marseille. Folquet produced at least nineteen songs whose 

attribution is considered secure; thirteen songs have been transmitted with melodies, with eleven 

of the melodies transmitted by more than one source. 19 His period of activity, approximately 

1180 to 1200, puts his works into a period from which many troubadour songs survive. His 

contemporaries include Peire Vidal, Bertran de Born, and Raimon de Miraval. 

I selected Folquet’s works for two reasons. First, his surviving output of thirteen songs 

transmitted with their melodies is a substantial number of surviving songs for a troubadour and is 

large enough to provide insights into melodic composition but small enough to allow close 

examination of the relationships between the music and the words. These thirteen songs all fall 

into the category of canso, a song about love, and, with thirteen cansos surviving with their 

melodies out of fourteen total, Folquet’s cansos exhibit an unusually high survival rate for the 

melodies. 20 Second, although his works were widely known and esteemed during the Middle 

Ages, they have not been examined closely and are often considered mediocre by modern 

researchers. 

Assessments of His Works 

Folquet’s songs were well known in the Middle Ages: they survive in many manuscripts 

encompassing a geographically wide range. The songs, or parts of them, are found in over thirty 

19Some melodic variants differ little from each other, whereas others seem to present 

almost completely different melodies. 

20 The melodies of the five remaining songs of other types did not survive. 

6

individual sources and eight additional sources with their own manuscript histories. His poems 

appear in almost all the major troubadour chansonniers, with the exceptions of the main body of 

manuscript H, manuscript X, and manuscript Z. Several songs inspired contemporary German 

poets 21 and slightly later Sicilian poets. 22 The opening line (text and melody) of another song 

begins the upper voice of a motet. 23 

Folquet’s life and works are described in various contemporary writings, including a vida 

and razos for four of his songs. The Monk of Montaudon parodied his accomplishments in the 

satire “Pois Peire d’Alvernh’a chantat.” 24 His participation as Bishop of Toulouse in the 

Albigensian Crusade secured his place in history, however unfavorably described in the Chanson 

de la croisade albigeoise. Dante thought very highly of him, citing “Tan m’abellis l’amoros 

pessamens” in De vulgari eloqentia among the examples of excellently constructed canzoni; 25 he 

also paraphrased the opening lines of this same song as Arnaut Daniel’s first words in 

Purgatorio, 26 and placed Folquet in Paradiso for eternity. 27 

21 First discussed in Frank, Trouvères et Minnesängers. Two songs are covered in greater 

detail by Van d’Elden, “Diversity Despite Similarity.” 

22 Squillacioti, Folchetto di Marsiglia, 99-107. 

23 “Tan m’abellis l’amoros pessamens” appears in Old French translation in “Molt 

m’abelist l’amoros pensamen/Flos filius eius,” listed as Motet 674 in van der Werf’s Integrated 

Directory, 113. 

24 Philippson, Mönch von Montaudon, 34. 

25 Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.6.6; Mengaldo, 44; Shapiro, 78. 

26 “Tan m’abellis vostre cortes deman,” Purgatorio 26.140. 

27 Paradiso 9.67-142. Folquet is found in the Sphere of Venus, the last sphere within the 

shadow of the earth. Dante hints at his literary accomplishments but bases his placement on his 

religious activities. 

7

Yet in the twentieth century scholars offer contradictory assessments of Folquet’s work. 

Despite Stronski’s 1910 edition of the poems with extensive preliminary study, 28 Folquet’s 

works were almost completely ignored in works on the troubadours until the later twentieth 

century. Few of his poems appear in anthologies; in anthologies with English translations one 

often encounters only “Senher Dieus,” a poem whose attribution to Folquet is still under debate 

and is in any case not typical of his poetic style. 29 Few recordings have been made of his songs. 

He is rarely mentioned in works that examine a particular aspect of the repertory, like 

Troubadours and Love. 30 Most tellingly, Amelia van Vleck, in her study of troubadours’ 

strategies for ensuring that the stanzas of their poems would be transmitted in the proper order, 

includes Folquet in the statistical study but scarcely mentions his work in the text itself. 31 

Caroline Locher had published over ten years earlier a study of the incredible stability of stanza 

order in Folquet's songs, 32 so van Vleck’s omission is surprising. 

Paolo Squillacioti, who recently produced a new edition of Folquet’s songs, suggests that 

the reason many nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars consider Folquet to be a mediocre 

poet is that he does not exhibit the “naturalism” valued by Romantic esthetics and allegedly 

found in other troubadour poets like Bernart de Ventadorn. 33 Alfred Jeanroy, for example, 

28 Stronski, Folquet de Marseille. 

29 For example, Goldin, Lyrics of the Troubadours and Trouvères. 

30 Topsfield, Troubadours and Love. 

31 van Vleck, Memory and Re-creation. 

32 Locher, “Folquet de Marseille.” 

33 Squillacioti, Folchetto di Marsiglia, 111-18. 

8

assesses Folquet’s works as follows: “I cannot deny that there are, here and there, some refined 

thoughts, some graceful and agreeable verses. But these graceful little flowers rarely flourish in 

the arid lands where only the scholastic thistles survive.” 34 

34 “Je ne nie pas qu’il y ait, çà et là, quelques pensées, quelques vers faciles et agréables. 

Mais ces gracieuses fleurettes s’épanouissent rarement dans ces terres arides où ne prospèrent 

que les chardons de la scolastique.” Jeanroy, La Poésie lyrique des troubadours, 2: 151. 

poet.” 

Much recent scholarship on Folquet focuses on Dante’s citation of him and his works. 

Even here the undercurrent often seems to be “how could Dante esteem such a mediocre poet?” 

Teodolinda Barolini devotes much of her book on the poets cited by Dante to how Dante 

evaluated the better poets in his critical works–Convivio and De vulgari eloquentia–then 

replaced them with weaker poets like Folquet in the Commedia. 35 The trend continues with later 

scholars like Albert Rossi, who locates Ovidian quotations in some of Folquet’s songs and 

connects these quotations to Dante’s depiction of Folquet in Paradiso. Thus, Rossi takes 

Folquet’s work seriously; yet the undercurrent is visible in such pronouncements as “the stock 

sententiae which permeate Folquet’s idiom.” 36 

Similarly, Nicole Schulman recently examined Folquet’s life as a way to understand the 

dynamics of the Albigensian Crusade. She observes that, although both as a poet and a preacher 

he was considered very persuasive by his contemporaries, none of his sermons survives and the 

reasoning abilities he displays in his poems leave much to be desired. 37 

35 Barolini, Dante’s Poets. On page 179 she specifically describes Folquet as a “weak 

36 Rossi, “Ovidian Exemplarity,” 52. 

37 Schulman, “Folco,” 129-30. 

9

Other literary scholars, however, assess Folquet’s poems more positively. As mentioned 

above, Locher finds that manuscripts transmit Folquet’s poems with the stanzas in the same 

order more consistently than is the case with other troubadours’ poems. She concludes that 

Folquet experimented with poetic devices that extend from one stanza to the next; these 

maintained stanza order as the song passed into the written records. 38 A few contributions focus 

on individual songs. In particular, “Tan m’abellis,” probably because it is the song cited by 

Dante for its excellence, has been the focus of both literary and musicological studies. 39 

There has recently been a flurry of publications on Folquet’s use of proverbs. Although 

Stronski claims that the proverbial and classical quotations that Folquet uses in his poetry 

indicate a working knowledge only of florilegia, 40 many later scholars have found in them 

evidence of much wider readings of the classics. 41 Wendy Pfeffer, in particular, discusses the 

proverbs in several of Folquet’s songs in her recent book on proverbs in the troubadour 

repertory. 42 Other scholars have sought the origins of two images from “Sitot me sui.” 43 

Musicologists likewise disagree concerning his melodies. Those who discuss Folquet’s 

songs in passing within surveys of troubadour melodies tend to find his melodies poorly 

38 Locher, “Folquet de Marseille.” 

39 Schlager, “Annäherung an ein Troubadour-Leid”; Squillacioti, “Folchetto di Marsiglia 

‘Trovatore di Dante.’” Gossen, “Musik und Text,”16-20, includes “Tan m’abellis” in her study 

of Bernart de Ventadorn’s songs because of Schlager’s article. 

40 Stronski, Folquet de Marseille, 80*-81*. 

41 Scheludko, “Ovid und die Trobadors,” 167-70; Jensen, “Folquet de Marselha and the 

Classical Tradition”; Pfeffer, “‘Ben conosc e sai.’” 

42 Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 44-52. 

43 Onesta, “La Similitudine Farfalla-Amante”; Bianchini, “Orazio.” 

10

organized; their descriptions range from a bland reference to a “lack of formal regularity” 44 to 

the dismissive pronouncement that they are “devoid of organizing phenomena and appear to 

wander aimlessly within an ill-defined range.” 45 Those who focus on Folquet’s songs in 

particular find them more commendable. Sesini praises the melodies, considering them the best 

aspect of his songs, bringing the poems to life. 46 He identifies quotations and paraphrases in 

Folquet’s melodies, paralleling the literary quotations and paraphrases Stronski had found. 

Sesini cites only one example, 47 but more recently Le Vot has identified several “reminiscences” 

(as he calls them) of sacred and secular melodies in Folquet’s songs. 48 In a recent anthology he 

described one song as “classic.” 49 

This diversity of opinion on Folquet’s literary and musical accomplishments among 

modern scholars reflects our incomplete understanding and appreciation of troubadour 

compositional practices. In this dissertation I hope to increase our understanding by examining 

Folquet’s songs in detail. 

Biography 

The Old Occitan biography or vida is the main source of information about Folquet’s life 

and forms the starting point for all discussions of his life. It has been transmitted in eleven 

44 Steel, “Influences on the Musical Style,” 250. 

45 van der Werf, Extant Troubadour Melodies, 32. 

46 Sesini, “Folchetto da Marsiglia,” 84. 

47 Sesini, “Folchetto da Marsiglia,” 81. He observes that the melody for the seventh verse 

of “Ay! tan gen vens” resembles the gregorian Kyrie “Orbis factor.” 

48 Le Vot, “Intertextualité, métrique.” 

49 “En chanten,” Le Vot, “Music of the Troubadours and Trouvères,”12. 

11

manuscripts, including ones of southern French, Italian, and northern French origin. 50 The vidas 

were probably used by joglars during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to introduce songs to 

new audiences but appear to have been written down and edited in the early thirteenth century by 

Uc Faidit, a troubadour from the south of France who migrated to and remained in Italy. He is 

also believed to have written the razos which provide explanations of individual songs. 51 Razos 

have been transmitted for four of Folquet’s songs: “Oimais no.i conosc,” “Si cum sel,” “Tan 

mou,” and “Us volers.” 52 Because the vida provides the framework for our understanding of 

Folquet’s life, in what follows I begin with quotations from the vida, then supplement them with 

modern scholarship. 53 

“Folquet was the son of a merchant from Genoa named Sir Anfos.” 54 The vida does not 

indicate whether Folquet was born in Marseille or born in Genoa and moved to Marseille at a 

young age. A series of Italian authors and scholars, beginning with Petrarch, believed he was 

50 Stronski and Squillacioti provide the vidas and razos in their editions. The standard 

edition of all troubadour vidas and razos is Boutière and Schutz, Biographies des troubadours. 

51 Poe, “Vidas and Razos.” 

52Transcriptions and translations of the vida and razos transmitted in manuscript R are 

provided in Appendix A. 

53 Stronski in his 1910 edition of Folquet’s songs provides the foundation for later 

research on Folquet’s life. He suggested that the information supplied by the vida should be 

divided into factual and fanciful; he regarded information about the troubadour’s origins and 

post-compositional career unlikely to have been invented; whereas he considered romantic 

entanglements with various noble women unlikely for a married merchant with two children. 

Schulman’s biography of Folquet and the introductory material in Squillacioti’s new edition 

provide information that supplements Stronski’s original efforts. 

54 “Folquet de Marselha fo filh d’un mercadier de Genoa qe ac nom sier n’Anfos.” 

12

orn in Genoa, a belief accepted by the twentieth-century Italian scholar Squillacioti, 55 but this 

may reflect a desire to claim Folquet as an Italian. The wording of the vida makes it clear that 

Folquet’s father, Anfos, was Italian by the Italian honorific “Sier”; Folquet, however, is referred 

to universally with the Occitan honorific “En,” so his birthplace may be Marseille. Based on the 

timing of events in his life, Folquet is believed to have been born between 1150 and 1160. 56 

“And when the father died he left him rich in possessions.” 57 The vida does not indicate 

Folquet’s profession directly, but because his father was a merchant and left him well off when 

he died, it is likely that Folquet inherited the family business as well. The Monk of Montaudon 

refers to Folquet as a “little merchant” in his satiric description of the important troubadours of 

his time. 58 A Fulco Anfos is listed among the bourgeois of Marseille in a cartulary of 1178. 59 In 

addition, Folquet refers to himself as “rich” in several songs. 

“And he strove for merit and put himself to serve worthy men. And to frequent with them 

and to come to them. And he was well received by King Richard and by count Raimon of 

Toulouse and by Lord Barral his lord of Marseille.” 60 These lines suggest that Folquet 

succeeded in rising socially through his activities as a troubadour. He discusses the behavior of 

55 Squillacioti, Folchetto di Marsiglia, 68-70. There is also an Italian translation of the 

Old Occitan vida that indicates that Folquet was born in Genoa. 

56 Schulman, “Folco,” 224; Squillacioti, Folchetto di Marsiglia, 67. 

57 “e can lo paire mori el lo laysset ric d’aver.” 

58 “Pois Peire d’Alvergn’a chantat,” 74; Philippson, Mönch von Montaudon, 34. 

59 Schulman, “Folco,” 42 

60 “E el entendet en pretz e mes se a servir valens homes. E trevar ab lor. e venir. E son 

fort grazir per lo rey Richart. E per lo comt. .R. de toloza. E per en Barral son senhor de 

Marsselha.” 

13

King Richard of England in the Third Crusade in the fifth stanza of “Ay! tan gen vens.” Folquet 

was apparently quite close to Lord Barral; he wrote a lament, “Si cum cel,” when he died and 

mentions his death in other songs. The relationship between Folquet and count Raimon of 

Toulouse, however, is somewhat puzzling because Folquet as a troubadour was allied with King 

Alfonso of Aragon, who was an enemy of the count of Toulouse. In addition, when Folquet was 

bishop of Toulouse, he actively sought to depose the current count Raimon of Toulouse. 

“And he composed very well.” 61 Although Folquet has been considered a mediocre 

composer by many nineteenth- and twentieth-century scholars, his songs were widely 

distributed, quoted, and imitated during the Middle Ages. They are transmitted by most 

troubadour songbooks; several begin with his songs, indicating his prominence as an individual 

or a composer. Quotations are found in grammatical treatises, narrative poems with lyric 

insertions, didactic poems, and florilegia. There are Old Occitan, Old French, and Middle High 

German imitations of several songs, and some of his poetic images are explored by the Sicilian 

poets. All indicate that medieval audiences appreciated his songs, that in their estimation he did 

compose well. 

“And he was very attractive in his person. And he loved the wife of his lord Lord Barral 

and begged her. And composed his songs about her. And never through anything he did, would 

she give him the pleasures of love. So he always complains about her in his songs.” 62 This is one 

of the sources of the romantic view of Folquet’s life; Pratsch, in particular, ordered Folquet’s 

61 “E trobet mot be.” 

62 “E fo mot avinnens de la pressona. E entendia se en la molher de so senhor en Barral. E 

pregava la. E de la fazia sas chansos. E anc per res q’el fezes non li volc dar plazer d’amor. Per 

que tostems se plays en las chansos.” 

14

songs according to his supposed relationship with Adelaide, the wife of Lord Barral. 63 These 

lines also describe the characteristic stance that Folquet, like many other troubadours, assumes as 

the lover–he never receives a reward from Love and so frequently complains about Love in his 

songs. 

“He was so sad about his lady and the barons who were dead that he abandoned the world 

and went to the Cistercians with his wife and two sons that he had.” 64 Whether he renounced the 

world because of his sadness over the deaths of his friends or some other reason, Folquet did 

renounce the world and become a Cistercian monk sometime around 1195. This is the only 

mention of his family in the vida, and we have no other information about his wife. Schulman 

speculates that Folquet’s later interest in providing adequate facilities for women who sought the 

religious life may have stemmed from his difficulties in finding a religious house to accept his 

wife. 65 His two sons, Peire and Anfos, are listed as monks in 1210 in the Cistercian monastery 

Grandselve near Toulouse. 66 

“And he was made abbot of a rich abbey in Provence called Torondet.” 67 The vida is 

ambiguous on whether he entered Torondet and later became its abbot or whether he entered a 

different monastery, then became abbot of Torondet. Folquet’s friend, John of Garland, later 

63 Pratsch, Folquet von Marseille. These lines in conjunction with the razos are also the 

source for Zingarelli’s view of Folquet’s life, La Personalita storica. 

64 “don el per tristeza de sa dona e dels baros qe ero mortz abandonec lo mon. e rendet se 

en lor de Sistel ab sa molher et ab dos fils que avia.” 

65 Shulman, “Folco,” 97-100. 

66 Shulman, “Folco,” 46. 

67 “E son fatz abas d’una rica abadia q’es en Proensa qe a nom lo Torondet.” 

15

ecounts that he entered Torondet but never mentions that he became its abbot. 68 Unfortunately 

the records of Torondet were destroyed by fire in the early 17th century, so no information 

directly from the abbey is available. 69 Records from other monasteries list several Abbot Folcos 

at Torondet during Folquet’s lifetime, and of the ones listed during the 1190s and early 1200s, it 

is unclear exactly which one is Folquet or if they all are. 70 

“And then he was made Bishop of Toulouse.” 71 He was elected in November of 1205; 

this is the period of his life for which we have the most documentation. He attained his greatest 

fame as Bishop of Toulouse because he was deeply implicated in the persecution of heretics 

during the Albigensian crusade, in which he represented the interests of the Church and the 

northern French. During this period he traveled extensively to northern France to preach the 

crusade and to Rome to discuss matters with the Pope. He helped found the University of 

Toulouse for which he persuaded several professors, including John of Garland, to migrate to 

Toulouse. 

were monks. 

“And there he died” 72 on December 31, 1231. He is buried at Grandselve where his sons 

68 Shulman, “Folco,” 87 

69 Shulman, “Folco,” 90. 

70 Shulman, “Folco,” 90-94. 

71 “e pueis fon fatz avesques de Tholoza”. 

72 “e lay definet.” 

16

Materials 

Scope of the Dissertation 

Folquet’s poems are transmitted by most of the major troubadour chansonniers. Three 

(G, R, and W) also transmit the musical settings; these manuscripts thus supply the versions of 

the songs discussed in the dissertation. Manuscripts G and R contain primarily works in Old 

Occitan; manuscript W primarily transmits trouvère songs but contains two gatherings of 

troubadour songs. 

Medieval chansonniers are usually arranged by genre (loosely defined) with the cansos 

(songs about love) appearing first, followed by sirventes (songs on topics other than love), tensos 

(debate songs), coblas esparsas (individual stanzas), and non-lyric works. Within each section, 

especially those devoted to cansos, the works are grouped by author so that each major author 

has at least one section containing his works. The author collections are then arranged in order 

of importance. 73 

Manuscript G, copied in northern Italy in the early fourteenth century, transmits the 

largest collection of Folquet’s songs with melodies. It includes 237 Old Occitan songs, for 

which 196 have been provided with staves and 61 with melodies. 74 The melodies are 

concentrated in the first part of the manuscript; Aubrey speculates that the scribe started to work 

on the manuscript with good musical and poetic exemplars for the main poets, starting with 

Folquet de Marseille and Bernart de Ventadorn, and had less to work with as work on the 

73 Burgwinkle, “Chansonniers as Books,” 247-49. 

74 The manuscript is described by Bertoni, Biblioteca Ambrosiana R71sup. with a 

diplomatic edition of the poems. The music is described by Sesini, Melodie trobadoriche with 

transcriptions of the melodies according to Sesini’s theoretical reconstruction of the rhythms. 

17

manuscript progressed. 75 The manuscript follows the design for the ideal chansonnier, at least in 

the first gatherings, in which the songs are gathered into sections by author. 

Manuscript G is the only one of the three that respects lines of verse in transmitting the 

poems, which are presented in double columns. Staves, generally with five or six lines, are 

provided for the first stanza and often for the first line of the second; the remainder of the text 

follows thereafter. The melodies are notated with puncta, slightly elongated in the lower right 

corner, unlike the other chansonniers, which have four-line staves and virgae as the primary 

neumes. Sesini suggests that the scribe may have copied from exemplars in Aquitanian notation, 

in which the single notes are puncta. 76 The melodies are notated with C clefs, sometimes in 

conjunction with F clefs to clarify note locations in the lower registers. 

Folquet’s collection, listed in Table 1.1, opens the manuscript and consists of the fourteen 

cansos, thirteen of which are provided with melodies. The one song transmitted without a 

melody, “Chantan volgra,” has been provided with staves for three stanzas and the first line of 

the fourth. This song, for which no musical setting survives, may have had an unusual melodic 

structure that made it difficult to remember. 

75 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 43-45. A glance at the order of Folquet’s songs in 

this manuscript (Table 1.1) shows that the order is not alphabetical as Aubrey indicates on page 

43. 

76 Sesini, Melodie trobadoriche, 18-19. 

18

Table 1.1. Order of Folquet’s Songs in Manuscript G 

Manuscript 

Number 

Folio Incipit (in manuscript) Pillet-Carstens 

Number 

77 Manuscript described by Aubrey, “Study” and Zufferey, Recherches linguistiques . 

78 Aubrey, “Study,” 6-7. 

19 

Genre Music 

1 1r Per dieu amors 155, 16 canso yes 

2 1v Amors merce 155, 1 canso yes 

3 2r Sal cor plagues 155, 18 canso yes 

4 2v Tan mabellis 155, 22 canso yes 

5 3r Sitot me sui 155, 21 canso yes 

6 3v Mout i fez 155, 14 canso yes 

7 4r Aa quant gen venz 155, 3 canso yes 

8 4v Ben an mort 155, 5 canso yes 

9 5r In cantan maven 155, 8 canso yes 

10 5v Tant mou de corteza razo 155, 23 canso yes 

11 6v Ja nos cuich hom 155, 11 canso yes 

12 7r Us volers 155, 27 canso yes 

13 7v Chantan volgra 155, 6 canso staves 

14 8v Greu feira 155, 10 canso yes 

Manuscript R, copied near Toulouse in the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, 77 

transmits all but one of Folquet’s securely attributed songs but provides melodies for only ten of 

them. It includes 27 vidas and razos, 947 lyric poems of which 160 have musical notation, 146 

individual stanzas, and 69 non-lyric works. 78 The manuscript is somewhat disorganized. It 

begins with a table of contents, followed by a section of vidas and razos, including Folquet’s 

vida and razos for “Oimais no.i conosc” and “Tan mou.” The subsequent lyric poems generally

occur in authorial collections, but several collections are devoted to each major poet, a 

circumstance suggesting that several exemplars were used to compile the manuscript, a 

hypothesis supported by the recurrence of tenso collections, believed to end exemplars. 79 

In the sections of lyric poems, the pages are divided into two columns; staves are 

provided for the first stanzas of each song after folio 8. The poems are written without regard for 

line breaks, except insofar as puncta are used to indicate ends of verses in the words. The music 

is written on four-line staves and uses mostly F clefs. Single notes are virgae, and most ligatures 

end with tails or have internal tails that may be plicas. 80 

Like those of most other troubadours, Folquet’s songs are somewhat scattered through 

the manuscript, as shown in Table 1.2; “. . .” in the manuscript number column separates 

Folquet’s collections within the manuscript. 

The first of Folquet’s songs found in the manuscript is the crusade song “Oimais no.i 

conosc,” which is provided with an author portrait, although the song is isolated from Folquet’s 

main collections, consisting of manuscript numbers 351-363 and 430-434 (the second group 

includes two songs incorrectly attributed to Folquet). The tenso is found in one of the separate 

collections of tensos. All the songs, except the last, were provided with staves. “Ay! tan gen 

vens” was provided with one melody that was mostly erased and replaced by a new melody; this 

is the only palimpsest melody in the troubadour repertory. 

79 Tavera, “Chansonnier,” 237; but also obvious from examining the manuscript. 

80 Aubrey, “Study,” 125-29 

20

Table 1.2. Order of Songs Attributed to Folquet in Manuscript R 

Manuscript 

number 


Number 

21 

Genre Music Razo 

in R 

95 13r Huey may noi conosc razo 155, 15 crusade staves yes 

. . . 

351 42r Greu fera 155, 10 canso yes 

352 42r Chantan volgra 155, 6 canso staves 

353 42r Ia nos cug hom 155, 11 canso staves 

354 42v Amors merce 155, 1 canso yes 

355 42v Mot y fes 155, 14 canso yes 

356 42v Tant mabelis 155, 22 canso yes 

357 42v Tant mou de corteza razo 155, 23 canso yes yes 

358 43r Sal cor plagues 155, 18 canso yes 

359 43r Us volers 155, 27 canso yes 

360 43r En chantan mave 155, 8 canso staves 

361 43r Ay tan gen vens 155, 3 canso yes 

362 43v Ben an mort 155, 5 canso yes 

363 43v Chantar mes tornatz afan 155, 7 crusade staves 

. . . 

430 51v Per dieu amors 155, 16 canso yes vida 

431 51v Si tot mi soi 155, 21 canso staves 

432 51v Los mals damors 370, 9 canso staves 

433 52r Si com sel questan greuiatz 155, 20 planh staves 

434 52r Sanc fuy bela 106, 14 alba yes 

. . . 

626 75r Tostemps 155, 24 tenso staves 

. . . 

926 131v Senher dieu que fezist Adam 156, 12a sacred none

Manuscript W, copied between 1254 and 1270, 81 transmits only parts of six of Folquet’s 

songs, but it is the earliest datable manuscript that transmits Folquet’s melodies. The provenance 

has long been believed to be northern France because of the repertory it transmits, but John 

Haines suggests that it may have been copied far from the main centers of scribal production, by 

French scribes with Italian exemplars, although he provides little concrete evidence. 82 

The largest section of this manuscript transmits 428 trouvère songs. 83 The two gatherings 

of troubadour songs, which have been translated into Old French, include 66 troubadour songs of 

which 51 have musical notation. 84 The manuscript is arranged in collections by a single author, 

organized by gathering, so that each new section begins a new gathering. 85 Unfortunately, the 

published facsimile edition is arranged according to the gathering structure proposed by the 

Becks rather than the gathering structure of the manuscript itself. As a result there are two 

commonly-cited sets of folio numbers for each page: one in the manuscript itself and one on the 

pages of the facsimile edition. I follow Aubrey, who suggests using both to avoid ambiguity by 

81 Manuscript described by Beck and Beck, Manuscrit du Roi, with a photographic 

fascimile; Haines, “Musicography,” disputes many of the Becks’ findings. These dates were 

established by the Becks in their edition and confirmed by Haines in his dissertation, but for 

different reasons. The earlier date comes from a song with datable historical referents for 1254. 

The Becks assigned the later date because of the lack of mensural notation, believing that all 

manuscripts copied after 1270 would have used mensural notation, a belief largely discredited. 

Beck and Beck, Manuscrit du Roi, 1: ix. Haines ties his later date to the manuscript’s original 

owner, whose fortunes changed dramatically around 1270. Haines, “Musicography,” 86. 

82 Haines, “Musicography,” 87. 

83 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 40. 



22

putting the manuscript foliation first, a stroke, then the Beck foliation preceded by a B; so the 

first folio on which Folquet’s songs appear is written 188/B178. 86 

The pages are divided into two columns; staves are provided for the first stanzas of each 

song. As in manuscript R the poems are written without regard for line breaks, except insofar as 

puncta are used to indicate ends of verses in the words. In the troubadour section, especially, 

the scribe left considerable blank space for the later copying of stanzas absent from his exemplar. 

The musical notation consists principally of virgae written on four-line staves. The scribe used 

mostly C and F clefs, rarely G clefs, and he indicated many more accidentals than the scribes of 

the other manuscripts: in addition to commonly-used b-flats, a few b-naturals, e-flats, and f- 

sharps are indicated. 87 

The first gathering of troubadour songs opens with the songs of Folquet. Unfortunately, 

the miniature, probably of Folquet, has been removed and with it, the first four verses of “Sitot 

me sui” on the recto and much of “Tan m’abellis” on the verso of folio 188/B178. Likewise, the 

removal of the initial on the verso of folio 189/B179 has removed the first two stanzas of “En 

chantan” including the music. The last stanza appearing with this song appears unrelated to the 

rest of the song as it appears in other manuscripts. The manuscript attributes five songs to 

Folquet, as shown in Table 1.3, and transmits the second stanza of one song “Greu feira” 

anonymously in a section consisting of stanzas with staves. The second song in the collection, 

“Quant par la flor,” is actually by Bernart de Ventadorn. 

86 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 39, n. 47. To further complicate matters, the 

foliation in the manuscript is fairly recent and does not reflect the earlier gathering structure 

evident from the numbers between the columns. Haines, “Musicography,” 48-53. 


23

Table 1.3. Order of Folquet’s Songs in Manuscript W 

Manuscript 

Number 


Number 

88 I examined a microfilm for manuscript R and the photographic facsimile of manuscript 

W because I was unable to view the manuscripts themselves. The palimpsest melody for “Ay! 

tan gen vens” has only been partially erased; many lines contain two sets of notes. It was 

impossible to separate the new notes from the palimpsest using the microfilm and apparently 

also when examining the manuscript. Aubrey, “Study,”123-24 and van der Werf, Extant 

Troubadour Melodies, 81-83 provide two different separations. I use Aubrey’s separations. 

24 

Genre Music 

429 188/B178r [Si tot me sui] 155, 21 canso yes* 

430 188/B178r Quant par la flor 70, 41 canso yes 

431 188/B178v Molt mabelist 155, 22 canso yes* 

432 188/B178v Tan mot de corteise raison 155, 23 canso yes 

433 189/B179r [En chantan] 155, 8 canso removed 

. . . 

476 200/B192v En la vostre mantenance 155, 10 canso yes 

Editorial Procedure 

Because Stronski’s and Squillacioti’s editions of the poems conflate sources and 

published versions of the melodies provide the words for only the first stanzas, I transcribed the 

complete texts and melodies for each version of each song surviving with a melody; 88 these are 

provided in Appendices B, C, and D. However, because orthography varies between versions, I 

refer to each song with a standard incipit, listed in Table 1.4. The translations are relatively 

literal and attempt to keep the words in the same line, if not the same order, as the Occitan. As a 

result the English is often somewhat awkward but enables the reader to see the relationships 

between the music and text, line-by-line.

Table 1.4. Standard Incipit, Catalogue and Edition Numbers, and Genre for Each Song 

Standard incipit Pillet and Carstens Stronski Squillacioti Genre 

Amors, merce! 155, 1 9 5 canso 

Ay! tan gen vens 155, 3 10 6 canso 

Ben an mort 155, 5 1 1 canso 

Chantan volgra 155, 6 6 17 canso 

Chantars mi torn 155, 7 18 14 crusade 

En chantan 155, 8 5 11 canso 

Greu fera 155, 10 13 12 canso 

Ja no.s cug hom 155, 11 14 13 canso 

Mout i fez 155, 14 8 4 canso 

Oimais no.i conosc 155, 15 19 18 crusade 

Per Dieu! Amors 155, 16 12 8 canso 

S’al cor plagues 155, 18 7 3 canso 

Si cum sel 155, 20 17 21 planh 

Sitot me sui 155, 21 11 7 canso 

Tan m’abellis 155, 22 2 2 canso 

Tan mou 155, 23 3 9 canso 

Tostemps 155, 24 15 24 tenso 

Vermillion 155, 25 16 25 cobla 

Us volers 155, 27 4 10 canso 

For my analyses I considered each version of each song separately, for two main reasons. 

First, it is likely that no version provides Folquet’s original words and melody. The earliest 

version is provided by manuscript W; yet this manuscript postdates Folquet’s compositional 

career by some fifty or sixty years. Manuscripts R and G were copied over a century after his 

compositional career. Although Folquet’s songs may have circulated in written form before they 

25

were copied into manuscripts, they also certainly were transmitted orally in performances by 

joglars and jongleurs. Furthermore, it is possible that texts and melodies circulated separately, 

so that text and melody of a song in one manuscript may have been copied from different 

exemplars. Too little is understood of the transmission of these songs to permit a truly critical 

edition. Second, some scholars (notably Gossen) have found the variant versions of troubadour 

songs useful in understanding the relationship between the melody and the words, indeed, have 

proposed that variants in the words may have inspired some of the differences in their melodies. 

So instead of trying to retrieve Folquet’s original works, I have decided to consider them to be 

late thirteenth- and early fourteenth-century versions, legitimate works in their own right. 

The musical notation indicates nothing about the rhythm except the alignment of 

syllables and neumes. Throughout the dissertation the word “neume” refers to whatever melodic 

element corresponds to a syllable in the words; a neume may consist of a single pitch or several 

pitches. The notation of accidentals, discussed further in Chapter 3, is enigmatic in this 

repertory, and the logic behind it differs considerably from that of the modern system. 

Analytical Model 

I begin with Aubrey’s philosophy that the words and melody should be evaluated first 

separately to appraise the separate dispositions of poetic and musical materials; thus, I examine 

poetic factors in Chapter 2 and musical factors in Chapters 3 and 4. In Chapter 5 I examine 

some interactions between the music and poetry. The thread that ties the dissertation together is 

a medieval grammatical theory that encompasses both verbal and musical grammar. 89 

89 This is the overview; each chapter includes more detailed discussions. 

26

In the Middle Ages grammar did not consist only of the rules for creating proper 

utterances in a given language, it also encompassed the interpretation of written works. It is 

commonly described in the Middle Ages as: “the science of interpreting the poets and other 

writers and the systematic principles for speaking and writing correctly; it is the source and 

foundation of the liberal arts.” 90 As Irvine demonstrates, the grammatical theory of knowledge 

pervades medieval thought, influencing not only the interpretation of existing works, but what 

works were collected into manuscripts and the appearance of the works on the page. 91 

Grammatical theory is obviously appropriate for understanding troubadour poems as 

written texts, but it is appropriate for understanding the melodies as well. The grammatical 

model permeates medieval treatises on music, as modern scholars such as Bielitz and Bower 

have shown. 92 Music theory treatises on how to sing plainchant correctly, in particular, base 

much of their approach on the grammatical model, because, as the gloss quoted above indicates, 

grammar is the foundation of the other liberal arts. Musical grammarians like Guido and John 

demonstrate how melodic modal theory is a basis for musical grammar of plainchant. Even 

when plainchant was not written down, it was treated in certain respects as though it were. The 

melodies are considered authoritative texts not to be altered wilfully. Most studies that employ 

the grammatical model explore the relationship between the words and music of plainchant; in 

this dissertation I expand its use to secular melodies. 

90 Glosses on grammatica from the ninth to eleventh centuries, cited in Irvine, Textual 

Culture, xiii. Irvine does not supply the Latin. 

91 Irvine, Textual Culture, 1-2. 

92 Bielitz, Musik und Grammatik; Bower, “Grammatical Model.” 

27

The science of interpretation was divided into four components: lectio, reading aloud 

correctly; ennaratio, basic interpretation; emendatio, correction; and iudicium, evaluation. 93 In 

this dissertation the principles of lectio and ennaratio are used to better understand first the 

poems, then the melodies. Lectio encompasses all aspects of reading aloud. For classical Latin 

poems the two most important aspects are the identification of the meter and of the meaningful 

units. For troubadour poetry the meter includes the numbers of syllables within the lines of 

verse (though not the regular pattern of accent) and the arrangement of lines of verse into 

stanzas, plus the arrangement of the rhyme sounds; these together constitute the form of the 

poem. Just as the form of the poem is created by the patterned repetition of lines with certain 

syllable counts that end with certain rhyme sounds, the form of the melody is created by 

repetition–of the whole melody for the words of each stanza, of individual complete lines, and of 

shorter musical phrases. I discuss Folquet’s poetic forms in Chapter 2 and the musical forms in 

Chapter 4. The interactions between the poetic and musical forms are discussed in Chapter 5. 

The identification of meaningful units in poetry is called punctuation. Grammarians 

discuss three types of units based on their degree of completeness and the form the punctuation 

takes–the comma, colon, and period. Similarly, some music theorists discuss musical phrases in 

terms of commas, colons, and periods; and one theorist even provides an example to show how 

the musical and verbal phrases coincide. I discuss the division into commas, colons, and periods 

of Folquet’s poems in Chapter 2 and melodies in Chapter 3. The points of contact between the 

musical and verbal units are then discussed in Chapter 5. 

93 Irvine, Textual Culture, 4. 

28

Enarratio covers basic interpretation of verbal texts; in this category I have chosen to 

focus on Folquet’s use of proverbs. The use of proverbial material is discussed and 

recommended frequently by classical and medieval literary theorists; this aspect of Folquet’s 

poetry is the one most often examined by modern scholars. I chose proverbs, however, because 

many interactions between words and music discussed in Chapter 5 emphasize the proverbs in 

some way. 

29

Chapter 2. Poetry 

Folquet’s poetic art has been examined by many literary scholars, either in the 

introduction to an edition of his works or a close examination of one or more songs. I have 

chosen to discuss three aspects–versification, punctuation, and proverbs–which interact with the 

melody in revealing ways as discussed in Chapter 5; I discuss them according to the medieval 

grammatical procedure for interpretation of texts. The first two aspects lie in the area of lectio, 

how to read aloud correctly: one must first understand the metrical patterns and locate the 

divisions in the work before one can read it aloud correctly. The last aspect, identification and 

examination of one of Folquet’s rhetorical devices, steps into the area of ennaratio and provides 

considerable insight into his poetic craft. In this chapter I include all of Folquet’s securely 

attributed poetry, whether transmitted with a melody or not. 

Versification 

Lectio 

In the classical grammatical model, part of the preparation for reading aloud included the 

identification of the patterns of long and short syllables (metrum) and the accent patterns 

(accentus) in Latin poetry. Troubadour (and most other medieval) poetry follows a different 

logic to the form of the poem (discussed below), so the classical model must be expanded to 

include all aspects of versification. 

Versification, with its emphasis on the sonic quality of words, is one characteristic that 

distinguishes poetry from prose. Modern scholars have observed that the troubadours were 

30

inventive in their versifications, 1 yet in general have left versification relatively unexplored in 

favor of other research venues. 2 For example, most scholars who discuss Folquet’s songs list the 

versifications, note that (like many troubadours) he created many new versifications for his 

poems, but do not discuss them in detail. A few studies of other poets’ works, such as Switten’s 

introduction to her edition of the songs of Raimon de Miraval and Ferrante’s study of one of 

Bernart de Ventadorn’s songs, do examine the ways in which versification shapes the poem and 

the poem’s interactions with the melody. 3 Most other studies of versification investigate the 

relationships between a poem and later poets’ imitations of its versification and sometimes of its 

melody. 4 

Versification in troubadour songs includes two parameters: meter and rhyme. Meter is 

determined by the numbers of syllables in each line and the arrangement of these lines into 

stanzas. Rhyme identifies words that end with the same sounds and the patterning of those 

words at the ends of verses. The main reference for troubadour versification, Istvan Frank’s 

Répertoire métrique, 5 lists almost nine hundred different rhyme schemes and over thirteen 

1For example, Switten, “Music and Versification,”143, describes the troubadours as 

“virtuosic versifiers.” 

2 Billy, L’Architecture lyrique médiéval, 17*. 

3 Switten, Raimon de Miraval, 43-52. Ferrante, “‘Ab joi mou lo vers.’” 

4 See, for example, Marshall, “Pour l’étude des contrafacta.” 

5 Frank, Répertoire métrique. This invaluable tool catalogues all troubadour songs by their 

rhyme-schemes, organized within each rhyme scheme by meter, then alphabetically by poet. 

Each entry supplies the number of stanzas and tornadas, the type of song, rhyme sounds used, 

and the relationships between the stanzas. Each song is given a two-part number, the first of 

which indicates the rhyme scheme, the second indicates the number of the poem within that 

scheme. A separate section classifies the songs by meter. This makes it easy to identify 

potential imitations and see how frequently a particular versification was used by the 

31

hundred different meters for the twenty-seven hundred poems catalogued. Many rhyme 

schemes, meters, and versifications were used only once, because many troubadours 

demonstrated their poetic craft by devising unique versifications for their songs. The terms I 

use to discuss Folquet’s versification are drawn from two early fourteenth century works that 

describe, in different levels of detail, the poetic practices of their own time, with references to 

earlier poetry. 

troubadours. 

The first, De vulgari eloquentia, was written by Dante around 1305. He probably worked 

on it in Bologna, where he was living in exile from Florence. 6 He apparently intended to write at 

least four books, since he refers several times to what he will discuss in Book Four, but he 

completed only the first book and part of the second. The treatise as a whole is in Latin but 

quotes many vernacular poems to illustrate various points. The first book derives the origins of 

the “illustrious vernacular,” the proper language for the most exalted poetry; the second book 

develops the concept of the illustrious vernacular as it is used to write the most exalted poetry. It 

sketches certain aspects of versification. 

The second treatise, Leys d’amors, was written by Guilhem Molinier in Old Occitan at 

the request of the Mantenedors del Gay Saber, a group in Toulouse that offered degrees in 

poetry. 7 This voluminous treatise covers all aspects of poetry and provides detailed information 

6 Shapiro, De vulgari eloquentia, 4. Shapiro’s work situates Dante’s work within a larger 

historical and geographical context. It includes a translation of De vulgari eloquentia as well as 

translations of some possible sources. 

7 There are three extant versions of the Leys d’amors, each published in a modern edition. 

The earliest was written in prose by Guilhem Molinier between 1328 and 1337. This was 

published by Adolphe-Félix Gatien-Arnoult as Las Flors de gay saber, estiers dichas Las Leys 

d’amors, with a French translation by Aguilar and Escouloubre. Molinier also composed a 

32

on the versification structures preferred by the Mantenedors and, retrospectively, on those used 

by troubadours like Folquet. 

Both authors indicate the importance of versification to the composition and form of 

poetry. After Dante describes the most important characteristics of the illustrious 

vernacular–who should use it, the proper subjects, and so on–he states that the canzone form is 

most suited to the illustrious vernacular. 8 He defines the canzone as a poetic form that “consists 

of equal stanzas without refrains, which expresses a unified thought in the tragic style.” 9 The art 

of the canzone is reflected in the art of the stanza, which consists of three parameters: the 

division of the melody (discussed further in Chapter 4), the arrangement of the parts (the 

numbers of lines and of syllables in each line), and the arrangement of rhymes. 10 He covers 

version in verse between 1337 and 1343, published by Joseph Anglade as Las Flors del gay 

saber. An abridged version of the prose version was composed in 1355-6 and edited by Joseph 

Anglade as Las Leys d’amors. This version includes the commission by the Mantenedors and 

Molinier’s reply. The last two editions lack translations. I cite from the complete, prose edition 

of Gatien-Arnoult, because it is the earliest published redaction and includes all sections relevant 

to my discussion. 

8 “Horum autem modorum cantionum modum excellentissimum esse putamus: quare si 

excellentissima excellentissimis digna sunt, ut superius est probatum, illa que excellentissimo 

sunt digna vulgari, modo excellentissimo digna sunt, et per consequens in cantionibus 

pertractanda.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.3.3; Mengaldo, 37. Shapiro, 72. All translations 

are my own unless otherwise indicated. For each medieval work cited I indicate the location 

within the treatise in terms of chapters and lines, then provide page numbers for the edition from 

which I cite passages and a standard translation when one exists. Cantio in this chapter is 

translated as canzone, meaning an Italian song or poem. Dante considers the troubadour canso 

to be a precursor to the canzone, but it may not share all of the canzone’s characteristics. 

9 “Dicimus ergo quod cantio, in quantum per superexcellentiam dicitur, ut et nos 

querimus, est equalium stantiarum sine responsario ad unum sententiam tragica coniugatio. . ..” 

Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.8.8; Mengaldo, 49; Shapiro 81. 

10 “Tota igitur scilicet ars cantionis circa tria videtur consistere: primo circa cantus 

divisionem, secundo circa partium habitudinem, tertio circa carminum et sillabarum.” Dante, De 

vulgari eloquentia 2.9.4; Mengaldo, 50; Shapiro, 82. 

33

each aspect in detail primarily as it pertains to his own poetry and only mentions other 

possibilities. The treatise breaks off in the middle of the discussion of rhyme schemes. 

11 “Trobars es far noel dictat. en romans fi: be compassat.” Molinier, Leys d’amors, 

Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 8. 

12 “sos assaber quom deu far noel dictat. compassat per sillabas. am rims. et alcunas vetz 

am coblas motas. et alqunas vetz ab una cobla solamen. e deu hom en aytals dictatz seguir ornat. 

aytal cum mostron aquestas nostras leys d'amors. Encaras aytals dictatz deu hom far am bels 

motz. e plazens. clars. acordans. am bona et am certa sentensa. oz am belas e am plazens 

methaforas. don hom puesca trayre bon sen.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 8. “per 

so recitan e legen hom sen deporte. e bos motz entenda. et aprenda. e yssamens per ques hom per 

bels chans melodiozes. e plazens.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 10. 

reliable. 

The Leys d’amors begins with a definition of trobar: “to make a new and well-organized 

composition in Old Occitan.” 11 It then outlines the important features of a new composition in 

Old Occitan; these include the versification, arrangement into stanzas, appropriate use of 

ornamental language, and performance possibilities: 

One must compose a new poem, measured by syllables, with rhymes. It sometimes has 

several stanzas and other times just one stanza. And one must follow such ornaments as 

our laws of love show. Also, one must compose such poetry with beautiful and pleasing 

words, clarity, rhymes, and good and clear sense or with beautiful and pleasing 

metaphors from which one can draw good sense. It can be recited or read or sung to 

good and pleasing melodies. 12 

Molinier next assembles the formal structures of the song, beginning with the letters 

representing the sounds and continuing through each aspect enumerated above. He provides 

examples in verse for most definitions; these examples sometimes simply exhibit the property 

discussed and other times repeat the description in verse while illustrating it. Most modern 

scholars use the terms presented in the Leys d’amors to describe formal structures of troubadour 

poetry. 13 

13 Pfeffer, “Guilhem Molinier as Literary Critic,” cautions that Molinier is not completely 

34

Meter. Meter in troubadour song is defined by the numbers of syllables and the position of the 

last accented syllable in a line of verse, not, as in classical Latin poetry, on the length of the 

vowel in the syllable, or, as in English poetry, on accent patterns. The Leys d’amors defines a 

verse as “a part of poetry that can contain up to twelve syllables and has at least four syllables.” 14 

The syllables in each verse are counted to the last accented syllable. A verse that ends with an 

agut accent, equivalent to the modern masculine or oxytonic ending, contains exactly the number 

of syllables counted. A verse that ends with a greu accent, equivalent to the modern feminine or 

paroxytonic ending, has an additional uncounted syllable. 15 Modern scholars conventionally list 

line lengths by the number of syllables up to the last accented syllable and indicate paroxytonic 

endings with a prime following the number. In Old Occitan, words normally end with an 

accented syllable. 16 

Dante describes a similar system for Italian, but, because Italian words normally end with 

an unaccented syllable, a paroxytonic ending, this unaccented syllable is included in the syllable 

count; whereas verses that end with an accented syllable, an oxytonic ending, are considered 

truncations of the true syllable count. Using a song by Guiraut de Borneill as an example, Dante 

demonstrates how the apparently ten-syllable verse really contains eleven syllables. 17 

14 “Bordos es una partz de rima. que al may conte xij sillabas. et a tot lo mens quatre.” 

Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 100. 

15 “. . .deu hom entendre quel bordos finista en accen agut: quar si finia en greu: adonx 

deu creysher le bordos duna sillaba. e finiss adonx en accen greu.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; 

Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 100. 

16 The terms masculine and feminine appear in some other works and convey the 

difference in ending between adjectives of the masculine gender and those of the feminine 

gender. Chambers, Old Provençal Versification, 10-11. 

17 De vulgari eloquentia 2.5.4; Mengaldo, 41; Shapiro, 75-76. 

35

Folquet uses verses of four, five, six, seven, eight, ten, and twelve syllables in his poems, 

as shown in Table 2.1. He strongly prefers ten-syllable lines (found in eleven songs) and seven- 

and eight-syllable lines (found in six songs each). Molinier suggests that lines of all lengths, 

from four to twelve syllables sound well except for nine-syllable lines. 18 Dante endorses eleven- 

syllable lines–equivalent to Old Occitan ten-syllable lines–for the canzone because the tragic 

style requires the weightiness that lines of such length provide. 19 Folquet’s choices of syllable 

counts correspond to those considered harmonious by Molinier, and his preference for ten- 

syllable lines may be a source of part of Dante’s esteem for his poetry. 

Verses of various lengths are combined into stanzas. As shown in Table 2.1, Folquet 

compiles stanzas of six to twelve verses, but he most commonly forms stanzas of eight (five 

songs) or ten (six songs) verses. 

The meter of the poem is determined by the number of lines and the arrangement of lines 

of different syllable counts within the stanza. In every stanza the majority of lines should be of 

the same length or numbers of syllables; this length is called the principal verse. 20 Isometric 

stanzas are constructed of verses with the same syllable count according to Old Occitan 

convention but can mix verses with oxytonic and paroxytonic endings; heterometric stanzas 

combine verses with different syllable counts. Although Molinier provides examples mostly of 

18 “E devetz saber que lunhs bordos no deu esser de ix sillabas quar non ha bela cazensa.” 

Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 102. This assessment is repeated several times 

through the section on verses. 

19 “Quorum omnium endecasillabum videtur esse superbius, tam temporis occupatione 

quam capacitate sententie, constructionis, et vocabulorum.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.5.3; 

Mengaldo, 41; Shapiro, 75. 

20 “Bordo principal son aquel per los quals hom proseguish lo compas principal de son 

dictat.” Molinier, Leys d’amors, Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 122. 

36

isometric stanzas, he indicates that stanzas can be heterometric. The only heterometric stanzas 

he illustrates consist of principal verses mixed with very short lines, called biocatz (shortened), 

which have four or fewer syllables. 21 

Table 2.1. Metrical Properties of Folquet’s Songs 

Song Number of 

Lines 

Meter Stanza Type Rarity 

Amors, merce! 7 10 10' 10 10' 10' 10 10 isometric two other songs 

Ay! tan gen vens 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 isometric common 

Ben an mort 10 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 8 10 10 heterometric one other song 

Chantan volgra* 9 10 10 10 10 10' 10 10 10 10 isometric unique 

Chantars mi torn* 12 7 7 7 7 7 7 7' 7 7 7 7 7 isometric unique 

En chantan 10 8 8 10 4 8 10 4 8 10 10 heterometric unique 

Greu fera 9 7' 7 7 7' 7' 7 7 7' 7' isometric one other song 

Ja no.s cug hom 8 10 10 10' 10 10' 10' 10 10 isometric unique 

Mout i fez 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 isometric common 

Oimais no.i 

conosc* 

11 7 7 7 7 7 10 10 10 10 10 10 heterometric one other song 

Per dieu! Amors 8 10 10 10 10 10' 10 10 10' isometric common 

S’al cor plagues 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 isometric common 

Si cum sel* 11 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 heterometric unique 

Sitot me sui 8 10 10' 10' 10 10' 10' 10 10' isometric two other songs 

Tan m’abellis 8 10 10' 10 10 10' 10' 10 10 isometric unique 

Tan mou 12 8 8 8 8 8 8 4 8 4 8 8 8 heterometric unique 

Tostemps* 10 8 8 8 8 7' 8 8 8 8 7' heterometric one other song 

Vermillion* 6 12' 12' 12' 12' 12' 12' isometric seven other songs 

Us volers 10 7 7 7 7 5 7 7 7 5 7 heterometric one other song 

21 “Bordos biocatz apela hom aquel quom pauza en la fi dalqun autre bordo. sos assaber 

aprop lo complimen del principal bordo.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 128. 

37

Dante also describes stanza form as the arrangement of lines with different numbers of 

syllables. He greatly prefers eleven-syllable lines (corresponding to ten-syllable lines in Old 

Occitan) and suggests that the best poems use only eleven-syllable lines. 22 In stanzas with mixed 

line lengths, eleven-syllable lines should begin the stanza and predominate; 23 in the terms of the 

Leys d’amors, they should be the principal verses. 

Folquet uses a different combination of numbers of lines and line lengths for each song, 

although some songs have closely related meters, as listed in Table 2.1. “Ay tan gens” and “S’al 

cor plagues,” for example, consist of isometric stanzas compiled from ten-syllable verses; but the 

stanza of “Ay! tan gen vens” is comprised of eight verses, whereas that of “S’al cor plagues” is 

comprised of ten verses. Folquet demonstrates his ingenuity through his creations of new 

meters. Seven songs use meters not found in any other known troubadour song, 24 and seven 

other songs use meters found in only one or two other songs. 25 Only four songs, “Ay! tan gen 

vens,” Mout i fez,” “Per Dieu! Amors,” and “S’al cor plagues,” use meters commonly used by 

other troubadours. 

22 “Horum prorsus, cum tragice poetari conamur, endacasillabum propter quandam 

excellentiam in contextu vincendi privilegium promeretur.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.12.3; 

Mengaldo, 54; Shapiro, 85. 

23 “Et sicut quedam stantia est uno solo eptasillabo conformata, sic duobus, tribus, 

quatuor, quinque videtur posse contexi, dummodo in tragico vincat endecasillabum et 

principiet.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.12.5; Mengaldo, 54; Shapiro, 85. 

24 “Chantan volgra,” “Chantars mi torn,” “En chantan,” “Ja no.s cug hom,” “Si cum sel,” 

“Tan m’abellis,” and “Tan mou.” 

25 “Amors, merce!” “Ben an mort,” “Greu fera,” “Oimais no.i conosc,” “Sitot me sui,” 

“Tostemps,” and “Us volers.” 

38

Folquet may show a strong preference for isometric stanzas, but these isometric stanzas 

often mix lines with oxytonic and paroxytonic endings. Such stanzas are isometric in that they 

have the same number of syllables in each line up to the last accented syllable; the paroxytonic 

lines, however, have an additional, uncounted syllable that requires a separate musical element. 

Eight songs use such a mixture. Only “Ay! tan gen vens,” “Mout i fez,” “S’al cor plagues,” and 

“Vermillon,” employ isometric stanzas in which each line truly has the same number of 

syllables. “Ay! tan gen vens,” “Mout i fez,” and “S’al cor plagues” use only oxytonic endings; 

“Vermillion” uses only paroxytonic endings. 

Of the seven songs composed with heterometric stanzas, five combine lines of two 

different lengths and two combine lines of three different lengths. Two songs that combine lines 

of two different lengths, “Oimais no.i conosc” and “Si cum sel,” begin with the shorter lines and 

end with the longer lines. Both consist of eleven-line stanzas, and neither has been transmitted 

with a musical setting. “Tan mou” and “Us volers” mix in two shorter lines towards the end of 

the stanza. 

The tenso “Tostemps” exhibits an unusual combination of line lengths. It consists of 

eight seven-syllable lines and two eight-syllable lines per stanza, but the eight-syllable lines have 

oxytonic endings and the seven-syllable lines paroxytonic ones. This causes all the lines to have 

eight syllables, but the last accented syllable, underlined below, shifts position between seventh 

and eighth place. 

Frank distinguishes the combination of seven-syllable paroxytonic lines with eight- 

syllable oxytonic lines as a separate group of meters in his Répertoire métrique, the only group 

based on distinctions between oxytonic and paroxytonic endings. One hundred ten songs use 

39

combinations of seven-syllable paroxytonic lines with eight-syllable oxytonic lines, but only one 

other song uses the same combination as the one Folquet uses in “Tostemps.” 26 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7' 8 

To- stemps, si vos sabetz d’a- mor, 

tri- atz de doas cal val mays: 

s’es drutz de tal que no.s bi- ays 

vas vos ni sofr’ autr’ a- ma- dor 

em- pe- ro no.us fay ve- iay- re 

que.us am ni que s’a- zaut de vos, 

o d’autra que.us am a- tre- stan, 

et a d’autres drutz un o dos, 

e que.us fa- ssa de plazers tan 

com fin’ a- mi- a deu fai- re. 27 

The two songs that use lines with three different syllable counts exhibit different logic to 

their arrangements. In “Ben an mort” Folquet arranges lines of six, eight, and ten syllables in 

order of increasing length, as can be seen in the first stanza: 

6 Ben an mort mi e lor. 

6 miei huelh galiador. 

6 per qe.m platz c’ap els plor. 

6 car ilh so an merit. 

6 qu’en tal don’an chausit. 

6 don an fayt falhimen 

8 car qui aut pueya bas dissen. 

8 pero en sas merces m’aten. 

10 car yeu non cre que merces aus falhir. 

10 lay on dieus vol totz autres bes ayzir. 28 

26 “Conselh don,” a crusade song by Raimbaut de Vaqueiras. It has also not been 

transmitted with a musical setting. 

27 “Tostemps, since you know about love, / choose of the two which is better: / if you are 

the lover of one who doesn’t deceive you / and has no other lovers / but doesn’t show it to you / 

for she loves you and that pleases you, / or another who loves you as much, / and has one or two 

other lovers, / and pleases you as much / as a true lover should.” Text from Stronski, Folquet de 

Marseille, 68. This song has not been transmitted with a musical setting. 

28 “Indeed they have killed me and themselves, / my treacherous eyes. / Which is why it 

pleases me to cry with them, / since they deserve it. / For they have chosen such a lady / that they 

40

Here, the six-syllable lines are the principal verses, which begin the stanza and constitute the 

majority of verses. The increasing verse length as the stanza progresses gives greater weight to 

the latter part of each stanza. 

The other song that combines verses of three line lengths is “En chantan,” which 

intermingles verses of four, eight, and ten syllables. The four-syllable lines are biocatz, and 

there are equal numbers of eight and ten syllable lines. Because the song begins with eight- 

syllable lines and the biocatz lines with four syllables are exactly half of eight, the eight-syllable 

lines may be considered the principal verses. 

8 In cantan m’aven a membrar 

8 cho q’eu cuich chantan oblidar. 

10 mas per so chant q’eu oblides la dolor. 

4 e.l mal d’amor. 

8 mais on plus chan plus mi sove. 

10 c’a la bocha nulla res no m’ave. 

4 mais sols merce. 

8 per q’es vertaz e sembla.n be. 

10 q’inz il cor port dona.m vostra faizon. 

10 qe.m chastia q’eu no vir ma rason. 29 

The stanza begins with a pair of eight-syllable lines and ends with a pair of ten-syllable lines, so 

the line length increases overall through the stanza. Between these pairs of equal verse lengths 

are two groups with the syllable pattern 10-4-8. The stanza, in terms of its arrangement of lines 

must fail, / since he who climbs high falls low. / But I await her mercy, / since I don’t believe 

that mercy would dare fail / there where God wants to put all other good things.” Manuscript R 

29 “While singing it happens that I remember / what I intend to forget by singing. / But 

although I sing to forget the pain / and suffering of love, / the more I sing, the more I remember, 

/ since from my mouth nothing else comes out / except, have mercy! / Which is why it is true and 

seems good / that in my heart, Lady, I carry your face / that entreats me not to change my 

intentions.” Manuscript G. 

41

of different lengths has a certain symmetry–paired lines,10-4-8 group: 10-4-8 group, paired 

lines. 30 

Rhymes. Molinier defines rhyme as “a certain number of syllables coupled to another verse by 

equality, with an agreeable cadence and a reasoned arrangement.” 31 He classifies rhymes 

according to the degree of similarity between the syllables. The minimal degree of similarity 

required between two potential rhymes is that the last accented vowel and all sounds thereafter 

are the same. In contrast, derived rhymes occur between two words formed from the same root, 

in which one has an additional letter or syllable, as mort and morta; 32 such rhymes sound similar 

in their beginnings rather than their endings. Molinier also lists various types of incorrect 

rhymes, classified according to the type of dissimilarity between the final sounds. 

Folquet uses thirty-one different rhyme sounds in his poems; characteristics of his 

rhymes are provided in Table 2.2. Most of the rhyme sounds are found in many other troubadour 

songs and are considered “easy” because many words in Old Occitan end with these sounds. 

Some rhyme sounds appear in several of Folquet’s poems; in particular en appears in eight, 33 or 

30 Vanin also notes this symmetrical arrangement. “Musical Form,” 90. 

31 “Rims es certz nombres de sillabas. ajustat a luy autre bordo per pario d’aquela 

meteysha acordansa e paritat de sillabas. o diversas am bela cazensa. e cert compas fayt de certa 

sciensa.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 140-42. Pfeffer notes that Molinier does 

not distinguish between rhyme and assonance. “Guilhem Molinier as Literary Critic,” 206. 

32 “adoncx si la us se desshen del autre per mermamen o per ajustamen d’una letra o d’una 

sillaba o de motas sillabas. adonx son dig rim dirivatiu.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult, 1:186. 

33 “Amors, merce!” “Ben an mort,” “Greu fera,” “Mout i fez,” “Oimais no.i conosc,” “Per 

Dieu! Amors,” “Tan m’abellis,” and “Tan mou.” 

42

Table 2.2. Rhyme Characteristics of Folquet’s Songs 

Song Frank 

Number 

Amors, 

merce! 

Ay! tan gen 

vens 

Rhyme Scheme 

Scheme Rarity Rhyme 

Sounds 

324 ababbcc 3 other 

songs 

624 abbacddc 91 other 

songs 

(includes 

Per Dieu! 

Amors) 

Ben an mort 77 aaabbcccdd 1 other 

song 

Chantan 

volgra 

Chantars mi 

torn 

43 

a=en 

b=ire 

c=os 

a=an 

b=e 

c=i 

d=er 

a=or 

b=it 

c=en 

d=ir 

546 abbacbddd unique a=ir 

b=ers 

c=ansa 

d=or 

575 abbaccdceeff unique a=an 

b=al 

c=o 

d=assa 

e=or 

f=os 

En chantan 165 aabbccccdd unique a=ar 

b=or 

c=e 

d=on 

Greu fera 477 abbaabbaa unique a=ensa 

b=en 

Ja no.s cug 

hom 

129 aabaccdd unique a=os 

b=era 

c=ansa 

d=ir 

Mout i fez 551 abbaccaadd 4 other 

songs 

(includes 

Us volers) 

a=ors 

b=e 

c=en 

d=es 

Stanza Relationship Overall Rarity 

a and c rhymes 

change places in 

alternating stanzas 

complex enchaining 

procedure 

1 other song 

unique 

unisonnans 1 other song 

unisonnans unique 





unisonnans 

rhyme-refrain words: 

Amors and Merces 

unique

Table 2.2 Continued 

Oimais no.i 

conosc 

Per Dieu! 

Amors 

S’al cor 

plagues 

536 abbabccacdd unique a=o 

b=ir 

c=en 

d=os 

624 abbacddc 91 other 

songs 

(includes 

Ay! tan 

gen vens) 

690 abbccbbcaa 3 other 

songs 

44 

a=en 

b=atz 

c=ura 

d=os 

a=os 

b=er 

c=ai 

Si cum sel 626 abbacddcbbc unique a=atz 

b=or 

c=ans 

d=ar 

Sitot me sui 573 abbaccdc 2 other 

songs 

Tan 

m’abellis 

a=utz 

b=ura 

c=ia 

d=or 

768 abcabbdd unique a=ens 

b=ire 

c=er 

d=en 

Tan mou 501 abbaacccddee unique a=on 

b=ir 

c=is 

d=en 

e=ens 

Tostemps 650 abbacdedec 1 other 

song 

Vermillion 3 a a a a a a 13 other 

songs 

Us volers 551 abbaccaadd 4 other 

songs 

(includes 

Mout i fez) 

a=or 

b=ais 

c=aire 

d=os 

e=an 


unisonnans 2 other songs 



unisonnans 2 other songs 




a=encha cobla unique 

a=atz 

b=ers 

c=ens 

d=er 

unisonnans 1 other song

and os in seven each, 34 and ir in five songs. 35 Sixteen rhyme sounds appear in only one song. 36 

Oxytonic rhymes preponderate, with twenty-two of the sounds ending on an accented syllable. 

Nine songs use only oxytonic rhymes, one only paroxytonic rhymes; 37 the remaining nine songs 

combine oxytonic and paroxytonic rhymes. 

34 Os: “Amors, merce!” “Chantars mi torn,” “Ja no.s cug hom,” “Oimais no.i conosc,” 

“Per Dieu! Amors,” “S’al cor plagues,” and “Tostemps. Or: “Ben an mort,” “Chantan volgra,” 

“Chantars mi torn,” “En chantan,” “Si cum sel,” “Sitot me sui,” and “Tostemps.” 

mou.” 

For his oxytonic rhymes, Folquet most often selects words that have what Molinier terms 

sonansa leyals or true assonant rhymes. Assonant rhymes echo the same sound after the final 

accented vowel, as in gen and ven. 38 He very rarely uses consonant rhymes, which Molinier 

indicates have the same sound before and after the final accented vowel, as in don and redon. 39 

The first stanza of “S’al cor plagues” as transmitted in manuscript G employs all oxytonic 

endings, with a majority of assonant rhymes: 

35 “Ben an mort,” “Chantan volgra,” “Ja no.s cug hom,” “Oimais no.i conosc,” and “Tan 

36 The sounds are: ai (in “S’al cor plagues”), ais (“Tostemps”), al (“Chantars mi torn”), 

ans (“Si cum sel”), ar (“En chantan”), assa (“Chantars mi torn”), encha (“Vermillion”), ensa 

(“Greu fera”), era (“Ja no.s cug hom”), es (“Mout i fez”), i (“Ay! tan gen vens”), ia (“Sitot me 

sui”), is (“Tan mou”), it (“Ben an mort”), ors (“Mout i fez”), utz (“Sitot me sui”). 

37 “Ay! tan gen vens,” “Ben an mort,” “En chantan,” “Mout i fez” “Oimais no.i conosc 

razo,” “S’al cor plagues,” “Si cum sel,” “Tan mou,” and “Us volers” employ only oxytonic 

rhymes; “Vermillion” only paroxytonic ones. 

38 “Sonansa leyals requier tostemps accen agut. e diversas letras o unas meteyshas de 

divers so. o quaysh denan la vocal de la sillaba final de cascuna dictio.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; 

Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 154. The Leys d’amors defines assonant rhymes more by example than by 

description. 

39 “L’autra consonansa es dicha leyals. et aquesta vol tostemps accen agut. e denan la 

derriera vocal. una meteysha letra. e d’un meteysh so ses meia coma don redon.” Molinier, Leys 

d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 158. 

45

S’al cor plagues ben for’oi mais sazos. If it pleased my heart, now would be the 

time 

de far canchon per joia mantener. to compose songs in order to sustain joy. 

mas trop mi fai ma ventura doler. But my luck makes me too sad 

qant eu esgart lo bes e.l mal q’eu n’ai. when I see the good and bad I have from it. 

qe rics diz hom qe sui e qe be.m vai. 1.5 For they say I am rich and it goes well for 

me. 

mas cel q’o diz non sab ges ben lo ver. But those who say this know nothing of the 

truth– 

qe benenanza non pot hom aver. for one cannot have happiness 

de nuilla re mais de cho q’al cor plai. from something that doesn’t please his heart. 

per qe val mais us paubres q’es joios Which is why a poor man who is joyous is 

worth more 

c’us rics ses joi q’es tot l’an consiros. 1.10 than a rich one without joy who is always 

complaining. 

Here, all the rhymes are assonant, except those in lines 1.6 and 1.7 which are consonant: ver 

rhymes with aver, so that the consonants surrounding the final vowel are the same in both words. 

Most of the paroxytonic rhymes have what Molinier terms “leonine” rhymes, which 

involve two vowels. 40 Simple leonine rhymes have the same sound between the two vowels, as 

in obra and cobra; whereas perfect leonine rhymes have the same sound immediately before the 

first vowel and between the two vowels as in dona and perdona. 41 Folquet mostly uses simple 

leonine rhymes, with an occasional perfect leonine rhyme as is found in the second stanza of 

“Sitot me sui” in manuscript G: 

40 “e leonismetatz. se fay tostemps per doas vocals.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult, 1: 162. Leonine rhymes can occur with oxytonic endings but are required for true 

paroyxtonic rhymes. 

41Molinier does not define perfect leonine rhymes explicitly, but by example. Molinier, 

Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 162. 

46

Ab bel semblan qe fals amors aduz. With the beautiful appearance that false 

Love carries 

s’atrai vas si fis amanz e s’atura. it attracts towards itself the true lover, and 

he remains 

co.l parpaillos c’a tant fola natura. like the moth who has such a foolish nature 

qe.s met el fuoc per la clartaz qe luz. 2.4 that it throws itself into the fire because of 

the light that shines. 

mas eu m’en part e segrai altra via. But I will depart and follow another path. 

sui mal pagatz q’esters non m’en partia. I am badly paid, otherwise I would not 

leave, 

e segrai laib de tot bon servidor. and I will follow the way of every good 

servant, 

con plus s’irais e plus fort s’umelia. 2.8 for the more he is afflicted, the more 

strongly he is humbled. 

The paroxytonic rhymes in lines 2.5, 2.6, and 2.8 are simple leonine rhymes in which the 

consonant preceding the last accented vowel differs: via, tia, lia. The vowels are in hiatus. In 

lines 2.2 and 2.3, however, there is perfect leonine rhyme between s’atura and natura, in which 

the consonant preceding the final accented vowel is the same as well as the vowel preceding that 

consonant. 

A few songs play with the idea of derived rhymes This type of rhyme appears in 

Folquet’s songs as a form of word play, rather than as a recurring feature of the rhyme scheme. 

The first stanza of “Greu fera” as transmitted in manuscript G, for example, hints at the 

possibility: 

Greu feira nuls hom fallensa. With difficulty no one would make a mistake 

se tan temses son bon sen. if he feared his common sense more 

con lo blasme de la gen. than the blame of people 

qe viza desconiscenza. who live in ignorance. 

q’eu fallir lais per temenza. 1.5 For I allow myself to err through the fear 

del blasme desconoisen. of the blame of the ignorant, 

car contra amor no m’epren since I don’t go against Love. 

q’eissamen nois trop soffrensa. For equally too much forbearance harms 

com leos cor ses retenensa. 1.9 as a light heart without restraint. 

47

Here, desconiscenza in line 1.4 forms a derived rhyme with desconoisen in line 1.6; both are 

derived from desconire “to be ignorant.” The potential for derived rhymes, however, is not 

realized in the rest of the song systematically. 

In his nineteen songs Folquet uses eighteen different rhyme schemes. Nine are unique in 

the troubadour repertory, and seven are used in fewer than ten other songs. Only two rhyme 

schemes, abbacddc and a a a a a a, appear in more than ten other songs. The first of these 

(number 624 in Frank’s catalogue) appears in ninety-two poems, making it the third most 

frequent rhyme scheme used by the troubadours. 42 Folquet uses this rhyme scheme for two 

poems, “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Per Dieu! Amors” but with different meters and rhyme sounds. 

The other is the rhyme scheme for “Vermillon” (number 3 in Frank’s catalogue), but it appears 

in only thirteen other songs. 

The number of rhyme sounds within the stanza ranges from one to six; 43 most songs use 

four rhyme sounds. Twelve songs begin with the pattern abba, which Molinier designates as 

“crossed.” 44 The remaining seven songs each begin with a different pattern. Five songs have one 

line that does not rhyme within the stanza, 45 which Molinier designates as rims ordinals or rims 

42 The most frequently used rhyme scheme in Frank, number 577, abbaccdd, appears in 

306 poems and the second most common, number 382, ababccdd, appears in 112 poems. 

43 “Vermillion” has one rhyme sound, “Greu fera” has two, “Chantars mi torn” has six; 

“Amors, merce!” and “S’al cor plagues” have three rhyme sounds and “Tan mou” and 

“Tostemps” have five each. The remaining songs use four rhyme sounds. 

44 “Can le premiers bordos s’acorda en la fi am lo quart ses bioc. el segons am lo ters. 

adonx son dig crozat.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 170. 

45 “Chantan volgra,” “Chantars mi torn,” “ Ja no.s cug hom,” “Sitot me sui,” and “Tan 

m’abellis.” of which “Chantan volgra” and “Chantars mi torn” have not been transmitted with a 

musical setting. 

48

dissoluts, “dissolute rhymes.” 46 Dante also allows for lines that do not rhyme within the stanza; 

he calls lines with such endings “key” lines and refers specifically to the songs of Gotto of 

Mantua, which have one such key line. 47 

The dissolute rhymes in three of Folquet’s songs are also unique in character within the 

stanza. In “Chantan volgra” and “Chantars mi torn” the dissolute rhyme is the only paroxytonic 

rhyme in the stanza; in “Sitot me sui” it is the only oxytonic rhyme in the second part of the 

stanza. The unique character of the rhyme sounds emphasizes the isolation of the rhyme within 

the stanza. 

The rhyme sounds for most songs exhibit some kind of repetition of vowels or 

consonants between the sounds. The rhyme sounds for “En chantan,” shown in Table 2.3, are ar, 

or, e, and on. The a and b rhymes both end with “r” and the b and d rhymes both contain “o”. 

Table 2.3. Rhyme Pattern for “En chantan” 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Scheme a a b b c c c c d d 

Sound ar ar or or e e e e on on 

The sound connection between the a and b rhymes, combined with the contrast of the c rhyme, 

separates the first four lines from the last six. The rhyme sound for the third and fourth lines, in 

addition, is echoed in the rhyme sound for the last two lines of the stanza, creating a connection 

between the last lines of the song with the last lines of the first section, underscoring the division 

46 “et ara devem tractar dels rims ordinals. et aytals ordes can se fay per doas coblas so es 

que la una cobla respon a l’autra per acordansa. e denan deguna de lor no havia acordansa. adonx 

aytal rim son dig dissolut.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 164. 

47 Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.13.5; Mengaldo, 57; Shapiro, 87. 

49

of the stanza into four lines plus six lines. This partial return of rhyme sounds is common in 

Folquet’s songs. 

“Greu fera,” in contrast, uses only two rhyme sounds, en and ensa, with the rhyme 

scheme abbaabbaa and isometric stanzas of seven syllables. As a result, the seventh syllable 

and the last accented syllable in each line is en, as can be seen in the first stanza. This would 

seem to create tremendous sonic monotony in the verbal music of the song. Dante advises 

against too much repetition of a single rhyme sound, except to create special effects which he 

does not describe more fully. 48 The special effects in this song occur in conjunction with the 

melody and are discussed in Chapter 5. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 7' 

Greu feira nulhs hom fa- llen- sa. 

si tant temses son bon sen. 

com lo blasme de la gen. 

qe viza de- sco- ni- scen- za. 

1.5 q’eu fallir lais per te- men- za 

del blasme de- sco- noi- sen. 

car contra a- mor no m’e- pren 

q’ei- ssa- men nois trop so- ffren- sa. 

1.9 com leos cor ses rete- nen- sa. 49 

Two songs, “Tan m’abellis” and “Tan mou,” use both en and ens as rhyme sounds. The 

two rhyme sounds are sometimes interchanged, at least in the manuscripts that transmit the 

melodies; both songs are transmitted in all three music manuscripts. For example, “Tan 

48 “nimia scilicet eiusdem rithimi repercussio, nisi forte novum aliquid atque intentatum 

artis hoc sibi preroget.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.13.13; Mengaldo, 58; Shapiro, 88. 

49 “With difficulty no one would make a mistake / if he feared his common sense more / 

than the blame of people / who live in ignorance. / For I allow myself to err through the fear / of 

the blame of the ignorant, / since I don’t go against Love. / For equally too much forbearance 

harms / as a light heart without restraint.” Manuscript G. 

50

m’abellis” has the rhyme scheme abcabbdd, with an a rhyme of ens and d rhyme of en; yet in the 

last line of stanza four of the version transmitted in manuscript G, one d rhyme has been changed 

into an a rhyme by the addition of a z: 

Actual Expected 

Qar toz jorn m’es plus bell’e plus plaisenz. a a 

per cho voil mal als oilz ab qe.us remire. b b 

car a mon grat no porion vezer. c c 

4.4 mas al men danz vezon trop sotilmenz. a a 

mous danz non es zo sai pos no.m n’azire. b b 

anz es mon pro domna per q’eu m’albire. b b 

si m’auzies qe no.us estara gen. d d 

4.8 car lo meu danz vostres er assamenz. 50 a d 

This sort of confusion between the en and ens can be seen in the other stanzas and versions of 

both “Tan m’abellis” and “Tan mou.” 

The transmission variations for these two songs suggest that there was little difference in 

sound between en and ens, although the presence or absence of the s may affect the meaning by 

changing the case of the rhyme word. Chambers remarks that for “Tan m’abellis” “the seventh 

and eighth verses please the ear with a partial echo–recognizable but different enough to escape 

monotony–of the first and fourth.” 51 It may be that some performances produced this very 

monotony. The scribes may have copied from exemplars, which, reflecting current usage, 

sometimes failed to distinguish between en and ens in the songs, or they simply may have added 

or omitted the s by accident. In manuscript W, the lack of clear difference between the rhyme 

50 “For every day is more beautiful and pleasing to me / so that I want pain for my eyes 

with which I look at you. / For according to my will they could not see, / but to my harm they see 

too subtlely. / It does not harm me since I am not offended. / Instead it is to my advantage, Lady, 

which is why I think / it would not be noble of you to kill me, / since my harm will be yours 

equally.” 

51 Chambers, Old Provençal Versification, 167-68. 

51

sounds suggests that for the old French ear, too, the sounds en, ens, and ent were difficult to 

distinguish. 

At the other end of the spectrum, three songs use rhymes schemes in which no sound is 

partially repeated: “Amors, merce!” uses the rhyme sounds en, ire, and os; “Per dieu! Amors” 

the rhyme sounds en, atz, ura, and os; and “S’al cor plagues” the rhyme sounds os, er, and ai. 

All three use the sound os, a rhyme sound also used in the crusade songs “Chantars mi torn ad 

afan” and “Oimais no.i conosc” and the tenso “Tostemps,” none of which has been transmitted 

with its melody. 

One song, “Mout i fez,” has two refrain words–Amors and Merces. Amors appears at the 

end of the first line of each stanza and Merces at the end of the last line, so that the two words 

frame the rhyme scheme. 

Molt i fez granz pecat amors. Love committed a very great sin 

pos li plac qe.s meses in me. when she decided to put herself in me, 

car merces non abduis ab se. since she did not bring Mercy with her 

ab qe m’adolces mas dolors. with which to sweeten my sadness. 

q’amors perd son nom e desmen. 1.5 For Love loses her name and domain 

et es desamors planamen. and is clearly “Not-Love” 

qan merces no.i pot far secors. when Mercy cannot help there. 

e fora li prez et onors. And it would be worthy and honorable, 

pois il vol vencer totas res. since she wants to conquer all things, 

c’una vez la vences merces. 1.10 if one time Mercy would conquer her. 52 

Both words are, in a certain sense, personified in the course of the poem. In some stanzas, 

including the first, Amors functions as the grammatical subject, but in others it is apostrophized, 

with Folquet directly addressing it. Merces is most often the grammatical subject and, because it 

is the last word in the song, may be considered to have the last word in the debate proposed in 

52 Manuscript G. 

52

the poem itself. In addition, the two words appear frequently through the poem, beginning in the 

first stanza, indicated by the underlined words above. The conflict between Amors and Merces 

appears frequently in Folquet’s other songs. One song, “Amors, merce!,” even begins with these 

two words. 

All the songs use the same rhyme sounds in every stanza; in sixteen of the multistanza 

songs the same rhyme sounds appear in the same order in every stanza, a procedure called coblas 

unisonnans in the Leys d’amors. 53 This procedure presents a greater challenge to the poet than 

changing the rhyme sounds for each stanza because it is necessary to find many different words 

that end with the same sound. 

The two exceptions use rhymes that shift from stanza to stanza according to a prescribed 

order. In “Amors, merce!” the a and c rhymes switch places in alternate stanzas, creating what 

modern scholars term coblas alternadas, in which two sequences of rhyme sounds alternate by 

stanzas. 54 They are also capcaudadas in which the last rhyme sound of one stanza becomes the 

first rhyme sound of the next, 55 as shown in Table 2.4. The alternation of rhyme sounds creates 

additional aural variety in a song with only three rhyme sounds. 

53 “Coblas unissonans son can totas las coblas son d’un compas per acordansa.” Molinier, 

Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 270. 

54 This term is used by most scholars to designate rhyme schemes in which the rhyme 

sounds alternate by stanza. Aubrey, for example, describes “Amors, merce!” as consisting of 

coblas alternadadas, Music of the Troubadours, 141. However, I have been unable to locate this 

term in the Leys d’amors, supporting Pfeffer’s contention that Molinier is not perfectly reliable. 

55 “Aquestas coblas seguens son capcaudadas quar en aquela acordansa que la una finish. 

comensa l’autra.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 236. 

53

Table 2.4. Shifting of Rhyme Sounds in “Amors, merce!” 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

I en ire en ire ire os os 

II os ire os ire ire en en 

III en ire en ire ire os os 

IV os ire os ire ire en en 

V en ire en ire ire os os 

Van Vleck hypothesizes that troubadours composed songs using coblas doblas or alternadas and 

coblas capcaudadas to prevent transposition of stanzas through the oral transmission process. 56 

The text of “Amors, merce!” is preserved complete in twenty-two manuscripts with the stanzas 

in the same order in each version. Locher observes that several of Folquet’s songs, including 

“Amors, merce!,” are preserved in an astonishingly large number of manuscripts with their 

stanzas in the same order or with a limited number of variant orders. She provides additional 

ways in which the stanza order was stabilized in “Amors, merce!” by thematic linking and word 

repetition. 57 

“Ay! tan gen vens” uses a more complex procedure in which the rhyme sounds shift 

according to a particular pattern from one stanza to the next, as shown in Table 2.5. This 

shifting of the rhyme scheme continues through the song so that the order of rhymes in the fifth 

stanza repeats the order of the first, binding the song together with the stanzas in a predetermined 

order. 

56 van Vleck, Memory and Re-creation, 97-126. She finds that these linking procedures 

decreases the numbers of possible permutation of stanzas. 

57 Locher, “Folquet de Marseille,” 199-202. 

54

Table 2.5. Shifting of Rhyme Sounds in “Ay! tan gen vens” 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

I a b b a c d d c 

II d a a d b c c b 

III c d d c a b b a 

IV b c c b d a a d 

V a b b a c d d c 

The shifting rhyme scheme does not encompass all the possible permutations of these 

four rhyme sounds; instead there are four four-verse modules that shift positions, as shown in 

Table 2.6; I have indicated the different modules with different type styles. Stanzas 1, 3, and 5 

use the abba and cddc modules; module order is the same in stanzas 1 and 5, but reversed in 

stanza 3. Likewise, stanzas 2 and 4 use the daad and bccb modules, but in different orders. The 

shifting of rhymes in four-verse units emphasizes the division of the stanza into two four-verse 

sections. 

Table 2.6. Rhyme Scheme Modules in “Ay! tan gen vens” 

Stanza 1: abba cddc 

Stanza 2: daad bccb 

Stanza 3: cddc abba 

Stanza 4: bccb daad 

Stanza 5 abba cddc 

This complex chaining procedure did create stability in stanza order in the majority of the 

twenty manuscripts that preserve the complete poem, but four manuscripts transpose the 

order–manuscripts C and f put the stanzas in the order 1 2 4 3 5 and manuscripts R and V put the 

stanzas in the order 1 4 2 3 5. Despite these variants, with this complex enchaining procedure 

Folquet took a common rhyme scheme with a common meter and created a unique and varied 

versification. 

Seven additional songs, three cansos and all four other multistanza songs, exhibit the 

same stanza order in all complete versions, without versifications designed to stabilize stanza 

55

order. This feature is irrelevant to the tenso “Tostemps,” because it has been transmitted in only 

two manuscripts and the genre requires a logically ordered argument. The other songs, however, 

are transmitted complete in over fifteen manuscripts each and include some of Folquet’s most 

widely-disseminated songs. 58 

Like the poems of many other troubadours, twelve of Folquet’s nineteen songs have 

unique versifications; the remaining seven songs share their versifications with one or two other 

songs, some of which can be attributed to later poets imitating Folquet’s versifications. 

Punctuation 

Because in the Roman era texts were written with the words and sentences run together, 

the first thing the reader had to do was divide the text into smaller units, starting with individual 

words and working up to different types of clauses. The units were indicated and later separated 

by puncta or points in the text; punctuation is the process of putting the puncta in the text. 59 In 

this section I first examine medieval theories of punctuation, then apply these principles to 

Folquet’s songs. 

In the Middle Ages the primary grammar textbook was the Ars grammatica of Donatus, a 

fourth-century Roman grammar teacher. It has been transmitted in two forms: the Ars minor, 

which covers only the parts of speech, and the Ars maior, which covers rhythm, meter, pauses, 

and figurative use of language. These two handbooks were tremendously influential during the 

Middle Ages; because they formed the elementary instruction for many medieval pupils, they 

58 This is the subject of Locher’s article, “Folquet de Marseille.” 


56

were copied into numerous manuscripts and influenced many later works, 60 such as Isidore’s 

discussion of grammar. 61 Donatus continued to be influential into the thirteenth and fourteenth 

centuries in the south of France: the Ars minor was translated into Old Occitan by Uc Faidit in 

the early thirteenth century, 62 and the Ars maior, possibly as transmitted through Isidore, shapes 

much of the discussion of grammar and rhetoric in the Leys d’amors. In addition, this grammar 

handbook may have served as a model, in part, for music theory handbooks at the same level in 

the medieval curriculum. 

Classical and Medieval Ways to Divide the Sentence. Classical and medieval grammarians 

discuss the division of a sentence into commas, colons, and periods, terms that can refer to the 

parts of the sentence or the punctuation. Donatus covers commas, colons, and periods only in 

the Ars maior, at the end of the first section. His discussion is typical of grammatical works in 

that it begins with the smallest unit of utterance, the sound, then describes increasingly larger 

units, syllables and metrical feet, and finally covers pronunciation in terms of locating the 

accents in words and the pauses. In the chapter on pauses he describes three levels of 

distinctions, which are ways to divide a sentence into shorter segments or punctuate it, when 

reading aloud, as was customary in the Middle Ages: 

On punctuation. 

There are three types of punctuation or division which the Greeks call “thesis,” 

distinction, subdistinction, middle distinction. A distinction occurs where the complete 

sentence is finished; we put its point at the top of the letter. Subdistinction occurs when 

not much remains of the sentence, yet for some reason it is necessary to introduce a 

separation; its point we put at the bottom of the letter. A middle distinction occurs where 


61 Irvine, Textual Culture, 212. 

62 Uc Faidit, Donatz Proensals of Uc Faidit. 

57

much of the sentence remains, as much as we just said now, when we have to take a 

breath; we put its point in the middle of the letter. In reading [aloud] the complete 

sentence is called a period, whose parts are colons and commas. 63 

The distinctions, thus, are both designated and distinguished by the location of the punctuation at 

the bottom, middle, or top of the letter and are given the Greek names of comma, colon, and 

period. Both designations occur in other works because Donatus’ discussion of pauses or 

punctuation forms the basis for more elaborate discussions by later writers. 

Isidore discusses commas, colons, and periods twice in Etymologiae, first in the book on 

Grammar (Book 1) and then in the book on Rhetoric (Book 2). In Book 1 he largely expands 

and clarifies many of Donatus’ statements. 

In Book 2 on Rhetoric, Isidore describes the relationships between commas, colons, and 

periods more explicitly and demonstrates how to identify and punctuate verbal units of different 

levels of completeness: 

On the colon, comma, and period. All discourse is composed and constructed 

from words, by comma, colon, and period. A comma is a small part of a sentence. A 

colon is a section of a sentence. A period is a rounded and well-balanced sentence. 

Moreover, a comma is made from a combination of words, a colon from a combination of 

commas, a period from a combination of colons. A comma is a conclusion of a 

connection, as “Although I fear, judges,” here is one comma; it is followed by another 

comma: “that the ugly thing would be too strongly said by someone.” and this makes a 

colon, that is a section, which exhibits a complete thought; yet still the discourse is left 

hanging, and so thereupon a period is made from many sections, this is the final clause of 

63 “De posituris. Tres sunt [omnino] positurae uel distinctiones quas 2XF,4H Graeci 

vocant, distinctio, subdistinctio, media distinctio. Distinctio est, ubi finitur plena sententia: huius 

punctum ad summam litteram ponimus. Subdistinctio est, ubi non multum superest de sententia, 

quod tamen necessario separatum mox inferendum sit; huius punctum ad imam litteram 

ponimus. Media distinctio est, ubi fere tantum de sententia superest, quantum iam diximus, cum 

tamen respirandum sit: huius punctum ad mediam litteram ponimus. In lectione tota sententia 

periodos dicitur, cuius partes sunt cola et commata.” Donatus, Ars maior 6; Holtz, 612. 

58

the sentence: “thus, they require the practice of the ancient judges.” Moreover, a period 

should not take more than one breath to complete. 64 

Here, he specifies the hierarchy that a comma is a combination of words, a colon a combination 

of commas, and a period a combination of colons. 

Molinier covers the same topics, like Isidore, in two different sections of the Leys 

d’amors, first in the book on Grammar and second in the book on Rhetoric. The discussion in 

the book on Rhetoric closely follows that of Isidore, supplying more examples and explaining 

them somewhat more completely. In the book on Grammar Molinier discusses pauses, which he 

connects to the later discussion in the book on Rhetoric through the points or punctuation. 

A pause is nothing other than a suspended point or a full point or a final point, and thus 

we have three types of pauses, that is a suspensive pause, a full pause, and a final pause. 

We cover the suspensive pause below where we cover the rims faysshuc, and there one 

can find many examples of different kinds of verses. 65 

He then summarizes the various types of pauses: 

And you should know that pauses are effected in two ways. The first has to do with the 

meaning of the sentence and is effected in this way. There can be a suspensive, full, or 

64 “De colo, commate, et periodis. Conponitur autem instruiturque omnis oratio verbis, 

comma e colo et periodo. Comma particula est sententiae. Colon membrum. Periodos ambitus 

vel circuitus. Fit autem ex coniunctione verborum comma, ex commate colon, ex colo periodos. 

Comma est iuncturae finitio, utputa (Cic. Mil. 1) “Etsi vereor, iudices,” ecce unum comma; 

sequitur et aliud comma: “ne turpe sit pro fortissimo viro dicere,” et factum est colon, id est 

membrum, quod intellectum sensui praestat; sed adhuc pendet oratio, sicque deinde ex pluribus 

membris fit periodos, id est extrema sententiae clausula: “ita veterem iudiciorum morem 

requirunt.” Periodos autem longior esse non debet quam ut uno spiritu proferatur.” Isidore, 

Etymologiae 2.18. The quotation is from the beginning of Cicero, Defense of Milo. 

65 “Pauza non es als si no ponhs suspensius. o plas. o finals. e segon aysso havem tres 

manieras de pauzas. sos assaber pauza suspensiva. pauza plena. pauza final. En autre loc es 

tractat enjos de las pauzas suspensivas. on es tractat de rim faysshuc. et aqui pot hom trobar 

diverses ysshemples per diverses bordos.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 130. Rims 

faysshuc is a line of verse in which at least three words rhyme with each other, but not the rhyme 

word itself. It is discussed in the book on Rhetoric, Gatien-Arnoult 1: 68. 

59

final pause anywhere in the verse. However, it is not beautiful to put quar, perque, can 

or other similar words at the end of the verse unless required by a truncated word; 

equivocal, accentual, utrissonan, or retrograde syllables; or some other necessity. 

However, we maintain that nouns in the nominative or accusative case can be at the end 

of one verse and the verbs at the beginning of the following verse or vice versa. 

However, at the end of the stanza, there must be a full or final pause. The other way that 

pauses are effected is when we pause to take a breath, and this we intend to cover 

principally. 66 

Thus, one can put any kind of pause into a verse; they all constitute places to breath; and the end 

of the stanza should have a final pause. He next defines each type of pause individually: 

The suspensive pause is the one that one puts in the middle of a verse in order to take a 

breath. A full pause is one that one puts at the end of a verse in order to take a fuller 

breath. The final pause is the one that one makes at the end of the stanza. 67 

The three pauses, then, correspond to the cesura within longer verses, the end of the verse, and 

the end of the stanza. Two of these places specifically requires a breath: a short breath at the 

cesura and a longer breath at the end of each line. Presumably, there should be a significant 

pause between stanzas. 

66 “E devetz saber que nos cossuram pauza. en doas manieras. la una cant a le sentensa. e 

segon aquesta maniera. en tot loc del bordo pot estar pauza suspensiva plana o finals. jaciaysso 

que no sia bel qui pauza. quar. perque. can. ni autras dictios lors semblans. en fi de verset. si 

necessitatz de mot trencat sillabicat equivoc o accentual o utrissonan o retrogradatios no fazia far 

o autra manifesta necessitat. Pero be sostenem quel nominatius o l’acusatius sera en la fi de 

verset. e.l verbs en lo comensamen de l’autre basto sequen. o pel contrari. Enpero en la fi de 

cobla deu esser tostemps pauza plana o finals. En autra maniera cossuram pauza en cant que la 

prendem per una alenada e d’aquesta entendem ayssi tractar principalmen.” Molinier, Leys 

d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 130. Utrissonan rhymes look the same on paper, but have different 

vowel qualities when pronounced; an example in English would be mint that rhymes with lint, 

but not pint. 

67 “Pauza suspensiva es aquela qu’om fay en lo mieg d’un bordo. per far alquna alenada. 

Pauza plana es aquela qu’om fay en la fi d’un bordo, per far plus pleniera alenada. Pauza finals 

es aquela qu’om fay a la fi de cobla.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 130. 

60

Molinier further indicates that verses with ten or more syllables always have a cesura, 

which is a short pause for breath within the line. In ten-syllable lines it should occur after the 

fourth syllable; 68 this corresponds to what modern scholars refer to as the minor cesura. In 

twelve-syllable lines the cesura should occur after the sixth syllable. 69 He also indicates that the 

pause should be preceded by an accented syllable: “Again in verses of nine, ten, and twelve 

syllables one must put an acute accent in that place in which the suspensive pause occurs.” 70 

Thus, he describes the normal, minor cesura that occurs between an accented fourth syllable and 

the fifth syllable in ten-syllable lines. 

Molinier then divides the full pause into two types. The first type occurs at the end of 

each verse, as noted above. The second type occurs when the sense could be complete, but the 

rest of the sentence fills out the complete meaning: 

And according to us the first way a full pause is effected is at the end of each verse or 

stanza, that is when we take a full breath, and for this we do not give an example because 

everyone knows what the end of a verse or stanza is. The other type of full pause is used 

to clarify the meaning, that is when one has made some statement that makes complete 

sense by itself, but decides to add more to it as can be seen here: 

Whether you have good, whether you have bad, 

with your own remain. 

68 “E devetz saber que en aytals bordos de x sillebas es la pauza en la quarta sillaba. e ges 

no deu hom transmudar lo compas del bordo.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 114- 

16. 

69 “E devetz saber que hom pot de quascu d’aquestz bordos de xij sillabas far dos bordos 

jaciaysso qu’es am duy represento i.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 122. 

70 “Item en bordos de. ix. sillabas. e de. x. e de. xii. deu hom tostemps pauzar accen agut. 

en aquels locz en lo quals cazon las pauzas suspensivas.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult, 1: 138. 

61

This sentence is complete enough, but one could add more, such as these words. 

and you will never fail. 71 

Thus, the full pause corresponds to what other medieval grammarians call a colon and what we 

call an independent clause. 

Final pauses are required at the end of each stanza, because the stanza should express a 

complete thought. They can also occur within the stanza, whenever a complete thought is 

expressed: 

The final pause is made at the end of each stanza where it is put in order to take a breath, 

since according to the sense such a pause can be for the full or final stanza. For the stanza 

must have complete sense and we consider it to be complete and perfect when the pause 

at the end is full or final. And in new rhymes the pause is final where the meaning is 

complete. 72 

Molinier finally refers the reader to the book on Rhetoric in which he discusses how these pauses 

affect the meaning. 73 

71 “E segon nos pauza plana pot esser en la fi de cascun bordo o de cobla en una maniera. 

so es en cant qu’es preza per plana alenada. e d’aysso no qual donar ysshemple quar cascus sap. 

qu’es fis de bordo o de cobla. En autra maniera pot hom entendre pauza plana cant a la sentensa. 

so es can hom ha pauzada alqun razo que assatz ha bon entendemen. e complit. jaciaysso qu’om 

hy pogues mays ajustar segon qu’om pot ayssi vezer. 

Haias mal. haias be. 

Am los tieus. te capte. 

Aquesta sentensa es assatz complida. jaciaysso qu’om hy puesca mays ajustas. sos assaber 

aquestas paraulas. 

E ja no.y falhiras.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 134. 

72 “Pauza finals es aquela qu’om fay en la fi de cascuna cobla. segon qu’es preza per 

alenada quar segon la sentensa pot esser aytals pauza de cobla plana o finals. quar cobla deu 

haver perfiecha sentensa e tenem la per complida e per perfiecha can la pauza de cobla es plana o 

finals. Et en novas rimadas es pauza finals on que la sentensa sia perfiecha.” Molinier, Leys 

d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 134. 

73 “Pero d’aquestas pauzas en quan que tocan sentensa entendem mays plenieramen a 

tractar en jos. can tractem de las flors de rethorica. quar aysso solamen entendem de pauzas de 

bordos cant a far alcunas alenasdas. jaciaysso que per conseguen haiam tocat d’aquelas. en cant 

que toco sentensa.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 136. 

62

In summary, one can divide the discourse into phrases at three different levels: phrases 

called commas whose meaning is incomplete yet require a short breath; phrases called colons 

whose meaning is complete, but not perfectly complete; and phrases called periods whose 

meaning is perfectly complete. The terms used refer to the phrases themselves, the pauses for 

breath between them, and the punctuation. The only reason mentioned by these authors for the 

need for a breath after an incomplete phrase is the cesura, but others probably arose in practice. 

Within a stanza, the verses typically consist of phrases whose meanings are either imperfectly or 

perfectly complete. The end of the stanza requires that the meaning be perfectly completed. 

Divisions in Folquet’s Songs. Divisions at all three levels of completeness can be identified in 

Folquet’s songs. Every stanza completes its meaning and so closes with a period. The verses 

that comprise the stanza, however, consist mostly of colons and sometimes of commas or 

periods. Different scholars divide the stanza into sections differently as indicated by the modern 

punctuation. In the manuscripts the ends of most verses are indicated with simple puncta, 

without differences in height. Some lines, discussed below, also exhibit puncta at the cesura. 74 

To distinguish the verbal units within the stanza requires an examination of the syntax. 

Most verses express a complete thought and may be considered colons or periods depending on 

the relationship to the rest of the stanza; the relationship is indicated with connectors that serve 

various functions. The connectors used most often, e, que, and ni, indicate a loose connection 

between phrases. Connectors such as mas, pero, and ans indicate a contrast between the new 

phrase and what has gone before; whereas com or aissi com introduce a comparison between 

74 Parkes indicates that this is the usual procedure for verse in thirteenth and fourteenth 

century manuscripts. Parkes, “Pause and Effect,” 130, note 14. 

63

similar things. Car, pois, and si usually initiate some kind of conditional statement beginning 

with “since” or “if.” Phrases that begin with words like per que and per so provide reasons. The 

effects of many of these connectors, indicated in bold in the Old Occitan and translation, can be 

seen in the first stanza of “Tan m’abellis”: 

Tant m’abellis l’amoros pessamenz. So much the amorous thought pleases me 

qi s’es venguz e mon fin cor assire. that has established itself in my true heart, 

per qe no.i pot nulz autre pes caber. that no other thought can fit there, 

ni mais neguns no m’er dolz ni plazens. 1.4 and nothing else will be sweet or pleasing to 

me. 

c’aduncs viu sans qan m’aucio.l consire. For thus I live healthy while the thoughts 

kill me, 

e fin’amor allevia mon martire. and true love lightens my martyrdom. 

qe.m promet ioi mas trop lo domna len. For it promises me joy, but gives it too 

slowly. 

c’ab bel semblan m’a trainat longamen. 1.8 For with a beautiful appearance it has made 

me languish for a long time. 75 

Most of these connectors are of the loose variety; lines 2, 5, 7, and 8 begin with some variety of 

que, a loose connector that indicates some kind of vague causal relationship. Lines 4 and 6 

begin with different words meaning “and”; ni in line 4 indicates a negative relationship and e in 

line 6 a positive relationship. Only line 3 begins with a stronger connector, per que, which 

indicates a stronger causal relationship; in this case the first line sets forth the reason–the 

amorous thoughts please me so much–for the situation described in line 4–that no other thoughts 

can fit into my head. The series of loose connectors produces a stanza largely made up of a 

series of colons. However, the first four lines form a unit separate from the last four lines 

because there is a change of focus from the amorous thoughts in the first four lines to the 


64

martyrdom through Love in the last four lines. As a result each half of the stanza consists of a 

period which in turn consists of a string of colons. 

In other songs the connectors are more varied, and some strong ones clearly divide the 

stanza into two or more periods. The second stanza of “Sitot me sui” can be divided into two 

sections based on subject matter alone: the first four lines describe how false Love attracts true 

lovers, the last four lines outline Folquet’s plan to avoid false Love’s flames. As a result there is 

a contrast between the path chosen by the foolish true lovers and Folquet’s intended path; a 

contrast emphasized by mas at the beginning of the fifth line. This divides the stanza into two 

periods of four lines each: 

Ab bel semblan qe fals amors aduz. With the beautiful appearance that false 

Love carries 

s’atrai vas si fis amanz e s’atura. it attracts towards itself the true lover, and 

he remains 


qe.s met el fuoc per la clartaz qe luz. 2.4 that it throws itself into the fire because of 

the light that shines. 

mas eu m’en part e segrai altra via. But I will depart and follow another path. 

sui mal pagatz q’esters non m’en partia. I am badly paid, otherwise I would not 

leave, 

e segrai l’aib de tot bon servidor. and I will follow the way of every good 

servant, 

con plus s’irais e plus fort s’umelia. 2.8 for the more he is afflicted, the more 

strongly he is humbled. 76 

These periods can be subdivided into commas and colons. The first period can be 

subdivided into two parts. The first two lines constitute the first part and declare that false Love 

attracts true lovers; this attraction is compared to the behavior of moths towards a light source in 

the second two lines. The similarity in behavior between the true lovers and the foolish moths is 


65

emphasized through con at the beginning of line 2.3. The first line does not express a complete 

thought and is completed only by the second line; each constitutes a comma that together 

combine to form a colon. Similarly the next two lines each constitute commas that, combined, 

form a colon. 

The second period likewise falls into two parts, but the organization is more complicated. 

Lines 2.5 and 2.6 each express a complete thought and may be considered colons; however, there 

is a partial chiasmus between them in that line 2.5 begins with “but I will depart” and line 2.6 

ends with “otherwise I would not leave”; the intervening words provide the reason. The final 

two lines also form a unit in which Folquet compares himself to other good servants and 

describes their behavior. The beginning of line 2.7, however, connects to the end of line 2.5; at 

the end of line 2.5 he declares that he will follow another path and at the beginning of line 2.7 

specifies that path as the one that all good servants take. As a result, although each of the four 

verses expresses a complete thought (colon) they interlock so that each is incomplete without the 

others. 

The theory proposed by the Leys d’amors is ambiguous on the possibility of enjambment, 

which causes the meaning of one verse to be completed in the next. As I discussed above, on the 

one hand, Molinier claims that a full or final pause, indicating a complete thought, is required at 

the end of each verse; but, on the other hand, he indicates that sometimes verses end on the 

subject of the clause, with the verb in the next line, making the first line incomplete. 

Enjambment, then, produces verses that consist of commas rather than colons. The degree of 

incompleteness of the first line varies. Sometimes the object of the verb in one line appears in 

the next as in lines 3.1 and 3.2 of “Sitot me sui”: 

66

Pero amors me sui eu recrezuz. But, Love, I have refrained 

de vos servir e mais non aurai cura. from serving you and no longer care. 

Frequently in such cases, as in this one, the verb requires an object so the phrase does continue 

into the next line, but there could be a small break after the verb, such as would occur at a cesura 

in the middle of the line. 

Often the subject of the verb is placed in a subsequent line for a particular effect. 

Because Old Occitan does not require an expressed subject, the line with the verb could express 

a complete thought but with a generic subject. The delay of the actual subject to a later line 

creates suspense as can be seen in the first two lines of “Ben an mort”: 

Ben an mort mi e lor Indeed [they] have killed me and themselves, 

mei oil galiador. my treacherous eyes. 

Thus, Folquet initiates the song with a theme common to many of his songs: something has 

killed him. In many songs it is Love that is trying to kill him or cause him harm, so the listeners 

may have expected a subject related to Love; but here he surprises them with the proclamation 

that it is his own eyes. The deferral of the expressed subject to the second line allows for such 

speculation and surprise. 

In other songs the subject appears in one line and the verb in the next. This leaves the 

listeners wondering, for a moment, exactly what the subject is planning to do. In lines 4.1 and 

4.2 of “Amors, merce!,” for example, a brief pause at the end of the line, comparable to a cesura, 

would cause the listeners to wait for the expected action of the lady’s proud heart. 

Non cuigera vostre cors orgoillos. I did not expect your proud heart 

volgues e.l meu tant lonc desire assire. would want to put such strong desire in 

mine. 

67

This type of enjambment is truly necessary because the clause beginning with “your proud 

heart” is not complete without the verb in the next line. 

Other commas can be securely identified in the ten-syllable and twelve-syllable lines at 

the cesura. The cesura in the ten-syllable lines most often appears after an accented fourth 

syllable in the ten-syllable lines as, for example, in line 1.2 of “Per dieu! Amors”: 

quon plus deisen | plus puoia’humilitaz. For the more humility descends, the more it 

rises. 

Although this, the normal, minor cesura, is by far the most common in the ten-syllable 

lines, the cesura is occasionally placed after an accented fifth or sixth syllable for variety. In the 

fifth stanza of “Amors, merce!” as transmitted in manuscript R, the scribe has indicated cesuras 

in some lines with puncta. The stanza consists entirely of ten-syllable lines, and most exhibit the 

cesura after the fourth syllable, as punctuated in line 5.5. 

A vos volgra mostrar los mals q’ieu sen. To you I want to show the pain that I 

feel 

et ad autra selar et escondire. and to hide and conceal it from 

others. 

tan no.us puesc dire mon cor seladimen. So much I cannot tell you about my 

hidden heart. 

car s’ieu non puesc cobrir. qi m’er cobreire. 5.4 For if I cannot hide myself, who will 

hide me? 

o qi m’er fis. se neis qe.m son trayre. and who will be faithful to me if I 

betray myself? 

car qi no sap selar. non es razos. For he who does not know how to 

hide himself, it is not reasonable 

qe.l selon sel a cuy non es nulh pros. 5.7 that they, for whom there is no 

profit, hide him. 77 

The puncta in lines 5.4 and 5.6, however, lie between the sixth and seventh syllables; cesuras 

between the sixth and seventh syllables are called major. Many, like those in the fifth stanza of 

77 Manuscript R. Line 5.3 is hypermetric; dire on the fourth syllable should be dir. 

68

“Amors, merce!” above, are identified subjectively at a point in the line that separates one sense 

unit from another. The location of the cesura in line 5.4, for example, is ambiguous without the 

point after the sixth syllable. The fourth syllable sounds a complete word, puesc, that could be 

accented; the meaning of the verse, however, continues to the end of the sixth syllable because 

puesc requires a complementary infinitive, “able to hide,” to complete the meaning of the first 

sense unit. 

Two verses have required major cesuras because a word begins on the fourth syllable and 

ends on the sixth 78 as in line 2.5 of “Ay! tan gen vens.” 79 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

mais aisi.m reten- gaz | co.l fol rete. 80 

Most songs also contain at least one lyric cesura, in which the syllable before the cesura 

is unaccented, as in line 5.3 of “Per Dieu! Amors.” I have underlined the accented syllable and 

indicated the cesura with a |. 

e cel paubres | q’en trop ricor enten. And he [is] poor, who thinks too much about riches. 

In this line the qe on the fifth syllable begins the second sense unit. 

Many songs also contain at least one Italian cesura, in which the syllable before the 

cesura is accented, but the word is not complete as in line 1.8 of “Ja no.s cug hom.” 

per so qe.m po- | sca plus sovent aucir. so that it [Love] can kill me more often. 

78 Squillacioti in his edition considered the cesuras in most ten-syllable lines to be minor; 

he only considered ones in which a single word occurs across the fourth, fifth, and sixth syllables 

to be major. 

79 The other is line 5.2 of “S’al cor plagues.” 

80 “But you retain me like the fool retains,” manuscript G. 

69

Here the cesura occurs between the fourth and fifth syllables because posca is separated from its 

complementary infinitive, aucir, by the adverbial phrase plus sovent, “more often.” 

In some lines there is the possibility of two cesuras, one Italian, after the fourth syllable, 

and the other major, as in line T.3 of “En chantan.” 

ni si.m dobla- | va.l mal | d’aital faizon. and so the pain doubles for me in the same 

way 

These exceptional cesuras emphasize the words near them; the results of these emphases will be 

discussed in Chapter 5. 

Folquet uses twelve-syllable lines only in the cobla “Vermillon”; here the cesura occurs 

consistently after the sixth syllable, indicated by a |: 

Vermillon clam vos faç | d’un’avol pega pemcha 

qe m’a una chançon | degolad’et estencha 

qe di qe fi de lei, | e s’es vanad’e feimcha 

q’eu l’appellei Aut-Ram | don il s’es aut empencha: 

il men, q’eu non plei ram | qi tan leu graing ni.s trencha 

ni voil branca tochar | de qe leu ma man tencha. 81 

Thus, commas can be identified easily in lines of ten or more syllables based on the 

location of the cesura. The location of the cesura when present varies considerably in lines 

shorter than 10-syllables, so commas are more difficult to recognize in these lines. 

The verses of Folquet’s songs can be divided into commas, colons, and periods. Stanzas 

and verses most often express complete thoughts. The stanza typically encompasses one or more 

periods. Verses within the stanza consist most often of colons, sometimes of commas created by 

81 “Vermillon, I complain to you about a vile, wicked whore / who has destroyed me and 

extinguished my song / who says that I wrote it about her, and she brags about it and claims / 

that I call her “High-branch” so that she is elevated: / she lies, for I wouldn’t bend the branch 

that so easily fractures and breaks / and don’t want to touch the branch which would tint my 

hand so easily.” Text from Stronski, Folquet de Marseille, 72. 

70

enjambment. Commas also occur where the cesura divides a line into two parts. I have 

indicated the divisions of the stanzas in Folquet’s songs by the punctuation in the translations; I 

maintain the manuscript punctuation in the Old Occitan. 

Ennarratio 

Although the identification of rhetorical devices in existing works forms part of 

ennarratio in the medieval grammatical model of reading, the devices themselves are covered 

more completely in manuals on how to compose some kind of discourse to be presented orally, 

such as legal arguments or poetry. Classical works such as the Rhetorica ad herennium form the 

basis for medieval works by such writers as John of Garland, 82 who was personally acquainted 

with Folquet. Such writings describe and demonstrate relatively straightforwardly the basic 

rhetorical devices to be used to produce poetry. The various rhetorical devices are not simply 

described and illustrated in the Leys d’amors, but are presented in the form of an allegorical war 

between three kings representing the vices of diction–Barbarism, Solecism, and Allebole 83 –and 

three queens representing the virtues of diction–Diction, Oratory, and Wisdom. The purpose 

behind this complex presentation is to demonstrate how vices in ordinary speech become virtues 

in poetic discourse. Molinier draws the figures from several sources including Donatus’ Ars 

82 John was a prolific author; his works include nine long poems, eight works on writing, 

nine word books, and numerous miscellaneous works. The work consulted here, the Parisiana 

Poetria, was written sometime between 1218 and 1249; Lawler suggests that it may have been 

first written around 1220 and revised between 1231 and 1235. Parisiana Poetria, xii-xv. 

83 Allebole is not attested elsewhere. Marshall, “Treatment of Rhetoric,” 39, suggests that 

Molinier invented it to complete the allegory–he needed three vices to balance (and marry) the 

three virtues. 

71

grammatica, Isidore of Seville’s Etymologiae, the Rhetorica ad herennium and his own 

imagination. The full allegory is found only in Gatien-Arnoult’s edition. 

Proverbs 

Many scholars have noted Folquet’s intense use of ornamental language in his poems. 

The first scholar, Dante, includes “Tan m’abellis” among the songs that exhibit excellence in 

diction. Most twentieth (and now twenty-first) century scholars cite Stronski’s assessment: 

“Folquet’s poetic style is full of artifice. It is the most prominent trait and it becomes 

accentuated over time. Aphorisms and sentences appear at almost every instant in his poetry; 

some songs (especially “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Per Dieu! Amors”) are filled from one end to 

the other.” 84 He goes on to describe the use of personification (apostrophe) and antithesis as 

well. The device that has gripped modern scholars is not the use of apostrophe or antithesis, but 

the proverbs. Here, I too focus on the proverbs, because, as discussed in Chapter 5, the musical 

settings often enhance the proverbs in some way. By most accounts Folquet was a prolific user 

of proverbs in almost every song; through this his poetry reflects a medieval obsession with the 

proverbial. 

Although today the use of proverbial material in poetry is sometimes considered a sign of 

a lack of imagination on the part of the poet, in the Middle Ages proverbs were ubiquitous and 

strongly recommended by classical and medieval writers on rhetoric. Many such writers discuss 

proverbs and other similar devices at a much greater length than they do other types of 

84 “Le style poétique de Folquet est très artificiel. C’est le trait saillant et qui va 

s’accentuant avec le temps. L’aphorisme et la sentence apparaissent à chaque instant dans ses 

poésies; certaines pièces (p. ex. XI and XII) en sont remplies d’un bout à l’autre.” Stronski, 

Folquet de Marseille, 75*. 

72

ornamental language. Many manuals on preaching recommend proverbs as a pedagogical aid. 85 

The author of the Rhetorica ad herennium, however, cautions: 

It is appropriate for proverbs to be interposed rarely, so that we seem to be advocates for 

something rather than preachers of morals. When they are interposed in this way, they 

convey much stylishness. And it is necessary the silent listener should approve it in his 

mind when he sees adapted to a cause a irrefutable something taken from life and 

morals. 86 

Schoolboys learned their Latin from the book of Proverbs in the Bible and from collections of 

aphoristic sentences drawn from classical authors, the most important of which were the 

sentences of Publilius Syrus and the Disticha Catonis. 87 In this way the boys learned not only 

their Latin, but also the moral teachings of the proverbs and sentences. 

Although the proverbial might seem easy to define, modern scholars have grappled with 

limited success to formulate a definition that encompasses all aspects of the proverbial. Claude 

Buridant suggests that the proverbial is an autonomous saying “with a formulaic structure, 

characterized by certain prosodic and semantic traits, forming a rupture in continuous 

discourse.” 88 Susanne Schmarje subdivides the proverbial into several categories, including 

grammatically complete proverbs, popular sayings, proverbs bound in space or time, proverbs 

85 Buridant, “Les Proverbes et la prédication,” 23-54. 

86 “Sententias interponi raro convenit, ut rei actores, non vivendi praeceptores videamur 

esse. Cum ita interponentur, multum adferent ornamenti. Et necesse est animi conprobet eam 

tacitus auditor cum ad causum videat adcommodari rem certam ex vita et moribus sumptam.” 

Rhetorica ad herennium, 4.17; Caplan, 290-92. 

87 Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 25-26. 

88 “. . .de structure formulaire, caracterisée par des traits prosodique et semantiques, en 

rupture du discours continu.” Buridant, “Avant-propos,” x. 

73

converted into narrative situations, and proverbial phrases. 89 Pfeffer concludes her survey of 

ideas on the proverbial with an admission of failure to define the proverbial adequately. 90 

Medieval and classical scholars experience no such problems in defining the proverb, 

using the words sententia, proverbium, or paroemia to designate various aspects of the 

proverbial. 91 The author of the Rhetorica ad herennium emphasizes the brevity and truth of the 

proverb: “Sententia is a saying drawn from life which shows concisely either what is or ought to 

be true in life.” 92 John of Garland calls it “a signifying figure which is useful in life,” 93 Isidore, 

“an impersonal statement.” 94 

Sententia and proverbium are used by different writers to designate the same thing: a 

general statement with a moral or didactic purpose. Paroemia, however, refers to a somewhat 

different rhetorical device. Molinier provides a bridge between sententia and paroemia: “Lady 

Rhetoric gave to Paroemia a flower of a color called Sentensa, which is produced in the same 

89Schmarje, Das sprichwörtliche Material. Summarized in Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval 

Occitan Literature, 2-4. 

90 Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 11. 

91 Proverbium and paroemia usually mean something like “proverb” or “aphorism” in 

English, but sententia also appears in rhetorical treatises to mean “thought” as in “figures of 

thought” and even simply “sentence.” 

92 “Sententia est oratio sumpta de vita quae aut quid sit aut quid esse oporteat in vita 

breviter ostendit.” Rhetorica ad herennium 4.17; Caplan, 288. 

93 “Sentencia est oratio significatiua quid sit in uita utile.” John of Garland, Parisiana 

Poetria 6.108; Lawler, 80-81. This is the definition among the figures of words and sentences. 

94 “Sententia est dictum inpersonale, ut (Ter. Andr. 68): 

Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit.” 

Isidore, Etymologiae 2.11. This definition appears twice, first as a separate chapter, 2.11, then as 

a figure of words and sentences, 2.21.14. He contrasts sententia which is impersonal with chria 

which is personal. 

74

way as paroemia.” 95 This follows the discussion on paroemia which is defined as: “the fifth 

daughter of Allegory, and this word means a Proverb appropriate to and attributed to a time or a 

deed.” 96 The definition is drawn directly from Isidore who puts paroemia among the tropes of 

grammar: “Paroemia is a proverb suitable to things and times.” 97 He provides two examples, 

one proverb suitable to things–“heel against the goad” 98 –and one suitable to times–“the wolf in 

the story.” 99 Both these phrases strike me as proverbial phrases rather than complete proverbs. 

95 “Rethorica donec a Paroemia una flor d’una color apelada Sentensa. la quals si fay per 

aquela meteyssha maniera.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult 3: 280 

96 “De Paroemia. Paroemia es la quinta filha de Allegoria. e vol dir Paroemia Proverbis 

apropriatz e atribuitz a temps o a cauza.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult 3: 270 

1.37.28. 

97 “Paroemia est rebus et temporibus adcommodatum proverbium.” Isidore, Etymologiae 

98 “Contra stimulum calces.” Isidore, Etymologiae 1.37.28. The Leys d’amors partially 

expands this: 

Too great is the opportunity for difficulty 

for he who kicks against the goad. 

(Trop es de greu occazio. 

Qi penna contra l’agulho) 

This phrase, possibly opaque to the modern secular scholar, would have been familiar to any 

medieval Christian since it is one of the phrases spoken to Saul on the road to Damascus. In our 

proverbial terms, Jesus asks Saul why he is going against the grain, swimming upstream. 

Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult 3: 270-72. 

99 “Lupus in fabula.” Isidore, Etymologiae 1.37.28. The Leys d’amors describes it as an 

expression used when people have been discussing another, absent person. When that person 

suddenly arrives, the people discussing him or her become silent. We would say “speak of the 

devil.” Molinier, Leys d’amors, Gatien-Arnoult, 3: 270. 

75

topic. 

Numerous scholars have identified proverbial material in Folquet’s songs. Eugen 

Cnyrim lists over a thousand proverbs found in the troubadour repertory, twenty-five of them in 

Folquet’s works. 100 Pfeffer added five to Folquet's total. 101 

Other scholars who examine Folquet’s works alone have identified other possible 

proverbs. Zingarelli lists numerous references to classical authors in his biography of Folquet. 102 

Stronski enlarges upon Zingarelli’s list of classical quotations and supplements them with 

quotations by or from other troubadours. Stronski, observing that though Folquet quoted or 

paraphrased Publilius Syrus, Ovid, and Seneca most frequently, suggests that he might have 

obtained the quotations of Ovid and Seneca from collections of excerpts rather than from the 

complete works themselves. 103 The process of collecting classical excerpts puts these quotations 

into the realm of the proverbial. 

Other scholars find evidence of Folquet’s erudition in his use of proverbial materials. 

Scheludko demonstrates that Folquet quotes a wide range of Ovidian works, too wide to have 

been gathered from excerpt collections; he surmises that Folquet was quite learned. 104 This 

100 Cnyrim, Sprichwörter, numbers the proverbs sequentially and lists them according to 

101 Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, adheres to Cnyrim’s numbering 

system with her supplements indicated as decimal points. 

102 Zingarelli, Folchetto di Marsiglia, 24-50. 

103 Stronski, Folquet de Marseille, 77*-85*. The only surviving “work” of Publilius Syrus 

is a collection of sentences collected from his works that do not otherwise survive. 

104 Scheludko, “Ovid und die Trobadors,” 167-70. 

76

conclusion is echoed by both Jensen 105 and Pfeffer. Pfeffer, in particular, examines and 

discusses the proverbial materials woven into “Ben an mort” and “Si cum sel” in detail. 106 

I first identified proverbs in Folquet’s songs using the classical and medieval definition 

of a general statement with a moral or didactic function. I found that, as Buridant suggests, the 

general statement often creates a rupture in the predominantly first-person lyric discourse. 107 In 

addition, Pfeffer notes that annotators have pointed out proverbs in some medieval 

manuscripts. 108 In manuscript N many phrases are bracketed; the bracketed lines contain 

proverbs, many illustrated in the margins as well. 109 

Using these tools I found at least one proverb in every song except “Tan m’abellis.” 110 

Three songs begin with proverbs–“Ay! tan gen vens,” “Greu fera,” and “Per Dieu! Amors.” “Per 

Dieu! Amors” in particular is so filled with proverbs that almost the entire poem is bracketed in 

manuscript N. 

Proverbs are indicated in the text in various ways. Some simply appear as a general 

statement within the lyric, as in “Ay! tan gen vens: “All that which is useful can also cause 

105 Jensen, “Folquet de Marselha and the Classical Tradition,” 54-65. 

106Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 44-52. This section is a reworking 

of her article, “‘Ben conosc e sai.’” 

107Quintillian likewise suggests that too many proverbs disrupt the continuity of the 

speech. Instituto Oratoria 8. 5.25-30. 

108 Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 21. 

109 The marginal illustrations are discussed in detail by Sylvia Huot, “Visualization and 

Memory,” and Angelica Rieger, “‘Ins e.l cor port, dona, vostra faisso,’” 385-415. 

110Rossi identifies several proverbial quotations of Ovid in this song. “Ovidian 

Exemplarity,” 53-55. 

77

harm.” 111 Most, however, have some kind of introductory term to indicate the logical 

relationship between the proverb and Folquet’s situation. Terms such as car and que indicate a 

degree of similarity between the proverb and the situation to which it is attached, as at the end of 

the second stanza of “Per dieu amors”: “For he has behaved immoderately towards many who 

has done so towards one.” 112 This summarizes a stanza in which Love’s guilt is established in its 

treatment of Folquet. The conclusion to be drawn is that Love, who has treated Folquet badly, 

treats many others equally badly. Terms such as pero and mas point to a contrast between the 

proverb and the situation. In the third stanza of “Mout i fez” Folquet discusses how he is afraid 

to tell his Lady how he feels, “but hope makes the flowers bear fruit,” 113 so he hopes that his 

Lady will notice him. 

A few proverbs are strongly introduced with short phrases indicating how widespread the 

idea is. 114 In “Tan mou,” for example, one encounters: “I have always heard it said that a lie 

cannot hide itself, for it always reveals itself sometime.” 115 Here the phrase, “I have always 

111 “Tot so que val pot noser autresi.” v3.1, manuscript G. Stronski identifies this as a 

reworking of Ovid, Tristia. 2.266: “Nil prodest quod non laedere possit idem.” It is also 

bracketed in manuscript N. It is not listed in Cnyrim or Pfeffer. 

112 “c’a mans met sel qi vas us desmezura.” v2.8, manuscript R. Cnyrim 756. Stronski 

identifies this as a reworking of Publilius Syrus 351, “Multis minatur qui uni facit iniuriam,” and 

Ovid, Pont. 3.2.9 “Cum feriant unum, unum non fulmine terrent Junctaque percusso turba pavere 

solet.” It is bracketed in manuscript N. 

113 “pero esperan fan las flors tornar frug.” vv3.8-3.9, manuscript R. Cnyrim 440. Stronski 

identifies this as a reworking of Ovid, Remedia 83, “Nam mora dat vires, teneras mora percoquit 

uvas Et validas segetes, quod fuit herba, facet.” It is illustrated in manuscript N. 

114This may also be observed in Latin proverbs. Guiraud, “Structure linguistique des 

proverbes latins,” 76. 

115 “q’eu o ai sempres auzit dir / que mezonza no.s pot cobrir / qe no mostra qalqe sazon. 

vv3.2-3.4. manuscript G. Cnyrim 653. Stronski identifies several sources: Seneca, Ep. 102.14, 

78

heard it said,” tells the listener that a proverb is about to appear. The proverb, “a lie cannot hide 

itself,” expresses a concept put forth by several authors including Seneca, Tacitus, and Solomon 

in his Proverbs; thus, it is a famous saying. Similarly, a proverb about the problems of Love’s 

service appears in the fourth stanza of “Ben an mort”: “For they who know say that service 

causes pain to many people.” 116 Folquet himself is one of those “who know” since he uses this 

proverb in two additional songs, “Amors, merce!” and “Tan mou.” 117 

Another type of proverb appears as a comparison between an image that exemplifies 

some behavior or situation and Folquet’s situation. Although many of Folquet’s songs use such 

proverbial images, none achieves the density of “Sitot me sui.” The first three stanzas each 

contain at least one such image; the last two stanzas use ordinary proverbs instead. 

In the first stanza Folquet likens his behavior to that of a gambling addict: 

Si tot me sui a trat apercenbuz. Although I am rarely cautious 

aissi con cel q’a tot perdut e jura. just like him who has lost all and swears 

qe mais no jog a gran bona ventura. that he gambles no more, to my great good 

fortune 

m’o dei tener car m’en sui coneguz. I must consider it, since I [finally] recognize 

del gran enian c’amors vas me fazia. 1.5 the great trick Love has played on me– 

Folquet resembles the gambler because he does not realize the deceit that goes on in the game. 

The gambler has to lose everything before he does not play anymore; he continues up to the 

“Numquam falsis constantia est”; Seneca, Ep. 79.16, “Quae decipiunt nihil habent solidi”; and 

Tacitus, An. 2, 82 “Falsa tempore ac spatio vanescunt.” It is bracketed in manuscript N. I 

identified a further source in Proverbs 19.5, “Testis falsus non erit impunitus, e qui mendacia 

loquitur non effugiet.” This strikes me as the closest. 

116 “qe cil qe sabon van dizen qe mal servir fai manta gen.” vv4.7-4.8, manuscript G. 

Cnyrim, 258a (Pfeffer supplement). 

117 Also noted by Pfeffer, Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature, 48. 

79

point where he is no longer allowed to play. The implication is that Folquet has lost everything 

to the game of Love and has finally noticed its harm. 

5.4. 

The stanza also ends with a related image in the comparison between the behavior of 

Love and that of a bad debtor: 

c’ab bel senblan m’a tengut en fazia. for with a beautiful appearance she has held 

me in refusal 

plus de dez anz a lei de mal deutor. more than ten years to her, like a bad debtor, 

c’ades promet e re no pagaria. 1.8 who always promises, but never pays. 

The bad debtor puts on the beautiful appearance when he promises, but the appearance is only on 

the surface, since he never pays. Thus, Love has promised Folquet something unspecified but 

has never provided it. The image may be a realization of “It is much better not to pledge than to 

pledge and not pay,” a proverb from the book of Ecclesiastes. 118 

Some proverbs cannot be identified as proverbial using the above methods, because they 

are not general statements or comparisons, but instead are widely-used phrases or proverbial 

phrases like “speak of the devil.” These can be securely identified only by contemporary native 

speakers and insecurely identified by examining other works. Some of the phrases Cnyrim and 

Pfeffer identify as proverbs fall into this category, as does Stronski’s list of quotations of other 

troubadours. 

These proverbial phrases are often proverbs or general statements converted to specific 

statements within the song. One such converted proverb, cited by Cnyrim as proverb 463, 

occurs in the final stanza of “Ay! tan gen vens” in which Folquet defends Richard’s strategy 

118 “Multumque melius est non vovere, quam post votum promissa non reddere.” Eccles. 

80

during the third crusade: “For he held back in order to better leap forward.” 119 The statement by 

itself is specific: it describes Folquet’s interpretation of Richard’s strategy; yet the phrase itself, 

“to hold back in order to better leap forward,” is proverbial. 120 One source can be found in the 

Disticha Catonis: “From him whom you know not to be your equal, for the time being retreat: 

we often see the winner overcome by the vanquished.” 121 There are undoubtedly many more 

such proverbial phrases in Folquet’s songs that have not been identified by modern scholars. 

Buridant and other modern scholars indicate that proverbs possess particular verbal 

structures. Guiraud, for example, observes that a proverb is often bound together by repetition, 

either of sounds in alliteration or assonance or whole words. 122 Among Folquet’s proverbs, “Sai 

a la dolor de la den / vir la lengua” 123 from “Ben an mort” exhibits repetition of sounds–the ds of 

dolor and den, the en of den and lengua. 

More often in Folquet’s work, however, one encounters proverbs in the form of 

antitheses, recommended by classical writers. 124 A simple example is from “Greu fera”: “As 

119 “q’areires trais per meill saillir enan.” v4.5, manuscript G. 

120 in French, “reculer pour mieux sauter,” noted by Duff and Duff, Disticha Catonis, 

607n. Listed as R15 in James Hassell, Jr., Middle French Proverbs, 214. He finds this proverb 

in works from 1340 to 1504. 

121 “Cui scieris non esse parem, pro tempore cede: victorem a victo superari saepe 

videmus.” Cato, Disticha Catonis 2.10; Duff and Duff, 606. 

122 Guiraud, “Structure linguistique des proverbes latins,” 78-81. 

123 “There to the pain of my tooth / I turn my tongue. vvT1.1-2. manuscript R. 

124Quintillian, for example, says that antitheses make good proverbs: “Melior, cum ex 

contrariis valet.” Instituto Oratoria 8:18. 

81

they say, ‘What begins badly ends well.’” 125 This short phrase exhibits double antitheses: 

between beginning and ending and between well and badly. Other examples of antithetical 

proverbs are discussed below. 

The author of the Rhetorica ad herennium classifies proverbs by structure into those that 

express a single thought, those that express two related thoughts, and those that provide reasons 

for the thought. 126 Examples of each structure may be found in Folquet’s songs. 

Most proverbs express a single thought. The first stanza of “Greu fera” exhibits different 

ways in which such proverbs can be effected. I have underlined the proverbs. 







car contra amor no m’epren since I don’t go against Love. 



The stanza opens with a proverb consisting of a single thought, but expressed through several 

clauses encompassing the first four lines, paraphrased: “You should listen to your own good 

sense rather than the censure of other people.” 127 This general statement contrasts with Folquet’s 

own actions described in lines 5 to 7: he is making a mistake by listening to other people who 

125 “En aiso cum vai dizen / Ben fenis qui mal comensa.” vv3.3-3.4, manuscript R. 

Cnyrim 425. Stronksi identifies this as a reworking of Publilius Syrus 600, “Quidquid futurum 

est summum ab imo nascitur.” Duff and Duff, 94. 

126 Rhetorica ad herennium, 4: 17; Caplan, 290. 

127 This proverb is not listed in Cnyrim, but Stronski identifies it as a reworking of Ovid, 

Fasti, 4, 311, “Conscia mens recti famae mendacia ridet”; and Seneca, Phaedrus, 274, 

“Contemne famam.” It is also bracketed in manuscript N. 

82

apparently counsel him to stay with Love. The proverb is further connected with Folquet’s 

action with the derived rhyme described above: descosciensa in the proverb in line 4 has the 

same root as desconoisen in line 6. 

Folquet defends his action, going against Love, with a proverb that expresses a single 

thought in the last two lines of the song, paraphrased: “Too much abstinence/fidelity is as bad as 

too much fickleness.” 128 The stanza begins “with difficulty” and ends “without restraint” 

forming an antithesis from one end to the other, and the proverbs in this stanza reinforce each 

other: the first teaches the correct course of action, the second provides a reason for this course 

of action. 

Other proverbs provide a reason for their veracity within the proverb itself. Folquet 

concludes the fifth stanza of “Sitot me sui” with a proverb about wisdom and honor, “But with 

wisdom one should protect honor,” 129 with the reason for this assertion provided in the next line: 

“for wisdom shamed is worth much less than foolishness.” 130 Although neither has been 

identified by other scholars as a proverb, the assertion in the first that “one should” indicates that 

this general statement is moralistic in function. The reason is in the form of an antithesis 

between wisdom and foolishness. 

This proverb concludes a stanza in which Folquet describes the rules for conquest in the 

form of a proverb: 

128 This general statement is bracketed in manuscript N. 

129 “Pero en sen deu om gardar honor.” v5.7, manuscript G. 

130 “qar sen aunit prez trop mens qe folia.” v5.8, manuscript G. Lines 5.7 and 5.8 are 

bracketed in manuscript N. 

83

qar cel qui plus fort de si desmesura. For he who behaves immoderately with one 

stronger than him 

fai gran foldat neis en gran aventura. commits a great folly, even in great danger 

es de som par q’esser en pot vencuz. he is from his equal, for he can be 

vanquished, 

e de plus freul de si es vilania. 5.5 and with one weaker than him, it is 

villainous. 131 

Combined with the final proverb in the stanza, it shows how abusing other people is 

improper for anyone, because if he moves against someone his equal or stronger, he can be 

overcome; whereas beating someone weaker is a shameful act in itself. Thus, although it might 

seem wise or reasonable to attack a weaker person, it is shameful, and wisdom shamed is worse 

than the folly of attacking someone more powerful. The proverbs in the stanza, thus, reinforce 

each other. They collectively serve to justify Folquet’s statement at the beginning of the stanza, 

“I would be felonious, but I will refrain from it”; 132 a resolution not to abuse Love, even though 

Love has abused him. The implication is that Love, the more powerful, has abused the weaker, 

Folquet. Thus, through the proverbs, Folquet takes the moral high road. 

Although these single proverbs with reasons may sound like double proverbs, Folquet 

uses true double proverbs in only two instances, both in his most proverbial song, “Per Dieu! 

Amors.” The first occurs at the beginning of the song and is addressed to Love: 

131 Line 5.5 and the first part of line 5.6 have been identified as a proverb 914 by Cnyrim. 

Stronski also identifies it as a quotation of “Cum aequo contendere anceps est, cum superiore 

furiosum, cum inferiore sordidum.” Seneca, Moral Essays 1.2.34. This quotation was identified 

by Stronski, who notes that it is quoted by Sordello in his Ensenhamen. It is also bracketed in 

manuscript N. 

132 “Fels fora eu top mas soi m’en retenguz.” v5.1, manuscript G. 

84

Per dieu amors be sabetz veramen For God’ sake, Love, you know perfectly 

well 

con pus dissen mais pueie humilitat. the more Humility descends, the higher it 

climbs, 

et erguelh cai on pus aut es pujatz. 1.3 and Pride falls when it has climbed 

higher. 133 

This is easily identified as proverbial since it is introduced with “you know that” with the 

veracity emphasized by the rhymeword, “veramen,” which I translated as “perfectly well” to 

introduce a scolding tone, but it more literally means, “truly.” The next two lines are each 

proverbial and form nested antitheses together. Both proverbs are Biblical in origin, both 

traceable to the book of Proverbs; this may be suggested by sabez, “you know,” because the 

biblical book of Proverbs is considered part of the wisdom of Solomon. The first, on humility, 

may be a reworking of Proverbs 29.23: “Humility follows arrogance, and pride supports the 

humble in spirit.” 134 Like Folquet’s version, the Latin presents double antitheses in which pride 

is contrasted with humility, lowness with height, and a positive form of pride, “gloria” with the 

negative form, “superbum,” in a chiastic arrangement. Similarly, the second proverb, on the 

negative form of pride, forms a reworking of Proverbs 16.18: “Pride precedes contrition and 

before destruction the spirit is raised high.” 135 Here the expression in Latin is in a parallel 

arrangement which opposes the ideas expressed in that the contrition precedes the pride in the 

Latin: “Contritionem praecedit superbia” and “ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus,” instead of the 

other way around. 

133 Manuscript R. The first proverb (line 2) is listed by Cnyrim 708. 

134 “Superbum sequitur humilitas, et humilem spiritu suscipiet gloria.” Prov. 29.23. 

135 “Contritionem praecedit superbia, et ante ruinam exaltatur spiritus.” Prov. 16.18. 

85

26.12. 

The other double proverb is found in the fourth stanza: 

car cel es fols qe cuja esser senatz. For he is foolish who intends to be wise, 

e sap hom mais ades on pus apren. 4.4 and a man knows more always when he 

learns more. 136 

Both elements are also drawn from Proverbs. The first line can be traced to two proverbs in 

chapter 26. The first: “Respond to the fool according to his foolishness, so that he does not 

consider himself to be wise.” 137 This advises the wise man to avoid taking a fool seriously. The 

second proverb puts it in the form of a question: “Do you see anyone who considers himself to 

be wise? the fool will have more hope than he does.” 138 This helps the wise identify the foolish, 

an expression which Folquet puts in the form of an assertion. 

The ideas expressed in second of Folquet’s proverbs, that a wise man is always willing to 

learn more, occur throughout the book of Proverbs, part of the purpose of which is to advise the 

reader on how to gain wisdom. The expression of it closest to Folquet’s is found in chapter 9: 

“give instruction to a wise man and wisdom is added to him.” 139 But the second proverb is also 

the reverse of the first because if a fool thinks himself wise, he will not see any need to learn 

more (first proverb), but a wise man knows that there is always more to learn (second proverb). 

The purpose of the two proverbs in Folquet’s song is to show why he is no longer a fool 

for Love, a proverbial thought expressed several times by Publilius Syrus, here most applicable 

to the above proverbs: “When you love you cannot be wise, and when you are wise you cannot 

136 Manuscript R. Cnyrim 530; Stronski lists it as a paradox rather than a quotation. 

137 “Responde stulto iuxta stultitiam suam, ne sibi sapiens esse videatur.” Prov. 26. 5. 

138 “Vidisti hominem sapientiem sibi videri? Magis illo spem habebit insipiens.” Prov. 

139 “Da sapienti occasionem, et addetur ei sapientia.” Prov. 9.9. 

86

love.” 140 Folquet declares at the beginning of the stanza that he was a fool for Love: “For I was a 

fool when I put my heart and mind [with Love].” 141 He reiterates the folly of his actions in the 

next line: “There was no sense at all in it, instead it was completely foolish.” 142 The next two 

lines consist of the proverbs about foolishness and wisdom–he used to consider himself wise, but 

he’s wised up and is no longer foolish. 

30-1. 

Thus, Folquet does employ an amazing number of proverbs in his songs. The ones not 

listed by Cnyrim, Stronski, or Pfeffer he may have invented himself, following the compositional 

suggestions of medieval and classical authors. The proverbs allow him to justify his actions or 

his rebuke of Love. Yet, this cannot be the sole purpose of this rhetorical device in his songs. 

In songs like “Per Dieu! Amors” the uttering of proverb after proverb gives the song a 

“preachy” sound, like that which the author of the Rhetorica ad herennium cautions against. 

Folquet’s familiarity with proverbial materials from many different sources probably enhanced 

his preaching skills once he renounced the world. Contemporary observers found his sermons to 

be very moving and persuasive, possibly through his frequent yet careful use of proverbial 

materials. 

The intellectual or preacher may be part of Folquet’s poetic persona. The proverbs make 

the poems sound somewhat intellectual and sermon-like, but also may have given the poetry a 

more familiar feel to its original audiences. In addition it may be a way in which Folquet plays 

with his intellectual poetic persona by declaring himself the proverbial “fool for love.” 

140 “Cum ames non sapias aut cum sapias non ames.” Publilius Syrus, 131; Duff and Duff, 

141 “Ben fui eu folz qe.i mis lo cor e.l sen.” v4.1, manuscript G. 

142 “senz no fon ges anceis fon ganz foldaz.” v4.2, manuscript G. 

87

Music. 

Chapter 3. Pitch Structure 

A common observation in recent scholarship on troubadour melodies is the lack of a 

widely accepted method for understanding the pitch structure of the melodies. Modern scholars 

most often analyze melodies in terms either of the melodic modes described by medieval music 

theorists for ecclesiastical song or of the chains of thirds proposed by Curt Sachs for 

understanding folk melodies. 1 Scholars offer conflicting opinions on the applicability of melodic 

modal theory to troubadour melodies, but all discuss it because it is the only way in which 

theorists writing during the Middle Ages discussed pitch relations. I believe some of the conflict 

arises because modern scholars appear to derive their discussions of medieval modal theory from 

discussions by other modern scholars rather than medieval theorists. Many modern authors 

present a modal system but do not list a source for it. 2 This omission suggests that they believe 

that a consensus of what constitutes mode exists among music scholars; yet each scholar’s vision 

of the supposedly consensus melodic modal theory differs considerably from those presented by 

both other modern scholars and medieval theorists. 

Virtually every medieval work on music touches on melodic modal theory in some way. 

I have selected works by five medieval theorists on which to base the melodic modal theory I use 

in the rest of the dissertation. Most of these works served as textbooks for medieval students and 

so offer more practical advice on music than more speculative treatises. 

1 Sachs, “Road to Major”; he expands his ideas in his posthumous work, Wellsprings of 

2Switten, “Music and Words,”19-20; Treitler, “Troubadours Singing their Poems,” 21-22; 

van der Werf, Chansons, 53-56. 

88

The Dialogus de musica, formerly attributed to Abbot Odo of Cluny, was written in the 

early eleventh century in northern Italy, predating the earliest known troubadour. However, this 

treatise was widely disseminated, both temporally (through the fifteenth century) and 

geographically (including copies made in the south of France). 3 It was designed to teach boys 

the rudiments of singing and covers the basic precepts of modal theory. 

The works of Guido d’Arezzo, usually dated to the 1020s, postdate the Dialogus, but also 

predate the earliest troubadour. These are among the most widely distributed works on music in 

the medieval world and include copies made in the south of France. In many respects the most 

important of these, Micrologus, expands and clarifies the precepts set forth in the Dialogus but 

includes more instruction on composing chant. 4 

The treatise by a writer named John sometimes known as “Cotton” or “Afflighemensis” 

may be construed as a commentary on Guido and an extended prologue to a tonary. It was 

written around 1100, probably in southern Germany, and many copies have been transmitted, 

mostly from southern Germany, but also Italy. He covers many of the same topics as Guido 

(even citing him) but goes further into the realm of melodic composition and esthetics. 5 

Johannes de Grocheio’s treatise on music was written near the beginning of the 

fourteenth century and survives in only two copies. 6 It covers music from a completely different 

perspective in that it describes all types of music, including secular songs, dances, plainchant, 

3 Huglo, “L’auteur du ‘Dialogue.’” 

4 Palisca, “Introduction,” to Guido, Micrologus, 49-56. 

5 Palisca, “Introduction,” to John, On Music, 87-100. 

6 Rohloff, Die Quellenhandschriften, 171-72. 

89

and polyphonic music, heard in Paris. It is almost the only treatise of any kind to cover secular 

music in detail, so modern scholars have relied extensively on it. That scholars have reached 

very different conclusions on the performance of secular music based on this treatise reflects the 

ambiguity (for us) of his terminology and the tendency of modern scholars to extract information 

from individual sentences without considering their context within the treatise. 

There are several points of difficulty for modern scholars with Grocheio’s work. Much 

scholarship has focused on reconciling the musical forms that Grocheio names and describes 

with musical forms as we understand them from this period. Grocheio’s pronouncement on 

modes, taken by itself, provides sufficient evidence for some scholars to find modal theory 

inappropriate for troubadour melodies. Other scholars who examine Grocheio’s pronouncement 

on secular melodies in a broader context find it to be more ambiguous. 

Marchetto of Padua composed his treatise on plainchant, Lucidarium, around 1318 in 

Italy. 7 It postdates Folquet’s compositional period by over a century but is approximately 

contemporary with the production of manuscripts G and R. Marchetto covers many aspects of 

plainchant composition and music theory, including the definition and classification of music, 

musical notation, interval theory, the hexachords, and the modes. He discusses these topics from 

several viewpoints, carefully considering often competing theories from other authors. 

The medieval modal system was used by theorists to analyze existing melodies, compose 

new melodies, and teach boys the rudiments of music and singing. Medieval and modern writers 

provide a tremendous amount of disparate information on the melodic modes that can be 

conveniently divided into three types of rules: classification, notation, and composition. The 

7 Herlinger, Lucidarium of Marchetto of Padua, 3. 

90

ules for classification cover the finals and ranges of the modes and whether b-flat is permitted. 

The notational rules include the ambitus of the gamut (set of allowable pitches) and the use of 

transpositions. Compositional rules provide information on how the melody is divided into 

sections, how the sections begin and end, the allowable intervals, and suggested melodic 

motives. 

Modern Scholarship 

8 Parker, “Modal Analysis,” 20. 

Melodic Notation and Classification 

As mentioned above, melodic modal theory as discussed by most modern scholars is 

based not on readings of medieval theorists, but on readings of other modern scholars; they 

discuss the theory as though a simple, consensus concept of melodic mode exists. Ian Parker, in 

one of the more widely cited articles, does not present his concept of the system, but instead 

refers the reader to Gustave Reese’s textbook on medieval music, one possible source of this 

“consensus” version of melodic modal theory. 8 

Reese, like many textbook writers, provides the simplest version of the system, in which 

each mode has the range of exactly an octave. There are four finals d, e, f, and g; 9 and these are 

found either at the bottom of the octave, in which case the mode is called authentic, or in the 

middle of the octave, in which case it is called plagal. He also provides the reciting tones or 

tenors for each mode. Much of his discussion on the topic covers shorter motives based on 

segments of each octave considered to be characteristic of each mode. 10 Although this treatment 

9Where I refer to pitches in the text, c' refers to middle c; c, an octave below; and c", an 

octave above. 

10 Reese, Music in the Middle Ages, 149-53. 

91

allows non-specialists to distinguish the modes, it is not as subtle as many medieval discussions 

on the topic. 

Troubadour scholars most often follow Reese’s definition of the modes or something like 

it; they describe the ranges of the modes as octave species, sometimes comparing them to the 

white note scales on the piano. 11 The octave species separate the modes into clearly defined 

pitch realms, but many troubadour melodies (like many plainchants) exceed the range of an 

octave. 

Many scholars classify the melodies based on their final pitches but include only the four 

modes with finals on d, e, f, and g. When they find that many troubadour melodies end on c and 

a, they attribute the use of these apparently non-standard final notes to the beginning of the 

Aeolian and Ionian scales, which a few scholars connect to the beginnings of common-practice 

major and minor tonality. 12 Based on the troubadours’ use of non-standard finals and ranges 

exceeding an octave, scholars such as van der Werf and Parker conclude that medieval modal 

theory does not describe secular song adequately, so they turn to other theories, most notably the 

11 Switten, “Music and Words,” 19; Treitler, “Troubadours Singing their Poems,” 21-22; 

van der Werf, Chansons, 55. Switten and Treitler explicitly compare the modes to the white note 

scales of the piano. 

12 Sachs, “Road to Major,” focuses on the relationship between the melodic modes and 

chains of thirds in the development of modern major and minor tonalities. Hans Zingerle, 

Tonalität und Melodieführung, compares melodic motives that end melodic lines, primarily in 

trouvère melodies, to demonstrate the path that leads from medieval modal theory to modern 

major and minor tonalities. Parker, “Modal Analysis,” 24 and van der Werf, Chansons, 55, find 

it convenient to divide the modes based on the characteristic of the third above the final–minor 

modes sound a minor third above the final and major modes a major third–without committing to 

the notion that these major and minor medieval modes lead directly to modern major and minor 

tonalities. Parker and van der Werf probably derive their terminology from Sachs; however, 

Pierre Aubry, Troubadours and Trouvères, 145-51, also divides the modes into major and minor 

in his book that predates Sachs’ work by about half a century. 

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tertial chains of Sachs; scholars such as Switten expand the modal theory they present to 

accommodate apparently anomalous melodies. Many scholars identify chains of thirds as 

structural tones within the modal system. 13 

In contrast, Matthew Steel approaches the problem of pitch structure by re-examining the 

writings of three medieval music theorists: Guido d’Arezzo, Johannes de Grocheio, and 

Marchetto of Padua. He finds that Guido’s system describes certain aspects of troubadour 

melodies, most notably the use of accidentals and transpositions, and that Marchetto’s detailed 

and all-encompassing modal system easily accommodates all troubadour melodies. 14 

Medieval Writers 

The Gamut. The Dialogus, Micrologus, and John’s De musica provide similar rules for modal 

classification and notation. These authors first establish the musical universe of available 

pitches, known as the gamut. The author of the Dialogus derives a set of pitches that extends 

from G to a' and includes b-flat. 15 Guido begins with the same set of pitches but extends it by 

three pitches up to d", because “we prefer to abound rather than run short.” 16 John expands the 

explanation of the letter names and quotes Guido’s extension of the pitch set to d". 17 Marchetto 

13Switten, “Music and Words”; Treitler, “Troubadours Singing Their Poems”; Vanin, 

“Musical Form,” 177-218. 

14 Steel, “Influences on the Musical Style.” 

15 Dialogus 2; Gerbert, 1:253; Treitler, 201-2. 

16 “nos autem maluimus abundare quam dificere.” Guido, Micrologus 2.10; Smits van 

Waesberghe, 94; Babb, 60. 

17 “Dominus autem Guido, quem post Boetium nos in hac arte plurimum valuisse fatemur, 

XX et I in musica sua ponit notas, ne iam ullus in cantu possit subrepere defectus.” John, De 

musica 5.8; Smits van Waesberghe, 60; Babb, 108. He provides the actual letters in line 10. 

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and Grocheio take this set of pitches as a given and discuss it in terms of the hexachords, 

selected scale segments consisting of six pitches. Marchetto extends his pitch set to e" so that 

the highest “hard” hexachord is complete. 18 All these authors include both b-natural and b-flat as 

alternative pitches in the tenth place in their system as well as in the octave above but do not 

permit B-flat as an alternative to B-natural in the lowest octave. The set of pitches provided by 

Guido, from G to d", including b-flat and b-natural in the upper ranges but not the lowest range, 

will be referred to in the remainder of this dissertation as the gamut. 

Classification. Although the Dialogus, Micrologus, and John’s De musica concur on the 

definition of mode, the Dialogus provides the most succinct definition: “a mode is a rule that 

classifies every melody according to its final note.” 19 Marchetto provides several definitions, 

one of which is that the modes “measure” plainchant. 20 However, Marchetto and Grocheio 

disagree with the classification of melodies by their final notes, and both list their reasons. 

Grocheio first quotes a definition like that found in the Dialogus, that “certain authors 

say that all melodies are classified into a mode according to their endings. These authors appear 

to have committed many errors.” 21 He tackles each error, beginning with the pronouncement 

that modes classify all melodies; Grocheio states that they certainly do not classify secular 

18 “Est et enim alia adiuncta, scilicet e la, ut perfectionem principii quod in g acuto 

incipitur compleamus.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 17.1.13-20; Herlinger, 540-43. 

19 “Tonus vel modus est regula, quae de omni cantu in fine diiudicat.” Dialogus 8; 

Gerbert, 1: 257; Treitler, 207. 

20 “Mensura in musica est ordo cantuum mensuratorum secundum sua nomina et figuras: 

secundum sua nomina, ut est quilibet cantus planus, qui secundum suum nomen mensuram 

habet, supra vel infra quam non potest,” Marchetto, Lucidarium 10.1.2-3; Herlinger, 368-69. 

21 “Describunt autem tonum quidam dicentes eum esse regulam, quae de omni cantu in 

fine iudicat. Sed isti videntur multipliciter peccare.” Grocheio, De musica 219; Rohloff, 152. 

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melodies: “for when they say every melody, they seem to include secular and measured 

melodies. These melodies are neither regulated nor measured by the modes.” 22 Second, 

melodies should not be classified solely by their final pitch, but by their beginnings and middles 

as well. 23 Third, he states that classified is too strong a term, unless it is meant metaphorically. 24 

Based on this section of the treatise Grocheio states unequivocally (for many scholars) 

that secular song is not measured by the modes as all ecclesiastical song is, but this statement is 

tempered by remarks in the rest of the treatise. In his discussion of the gamut, Grocheio remarks 

that performers and composers add notes outside the gamut to certain types of secular songs; 25 

these notes outside the gamut may be sufficient for Grocheio to regard secular songs as outside 

the modal system of classification. In addition, within the discussion of ecclesiastical song he 

contradicts his previous pronouncement that all ecclesiastical song is measured by the modes, 

since he asserts that the Kyrie, Gloria, and Hymns are not classified by the modes. The Kyrie 

and Gloria are classified according to their use. 26 Hymns might be classified according to the 

22 “Cum enim dicunt de omni cantu, videntur cantum civilem et mensuratum includere. 

Cantus autem iste per toni regulas forte non vadit nec per eas mensurantur.” Grocheio, De 

musica 219; Rohloff,152. 

23 “quod dicunt in fine, non articulatam differentiam apponunt, nisi quis per hoc 

intellexerit principium et medium cum hoc esse.” Grocheio, De musica 220; Rohloff, 152. 

24 “Amplius autem, cum dicunt iudicat, peccare videntur. Non enim regula iudicat, nisi 

quis metaphorice dicat.” Grocheio, De musica 221; Rohloff,152. 

25 “Moderni vero propter descriptionem consonantiarum et stantipedum et ductiarum aliud 

addiderunt, quod falsam musicam vocaverunt, quia illa duo signa, scilicet = et >,” Grocheio, De 

musica 100; Rohloff, 128 

26 “Isti etiam cantus non diversificantur secundum octo modos, sed solum secundum 

diversa festa et diversos usos ecclesiarum.” Grocheio, De musica 271; Rohloff, 162. He 

discusses the Kyrie in this section which is the antecedent to isti. He adds the Gloria to the list in 

line 289. 

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ules of the modes but are varied in terms of their syllables and musical elements. 27 What these 

types of plainchant have in common is that they do not have to be linked to a psalm tone whose 

mode is determined. Thus, although the Kyrie, Gloria, and Hymns may be composed in 

accordance with modal theory, they do not have to be classified into a mode in order to function 

musically within the liturgy. Similarly, secular and measured melodies may be composed in 

accordance with modal theory but do not need to be classified in a particular mode and may 

extend the concept of mode somewhat through the addition of accidentals. 

Marchetto likewise condemns those who classify melodies based only on their final 

notes. His list of reasons differs somewhat from Grocheio’s. First, not every melody ranges to 

an octave, so its modal classification as plagal or authentic is somewhat arbitrary. Second, the 

classification solely by final pitch ignores what goes on in the rest of the melody; 28 this 

corresponds to Grocheio’s contention that the beginnings and middles of the melodies should be 

considered in classifying melodies by mode. Marchetto focuses on ecclesiastical melody in the 

Lucidarium, so the issue of secular song never arises. 

Thus, through their condemnations Grocheio and Marchetto indicate that many people 

(probably singers) did classify plainchant solely by the final note. Their discussions also show 

that the determination of mode is more complex and subtle than the simplest systems indicate. 

All the medieval treatise writers indicate that there are four proper final notes: d, e, f, and 

g; and these final notes each govern two ranges: the authentic that ranges primarily above the 

27 “Istum autem cantum secundum octo modos vel tonos non diversificant, quamquam 

forte possit secundum eorum regulas variari, sed eum variant per cantum versuum vel 

diversitatem syllabarum.” Grocheio, De musica 245; Rohloff, 158. 

28 Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.3.2-10; Herlinger, 390-95. 

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final and the plagal that ranges around the final and below it. Authentic melodies properly range 

from one pitch below the final to an octave above the final, and plagal melodies properly range 

from a fifth below the final to a fifth above. Thus, the proper range for any mode is a ninth; 

however all the authors allow for wider ranges, as long as certain extensions are used sparingly. 

As a result the authentic modes can range from the note below the final 29 to a tenth above. The 

plagal modes can range from a fifth below the final to the sixth above. 

The Dialogus provides exact ranges for each mode in tables and discussion; Guido, John, 

and Grocheio describe the general ranges for authentic and plagal modes but do not discuss each 

mode individually. Marchetto develops an elaborate classification system based on range, which 

allows most chants to be classified into some mode. He considers the range of a ninth as the 

normal range; all others are deviations in some way. The ranges and finals listed by the author 

of the Dialogus provide a conservative set of parameters for each mode, as shown in Table 3.1. 

While the octave species popular with modern textbook writers and troubadour scholars 

provide distinct ranges for the modes, these more practical ranges do not. The ranges for the 

authentic protus and plagal tritus, from c to d', are identical and closely resemble the ranges for 

the authentic deuterus, d to e', and the plagal tetrardus, c to e'. As a result, a range between c and 

e' is characteristic of one mode in each pair of finals, so melodies in these modes cannot be 

securely distinguished by their ranges. In addition, the ranges provided for the authentic tritus 

29 The fifth mode has a semitone below the final; all the writers consider this a problem 

and solve it in different ways. The Dialogus indicates that this note is problematic because it 

lies a semitone below the final and cannot begin or end a distinction in this mode. John, 

likewise, indicates that mode 5 never ranges below the final. Marchetto, on the other hand, 

states that when a mode 5 melody ranges below the final, it moves down to d. Lucidarium 

11.4.168-70; Herlinger, 470-71. 

97

and authentic tetrardus are also identical, taking into account that the step below the final is 

never used in the authentic tritus mode; so these modes are also indistinguishable in terms of 

range. The plagal protus and plagal deuterus also overlap in the cores of their ranges. Melodies 

in these three groups of modes can be distinguished securely only by their finals. 

Table 3.1. Ranges and Finals of the Modes, as Described in the Dialogus 

Mode name30 Mode number Range Final 

Authentic protus 1 c-d' d 

Plagal protus 2 G-b flat d 

Authentic deuterus 3 d-e' e 

Plagal deuterus 4 A-c' e 

Authentic tritus 5 (e) 31 f-a' f 

Plagal tritus 6 c-d' f 

Authentic tetrardus 7 f-a' g 

Plagal tetrardus 8 c-e' g 

Modern readers might think these ranges differ in register, but because there was no pitch 

standard at this time, the modes must be considered a set of intervals rather than set pitches. 

Some medieval theorists state this explicitly. The author of the Dialogus cautions that these 

modes should not be thought of as differing in highness or lowness but in terms of the 

30 Mode names allow for easy division into plagal and authentic modes. Mode numbers, 

however, are used just as often by medieval theorists. Odd-numbered modes are authentic, and 

even-numbered modes are plagal. 

31 The table for Mode 5 in Gerbert’s edition indicates that the lowest note for mode 5 is e; 

however, the discussion indicates that this note is problematic because it lies a semitone below 

the final and cannot begin or end a distinction in this mode. The Admont codex, however, 

indicates that the lowest note for mode 5 is f. 

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arrangements of tones and semitones each range implies. 32 Guido begins his discussion of the 

modes in the Micrologus by describing the arrangements of tones and semitones around each 

final. 33 The focus on the notes around the final supports the contention that the mode of a 

melody is known by its ending (as it approaches the final) and consists of characteristic interval 

patterns. 

The note a fifth above the final holds a special place in medieval music theory. All the 

authors note an incomplete resemblance in pitch structure between the notes around the finals 

and those around the notes a fifth above. This incomplete resemblance allows melodies with 

pitches outside the gamut to be notated within the gamut because the notes a fifth above the 

finals include within their spheres the alternative notes, b-natural and b-flat. The melodies 

already exist orally and have authority as the official song of the church, so theorists are 

reluctant to alter the melodies themselves; instead, they adjust their system to allow the melodies 

to be written down within the gamut. 34 For example, a melody whose final would normally be 

on f, but which consistently requires a perfect fourth above (i.e. b-flat) and an occasional tone 

below the final–an e-flat which is outside the gamut–can be notated with a final on c', with b-flat 

replacing the unacceptable e-flat. In such cases the note a fifth above the final serves as the 

32 “Non enim, ut stultissimi cantores putant, gravitate vel acumine unum modum ab alio 

descrepare scimus; nihil enim impedit, quemcunque volueris modum, si acute vel graviter 

decantaveris; sed tonorum ac semitoniorum, quibus et aliae consonantiae fiant, diversa positio 

diverso ab invicem ac differentes modos constituunt.” Dialogus 16; Gerbert, 1: 262. 

33 Guido, Micrologus 7; Smits van Waesberghe, 117-19; Babb, 63. 

34 Nancy Phillips proposes that the scale produced by the dasia notation reflected the 

actual pitch content of plainchant, which later scribes then had to fit into the somewhat different 

set of pitches in the gamut. “‘Musica’ and ‘Scholica Enchiriadis,’” 470-97. 

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cofinal. Transposition is effected not for the sake of changing the register of a chant but to 

notate it within the medieval gamut. 35 

By sifting through the descriptions of these medieval theorists I identified basic rules for 

classifying melodies using the medieval melodic modes. There are theoretically four possible 

final pitches but in practice there are seven: d, e, f, g, a, b, c'. Melodies that end on a, b, and c' 

are regarded as transpositions of melodies ending on d, e, and f, respectively. The ranges of the 

modes are not the easily distinguishable octave species, but those species extended in both 

directions; so that each mode has a functional range of a ninth or tenth, and several modes share 

a common range. A mode is not defined by its register, although the notation seems to imply it; 

it is instead defined as an arrangement of tones and semitones. 

Most medieval music theorists also consider characteristic melodic segments as a 

component of modal classification. Grocheio and Marchetto, in particular, emphasize the 

importance of the melodic segments over the final and range. When classifying Folquet’s 

melodies I begin with the final and range to classify the melodies into modes, then consider other 

parameters, including beginning and ending notes of phrases later in this chapter and 

characteristic melodic segments in Chapter 4. 

The Note between a and c'. One vexing impediment to understanding troubadour melodies (or 

any medieval melody for that matter) is knowing whether the note between a and c' (or a' and c") 

should be sung as b-flat or b-natural. The problem arises in part because the medieval gamut 

allows a choice in notes only at this point in the scale. Scholars working on troubadour music 

35The medieval system of transposition is discussed at length by Dolores Pesce in The 

Affinities and Medieval Transposition. 

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have noticed that the melodies transmitted to us often exhibit inconsistent notation for b-flat; 

different transmissions of the same song may have b-flats indicated in different locations or a 

melodic line repeated in a given song may have different usages of b-flat in the repetitions. 

Van der Werf discusses different aspects of these inconsistencies in his two book-length 

studies of vernacular songs. In his combined study of troubadour and trouvère melodies, the 

characteristics of the trouvère melodies predominate. He focuses on the differences in notated 

accidentals between different versions of the same melody and finds there is some degree of 

patterning to the discrepancies. He observes that when b-flat was notated consistently it 

commonly lowered the third step of the melody, in his terms transposed melodies from medieval 

major to medieval minor. Accidentals in other locations, however, were notated so 

inconsistently that he speculates that the scribes might have been trying to indicate a note 

between b-flat and b-natural. 36 

He catalogues the use of accidentals, including b-flat, in his study of troubadour melodies 

alone. Here, he concludes that the scribe knew what he was doing and notated “all the 

alterations which he considered appropriate.” 37 He suggests that what modern scholars consider 

inconsistent might have been caused by exemplars in formats different from the surviving 

manuscript version or our lack of understanding of exactly what the accidental signs mean, in 

terms of how many and which notes they affect. 38 

36 van der Werf, Chansons, 54-57. Trouvère melodies have more accidentals notated than 

troubadour melodies, so the predominance of trouvère melodies in this study may lead to 

misleading conclusions for troubadour melodies. 



101

Aubrey generally concurs with van der Werf’s conclusions on b-flats in the troubadour 

repertory but cautions that we should not rely on the scribes so closely. 39 She suggests that 

melodies and motives identical except for b-flat should be brought into agreement in their 

accidentals. 40 Other scholars simply avoid discussing the problem; Steel and Vanin base their 

melodic analyses on the notes transmitted by the manuscripts. Switten adds b-flats to melodies, 

above the staves to distinguish her suggested emendations from the accidentals notated in the 

manuscripts. She does not discuss her reasons for the suggested emendations, but they appear 

most often to bring repetitions into agreement, make versions agree with one another, and avoid 

tritones. 41 

These writers, except Switten, assume that the note between a and c' is b-natural unless 

told otherwise, by a b-flat signature or sign before the note. This reflects a modern bias–in the 

modern notation system b-flat is included with other accidentals and the note between a and c' is 

assumed to be b-natural unless something else is explicitly indicated. This bias may arise 

because we base our musical understanding on the keyboard, on which b-flat is just another 

black note. Indeed, as noted previously, some writers describe the medieval modal system as 

analogous to the white-note scales of the piano. This reinforces the notion that b-flat is not a 

legitimate note in the medieval gamut and that b-natural is the “natural” choice, but is this a valid 

assumption for medieval music? 



41 Switten, Raimon de Miraval. 

102

Attempts to answer this question have been undertaken primarily by scholars searching 

music theory treatises for rules regarding the possibility of unwritten accidentals in polyphonic 

music. 42 Unwritten accidentals are often referred to loosely as “musica ficta,” a term that 

specifically refers to notes outside the gamut, although b-flat is a valid note in the medieval 

gamut. Recognizing this, most scholars separate medieval theorists’ instructions for b-flat from 

instructions for notes outside the gamut; but because few rules are provided for notes outside the 

gamut, scholars must sometimes generalize the rules that refer specifically to b-flat to include all 

unnotated accidentals. Thus, they conflate rules for singing b-flats in monophonic melodies with 

rules for singing f-sharp, for example, in polyphonic works. 

An examination of medieval music theory treatises with regard only to b-flat and b- 

natural reveals considerable ambivalence towards b-flat. Guido describes b-flat as “less regular 

and added or soft in order to make a concord with f”; 43 by implication b-natural is more regular 

and preferable. This implication is confirmed when later he suggests ways to avoid using b-flat 

by transposing the melody to another pitch. 44 John, likewise, gives b-natural precedence based 

on history–“the oldest authorities placed not more than fifteen notes on the monochord, 

beginning, that is, with A and ending with aa. For ' was not yet added, nor was the b which we 

42 Bent, “Musica Recta and Musica Ficta”; Berger, Musica Ficta; Brothers, Chromatic 

Beauty; Harden, “Sharps, Flats, and Scribes.” 

43 “b vero rotundum, quod minus est regulare, quod adiunctum vel molle dicunt, cum F 

habet concordiam;” Guido, Micrologus 8.10-11; Smits van Waesberghe, 124; Babb, 64. 

44 Guido, Micrologus 8.13-22; Smits van Waesberghe, 124-26; Babb, 64. 

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call soft or round, but which by some is called by the Greek name synemmenon, that is, 

connected.” 45 

Other writers appear to afford equal legitimacy to b-flat and b-natural. The author of the 

Dialogus, for example, discusses b-flat as a part of the division of the monochord, with nothing 

special about it; he designates b-flat as the “first ninth step” and b-natural as the “second ninth 

step.” 46 Marchetto, likewise, in his discussions on various topics that include b-flat and b-natural 

treats them as equally valid. In the section on permutations, for example, he says that round b 

and square b can occur in any piece, plain or measured. 47 

Unfortunately treatises written before 1300 rarely discuss the notation of music as such; 

instead they use notationally neutral expressions to describe b-flat, such as “is used,” “is valid,” 

“is sung.” The few references to notation provide conflicting information. John, for example, 

states that a sign must be placed over any note that sounds b-flat. 48 However, in context this 

statement follows one in which he says that round b and square b differ in the syllables written 

above them. 49 As a result, what has been interpreted as a requirement for a sign for the b-flat 

45 “Vetustissimi litteras XV non plures in monochordo posuere ab A vidilicet inchoantes 

in aa desinentes. Nondam enim ' additum fuit nec b quod nos molle vel rotundum dicumus, a 

quibusdam graeco nomine synemmenon, id est adiunctum, appelatur.” John, De musica 5.2-3; 

Smits van Waesberghe, 59; Babb, 107. 

46 nona prima b and nona secunda >respectively. Dialogus in musica 2; Gerbert 1: 253; 

Treitler, 201. The author also uses these terms to describe the pitches used in each mode. 

47 Marchetto, Lucidarium 8.1.6; Herlinger, 274-75. 

48 “Unum quidem sive in spatio sive in linea possident locum, sed hoc modo discernuntur, 

quod in qua neuma b molle sonat, super eandem a scriptore ponendum est.” John, De musica 

5.15; Smits van Waesberghe, 61; Babb, 108. 

49 “Notandum autem de b molli et de b quadrato, quod et in figura et in syllabis 

suprascriptis disconveniunt.” John, De musica 5.14; Smits van Waesberghe, 61; Babb, 108. 

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may in fact refer only to the syllables. The author of the Summa musice states more definitively 

that the scribe should assign the b-flat in the notation, because it leads singers astray when the b- 

flats are omitted due to negligence. 50 With this assertion, the author implies that scribes did, 

perhaps frequently, omit the sign for b-flat. 

Other writers state the opposite, that b-flat is never indicated in certain contexts. The 

author of one treatise appended to Introductio musice states that when a melody moves from f to 

b, either by step or by leap, the b is b-flat without a sign. 51 An anonymous treatise from Seville 

echoes this viewpoint. 52 Likewise, the first of the Berkeley treatises indicates that accidentals on 

b-flat are almost never notated. 53 These statements refer to progressions that span a tritone, an 

interval discouraged by most medieval music theorists. That medieval scribes may not have 

indicated b-flat when the b formed a tritone with f is supported by van der Werf’s observation 

that “notated tritones are too frequent to list” in troubadour melodies. 54 Many of these apparent 

tritones were probably corrected in performance. Marchetto connects the placement of =before 

50 “Et maxime circa b molle et >durum caveat ne oberret; hec enim figuris propriis debent 

assignari de iure, quod si fote per negligentiam signata non fuerint, sepe inducit errorem in illo 

qui cantum corde non scivit.” Summa musice vv1199-1204; Page, 89 and 171. 

51 “Quando ergo incipit in f coniuncta vel divisa, de propinquo vel remoto nisi unius, ibi 

est b molle sine signo similiter a superiori.” Gwee, “De plana musica” 371. 

52 Bent, “Musica Recta and Musica Ficta,” 91. 

53 “Circa hec signum B mollis et signum B quadrati, demonstrancia ubi fa e mi debeant 

cantari, et possunt poni in diversis locis manus, ut patebit inferius de coniunctis, sed ipsa 

frequenter sunt in B-fa-B-mi, virtualiter licet semper non signentur. Pro quo nota quod 

quandocumque ab velde sub F-fa-ut ascenditur usque ad b-fa-b-mi mediate vel immediate, et 

iterum descenditur usque ad F-fa-ut priusquam ascendatur ad C-sol-fa-ut, debet cantari fa in bfa-b-mi 

per b, nisi cantus finiat in G basso.” The Berkeley Manuscript 1; Ellsworth, 44. 


105

a note to be sung as fa and >before a note to be sung as mi but does not indicate whether these 

special signs are required. 55 Later writers such as Prosdoscimo and Tinctoris do discuss notation 

more fully, but it is unclear whether and how their discussions apply to the earlier repertory. 

The presence or absence of b-flat affects the characteristic intervals of some modes, so b- 

flat is allowed in some modes and not in others. The author of the Dialogus indicates 

unambiguously which modes use b-natural and which b-flat through his mode charts and 

descriptions of the modes: modes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 allow b-flat. 56 The remaining modes require b- 

natural for different reasons. Mode 3 requires b-natural because, unlike b-flat, it forms a perfect 

fifth with the final. 57 The author of the Dialogus claims that some people require b-natural in 

mode 4 for the same reason, but that he follows the more common usage. 58 Modes 7 and 8 

require b-natural because b-flat transforms them into modes 1 and 2. 59 To a certain extent, the 

author of the Dialogus implies that b-flat is the generally preferred note, characteristic of five 

modes out of eight, so the use of b-natural in modes 3, 7, and 8 requires an explanation. 

55 Marchetto Lucidarium 8.3.17-23; Herlinger, 302-5. 

56 The charts and discussions are found in Gerbert 1: 259-62. However, Gerbert’s mode 

charts do not unambiguously indicate b-natural and b-flat, as MC 318 and the Admont codex do. 

57 “Sane secundum nonam [square] b adamavit, quia ad eius finem diapente est:” Dialogus 

13; Gerbert, 1: 260. 

58 “Volunt autem quidam quarto modo ad similitudinem tertii secundam nonam [square] b 

tribuere, eoquod sit diapente ad finem eius: prima vero nona b. ad finem eius nulla consonantia 

sit. Sed nos magis communem usum secuti sumus.” Dialogus 14; Gerbert, 1: 261. 

59 “Notandum est autem, quodsi ei prima nona b. concedatur, nihil restat, nisi ut a sexta ad 

eam diatessaron fiat, eritque per omnia primus, quia habebit tonum et semitonium et duos tonos, 

et deponitur a fine tono unos, sicut in primo dictum est.” Dialogus 17; Gerbert, 1: 262. 

106

Where the author of the Dialogus assumes the use of b-flat in melodies of certain modes 

and not others, Marchetto provides a clear rules for the use of b-flat in the various modes. In 

mode 1, if the melody ascends only to b, then it is a b-flat. If the melody ascends only to c', then 

the preceding b may be natural or flat, depending on context–if it continues to c' it is sung as b- 

natural but if it moves to f first, then it is sung as b-flat. 60 Mode 2 is always sung with b-flat 

because it is the highest note in the mode and b-natural would sound too harsh at this location. 61 

Mode 3 should never be sung with b-flat because this creates inharmonious sounds with the final 

and the note an octave above. 62 Mode 4, however, uses b-flat when f sounds frequently. 63 

The author of the Dialogus suggests that b-flat is commonly used in modes 5 and 6. 

Marchetto clarifies the contexts that call for b-flat in these modes: melodies in these modes use 

b-natural in ascent, to sound their characteristic species of fifth but use b-flat in descent to 

60 He discusses this in much of Book 11, Chapter 4. He summarizes his discussion as 

follows: “Sicque patet quod si primo ocurrat sibi c acutum quam F grave, cantari debet per b 

quadrum; si vero primo F, per b rotundum.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.15-16; Herlinger 400-1. 

61 “Debet namque cantari secundus tonus semper per b rotundum, cuius ratio est quia 

secundus, eo quod subiugalis est, ultra sextam scandere non potest, ut superius dictum est. Ad 

ipsam vero si ascenderet per b quadrum, tunc ab F gravi quomodocunque ascendendo ad dictum 

b vel ab ipso b quomodocunque descendendo ad predictum F fieret tritoni duricia, que in cantu 

quolibet est penitus evitanda.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.94-96; Herlinger, 436-37. 

62 “Debet namque cantari tercius tonus semper proprie per b quadrum, cuius ratio est quia 

omnis tonus a fine suo dyapente sursum requirit, que est eius, ut supra diximus, confinalis.” 

Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.109-10; Herlinger, 440-41. 

63 “Debet autem cantari quartus tonus, ratione data de tercio, per b quadrum. Sed quia sunt 

aliqui cantus ipsius toni ascendentes a fine suo ad dyapente supra, tangentes in eorum ascensu F 

grave, vel descendentes ab ipso dyapente ad finem predictum, iterum tangentes F, in quibus 

duricia occurretet tritoni, ideo dicimus, ad dictam duriciam evitandam, quod tales cantus cantari 

debeant per b rotundum.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.125-27; Herlinger, 446-49. 

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correct the tritone with the final. 64 Like the author of the Dialogus, Marchetto does not grant b- 

flat to modes 7 and 8 because frequent use makes them sound like modes 1 and 2. 65 Later, 

however, Marchetto qualifies his previous discussion with the observation that because of modal 

mingling, a melody in any mode can use b-flat; it is a matter of proportionate use. 66 

I draw a few general guidelines from these writings on the note between a and c'. An 

unsigned note between a and c' can be b-natural or b-flat depending on musical context; b- 

natural is the preferred note in ambiguous situations. In direct and indirect progressions from f 

to b, b-flat would most likely have been sung and may not have been notated. Melodies in 

modes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 often use b-flat, whereas b-flat is discouraged in modes 3, 7 and 8. 

Classification of Folquet’s Melodies 

For the purpose of classifying Folquet’s melodies using the medieval modal system, I 

considered each version of each song separately, counting the two melodies transmitted by 

manuscript R for “Ay! tan gen vens” individually. The version of “Tan m’abellis” transmitted 

64 “Ergo videtur quod quintus tonus in eius ascensu cantetur per b quadrum et in descensu 

per b rotundum.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.141; Herlinger, 454-55. He goes on to clarify this 

statement in the remaining discussion on the fifth mode. “Quare autem sic formatur et quomodo 

cantari debeat per b rotundum an per b quadrum ratio eadem est que suo auctentico dicta est.” 

Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.176; Herlinger, 472-73. 

65 “Debet namque cantari septimus tonus semper per b quadrum, cuius ratio est quia si per 

b rotundum cantaretur, tunc nulla essentialis differentia inter ipsum et primum esset, nam ambo 

ex eisdem speciebus dyapente et dyatessaron formarentur.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.186-87; 

Herlinger, 476-79. “Debet enim cantari octavus tonus per b quadrum, ratione de eius auctentico 

dicta.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.201; Herlinger, 484-85. 

66 “Ex hiis colligere possumus quod quilibet tonus potest cuicunque altero commisceri, et 

huius gratia cantari et per b quadrum et per b rotundum, licet non proprie, ut superius dictum 

est.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 11.4.228; Herlinger, 506-7. 

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y manuscript W lacks the last four lines of melody, so its mode cannot be assigned securely and 

is not included in the melodic mode survey. 

Range. Folquet’s melodies all remain within the gamut of the Dialogus, encompassing the tonal 

space between B and a'. This overall range is found in no one manuscript; the melodies in 

manuscript G range from B to f', those in manuscript R from c to a', and those in manuscript W 

from c to g'. 

Most individual melodies have a range of a ninth or less; numbers of melodies falling 

into different ranges, arranged by manuscript, are provided in Table 3.2. As in troubadour 

melodies in general, more than half of Folquet’s songs utilize the range from c to d'. With one 

exception, discussed below, the melodies transmitted by manuscripts G and R stay completely in 

or within a note or two of this range. Only three melodies fall significantly outside it: two, both 

transmitted by manuscript W, exhibit a range from f to g', with finals on g; and one, transmitted 

by R exhibits a range from d to a' and a final on g. 

Table 3.2. Numbers of Melodies that Exhibit a Given Range 

Range Manuscript G Manuscript R Manuscript W Totals 

c-d' 7 7 1 15 

c-c' 2 2 0 4 

B-c' 2 0 0 2 

f-g' 0 0 2 2 

c-e' 0 1 0 1 

B-d' 1 0 0 1 

c-f' 1 0 0 1 

d-a' 0 1 0 1 

Totals 13 11 3 27 

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Finals. The numbers of songs ending on each final in the three manuscripts are given in Table 

3.3. The most common final is d, followed by c and g. Only one melody ends on e and one on a. 

More than half the melodies in manuscripts G and R end on d; all the melodies transmitted by 

manuscript W end on g. 

Table 3.3. Numbers of Songs with Each Final 

Final Manuscript G Manuscript R Manuscript W Totals 

d 7 6 0 13 

c 3 2 0 5 

g 1 1 3 5 

f 1 1 0 2 

e 0 1 0 1 

a 1 0 0 1 

Totals 13 11 3 27 

Notated and Unnotated b-flats. Twenty-one melodies have notated b-flats; one song, the 

version of “Greu fera” transmitted in manuscript W, has a notated f'-sharp. Folquet’s melodies 

exhibit all the vagaries of b-flat notation observed by scholars who discuss troubadour melodies 

in general. Different versions of some melodies have b-flats in different locations. For example, 

the scribe of manuscript G indicated b-flats in the beginning lines of “S’al cor plagues” and none 

at the end; whereas the scribe of manuscript R did not indicate b-flats at the beginning of the 

song but did notate them in the middle and at the end. Repetitions of a line within a given 

melody may also have discrepancies in notation of b-flat. The fourth line of “Tan m’abellis” 

transmitted in manuscript G, for example, has a notated b-flat, but the flat sign is omitted in the 

repetition as the eighth line. In addition, the other two surviving versions have no flat signs in 

110

the fourth line. In such cases I have supplied b-flats above the staves in the appropriate places 

either within the version or between the versions. 

Folquet’s melodies exhibit many notated tritones, sometimes combining b and f in one 

neume, as shown in Figure 3.1. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Figure 3.1. “Mout i fez” in manuscript G, line 10 

Here, the fifth neume ascends from f to b; the b would have been sung as b-flat and is so 

indicated in the transcription. 

More often, f and b sound in adjacent neumes or create a melody that outlines a tritone, 

as shown in Figure 3.2. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Figure 3.2. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript G, line 7 

The tritone from f to b sounds prominently twice in this line, first between the fourth and sixth 

neumes in which the melodic contour outlines a tritone; second in the adjacent eighth and ninth 

neumes. Both bs would be sung as b-flats. 

Finally, in a few melodies, there is a leap between f and b, as shown in Figure 3.3. This 

line creates some problems because b sounds several times in different contexts. The b on the 

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fourth neume according to Marchetto would have been sung as b-natural because it occurs within 

a progression from f to c'. The b on the fifth neume is ambigous because the melodic line 

descends but not to f, so the initial premise would be that it would be sung as b-natural. The last 

three neumes, however, call this assignment into question because of two progressions between f 

and b, the second of which is a leap from f to b. The bs on the sixth and eighth neumes would 

have been sung as b-flats. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Figure 3.3. “Tan mou” in manuscript G, line 5 

The version transmitted in manuscript R seems to be transposed up a step, avoiding f completely. 

The version transmitted in manuscript W, shown in Figure 3.4, does confirm that the bs on the 

sixth and eighth syllables should be sung b-flat. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Figure 3.4. “Tan mou” in manuscript W, line 5 

The b on the fourth neume, however, occurs after the c' is sounded and seems to have no 

indication of b-flat. The previous line of verse, however, does have a b-flat indicated near the 

end that may carry over to the fifth line. 

112

Modal Classification. Based on the final and range around the final, most of Folquet’s melodies 

are classified as authentic, as shown in Table 3.4. Melodies with finals on c and d are uniformly 

authentic; the two melodies with finals on f are both plagal. Only melodies with finals on g are 

almost evenly split between plagal (2) and authentic (3). Each of the other finals, e and a, ends 

one melody apiece, both plagal. 

Table 3.4. Modal Classification of Folquet’s Melodies 

Final Authentic Plagal b-flats Mode 

c 5 0 5 5 or 7 transposed 

d 12 0 9 1 

e 0 1 1 4 

f 0 2 1 6 

g 4 2 3 7 and 8; 1 or 2 transposed 

a 0 1 0 2 transposed 

Totals 21 6 19 

As noted previously, many of Folquet’s melodies, like many troubadour melodies in 

general, are notated to end on c, which, because it is not one of the standard modal finals 

probably indicates a transposition from another location. Transposition from the standard modal 

ranges to other locations in the gamut is effected to notate within the gamut a melody that would 

require notes outside the gamut if notated in its regular location. Most medieval theorists 

indicate that the melody is usually transposed to end a fifth higher than its regular modal final. 

The notes outside the gamut at the regular location can then be notated using b-flat and b-natural 

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at the transposed location. Guido adds the possibility of transposition up a perfect fourth or 

down a perfect fifth. 67 Marchetto indicates that a melody can be notated anywhere it fits. 68 

Melodies that end on c could be classified as either mode 5 or 7. The transposition in 

mode 5 occurs because the melodies always sound a perfect fourth above the final (b-flat above f 

becomes f above c) and sometimes sound a minor seventh above the final, which would require a 

notated e-flat if the melody were not transposed to c. Similarly, the transposition in mode 7 

occurs because the melody sometimes sounds a major seventh above the final, which would 

require an f-sharp if the melody were not transposed to end on c. 

The medieval theorists support these transpositions, but most indicate that the melodies 

should end an octave higher (c') than troubadour melodies commonly end (c). All of Folquet’s 

melodies that end on c and virtually every troubadour melody that ends on c encompass an 

authentic range, up to a ninth above the final. If the melodies were notated to end on c', they 

would range up to d", the limit of Guido’s gamut. The scribes of the troubadour manuscripts, 

however, notated most melodies within the parameters established by the author of the Dialogus. 

The lowest note indicated in any troubadour song is G, and the highest is b', reached in only two 

melodies out of three hundred and seven. 

Although the ranges of Folquet’s melodies in general conform to the ranges suggested by 

the author of the Dialogus, the ranges of individual songs in their arrangements around the finals 

vary somewhat in their adherence. Modal parameters and assignments for each melody are 

67 Guido, Micrologus 7; Smits van Waesberghe, 117-20; Babb, 63-64. 


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provided in Table 3.5. Deviations include different relationships between range and final 

between versions of the same melody and ranges too large in some way in relation to the final. 

The melodies of three songs encompass ranges too large in some way in relation to their 

final pitches. The melodies of two of these are transmitted only by manuscript G and move 

beyond the permitted range for only one or two notes. “En chantan” has the range of an 

eleventh, from c to f' and a final of a; it ranges to the sixth below the final, one step below the 

permitted fifth in plagal modes. 69 Only the second verse steps down to c, the sixth below the 

final. “Ja no.s cug hom” has a range of a tenth from B to d' and a final of d, so it reaches two 

steps below the final, creating the excessive range. The low B occurs at the end of the 

penultimate verse and leads to c at the beginning of the ultimate verse; it functions as a lower 

neighbor to c. 70 The excessive ranges seen in these two songs may be examples of stretching the 

rules for the sake of art (as suggested by the author of the Dialogus); because they are unique 

they cannot be compared to other versions for verification. 

The other melody with an excessive range, “Amors, merce!,” is transmitted by 

manuscripts G and R, but only the version transmitted by manuscript R exhibits the excessive 

range from d to a'. Here the version with the excessive range can be compared with another for 

verification. The versions of the melodies transmitted by manuscripts G and R are provided in 

Figure 3.5. The melodies begin somewhat differently, with the version transmitted by 

69 This step down to the sixth below the final requires the melody to be transposed from d 

to a, because there is no pitch a sixth below d in the medieval gamut apparently adhered to by the 

scribes. 

70 It may actually extend the range in the upper register as well. The manuscript has been 

trimmed, removing a few pitches that must be d' at the lowest. 

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Table 3.5. Modal Characteristics and Assignments for Individual Songs 

Song Manuscript Range Final Accidentals Mode 

Amors, merce! G B-c' c b-flat 7, trans. 

Amors, merce! R d-a' g 7 

Ay! tan gen vens G c-d' d b-flat 1 

Ay! tan gen vens R c-d' d b-flat 1 

Ay! tan gen vens R, palimpsest c-d' d b-flat 1 

Ben an mort G c-d' f 6 

Ben an mort R c-d' d 1 

En chantan G c-f' a 2, trans. 

Greu fera G c-d' d b-flat 1 

Greu fera R c-d' d b-flat 1 

Greu fera W f-g' g b-flat, f'-sharp 1, trans. 

Ja no.s cug hom G B-d' d b-flat 1 

Mout i fez G c-d' d b-flat 1 

Mout i fez R c-d' f b-flat 6 

Per dieu! Amors G c-c' c b-flat 5, trans. 

Per dieu! Amors R c-c' c b-flat 5, trans. 

S’al cor plagues G c-d' d b-flat 1 

S’al cor plagues R c-d' d b-flat 1 

Sitot me sui G c-d' d b-flat 1 

Sitot me sui W f-g' g b-flat 1, trans. 

Tan m’abellis G c-c' d b-flat 1 

Tan m’abellis R c-c' e b-flat 4 

Tan mou G c-d' g [b-flat] 2, trans. 

Tan mou R c-e' c b-flat 7, trans. 

Tan mou W c-d' g b-flat 2, trans. 

Us volers G B-c' c b-flat 7, trans. 

Us volers R c-d' d 1 

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manuscript R approximately a step higher than that transmitted by manuscript G. At the 

beginning of the third verse the melodies diverge and remain mostly at least a fourth or more 

apart for the rest of the melody. 

Figure 3.5. “Amors, merce!” in manuscripts G and R 

117

Figure 3.5. continued. 

The end of the first verse and the beginning of the second verse in manuscript R appear to 

be in a different register than the rest of the melody. These two verses are written in the 

manuscript with an F clef. At the beginning of the third verse (which occurs in the middle of the 

second line in the manuscript) the scribe changed the location of the clef from the third to the 

second line and changed the clef from an F clef to a C clef. I have transcribed the line as 

transmitted in the manuscript as Figure 3.6. 

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Figure 3.6. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, transcription of line 2 in the manuscript 

I suspect that the scribe was supposed to change only the location of the clef, not the type 

of clef. If one transcribes the melody as though it were notated with F clefs throughout, as 

shown in Figure 3.7, the melody no longer has an excessive range, remains in the same range as 

the version transmitted by manuscript G, and ends on the same note as the version transmitted by 

manuscript G. 

While this correction serves well for comparative purposes, this is not the full story. I 

believe the scribe made the error because he was copying from an exemplar that used C clefs. 

Most of Folquet’s songs in this manuscript were copied with F clefs, 71 and all fit in the register 

between c and d' or e'. This is the only song that uses C clefs extensively and regularly exploits 

the register above d'. In addition, the song as transmitted has no b-flats indicated, which might 

have been required if the scribe were to maintain the interval pattern in the exemplar while 

notating the song using the F clef. The version transmitted in manuscript G does indicate that 

most of the bs were to be sung as b-flat. The scribe attempted to make “Amors, merce!” fit the 

uniform range and clef choices seen in the rest of Folquet’s collection, but in verse three, for 

some reason, started copying the exemplar as written. I suspect this error has not been noted 

before because the version transmitted by manuscript G leaps up a sixth between verse two and 

71 “Tan mou” switches to a C clef in some sections, but it falls on the C line relative to the 

preceding F clef and serves to orient the singer in a higher register. 

119

Figure 3.7. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, corrected version. 

120

verse three, a leap seen in the version as transmitted by manuscript R, but not in the corrected 

version. The version corrected to end on c will be used in subsequent analyses. 

The presence of b-flat sometimes affects modal assignment. All the melodies that end on 

c use b-flat, some occasionally, a few almost throughout the melody. The b-flat causes the 

seventh step of the melody to lie a whole tone below the eighth, as it does in mode 7; a b-natural 

at this point lies a semitone below the eighth step, as is characteristic of mode 5. Melodies with 

few b-flats were considered to be transposed from mode 5, those with many b-flats were 

considered to be transposed from mode 7. 

In melodies with g finals, b-flat is indicated in some melodies and not others. Here, the 

b-flat affects the third above the final. The b-natural, which creates a major third above the final, 

is characteristic of modes 7 and 8; a b-flat, however, creates a minor third above the final so that 

the interval pattern is identical to that for modes 1 and 2. Melodies whose final is g were 

considered to be in modes 7 or 8 if b-flat was absent entirely or indicated infrequently; those 

with b-flats indicated more frequently were considered to be transposed from modes 1 or 2. 

Melodies in modes 1 and 2 are transposed to end on g because the third step is sometimes 

a major third and other times a minor third above the final. If the melody were notated with a 

final on d, the third step would be f when a minor third or f-sharp when a major third. Notating 

within the gamut precludes the use of f-sharp, so the melody is transposed to g, the only location 

where this can be notated within the gamut, with b-natural replacing the unacceptable f-sharp. 

The validity of this interpretation can be tested by examining versions of the same 

melody that are notated at different pitch levels, i.e. transposed. All the melodies transmitted 

complete in manuscript W end on g; whereas the other versions transmitted in manuscripts G and 

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R end on c or d. The versions of “Greu fera” and “Sitot me sui” transmitted by manuscript W 

use many b-flats, transposing the melody from mode 7 to mode 1. The versions of these songs 

transmitted by manuscripts G (both songs) and R (only “Greu fera”) end on d and are clearly in 

mode 1. Similarly, the uncorrected melody of “Amors, merce!” transmitted by manuscript R 

ends on g, has no indicated b-flats and as transmitted would be classified as a mode 7 melody. 

The version transmitted by manuscript G ends on c, uses many b-flats, and is classified as mode 

7 transposed to c. 

The three surviving versions of “Tan mou” provide a greater challenge, however. The 

version of “Tan mou” transmitted by manuscript G indicates no b-flats; however, as discussed 

above, there are many notated tritones including two leaps from f to b. A singer would probably 

sing most of the bs in this version as b-flat, a contention supported by the version in manuscript 

W which in many respects closely resembles the version in manuscript G and does notate many 

b-flats. The frequent b-flats in both versions, whether notated or not, puts this melody into 

transposed mode 2 rather than mode 8. The real difficulty arises because the version transmitted 

in manuscript R moves through the same range as the versions transmitted by manuscripts G and 

W but ends on c instead of g. Many of the bs are either preceded by a flat sign or sound in close 

proximity to an f, so would be sung as b-flat. Thus, the melody is classified as mode 7, 

transposed to c. The relationships between the versions of this melody are discussed further in 

the context of composition using modal theory. 

The four songs discussed above exhibit standard transpositions between versions, 

probably accomplished by the scribes who appear to have attempted to maintain some kind of 

uniformity of register in the songs by a single troubadour. Of the remaining seven songs that are 

122

transmitted in more than one manuscript, three transmit the melody with the same final in all 

versions: “Ay! tan gen vens,” “Per Dieu! Amors,” and “S’al cor plagues.” 

Several songs exhibit the same range but different finals. Both versions of “Ben an mort” 

and “Mout i fez” move in the range from c to d', but one version ends on d, the other on f. 

Likewise, the two complete versions of “Tan m’abellis” exhibit the same range, but different 

finals of c and e. In all these cases these finals are possible given the range; probably performers 

selected the finals during performance. 

The two versions of “Us volers” seem to be notated a step apart. The version in 

manuscript G ranges from B to c' and ends on c; whereas the version transmitted by manuscript 

R ranges from c to d' and ends on d. The version in manuscript G uses many b-flats as well as B- 

naturals, so it is difficult to determine whether it should be classified as mode 5 (semitone below 

final) or mode 7 (whole tone below final). The version in manuscript R uses no b-flats, always 

has a whole tone below the final, and easily falls into mode 1. Thus, the two melodies exhibit 

different interval structures, and their differing modal classifications are difficult to reconcile. 

Thus, Folquet’s melodies can be easily classified into their respective medieval melodic 

modes based on the final pitch and the range around it. The few melodies that exhibit excessive 

ranges employ only one or two notes beyond the usual range of the mode and sound these very 

infrequently. Folquet (or a later performer) may have stretched the limits of the modes to create 

particular effects. Although different versions of the same melody often end on different finals, 

many can be explained as standard transpositions or as equally possible finals given the range 

the melody moves through. 

123

Compositional Suggestions 

All the writers provide some suggestions for composing melodies using the modes. The 

author of the Dialogus and Guido provide general suggestions while John and Marchetto detail 

specific procedures, especially motivic constructions. John even goes so far as to state that the 

first thing a composer does is select the mode, a selection based on what will please the 

audience. 72 

Beginnings and Endings 

One expectation expressed by modern writers on troubadour melodies is that melodic 

lines should begin and end on the final, implying that this provides the appropriate tonal 

organization. 73 Medieval writers on the modes, however, present a more flexible approach to 

tonal organization. All the surveyed treatise writers agree that at least several phrases should 

begin or end on the final and that other phrases should begin and end on notes consonant with 

the final. For Guido consonant means that the note lies one of six intervals away from the final: 

semitone, tone, minor third, major third, perfect fourth, and perfect fifth; John lists nine such 

intervals but considers only the six listed by Guido as consonant. Thus, Guido and John suggest 

that melodies should begin and end within a fifth of the final. 74 

72 “Quicumque enim musicae habens notitiam regularem cantum componere curat, prius 

ad quem tonum eum convenire faciat, secum destinat.” John, De musica 10.8; Smits van 

Waesberghe, 77; Babb, 133. 

73 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 174-76; Parker, “Modal Analysis,” 23-24; Switten, 

“Music and Words,” 19; Vanin, “Musical Form,” 204. 

74 Except for mode three, which often begins on c', which as a minor sixth above the final 

is technically not consonant with it. 

124

The author of the Dialogus, Grocheio, and Marchetto provide specific notes appropriate 

for beginning and ending a melody; these are listed in Table 3.6. The notes suggested by the 

author of the Dialogus and Marchetto are quite similar. The Dialogus delineates which notes are 

commonly used and which ones infrequently; I have listed the commonly used notes at the 

beginning of the list and the less commonly used notes at the end. The lists for Marchetto 

include only the primary notes that a melody in a given mode can begin on. He discusses 

additional notes for melodies extending beyond the normal ranges; these additional notes often 

correspond to the notes designated by the author of the Dialogus as those used less frequently. 

The commonly used notes include the final and many other additional notes. 

The notes given by Grocheio seem puzzling for mode 1 and, especially, for mode 2, for 

which three of the four suggested notes lie outside the range. Both manuscripts list these notes, 

“puto primo quinque, scilicet in d et e gravibus et e, f, a acutis; secundo vero quattuor, scilicet in 

e gravi et d, e, f acutis.” 75 The scribe of the Darmstadt manuscript, however, initially wrote 

“secundo vero quattuor, scilicet in e gravi et d, e, et f et g gravibus”: the words in italics were 

struck through and acutis added. 76 This suggests that the scribe was more familiar with the range 

of the second mode and started to make the beginning notes fit into the range, but then altered it 

to fit his exemplar. 

75 “thus, the first mode begins on low d and e and high e, f, and a; the second begins on 

low e and high d, e, and f.” Grocheio, De musica 231; Rohloff, 154. 

76 Facsimiles of Harley 49r and Darmstadt 66r in Rohloff. 

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Table 3.6. Beginning and Ending Notes for Melodies 

Mode Dialogus Grocheo Marchetto 

1 c, d, f, g, a, e d, e, a, e', f' c, d, f, g, a 

2 A, c, d, e, f, G, B, g d, d', e', f' A, c, d, e, f 

3 e, f, g, c' d, e, f, g, a, c' e, f, g, c' 

4 c, d, e, f, g, a c, d, e, f, g c, d, e, f, g, a 

5 f, a, c', g f, b=, b>, c' f, g, a, c' 

6 f, a, e, d, c d, e, f c, d, f 

7 g, b, c', d', a, f g, b, c', d' f, g, a, b, c', d' 

8 c, d, f, g, a, c' f, g, a, c' d, f, g, a, c' 

Authentic modes typically include the note below the final, the final, the third and fifth above the 

final, except for mode 5, in which the note below the final is a semitone below the final and so is 

considered unacceptable as a beginning or ending note. Plagal melodies typically begin or end 

on pitches ranging from c to a third to a fifth above the final, except for mode 2 in which 

melodies can begin on the lowest notes of the gamut. A melody in any mode can begin on f; g, 

a, or d can begin a melody in most modes. 

Pitch Hierarchies 

The author of the Dialogus, Guido, and John discuss pitches of the mode in terms of a 

hierarchy of musical grammar, using the grammatical terminology discussed in Chapter 2. The 

music theorists discuss the hierarchy of musical units in terms of units of verbal discourse, from 

the smallest units to the largest. 77 

77 Bielitz, Musik und Grammatik, provides an extensive discussion and historical context 

of the grammatical model. Bower, “Grammatical Model,” discusses the terminology used in all 

the treatises that present musical hierarchies in this way. 

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The author of the Dialogus employs the simplest version. A chant is divided into 

distinctions which are suitable places to breathe. Most distinctions should end on the final, and 

the chant belongs to that mode on whose final most of its distinctions end. 78 While this brief 

discussion might seem to provide instruction for composing melodies, it actually demonstrates 

how to analyze a pre-existing melody. As in reading, the melody is broken down into parts; here 

defined as suitable places to breathe but with no other distinguishing characteristics. The 

majority of these places to breathe should be preceded by a cadence on the final of the melody. 

Thus, one identifies distinctions because they end on the final of the melody, and conversely one 

can determine the mode of the melody because most of the distinctions end on the final. These 

rules may be considered a first approximation for pupils learning how to sing plainchant. 

Guido discusses the division of melodies in Chapter 15 of the Micrologus, a chapter 

devoted to musical esthetics that has been the subject of many medieval commentaries. The 

chapter opens with the conventional comparison between the individual units of musical 

discourse and the individual units of grammar: 

Accordingly, just as in quantitative poetry there are letters and syllables, parts, and feet, 

and verses, in music there are tones, that is sounds, of which one or two or three are put 

together into syllables; and these same things alone or in pairs are neumae, that is they 

78 “Distinctiones quoque, id est loca, in quibus repausamus in cantu, et in quibus cantum 

dividimus, in eisdem vocibus debere finiri in unoquoque modo, in quibus possunt incipi cantus 

eius modi, manifestum est. Et ubi melius et saepius incipit unusquisque modus, ibi melius et 

decentius suas distinctiones incipere vel finire consuevit. Plures autem distinctiones in eam 

vocem, quae modum terminat, debere finiri, magistri tradunt; ne si in alia aliqua voce plures 

distinctiones, quam in ipsa, fiant, in eandem quoque et cantum finiri expectant, et a modo, in quo 

fuerant, mutari compellant. Ad eum denique modum magis cantus pertinet, ad quem suae 

distinctiones amplius currunt.” Dialogus 8; Gerbert, 1: 257-58; Treitler, 207-8. 

127

constitute a part of song; and one or more parts makes a distinction, that is an agreeable 

place to breathe. 79 

Thus, Guido divides the distinctions described by the author of the Dialogus into neumae, which 

are further divided into musical syllables consisting of several tones. Neumae, then, for Guido 

are not notes bound together in musical notation as neumes are for modern scholars, but 

something equivalent to words or feet in poetry; I will refer to them as musical gestures in the 

rest of the discussion to avoid confusion with neumes as musical notation. 80 Guido later states 

that distinctions are equivalent to lines of verse. 81 

He then connects the parts of musical discourse to the modal hierarchy; distinctions 

should begin and end on the final itself or the cofinal: 

Also, as to the principal sound, that is the final, or if the cofinal is chosen, almost every 

or the majority of distinctions should run, and sometimes also just as the same sound 

should end all or the majority of distinctions, sometimes it should also begin them, as is 

found in Ambrosian chant if you are interested. 82 

79 “2. “Igitur quemadmodum in metris sunt litterae et syllabae, partes et pedes ac versus, 

ita in harmonia sunt phtongi, id est soni, quorum unus, duo vel tres aptantur in syllabas; ipsaeque 

solae vel duplicatae neumam, id est partem constituunt cantilenae; et pars una vel plures 

distinctionem faciunt, id est congruum respirationis locum.” Guido, Micrologus 15.2-5; Smits 

van Waesberghe,162; Babb, 70. 

80 The Babb translation maintains some of Guido’s terminology, which in places obscures 

the meaning and the connection to other treatises. Babb translates neuma as neume, but 

distinctio as phrase. This causes some of Guido’s explanations to be construed incorrectly by 

modern scholars unfamiliar with the terminology or who read only selected passages. Guido, for 

example, says that neuma can be divided across several syllables–something that should not 

occur with neumes as musical notation, but that occurs frequently with musical gestures. 

81 “et distinctiones loco sint versuum.” Guido, Micrologus 15.44; Smits van 

Waesberghe,173; Babb, 72. 

82 “Item ut ad principalem vocem, id est finalem, vel si quam affinem eius pro ipsa 

elegerint, pene omnes aut perplures distinctiones currant, et eadem aliquando sicut et vox 

neumas omnes aut perplures distinctiones finiat, aliquando et incipiat, qualia apud Ambrosium si 

curiosus sis, invenire licebit.” Guido, Micrologus 15.33-35; Smits van Waesberghe, 170-71; 

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Although Guido derives his discussion from the Dialogus and expands some of its concepts on 

the division of musical discourse, he discusses it in the context of composing new melodies, not 

the analysis of pre-existing ones. 

Babb, 71-72. 

John connects the divisions of musical discourse and grammar explicitly. In his 

discussion of why some use the word tonus incorrectly to designate the melodic modes, he refers 

directly to Donatus’ discussion of punctuation: 

Or surely they are called tones because of the similarity with the tones that Donatus calls 

distinctions; for just as in prose, three things are considered distinctions, which can also 

be called places for pausing; they are colon or member, comma or clause, period or 

clausura (close of a period) or circuitus (period), they can be found in song. In prose 

naturally when there is an interruption in reading, this is called a colon, when the 

sentence 83 is divided by a punctum, this is called a comma, when it leads to the end of the 

sentence, this is a period. 84 

John then demonstrates how to divide a prose sentence into these parts and how to apply 

such divisions to a melody by comparing the last pitch of the phrase to the final of the melody: 

83 Sententia in these grammatical contexts means both sentence and meaning. 

84 “Vel certe toni dicuntur ad similitudinem tonorum, quos Donatus distinctiones vocat: 

sicut enim in prosa tres considerantur distinctiones, quae et pausationes appellari possunt, 

scilicet colon id est membrum, comma incisio, periodus clausura sive circuitus, ita et in cantu. In 

prosa quippe quando suspensive legitur, colon vocatur; quando per legitimum punctum sententia 

dividitur, comma, quando ad finem sententia deducitur, periodus est.” John, De musica 10.21- 

23; Smits van Waesberghe, 79; Babb, 116. John appears to combine two different sections of the 

Ars maior of Donatus in an attempt to justify the use of tonus for modus. Donatus actually 

considers tonus as one possible word for accent; the other is tenor. In the section on tones he 

covers how to locate the accent in a Latin word, but he does not discuss the division of the text 

into units called distinctions. 

129

Similarly when the song pauses on the fourth or fifth from the final, there is a colon, 

when in the middle it leads to the final, there is a comma, when at the end the final is 

reached it is a period. 85 

A phrase that is complete ends on the final; lack of completion is indicated by an ending on the 

fourth or fifth above the final. As many scholars have noted, John reverses the usual order of 

comma and colon in terms of completion; to maintain consistency within the dissertation I will 

normalize John’s terminology, so a colon is a more musically complete phrase than a comma. 

Colons and periods both end on the final and are distinguished by their position in the melody: 

melodically complete phrases within the melody are colons, and the complete melody is a 

period. John illustrates the coordination between the musical and verbal phrases with a piece of 

plainchant; this is discussed further in Chapter 5. 

Pitch Structure in Folquet’s Songs 

Folquet’s songs, when examined as individual melodies, vary in their adherence to these 

precepts, but in his works as a whole certain trends emerge, as shown in Table 3.7. Here I have 

considered each melodic line to be equivalent to a musical phrase. As shown in Table 3.7a, 

melodic lines typically do not begin on the final but on other notes, most often the fifth and third 

above the final and the note below it. In terms of individual modes, the fourth and fifth notes 

above the final open melodic lines most often in melodies in authentic modes: 1, 5, and 7. The 

third above the final is most common in melodies in modes 1 and 6. The note below the final 

opens melodic lines more often in melodies in modes 1 and 2. 

85 “Similiter cum cantus in quarta vel quinta a finali voce per suspensionem pausat, colon 

est; cum in medio ad finalem reducitur, comma est; cum in fine ad finalem pervenit periodus 

est.” John, De musica 10.25; Smits van Waesberghe, 79; Babb,116. 

130

In contrast, melodic lines in any mode most often end on the final, followed by the third 

and fourth above the final and the note below it, as shown in Table 3.7b. Melodies in plagal 

modes begin and end more often on notes around and below the final; melodies in authentic 

modes begin more often in the upper part of the range and end in the register near the final. 

These observations cohere well with the suggestions offered by the music theorists. 

Table 3.7. Numbers of Lines Beginning or Ending on Scale Steps in Relation to the Final 

a. Beginning Notes in Relation to the Final. Final=scale step 1, scale steps are arranged around 

the final 

Scale steps 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Mode 1 0 0 0 0 16 9 6 26 19 27 4 10 3 

Mode 2 1 3 3 3 8 5 6 2 1 0 1 0 0 

Modes 5 

and 7 

0 0 0 0 1 3 4 4 11 15 8 1 5 

Mode 6 0 0 2 2 2 1 2 8 0 2 1 0 0 

Totals 1 3 5 5 27 18 18 40 31 44 14 11 8 

b. Ending Notes in Relation to the Final. Final=scale step 1, scale steps are arranged around the 

final 

Scale 

steps 

4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Mode 1 0 0 1 20 32 6 23 25 7 4 4 0 

Mode 2 5 2 2 6 13 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 

Modes 5 

and 7 

0 0 0 1 15 7 8 4 10 5 1 1 

Mode 6 0 3 3 0 4 5 1 4 0 0 0 0 

Totals 5 5 6 27 64 18 34 34 17 9 5 1 

In individual melodies, however, there is considerable variation in emphasis on the final. 

The final concludes at least one melodic line in addition to the final one in nineteen melodies. 

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In eight 86 the final ends more verses than any other note does, although in six of these 87 it does 

not end the majority but the plurality of verses. The final in these songs is emphasized through 

repetition at the ends of verses, as suggested by the music theorists. In seven additional melodies 

the final ends the same number of verses as at least one other pitch. In these melodies the final is 

not as clearly established as in the first eight, but often the verses which the final closes create a 

sense of melodic structure. 

Regardless of the number of lines in the stanza, the final sounds most often at the end of 

the second or fourth verse, in twelve and eleven melodies respectively; in six melodies it sounds 

at the end of both the second and fourth verses. For nine of the melodies in which the final 

concludes the fourth line, this creates a division of the stanza into two musical colons or periods. 

In two songs, “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Tan m’abellis,” the appearance of the final at the end of 

the fourth verse coordinates with the melodic repetition to underscore the division into two 

musically complete phrases, as in the version of “Ay tan gen vens” that appears in manuscript R, 

shown in Figure 3.8. 

The stanza divides into two melodically complete phrases of four-lines each; they cannot 

be designated as musical colons, however, because the final also ends the second line, dividing 

the first four lines into two musically complete phrases of two lines each. Although John does 

not indicate this explicitly, writers on verbal grammar (discussed in Chapter 2) indicate that the 

86 “Amors, Merce!” in manuscripts G and R, “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, “Sitot 

me sui” in manuscript G, “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript G, “Tan mou” in manuscripts G and W, 

and “Us volers” in manuscript R. 

87 The final is reached in the majority of verses in both versions of “Amors, Merce!” Its 

strong modal orientation has been noted by several writers. 

132

Figure 3.8. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R 

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verbal units form a nested hierarchy, in which a period consists of colons and commas, and 

colons consist of commas. Thus, the first four lines must be considered a musical period, 

consisting of two, two-line musical colons. The last four lines form a musical period consisting 

of four musical commas. Thus, the hierarchy of pitches and location within the song determines 

whether a musically complete phrase is a colon or a period. 

Although many ten-line melodies divide into a first period or colon of four lines and a 

second of six, the ten-line stanzas of both versions of “Us volers” divide into two periods of five 

lines each, based on the sounding of the final at the end of line 5. In both versions the second 

line also ends with the final, thus dividing the first period into two colons. The melodic 

structures in terms of the modal hierarchy of pitches is the same in the two versions even though 

the version in manuscript G has its final on c and the version in manuscript R has its final on d. 

In the remaining ten melodies 88 the final occurs less often at the ends of verses than other 

notes, in some melodies much less often. At least two verses (including the last) end on the final 

in four melodies. 89 The verses that end on the final in “Ja no.s cug hom” and “Greu fera” in 

manuscript W echo the emphasis provided in the other songs in that the second verse of “Ja no.s 

cug hom” and the fourth verse of “Greu fera” in manuscript W end on the final. The lack of 

emphasis on the final of the version of “Mout i fez” transmitted in manuscript R, likewise, 

echoes the minimal emphasis on the final in the version transmitted in manuscript G. 

88 “Greu fera” in manuscripts G and W, “Ja no.s cug hom” in manuscript G, “Mout i fez” 

in manuscript R, “Per dieu! Amors” in manuscripts G and R, “S’al cor plagues” in manuscripts 

G and R, “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript R, and “Tan mou” in manuscript R. 

89 “Greu fera” in manuscript W, “Ja no.s cug hom,” “Mout i fez” in manuscript R, and 

“Tan mou” in manuscript R. 

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The lack of emphasis on the final of the version of “Tan mou” transmitted by manuscript 

R may result from a problem in transposition. The three versions encompass similar ranges (see 

Table 3.5), and all three end the plurality of lines on g. 90 In addition, two lines in the versions 

transmitted by manuscripts G and W and four lines in the version transmitted in manuscript R 

begin on g. The versions transmitted in manuscripts G and W end on g and move within a plagal 

range around the final. Because both versions require many b-flats, they are classified as mode 2 

transposed to end on g. The version transmitted by manuscript R, however, ends on c and moves 

within the authentic range above the final, uses some b-flats, and is classified as mode 7, 

transposed to c. Although two verses do end on the c final, this slight emphasis is far 

overshadowed by the emphasis on g. 

So it appears that the version transmitted by manuscript R ends incorrectly on c, rather 

than on g. This matter, however, cannot really be resolved because while Folquet could have 

composed the melody with a final on g and a plagal range with the g emphasized as suggested by 

theorists, it could also have been composed with a final on c and an authentic range, with the 

reciting tone emphasized. In this scenario, some performer or scribe followed the advice of the 

music theorists and altered the melody so that the pitch emphasized in the course of the melody 

sounded at the end. 

90 Most of the melody for line 4 was never copied into manuscript G; this line ends on the 

final in the version transmitted by manuscript W. Based on this, it is possible that line 4 would 

have ended on g in the version transmitted in manuscript G, so half the lines in this version 

would end on the final. 

135

The final does not end any verse except the last in six melodies. 91 Although the final is 

not emphasized by repetition at the beginning or ends of verses in either version of “Per Dieu! 

Amors,” it is emphasized through repetition in the middle of the melodic lines, as shown in 

Figure 3.9. 

Figure 3.9. “Per dieu! Amors” in manuscript G 

91 “Greu fera” in manuscript R, “Per dieu! Amors” in manuscripts G and R, “S’al cor 

plagues” in manuscripts G and R, and “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript R. 

136

The final appears in every verse as the lowest pitch except in the fourth verse which remains in a 

slightly higher register. In verses 3, 5, 7, and 8 the final is sounded repeatedly in the middle of 

the verse. These two factors emphasize the pitch c as the destination for the melodic lines, but 

does so in the middle rather than at the ends of the melodic lines. 

The final is much less emphasized in both versions of “S’al cor plagues”; only the final 

verse ends on d, and the majority of distinctions in manuscript G and the plurality of distinctions 

in manuscript R end on f. In addition, five verses in manuscript G’s version and three in 

manuscript R’s version begin on f and in both manuscripts, only line 7 begins on the final d. 

According to the music theory precepts, this song should have a final on f. Despite this, the two 

versions concur in the d final. 

Modes 1 and 6 share several characteristics that can yield similar structural results. The 

theoretical range of both modes is the same: from c to c' or d'. Plagal melodies should remain 

around the final and sound it frequently to establish it, but authentic melodies should stay in the 

higher parts of the register. The tonal space between f and c', then, is recommended for 

emphasis for both modes. This ambiguity between modes 1 and 6 is obvious from an 

examination of “S’al cor plagues.” Both melodies cover the range from c to d', touching d' once 

in manuscript R and twice in manuscript G. 

There are a few characteristics, however, that do support the d final over the f final. In 

the version transmitted in manuscript R, lines 2 and 3 end on e and both include d in the final 

neume; in line 2, as shown in Figure 3.10, the first pitch of the neume is d, and the e fills the 

small leap to f at the beginning of line 3. The version in manuscript G teases in the same way at 

137

the end of line 3, in which the final neume begins on d and leaps up to f, the same pitch on which 

line 4 begins. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Figure 3.10. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, line 2 

The two versions are remarkably similar in melodic contour except in line 6, as shown in 

Figure 3.11. Here, the version in manuscript R covers in the course of the entire line the tonal 

space covered by the first six neumes of the version in manuscript G. In manuscript R’s version, 

the line forms an arch from f to c' to g and ends on g, whereas in manuscript G’s version the line 

continues down to cadence on c, passing through d on the way down. Line 7 in both versions 

begins on the final d. This arrival is then emphasized by the leap down in manuscript R and by 

the only cadence in this lowest register in manuscript G. 

Figure 3.11. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscripts G and R, line 6 

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The version of “Tan m’abellis” transmitted by manuscript R closely resembles the 

version transmitted by manuscript G in terms of range, contour, and ending notes for the melodic 

lines but differs in the final, as shown in Figure 3.12. 

The version in manuscript G emphasizes the final d through repetition; it closes the 

second, fourth, and final verses. In addition, many of the remaining verses end on notes that 

surround the final: the third and seventh verses end on the note below it, the fifth and sixth end 

on the note above it. The song opens with repeated notes on the reciting tone a. Three verses 

begin on g, a fourth above the final, and three verses begin on c, the note below the final. 

The version in manuscript R also begins with repeated notes on a, as does the fifth verse. 

No verse but the last ends on the final. Verse 2 ends on d, like the version in manuscript G, but 

four verses end on c, including the third and seventh verses, as in the version in manuscript G. 

Two verses, the third and eighth, do begin on the final; only two verses begin on g and one on c. 

Medieval theorists suggest that plagal melodies should emphasize the final more than authentic 

melodies do, but the plagal version of this melody seems to emphasize the final less than the 

version in the authentic mode. 

Thus these six songs cannot be securely divided into commas, colons, and periods based 

on the appearance of the final in certain verses. Musically, these songs consist entirely of a 

series of musical commas, whose musical meaning is incomplete until the end of the stanza. 

Folquet’s melodies on the whole do emphasize the final suitably; some conform to the 

theorists’ compositional suggestions while others adhere less strictly to them. Most songs can be 

divided into commas, colons, and periods based the appearance of the final at the ends of key 

139

Figure 3.12. “Tan m’abellis” in manuscripts G and R 

140

lines; other songs, however, consist of strings of commas, in which musical completeness is 

achieved only at the end of the stanza. 

141

Chapter 4. Musical Form and Melodic Repetition 

“The perception of repetition is one of the principal elements in the perception of musical 

form.” 1 In accord with this precept, most scholarship on form in troubadour melodies focuses on 

repetition within the stanza, first at the level of repetition of complete melodic lines, then at the 

level of repetition of shorter melodic phrases. This also partially accords with some medieval 

discussions of form in secular songs. In this chapter I examine musical form in terms of three 

levels of repetition: repetition of the same music for each stanza, repetition of complete melodic 

lines, and repetition of shorter melodic segments. In the process I attempt to reconcile medieval 

and modern discussions of musical form at these levels to develop my own criteria for 

identifying repetition and assessing its importance in determining musical form in Folquet’s 

melodies. 

The three fourteenth-century writers who discuss secular song, Dante, Grocheio, and 

Molinier, have been encountered in previous chapters of the dissertation. Each writer supplies 

some clues to the understanding of musical form of troubadour melodies but is also focused on 

songs of his own time and geographic location. Dante’s discussion of musical and poetic form in 

De vulgari eloquentia is the initiation point for most modern discussions of musical form. 

Although Dante cites the works of many troubadours as examples of various aspects of 

versification, the treatise is, as a whole, concerned with fourteenth-century Italian practice rather 

than earlier poetry from other regions. 2 

1 New Harvard Dictionary of Music, s.v. “repetition.” 

2 Gonfroy, “Le reflet de la canso,”187-88; Vanin, “Musical Form,” 37-38. 

142

The treatise by Johannes de Grocheio likewise has engaged musicologists in his 

discussion of musical form, principally of the various types of dancing songs and instrumental 

music. 3 He also describes the salient characteristics of the cantus coronatus and cantus 

versualis, both identified as types of trouvère chansons, the northern equivalent to the troubadour 

canso. It cannot be determined to what extent his descriptions apply to troubadour songs. 

Guilhem Molinier also briefly describes the appropriate type of melody for the 

troubadour canso in the encyclopedic Leys d’amors. Despite the geographical proximity, 

Molinier’s discussion of fourteenth-century troubadour songs may also have limited applicability 

to the earlier songs from the same area. 4 The brevity of the discussion suggests that music was 

no longer important to song composition in the south of France; yet this brief discussion 

supplements other medieval discussions of musical form in ways particularly applicable to 

troubadour melody. 

Repetition of the Same Music for Every Stanza 

Dante defines the cantio most specifically of the three authors: “[it] consists of stanzas 

with equal numbers of lines without a refrain that express a single idea in the tragic style.” 5 

Grocheio likewise describes the form of the cantus coronatus in terms of stanzas: 

The verse in the cantus coronatus is constructed from many sections and intervals which 

are harmonized together. The number of verses in the cantus coronatus by reason of the 

3Most recently, Page, “Johannes de Grocheio on Secular Music”; Mulally, “Johannes de 

Grocheio’s ‘Musica vulgaris.’” 

4 Gonfroy, “Le reflet de la canso,” 188. 

5 “Dicimus ergo quod cantio, in quantum per superexcellentiam dicitur, ut et nos 

querimus, est equalium stantiarum sine responsorio ad unum sententiam tragia coniugatio.” 

Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 2.8.8; Mengaldo, 49; Shapiro, 81. 

143

seven concords is determined to be seven. All the verses must complete the meaning of 

the material, no more, no less. 6 

Molinier, too, describes the canso in terms of subject and numbers of stanzas: “A canso is a type 

of poem that consists of five to seven stanzas and must treat love or praise principally . . . and in 

terms of the melody, a canso should have a melody like a vers.” 7 The vers differs from the canso 

only in terms of subject matter; melody of the vers has already been described: “A vers must 

have a long, slow, newly composed melody with beautiful and melodious rises and falls and with 

beautiful musical phrases and pleasing pauses.” 8 

Thus, all three authors define secular song as consisting of stanzas. Dante specifies that 

the stanzas have equal numbers of lines, which for him means that they can receive the same 

6 “Versus vero in cantu coronato est, qui ex pluribus punctis et concordantiis ad se 

invicem harmoniam facientibus efficitur. Numerus vero versuum in cantu coronato ratione 

septem concordantiarum determinatus est ad septem. Tot enim versus debent totam sententiam 

materiae, nec plus, nec minus, continere.” Johannes de Grocheio, De musica 127-28; Rohloff, 

132-34. Grocheio’s discussion of the form of the cantus is not entirely unambiguous. Other 

translators have focused on identifying the parts of the fixed forms and dances that Grocheio 

describes, probably because they think the form of the cantus is obvious. The word I have 

translated as “verse” is versus, which more commonly means “line of verse” rather than stanza. 

Based on Grocheio’s descriptions of other types of songs, it appears that versus must mean 

stanza here. Similarly, punctum usually refers to the mark used for punctuation or a note of 

musical notation. Grocheio later indicates that the parts of certain dances are comprised of 

puncta, so he apparently means a section or possibly a phrase separated by punctuation. 

7 “Chansos es us dictatz que conte de v a vij coblas. e deu tractar principalmen d’amors. o 

de lauzors. . . . chansos deu have so pauzat ayssi quo vers.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult 1: 340. 

8 “Vers deu haver lonc so. e pauzat. e noel. amb belas e melodiozas montadas. e 

deshendudas. et amb belas plassadas. e plazens pauzas.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult 1:338. According to Levy, Provenzalisches Supplement-Wörterbuch, plassadas appears 

only in this one version of the Leys d’amors, so it’s hard to know exactly what it means. Levy, 

Petit dictionnaire, suggests “musical passages” with a question mark indicating the lack of 

security of this definition. Other versions of the Leys d’amors have passadas which refer to 

passages between buildings; plassadas may be a scribal error. 

144

melody. Grocheio and Molinier are less explicit, although the division into stanzas implies that 

each stanza is sung to the same melody. In addition, Molinier describes the descort as having 

stanzas that “do not agree and are variable in rhyme and melody.” 9 The descort, then, is 

distinguished from other songs by its lack of strophic form in the poem and the melody; other 

songs by inference use the same melody for every stanza. 

The repetition of the same melody for each stanza in the words, then, is the highest level 

of form in troubadour song. This level of form is visible in the manuscripts, in which the melody 

sets only the first stanza of the poem, with the implication that the same melody serves the 

remaining stanzas. Descorts and other irregular forms appear in the manuscripts with melodies 

provided for each stanza. The scribe of manuscript G often provided the first line of the second 

stanza with staves and music to indicate the source of the melody for subsequent stanzas. 

Melodic lines for the second stanza are usually identical in pitch content, if not in neume form, 

to the melody for the first line of the first stanza. 

The remaining problem is that of the tornada, a short stanza that corresponds in 

versification to the last lines of the stanza. If modern scholars address the problem of the tornada 

at all, they follow the lead of the versification and set the words of the tornada to the last few 

melodic lines. The last few lines of the song, then, function as a unit to bring the complete song 

to a close. 

The repetition of the melody for each stanza means that there is no one set of words 

associated with the melody; the relationship between the music and words may change subtlely 

9 “lasquels coblas devon esser singulars. dezacordablas. e variablas. en acort. en so.” 

Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult 1: 342. 

145

from stanza to stanza, a topic explored in Chapter 5. For the purposes of this chapter, the 

importance of the strophic repetition is that other types of melodic repetition, especially of 

complete melodic lines, becomes regular as the melody is repeated for each stanza. Van der 

Werf, who in his 1972 publication disparaged the efforts of the troubadours to compose melodies 

because they could not create musical forms that matched the versification, 10 observed in a later 

publication that such repetition might create sonic monotony, as the same melody is repeated for 

every stanza. 11 

10 van der Werf, Chansons, 63-64. 

Repetition of Complete Melodic Lines 

Dante, Grocheio, and Molinier also discuss how the complete melody is divided into 

shorter segments. In the latter part of De vulgari eloquentia, Dante focuses on the parts of the 

stanza and their arrangement The discussion opens with the structure of the melody, the 

paragraph cited by modern scholars as the source for their ideas on musical repetition: 

We say therefore that every stanza is harmonized to receive some melody. But this is 

accomplished in different ways; because some are harmonized with a melody that is 

continuous to the end, that is without repetition of the melody and without diesis–we call 

it a diesis when the melody changes from one to another; this we call volta as in the 

vernacular; and Arnaut Daniel composed almost all his songs this way, and we followed 

him when we wrote “Al poco giorno e al gran cerchio d’ombra.” Others are subject to 

the diesis; and there cannot be a diesis, as we designate it, unless there is repetition of one 

melody either before the diesis or after or both. If there is repetition before the diesis 

then we say the stanza has pedes; and it should have two or rarely three. If the repetition 

is after the diesis then we say the stanza has versus. If there is no repetition before the 

diesis we say the stanza has a frons; if it has no repetition after the diesis then we say it 

has a sirma or cauda. 12 

11 van der Werf, Extant Troubadour Melodies, 71-72. 

12 “Dicimus ergo quod omnis stantia ad quandam odam recipiendam armonizata est. Sed 

in modis diversificari videntur. Quia quedam sunt sub una oda continua usque ad ultimum 

progressive, hoc est sine iteratione modulationis cuiusquam et sine diesi–et diesim dicimus 

146

Thus, Dante assigns two actions to the repetition of melodic units that encompass whole lines of 

verse. First, the pattern of the repetitions creates the form of the stanza, which allows it to be 

classified. Second, the pattern creates the diesis that divides the stanza into two sections. 

Modern scholars have extracted from this four patterns of repetition, which are 

diagramed using letters to stand for melodic phrases–different letters for different melodies and 

the same letter for the same melody, for illustrative purposes based on an eight-verse stanza, as 

follows: 

oda continua abcdefgh 

pedes cum cauda abab:cdef 

pedes cum versibus abab:cdcd 

frons cum versibus abcd:efef 

Dante’s description presupposes that the reader already knows what pedes and versus or voltas 

are. These terms are used by a variety of fourteenth-century authors to designate the parts of the 

Italian fixed forms, such as the ballata, and so must have been part of the common parlance of 

the time. 13 Modern scholars, likewise, recognize the terms from the parts of the fixed forms and 

deductionem vergentem de una oda in aliam (hanc voltam vocamus, cum vulgus alloquimur)–: et 

huiusmodi stantia usus est fere in omnibus cantionibus suis Arnaldus Danielis, et nos eum secuti 

sumus cum diximus: “Al poco giorno e al gran cerchio d’ombra.” Quedam vero sunt diesim 

patientes: et diesis esse non potest, secundum quod eam appellamus, nisi reiteratio unius ode fiat, 

vel ante diesim, vest post, vel undique. Si ante diesim repetitio fiat, stantiam dicimus habere 

pedes; et duos habere decet, licet quandoque tres fiant, rarissime tamen. Si repetitio fiat post 

diesim, tunc dicimus stantiam habere versus. Si ante no fiat repetitio, stantiam dicimus habere 

frontem. Si post non fiat, dicimus habere sirma, sive caudam.” Dante, De vulgari eloquentia 

2.10.2-4; Mengaldo, 51; Shapiro, 83. 

13 Francesco da Barberino briefly describes nineteen different types of poetry including 

the cantio extensa, sonnet, and ballata in the glosses to the second document of the Documenti 

d’amore, completed in 1313. He defines some in terms of their forms and others by subject 

matter or other criteria. Antonio da Tempo describes in greater detail several different poetic and 

musical forms, including the cantio extensa, sonnet, ballata, madrigal, and rotundellus in the 

Summa artis rithimici vulgaris dictaminis. The cantio extensa is considered to be equivalent to 

147

create their diagrams accordingly. Dante’s description at this point, and it is barely clarified in 

the remainder of the discussion, does not indicate any kind of arrangement or exclusivity to the 

repetition: it suggests that any repetition in the first or second part of the stanza creates pedes or 

versus. 

Dante’s description of the form of the stanza stands apart from the other fourteenth- 

century writers. Grocheio indicates that the stanza is made up of sections and intervals. 

Molinier similarly describes the melody as consisting of ascents and descents, possibly 

equivalent to Grocheio’s intervals, arranged into passages separated by pauses. 14 Thus, the most 

important feature of both the cantus coronatus and the canso melody is that it is divided into 

sections that consist of intervals; there is no mention of repetition. 

This brings up the question of the validity of using repetition to determine musical form 

in this repertory. The songs themselves further underscore this questioning. Many scholars have 

observed that different versions of the melody for the same set of words exhibit different 

repetition patterns. 15 If repetition truly determined musical form in this repertory, then the same 

repetition pattern would be exhibited in different versions. Instead, one often finds that the 

melodic contour remains the same, but the pitches themselves and their arrangement changes. 

This more nearly corresponds to Molinier’s description of the melodies as consisting of rising 

and falling melodic lines. So, in some ways repetition of melodic lines may not be truly 

important for musical form in this repertory. 

Dante’s cantio. 

14 Grocheio and Molinier were quoted above. 

15I examine this more fully with regard to assessments of musical form in Folquet’s 

melodies below. 

148

Having said this, it is useful to identify repetition of melodic lines as part of the process 

of defining the form of the melody. Many melodies do exhibit repetition of some melodic lines, 

and this type of assessment of form has been embraced by modern scholars, although with 

varying degrees of enthusiasm. Dissatisfaction arises from several sources, including the lack of 

a defined procedure for distinguishing the same melody from a different melody, the lack of a 

good fit between Dante’s formal categories and forms used by the troubadours, and the lack of 

explanatory power. In the following I delve into these problems as I investigate musical form in 

Folquet’s melodies based on repetition as other modern scholars have heard them and as various 

medieval authors assess musical form and repetition. 

Repetition of Melodic Lines in Folquet’s Songs 

Identification. The first difficulty encountered in trying to assess musical form based on 

repetition of whole melodic lines is the definition of what constitutes repetition. Dante defines 

forms based on repetition but does not reveal what he considers to be melodic repetition. 

Similarly, most modern scholars do not discuss their criteria for identifying one line as a 

repetition of another. 16 An examination of published formal diagrams of Folquet’s songs, as 

shown in Table 4.1, reveals that different scholars assess repetition using different criteria. 17 

16 Of the five discussed in the following section, only Vanin supplies criteria for 

identifying one line as a repetition of another: the two lines need to have at least half the pitches 

in common. Aubrey lists possible types of variation she allows between lines she considers 

repetition. The remaining scholars simply list the musical form based on repetition of melodic 

lines. 

17 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 158; Vanin, “Musical Form,” 246-49; Le Vot, 

“Intertextualité, métrique,” 650-4; Gennrich, Der musikalische Nachlass der Troubadours, 56- 

59; Sesini, Melodie trobadoriche, 2: 6-31. 

149

Table 4.1. Five Scholars’ Assessments of Folquet’s Musical Forms 

Song MS Aubrey Vanin Le Vot Gennrich Sesini 

Amors, 

merce! 

Amors, 

merce! 

Ay! tan 

gen vens 

Ay! tan 

gen vens 

Ben an 

mort 

Ben an 

mort 

G throughcomposed 

R throughcomposed 

G A B C D 

A' E B' D' 

R A B C D 

A' E B' D' 



En canten G A B C D 

E F G H J D' 

Greu fera G A B B' C D E 

F C' C" 

Greu fera R A B B 'C 

D E F C' C" 

Greu fera W A B C D 

E F C' D' D" 

Ja no.s cug 

hom 


Mout i fez G A B A' C 

D E F G B' H 

Mout i fez R A B A' C 

D E F G B' H 

Per dieu! 

Amors 

Per dieu! 

Amors 

S’al cor 

plagues 




A B C(A 1 ) D( 3 A/B 3 ) 

E(D 1 ) F G( 3 F 1 ) 

A B C D( 4 A/C 2 ) 

E(D 1 ) F G(D 3 ) 

150 

A B C D 

E F G 

A B C D 

E F G 

A B C D E( 3 A) F G D A B C D 

E F G D 

A B C D E( 3 A) F G D' A B C D 

E F G D' 

A B C D 

E F G H(C 2 ) I J 

A B(A 2 ) C D 

E F G H I J 

A B(A 1 ) C D 

E F(C 3 ) G(B 3 /A 1 ) H( 3 A) 

I J(C/D 2 ) 

A B B' C 

D E F G(C) G* 

A B C( 3 B) D 

E F G(B 4 ) H(D) H' 

A B C D( 3 C) 

E F C* F(D) G(F) 

A B C D 

E F(D 2 ) G H 

A B A* C 

D(C) E F G(A *2 ) H 

I( 3 E/B 2 ) 

A B A* C D E F G( 2 D) 

H( 2 B) I 

A B C D 

C'(D 2 ) E(D) F(C') G 

A B C(B 2 ) D 

E( 3 B) F G H 

A B C( 2 B) D( 1 B) E(A 3 ) 

F( 3 C) G(A 3 ) H(D 2 ) A* 

I(D) 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B B' C 

D E F G G' 

A B B' C 

D E F G G' 

A B B' C 

D E F G G' 

A B C D 

E F G H 

A B A' C 

D E F G H I 

A B A' C 

D E F G H I 

A B C D 

C E F G 

A B C D 

C' E F G 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G 

A B C D 

E F G H 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B B' C 

D E F G G' 

A B C D 

E F G H 

A B A' C 

D E F G H I 

A B C D 

E F G H 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G 

A B C D 

E F G D 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C(B) D 

E F G H H' 

A B C D 

E F G H 

A B C(A) D 

E F G H I 

L(F) 

A B C D 

E(C) F G H 

A B C D 

E F G H I L

Table 4.1. continued 

S’al cor 

plagues 

Sitot me 

sui 

Tan 

m’abellis 

Tan 

m’abellis 


G A B C B' 

D E F E' 

G A B C D 

A' E C' F 

R A B C D 

A' E C' F 

Tan mou G throughcomposed 

Tan mou R throughcomposed 

Tan mou W throughcomposed 

Us volers G A B C D E 

C' D' F E' G 

Us volers R A B C D E 

C' D' F E' G 

A B C( 2 B) D E(A 3 ) 

F( 3 C) G(A 2 ) H A* I 

A B C(B 3 ) D( 1 B) E( 2 C) 

F(D) G F(B 2 ) 

A B C D 

E(B 1 ) F( 2 D/B 2 ) C' D 

A B C D(C 3 ) 

E( 4 A) F G(C) H( 2 C/D) 

A B C [D] E F G( 3 E) 

H( 3 F) I J K(G) L 

A B(A) C D E F G 

H( 3 G) G* I J K 

A B C D E F G( 3 E) 

H( 3 F) I(G) J K(G) L 

A B C(A 2 ) D E 

C D F E* G 

A B C D E 

F(C 2 ) D* G H I( 2 H) 

151 

A B C D 

E F G H I J 

A B C D 

E F G F' 

A B C D 

E F G D 

A B C D 

E F G D 

A B C ? E F G 

H I J K L 

A B C D E F G 

H G' I J K 

A B C D E F? 

G H I J K L 

A B C D E C' 

D F E' G 

A B C D E C' 

D' F' G H 

A B C D 

E F G F' 

A B C D 

E F C' D 

A B C D E F 

G H I J K L 

A B C D E C 

D F E' G 

A B C D 

E F G F' 

A B C D 

E F G D 

A B C [D] E F 

G H I J K L 

A B C D E C 

D F E G 

The five scholars agree on the forms of eight out of twenty-five melodies. They concur 

that seven melodies–both versions of “Amors, merce!” and “Ben an mort,” the versions of “Tan 

mou” transmitted by manuscripts G and W, and “Ja no.s cug hom”–exhibit no repetition. They 

also agree on the repetition of certain phrases in “Us volers” as transmitted in manuscript G. 

They agree on some, but not all, of the repetition in a few songs: the last two lines of “Greu fera” 

transmitted in manuscripts G and R and the sixth and eighth lines of “Sitot me sui.” Repetition 

in the remaining lines in these songs is identified less consistently. In general, repetition is 

identified less consistently than lack of repetition. 

What did repetition mean to medieval scholars? Dante provides examples of the poetry 

for the various forms he describes, but none of these poems has been transmitted with a melody. 

No turn-of-the-fourteenth-century cantio or canzone, in fact, has been transmitted with a

melody. 18 Because Dante and his contemporaries use the same terminology to describe the parts 

of the canzone and the ballata, one may be able to conjecture the type of repetition Dante intends 

by examining the ballata. 

Monophonic ballatas have been transmitted in the Rossi and Squarcialupi codices. In 

these manuscripts the scribes did not write out the melody for the entire stanza as it would have 

been sung; they provide the melody for only the refrain and the first pes. The words for the other 

pes and the volta are written either in the margins or below the lines with staves. The melody for 

the refrain is repeated for the volta and that for the first pes serves the second as well. 19 The 

scribes assume that the user can assemble the complete stanza, words and melody, from the 

parts, so it is redundant to copy the melody a second time. Thus, the repeated lines exhibit the 

same pitches, in the same order, bound together in the same units, corresponding to the same 

syllable numbers in the words. 

Pairs of lines in three of Folquet’s songs transmitted by manuscript G exhibit exact 

repetition of this type: lines 4 and 8 of “Ay! tan gen vens,” lines 4 and 8 of “Tan m’abellis,” and 

lines 4 and 7 of “Us volers.” The second line of the pair exhibits some variation in the versions 

of “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Us volers” transmitted by manuscript R; lines 4 and 8 of “Tan 

m’abellis” in manuscript R are quite different. Given the exact correspondence between these 

pairs of lines in manuscript G, one might expect scholars to identify these pairs of lines 

consistently as repetitions, yet the five scholars do not. Gennrich does not note the repetition of 

18 Marocco, “Enigma of the Canzone,” 708. 

19Described most clearly in Antonio da Tempo, Summa artis rithimici vulgaris 

dictaminis, 49. 

152

line 4 as line 8 in “Ay! tan gen vens”; likewise, Aubrey does not note the repetition of line 4 as 

line 8 in “Tan m’abellis.” 

Pairs of melodic lines in troubadour songs often exhibit exact repetition up to the 

cadence. Vanin indicates such a difference with an asterisk (*) after the letter; other scholars 

indicate this difference with a prime ('). Four pairs of Folquet’s melodic lines exhibit variation 

only at the cadence: lines 1 and 3 of “Mout i fez” transmitted in manuscript R, lines 6 and 8 of 

“Sitot me sui” transmitted in manuscript G, lines 7 and 9 of “Tan mou” transmitted in manuscript 

R, and lines 5 and 9 of “Us volers” transmitted in manuscript G. 

Two additional line pairs exhibit minor variation within the line in addition to the 

cadence. As shown in Figure 4.1, line 9 of the version of “Greu fera” transmitted in manuscript 

G repeats the pitches of the first six neumes of line 8 exactly except for the second neume, which 

in line 8 consists of one pitch, g, and in line 9 consists of two pitches, g and a. The additional a 

in line 9 may be considered an anticipation of the first pitch of the third neume. 

Figure 4.1. “Greu fera” in manuscript G, lines 8 and 9 

The differences between lines 1 and 3 of the version of “Mout i fez” transmitted in 

manuscript G lie in the distribution of the pitches in relation to the syllables, as shown in Figure 

153

4.2. The fourth neume in line 1 consists of two pitches, a and b-flat; these two pitches are 

distributed over the fourth and fifth neumes in line 3. This represents a minor variation because 

the majority of pitches and the relationship between the melodic contour and the syllables is the 

same between the two lines. 

Figure 4.2. “Mout i fez” in manuscript G, lines 1 and 3 

Two pairs of lines exhibit variation in the approach to the cadence, but not the cadence 

pitch itself. Lines 3 and 6 of “Us volers” transmitted in manuscript G, as shown in Figure 4.3, 

exhibit the less ambiguous variation. Here the leap from d at the end of the sixth neume to f at 

the cadence in line 3 is filled with motion by step in line 6. 

Figure 4.3. “Us volers” in manuscript G, lines 3 and 6. 

154

Lines 1 and 9 of “S’al cor plagues” transmitted in manuscript R exhibit a more 

substantial difference in the approach to the cadence, as shown in Figure 4.4. The two lines are 

identical through the seventh neume. Line 1 then continues the ascending motion initiated in the 

sixth neume up to b-flat and approaches the cadence on f from above. The g in the seventh 

neume is treated as part of the ascent from f to b-flat. In line 9 this g is treated as a pivot from 

which the line then descends to d and approaches the cadence on f from below. 

Figure 4.4. “S’al cor plagues” in manuscript R, lines 1 and 9 

Returning to Table 4.1 and the five scholars’ interpretations of the forms of Folquet’s 

melodies, one can conjecture the guidelines used by the scholars to assess repetition. Sesini 

identifies repetition chiefly when the two lines are identical up to the cadence. He considers 

note-repetition (Figure 4.1) and added passing tones (Figure 4.3) as acceptable variation but not 

changes in note distribution with regard to the syllables (Figure 4.2) or change in contour, even 

for a few notes (Figure 4.4). 

Gennrich, Le Vot, and Vanin allow a somewhat greater degree of variation between 

repetitions. All regard line 3 of “Mout i fez” as a repetition of line 1 and identify several 

additional pairs of lines as repetitions. 

155

All three indicate that line 3 of “Greu fera” is a varied repetition of line 2, at least in the 

version transmitted in manuscript G; Vanin considers the relationship to be insufficiently close 

in manuscript R’s version. In both there is more variation between the two lines than in the line 

pairs discussed above. In the version transmitted in manuscript G, shown in Figure 4.5, the first 

three neumes and part of the fourth are identical in the two lines. The fourth and fifth neumes 

are melodically more active in line 2, with a leap from b-flat to g where line 3 repeats an a, but 

the sixth and seventh neumes are more active in line 3, forming a small inverted arch. Line 2 

sounds melodically more closed than line 3, although neither ends on the final. 

Figure 4.5. “Greu fera” in manuscript G, lines 2 and 3 

The differences between the two lines are more pronounced in the version transmitted in 

manuscript R, shown in Figure 4.6. Here only the first two neumes are identical; there is a 

difference in distribution of pitches with regard to the syllables from the third to fifth neumes, so 

that the melody in line 2 covers the same melodic distance in fewer syllables than line 3 does. 

The last three neumes in line 3 are more melodically active than the comparable neumes in line 

2; here both lines sound melodically closed. The lines in either version are so short (seven 

syllables) that differences of this order of magnitude would seem to create close resemblance 

rather than repetition. 

156

Figure 4.6. “Greu fera” in manuscript R, lines 2 and 3 

Vanin and LeVot suggest that in the version of “Per Dieu! Amors” transmitted in 

manuscript G the fifth line is a varied repetition of the third. The resemblance is noted by Sesini 

in parentheses. The two lines begin and end with different melodic figures, as shown in Figure 

4.7 but agree in the middle. Differences between the two lines are less profound than might at 

first appear. Neumes 3 to 7 are identical. Most of the pitches in the first two neumes are also the 

same. In comparison to line 3, line 5 sounds an upper neighbor to the g on the first neume before 

continuing down by step to c on the fourth neume. In line 5 there is a leap of a third from the 

seventh to the eighth neume that is filled with stepwise motion in line 3. The leap in line 5 may 

represent variation, but more likely reflects the different requirements leading to the different 

cadences; line 3 moves up to f, whereas line 5 continues up to a and may need the impetus 

provided by the leap from the seventh to the eighth neume. Because the lines are longer and the 

two lines have more pitches in common in relation to the syllables, line 5 would seem to be a 

varied repetition of line 3. 

157

Figure 4.7. “Per Dieu! Amors” in manuscript G, lines 3 and 5 

In general Aubrey accepts more substantial variation between lines she considers 

repetitions; some lines she identifies as repetitions other scholars consider resemblances, and in 

other lines she identifies as repetition other scholars hear no resemblance. Aubrey often 

identifies melodic lines as repetitions based on exact repetition, but she also identifies repetition 

when two lines begin with the same material but end differently, end with the same material but 

begin differently, or exhibit similar contours but not distribution of notes with regard to the 

syllables. For example, she hears the fifth line of “Ay! tan gen vens” as a varied repetition of the 

first line. The two lines, shown in Figure 4.8, begin with the same figure, but continue with 

different melodic material after the vertical stroke. 20 Vanin notes the resemblance in 

parentheses. 

20This occurs in both versions of the melody. I discuss this melody further when I cover 

repetitions of shorter melodic segments. 

158

Figure 4.8. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, lines 1 and 5 

Aubrey also hears the seventh line as a varied repetition of the second, a resemblance 

noted by no other scholar. The two lines, shown in Figure 4.9, begin similarly, are somewhat 

similar in contour, and leap dramatically down a fifth, although in different places in the two 

lines. She apparently considers the melodic segment on the third and fourth neumes of line 7 to 

be an interpolation. 

Figure 4.9. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, lines 2 and 7 

A more extended interpolation can be seen in lines 4 and 10 of “En chantan,” as shown in 

Figure 4.10. At first glance the lines appear very dissimilar, in part because line 4 consists of 

four syllables and line 10 of ten syllables. The first two and last two neumes, however, are 

159

identical in the two lines, so the third to eighth neumes in line 10 form an interpolation to the 

basic melody in line 4. I have aligned the melodies so that the identical beginnings and endings 

are superimposed. 

Figure 4.10. “En chantan” in manuscript G, lines 4 and 10 

Aubrey indicates all these types of variation by primes following the letters; thus, her 

prime may indicate variation of a single pitch between two lines or an extended interpolation 

between segments of similar musical materials. Other scholars, except Vanin, use the same 

system for all the variation they encounter between repetitions of melodic lines; some reserve the 

prime for very minimal variation, others use it for more substantial variation. Some differences 

in designation of melodic patterns of repetition arise from this overly broad use of the prime to 

cover all kinds of variation. 

Other differences in assessment of repetition arise because exact repetition in one version 

does not appear in the corresponding location in another version. Gennrich and Sesini avoid the 

problem by analyzing only one version of the melody. LeVot and Aubrey usually assume the 

same form applies to different versions. Vanin considers each version separately. 

160

My assessments of musical form are based on a fairly strict definition of repetition that 

includes exact repetition of pitches and distribution with regard to the syllables, exact repetition 

except for the cadence, and repetition with minor variations such as anticipations, passing notes, 

and very minor differences in pitch distribution that do not affect the overall contour. I have 

summarized my identifications of repetition in Table 4.2. 

Table 4.2. Summary of Repetition in Folquet’s Songs 

1. Exact repetition 

“Ay! tan gen vens” lines 4 and 8 Manuscript G 

“Tan m’abellis” lines 4 and 8 Manuscript G 

“Us volers” lines 4 and 7 Manuscript G 

2. Exact repetition up to the cadence 

“Mout i fez” lines 1 and 3 Manuscript R 

“S’al cor plagues” lines 1 and 9 Manuscript R 

“Sitot me sui” lines 6 and 8 Manuscript G 

“Tan mou” lines 7and 9 Manuscript R 



3. Minor variation 

“Us volers” lines 4 and 7 Manuscript R 

4. Minor variation and cadence 

“Greu fera” lines 8 and 9 Manuscript G 

“Mout i fez” lines 1 and 3 Manuscript G 

5. Borderline 

“Greu fera” lines 2 and 3 Manuscript G 

“Per Dieu! Amors” lines 3 and 5 Manuscript G 

In terms of exact and nearly exact repetition, only “Mout i fez” exhibits repetition in the 

same location in both versions. Eight songs have at least one repeated line in at least one 

version. Most often unambiguous repetition in one version corresponds to close resemblance in 

the other. It is impossible to ascertain whether the original composition included the exact 

161

epetition as part of a formal design that was varied to the point of resemblance in subsequent 

performances or lines that resembled each other initially were rendered as exact or slightly 

varied repetitions either in performance or as written documents because the manuscripts were 

copied during a period when song forms became increasingly defined by repetition. For the 

purposes of understanding and classifying the forms of Folquet’s melodies, I have decided to 

consider the form created by repetition of complete melodic lines as the form of the melody even 

though the other version or versions may not exhibit this form. 

Classification. One goal of this type of analysis is to compare different songs with the same 

form; this is usually accomplished by identifying formal categories based on generalized forms. 

Dante, once again the initiator, provides four formal categories: the oda continua without 

repetition, pedes cum cauda with repetition only in the first half of the stanza, frons cum versibus 

with repetition in only the second part of the stanza, and pedes cum versibus with repetition in 

both the first and second parts of the stanza. These categories, mentioned earlier in this chapter, 

do not cover all the forms used by the troubadours, so modern scholars usually modify Dante’s 

categories somewhat in order to classify the forms used by the troubadours. One exception is 

LeVot, who tries to classify Folquet’s melodies using only Dante’s categories and finds that 

most of Folquet’s songs must be classified as oda continua despite exhibiting repetition, because 

the repetition for the most part does not fall into pedes or versus. 21 

21 Le Vot, “Intertextualité, métrique,” 642. 

162

Friedrich Gennrich devised the most influential modern classification system, which 

applies to all medieval song forms. 22 Every form is derived from one of four song types: Litany, 

Sequence, Rondel, and Hymn. Dante’s formal categories fall into the types derived from the 

sequence and the hymn. The hymn provides the source for the oda continua and pedes cum 

cauda, but Gennrich supplies these forms with names that imply genre: the oda continua is 

called the vers form and the pedes cum cauda the canzone form. 23 In contrast, songs with versus 

he considers to be derived from the sequence, in the categories of “strophic lai,” “reduced- 

strophic lai,” or “lai-segment.” 24 

Vers is a term that designated different types of poems in different periods of troubadour 

activity. Initially it referred to any lyric poem; later it came to refer to poems of a moral or 

didactic subject. 25 A vers does not necessarily have an oda continua musical form. In his edition 

of troubadour songs, however, Gennrich returns to Dante’s terminology for a melody without 

repetition. Here he finds he must also add a category, the oda continua mit Wiederholung or 

“song without repetition with repetition” to cover the many troubadour songs whose repetition 

patterns do not fall into pedes or versus. 26 

22 Gennrich, Formenlehre. Although now often discredited for its strong genetic bias, 

Gennrich’s classification is still frequently encountered, most recently in LeVot, “Music of the 

Troubadours and Trouvères,” 10-11. Vanin examines Gennrich’s system critically, “Musical 

Form,” 8-14. 

23 Gennrich, Formenlehre, 232-45. 

24 Gennrich, Formenlehre, 174-222. 

25 Léglu, “Moral and Satirical Poetry,” 48. 

26 Gennrich, Der musikalische Nachlass der Troubadours. Here he does not cover the 

origin of the form but uses it in his formal diagrams. 

163

Gennrich covers two types of canzone, the basic canzone with pedes and the rounded 

canzone in which one of the opening melodic lines is repeated at the end of the song. Like vers, 

canzone is a generic term for a song on the subject of love; the melody does not necessarily 

begin with pedes. This use of a generic name for form has had the greatest influence on later 

scholars, who often consider the pedes cum cauda as the “normal” form of troubadour and 

trouvère songs. 27 

One of Aubrey’s goals in her discussion of troubadour musical form is to dispel this 

notion of the “normal” form for troubadour songs. 28 She largely frees herself from Gennrich’s 

formal categories, devising a variety of different categories designated most often by their 

generalized forms: AAB, ABACx and so on. 29 She retains Dante’s category of pedes in her 

AAB form and supplements it with four other musical forms based on repetition in the first four 

lines of the stanza. Two of these, ABACx and ABCBx, resemble pedes in the alternation of 

repetition of one line, but not the other. The other two, ABBCx and ABCAx, exhibit symmetry 

in the first part of the stanza. AAB forms with additional repetition are not separated from the 

AAB category. 

Two of Aubrey’s categories cover repetition in the second part of the stanza. The paired- 

verse form includes melodies in which there is repetition of groups of lines, such as ABAB 

27 See, for example, Stevens, Words and Music, 32. 

28 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, xx. 

29 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 146-74. She examines the changing popularity of 

forms through different stages of troubadour song development and does not describe every 

category individually, so some criteria must be deduced by comparing the formal diagrams to the 

melodies. 

164

CDCDEF. Some melodies in this category fall into Dante's category of pedes cum versibus; 

others supplement the versus with an added pair of lines. She does not use versus to separate 

forms in any other category. The rounded forms exhibit repetition of some musical materials 

from the first part of the stanza at the end of the melody, yielding forms such as ABCD EFG 

BCD. 

Aubrey retains Dante’s category of oda continua, which she calls “through-composed,” 

supplemented with Gennrich’s category of “through-composed with repetition” because she 

finds these song forms difficult to generalize. Examining her categories, one finds a 

preponderance of forms (five out of nine) based on repetition within the first four lines of the 

stanza. 

Vanin similarly identifies some of Dante’s categories as useful and supplements them 

with his own categories. Like Aubrey and Gennrich, he finds the oda continua and songs with 

repetition in the form of pedes to be well represented in the troubadour musical forms and songs 

with true versus rare, especially when they lack repetition in the first half of the stanza. 30 He 

retains the name oda continua for melodies without repetition and refers to melodies that begin 

with pedes as “ABAB” forms. He considers the category “through-composed with repetition” 

to be ridiculous at least in name 31 and proposes other categories to classify such songs better: 

“one-repeat” for melodies with one repeated phrase, “symmetrical” for melodies with phrases 

repeated as a group, and “irregular” for melodies whose repetition patterns fit none of the other 

30 Vanin, “Musical Form,” 45-46. 

31 Vanin, “Musical Form,” 24. 

165

categories. 32 Vanin subdivides these categories to account for repetition in the second half of 

melodies with ABAB forms, to show how some melodies in some formal categories resemble 

those in other formal categories, and to separate forms that create a division in the stanza from 

those that do not. 33 Folquet’s melodies fit in his framework into the oda continua, one-repeat, 

and symmetrical categories. 

Although Vanin’s categories do classify many troubadour melodies with similar forms 

together, some similar forms appear in different categories, and he retains the concept of 

“remainder” through the irregular form category. Melodies in which the first and second parts of 

the stanza end with the same melody, ABCD EFGD and ABCD EFCD, are put into different 

categories because of the different numbers of repeated lines. The first, ABCD EFGD, goes into 

the one-repeat category because only the D melody is repeated; whereas the second, ABCD 

EFCD, goes into the symmetrical forms category because two lines are repeated. Similarly, his 

ABAB category includes only songs in which each pes consists of two lines; songs in which 

each pes consists of three or more lines are classified into the symmetrical forms category. 

One way to alleviate these classificatory problems is to revisit Dante’s categories, 

interpreting them loosely, rather than rigorously. His categories would then be: no repetition, 

repetition in the first part (pedes), repetition in the second part (versus), and repetition in the first 

and second parts (pedes cum versibus). These loose categories need to be supplemented with 

categories covering repetition of melodic lines from the first part of the stanza in the second part 

32 Vanin, “Musical Form,” 49-51. 

33Vanin, “Musical Form,” 65-176. He discusses each form and the various subcategories 

individually. 

166

and combinations of this type of repetition with the others. This yields five categories of 

repetition patterns: 

1. No repetition 

2. Repetition in first part of the stanza 

3. Repetition in the second part of the stanza 

4. Repetition of melodic line(s) from the first part of the stanza in the second part 

of the stanza 

5. Combinations of the above types of repetition 

These categories of repetition bring up the problem of definition of the “first and second 

parts” of the stanza. As Dante and later scholars have noted, repetition often allows the stanza to 

be divided into first and second parts, but not always. As a general rule, most troubadour 

melodies exhibit an articulation between the fourth and fifth lines of the stanza in terms of 

melodic closure, changes in range, or motivic repetition. This division is often supported by a 

division in the versification. As a working model I have defined the first four lines to be the first 

part of the stanza and the rest to be the second part unless the melody clearly indicates a melodic 

division elsewhere. 

As shown in Table 4.3, Folquet’s songs can be partitioned into the first four categories; 

no song exhibits a combination of repetition types. Four of Folquet’s songs exhibit no repetition, 

and nine exhibit exact or slightly varied repetition of at least one line. Thus, although many 

scholars have observed that Folquet wrote proportionately more songs without repetition than 

any other troubadour, 34 the majority of his songs exhibit do some repetition. 

Scholars have most often identified categories of form based on repetition in the first half 

of the stanza. This category includes songs with pedes and related forms listed by Aubrey. Only 

34 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 156; Le Vot, “Intertextualité, métrique,” 642; Steel, 

“Influences on the Musical Style,” 250; Vanin, “Musical Form,” 65. 

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Table 4.3. Musical Forms 

Song35 No repetition Repetition in 

First Part 

Amors, merce! ABCDEFG 

Ay! tan gen vens 

Manuscript G 

Ben an mort ABCDEFGHIJ 

En chantan ABCDEFGHIJ 

Greu fera 

Manuscript G 

Ja no.s cug hom ABCDEFGH 

Mout i fez ABAC DEFGHI 

Per Dieu! Amors 

Manuscript G 

S’al cor plagues 

Manuscript R 

35 The diesis is indicated where present with a space; repeated lines are in bold. When one 

version exhibits the repetition it is indicated below the song incipit, the other version (or 

versions) exhibits no repetition except “Greu fera” in manuscript W and “Us volers” in 

manuscript R. 

168 

Repetition in 

Second Part 

ABCD EFGHH 

Sitot me sui ABCD EFGF 

Tan m’abellis 

Manuscript G 

Tan mou 

Manuscript R 

Us volers 

Manuscript G 

ABCD 

EFGHGIJL 

Repetition Across 

Stanza Parts 

ABCD EFGD 

ABCD CEFG 

ABCD EFGHAI 

ABCD EFGD 

ABCDE CDFEG 

one of Folquet's songs, “Mout i fez,” exhibits repetition within the first part of the stanza; its 

form resembles pedes in the alternation of the repeated line with different material, ABAC.

Forms based on repetition in the second part of the stanza have been used to distinguish 

forms much less often than repetition in the first part. This may be because the length of the 

second part of the stanza varies considerably. Songs with eight lines can conveniently be 

divided into four plus four lines, but even songs with twelve and fourteen lines often exhibit 

articulation between the fourth and fifth lines, creating a second part that is much longer than the 

first. This category includes those rare melodies with versus and repetitions related to versus 

such as ABCD EFGF. Three of Folquet’s songs exhibit repetition in the second part of the 

stanza. The repetition of the sixth line in the eighth line gives “Sitot me sui” repetition that 

resembles versus, EFGF. Similarly, “Greu fera” ends with repeated lines. The repeated lines in 

“Tan mou” occur in the middle of the second part in association with certain aspects of the 

versification, discussed more fully in Chapter 5. 

Many “through-composed with repetition” (Aubrey), one-repeat, and irregular (Vanin) 

melodies exhibit repetition of one or more lines from the first part of the stanza in the second 

part. Folquet’s songs most often exhibit this type of melodic repetition. Two songs in this 

category exhibit the same musical form. In “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Tan m’abellis” the last line 

of the first part of the stanza is repeated as the last line in the song. “Us volers” is the only one of 

Folquet’s songs in which more than one melodic line is repeated. Three lines from the first part 

of the stanza are repeated in the same order in the second part of the stanza, although with some 

additional musical lines interpolated between them. 

The goal of identifying repetition patterns, however, is not just to put them into 

categories; one hopes to learn more about how the melody is organized by examining the 

repetition. As noted by Dante, one effect of repetition is to create an articulation in the stanza. 

169

Although this articulation is the easiest to locate in the forms that Dante discusses, it can also 

often be observed in melodies with other repetition patterns. 

The repetition patterns in five of Folquet’s songs divide the stanza into two parts. The 

two songs with repetition patterns that most closely resemble the forms described by Dante are 

easily divided into two sections based on the repetition pattern. The repetition pattern of “Mout i 

fez” most closely resembles pedes and so divides into four lines with repetition (ABAC) plus six 

lines without repetition (DEFGHI). Similarly, the repetition pattern of “Sitot me sui”most 

closely resembles versus and divides into four lines without repetition (ABCD) plus four lines 

with repetition (EFGF). 

Three songs with repetition of complete lines from the first part of the stanza in the 

second part also divide the stanza into two parts but based on different logic than the patterns 

described by Dante. The fourth lines of “Ay! tan gen vens” and “Tan m’abellis” are repeated as 

the last lines in both songs; thus the two parts of the stanza end with the same musical materials, 

clearly dividing the stanza into two parts of four lines each, each of which ends with the same 

musical material. A somewhat different pattern is created in “Us volers” by the repetition of 

three lines from the first part of the stanza, in the same order, in the second part. The repetition 

divides the stanza into equal halves of five lines each: ABCDE CDFEG. 

The remaining songs that exhibit repetition, either like “Tan mou” and “Greu fera” do 

with repetition in the second part of the stanza or like “Per Dieu! Amors” and “S’al cor plagues” 

with repetition of melodic lines from the first part of the stanza in the second part of the stanza, 

resemble the songs without repetition in that the repetition does not create a division in the 

170

stanza. Instead, the melodic repetition interacts with repetition in the poetic form or with words 

and phrases in the poems. These interactions are explored further in Chapter 5. 

Repetition of Shorter Melodic Segments 

Some of the discrepancies between different scholars’ identifications of repetition 

patterns in Folquet’s melodies arise from the repetition of melodic materials shorter than a line 

of verse that cause one line to closely resemble another. Once again scholars differ in the 

definition and identification of these shorter motives; they take one of two approaches. The first, 

based in musical theories of repetition, examines the similarity between two melodic segments, 

comparing the intervals, contour, and pitch levels between them. Medieval music theorists and 

some modern scholars approach shorter melodic units in these terms. The second claims to 

identify shorter melodic segments objectively using the methods of structural linguistics. In this 

section I examine the various approaches to the identification of shorter melodic units to develop 

a rational procedure that produces audible results. 

Structural Linguistic Theory 

Nicolas Ruwet initiated the use of structural linguistic methods to analyze melodies. He 

considers music to be a semiotic system with messages in the form of melodies; musical 

messages are comprised of minimal musical units, equivalent to morphemes in verbal language, 

combined according to a code. He chooses to analyze medieval monophonic melodies into 

minimal musical units. We (scholars and musicians in the twentieth century) do not know what 

the units are or the rules for combining them, so Ruwet proposes and demonstrates one possible 

analytical method to identify the musical units. He repeatedly segments the melody into 

progressively shorter units based on repetition of pitches and rhythms. Repeated units are 

171

aligned vertically. He imposes the additional condition that the units at each level should have 

the same absolute duration. 36 

He begins with the example that is most easily segmented into meaningful units, an 

anonymous German song of praise to the virgin, “Maria, muoter reinu.” 37 The second song, 

“Molt me mervoil,” a trouvère song by Guiot de Provins, initially appears to possess less 

repetition, but the longer units can be analyzed into shorter units because, although many of the 

lines begin with different musical materials, many end with the same musical materials. He 

easily segments the melody of the troubadour Raimbaut de Vacqueras’s estampida “Kalenda 

maya” into the longest and shortest melodic units but identifies the units of intermediate length 

with difficulty because they constitute transformations of the shortest units. The final example, 

“Be m’aperdut” by the troubadour Bernart de Ventadorn, offers the most difficulty because the 

longest units cannot be satisfactorily be segmented into shorter units. As a result, Ruwet 

discovers only the repetition based on units of whole lines of verse with the pattern designated 

by Dante as pedes cum cauda, ABAB CDEF–a trivial result, given the difficulties encountered in 

developing and implementing the method. 

This failure to identify meaningful shorter units, especially in the two troubadour songs, 

points to some of the problems with Ruwet’s type of analysis. First, it works best with melodies 

that incorporate much repetition and reworking of musical materials. Second, he identifies 

36 Ruwet, “Méthodes d’analyse en musicologie.” He can specify the duration condition 

because he uses versions of the melodies with metrical transcriptions as found in Reese’s Music 

of the Middle Ages and Gennrich’s Troubadours, Trouvères, Minne- und Meistergesang. 

37 Ruwet and subsequent researchers refer to it as “The Geisslerlied.” Reese describes it as 

the most famous of the Geisslerlieder, but not the only one. 

172

shorter units as transformations or variations of musical materials, but he does not define what 

distinguishes a variation of musical material from a difference in musical material. This is a 

crucial problem in this repertory. If we do not know what the musical units are or the code for 

combining them, how can we know what constitutes a transformation of them in this musical 

language? Given that the point of Ruwet’s exercise is to make the procedure by which 

meaningful musical units are found automatic and objective, the criteria by which 

transformations are identified should be equally objective or at least examined critically. 

A few later scholars introduce some objectivity into their analyses. Simha Arom 

suggests that further reduction of the melodies to numbers representing degrees above a fixed 

pitch with the rhythm indicated by noteless stems (like lute tablature) arranged in a table allows 

the researcher to view the whole song at one time and permits identification of further units. 

Rows are created from meaningful units of the melody, such as verses of a poem. Metrical units 

are aligned into columns, so that the first beat of each line forms a column, followed by the 

second beat and so on. From the tables he identifies short melodic segments that recur in the 

same places in all or some of the lines in a given song. The repetitions may include the pitches, 

the rhythms or both. 

He demonstrates how his procedure analyzes melodies more completely than Ruwet’s 

procedure using “The Geisslerlied.” He first translates Ruwet’s analysis into numbers and 

rhythms, maintaining Ruwet’s vertical and horizontal arrangement, then rearranges it into tabular 

form. This reveals additional melodic correspondences, which Arom displays by superimposing 

geometrical shapes on the identical units using transparencies. 38 

38 Arom, “Essai.” 

173

However, like Ruwet’s original procedure, Arom’s works best with melodies that 

incorporate much repetition. The melodies he uses for examples all have consistent line lengths, 

but he does not describe how to use his procedure with melodies (like many troubadour 

melodies) in which line lengths are variable. This procedure avoids the problem of 

transformation because the pitch sequences are invariable. However, two lines that sound 

essentially the same melody with minor variation are represented by different numbers, as shown 

in Figure 4.11. 

a. Musical notation 

b. Numerical Reduction (c=1, underlined numbers sound an octave higher) 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

4 5 71 2 1 765 5 4 

7 5 7 1 21 765 65 4 

Figure 4.11. Two Representations of Lines 4 and 7 of “Us volers,” manuscript R 

The two lines include the same pitch sequences, distributed somewhat differently with regard to 

the syllables. This can be seen clearly in the numerical sequences when viewed horizontally and 

is equally clear in the musical notation. One purpose of the numerical reduction, however, is to 

174

identify pitch sequences that occur in the same locations vertically, something that does not 

always occur between these two musically very similar lines. 

Starting from a different direction (and not citing Ruwet as source or inspiration) David 

Halperin identifies motives by converting every line from every troubadour song published in 

Gennrich’s edition (the only edition available at the time) into a format intelligible to a computer 

program that identifies the longest sequences of intervals common to several lines but disregards 

repeated notes and the distribution of pitches in neumes. Interval sequences that begin or end 

more than five lines or that occurr in the middle of more than ten lines in his sample he labels 

“formulae.” He observes that 60% of the lines begin with an initial formula and 71% end with a 

final formula. The published formulae, although written with exact pitches, are actually interval 

patterns and thus can appear in a melody transposed to another pitch. 39 

I identified the Halperin formulae present in Folquet’s songs and found that a similar 

percentage of Folquet’s melodies used Halperin’s initial and final formulae as the troubadour 

corpus as a whole. I encountered some problems with the formulae and their applications. The 

disregard for repeated notes and pitch distribution can make two lines that begin and end with 

the same formulae sound quite different, as can be seen in Figure 4.12. The formulae are 

realized very differently in the two lines. The most obvious difference is pitch level, because 

line 1 of “Ja no.s cug hom” begins on a and line 5 of “Us volers begins on e; the interval 

relationship between the initial and final formulae is the same in the two lines. The initial and 

final formulae occupy almost the entire line of “Us volers,” whereas the musical space between 

them is filled with internal formulae in “Ja no.s cug hom.” In addition, the initial formula in “Ja 

39 Halperin, “Distributional Structure in Troubadour Music.” 

175

no.s cug hom” begins on the third neume, after repeated as on the first two, whereas the initial 

formula begins the line in “Us volers.” Similar differences can be observed for the final formula 

in the two lines. The pronounced differences between these two lines comprised of purportedly 

similar musical materials arises because Halperin’s “morphemes” are abstractions and do not 

necessarily correspond to musical units in the song. 

Figure 4.12. Line 1 of “Ja no.s cug hom” and Line 5 of “Us volers,” manuscript G 

Another problem with the formulae is that melodic lines that are repetitions of each other, 

with slight variation, can be represented by completely different formulae, as shown in Figure 

4.13. As shown in Figure 4.13a, the two lines differ only in the penultimate neume in which the 

leap of a third in line 3 is filled with motion by step in line 6. This relatively minimal variation, 

however, changes most of the formulae identified in the line, as shown in Figure 4.13b. Neither 

line begins with an initial formula, and line 3 does not end with a final formula. The addition of 

the e in the penultimate neume of line 6, however, gives this line a final formula, which then 

alters the segmentation and the melodic units in the middle of the line. 

176

a. Musical Notation 

b. Halperin Formulae 

Line Initial Formula Final Formula Middle Formula 1 Middle Formula 2 

3 0 0 32 19 

6 0 11 22 - 

Figure 4.13. Two Representations of Lines 3 and 6 of “Us volers,” manuscript G 

These methods intended to identify melodic segments objectively, then, generally fail 

either to be objective or to identify real melodic units. Segmentations based on Ruwet’s 

procedure fail to be truly objective because the researcher has to decide whether one segment is a 

varied repetition of another or a different melody altogether, and this decision introduces bias 

into the procedure. Arom’s numerical reductions and Halperin’s computer segmentations, in 

contrast, introduce no researcher bias but then identify only identical melodic segments and miss 

melodic segments with insignificant variation between them. Thus, despite all their intended 

objectivity, these modern methods for identifying shorter units provide little insight into 

medieval melodic construction. 

177

Troubadour Scholars’ Discussions of Motivic Repetition 

Most current troubadour scholars find that repetition corresponding to whole lines of 

verse alone does not describe adequately the repetition heard in troubadour melodies, so they 

examine the repetition of shorter melodic segments as well. As with repetition of melodic lines, 

troubadour scholars discuss repetitions of shorter melodic segments from a variety of 

approaches, either defining a group of motives for a song or looking for segments of melodic 

lines that are repeated. 

Aubrey and Vanin 40 develop similar graphing procedures in their examinations of 

repetition of shorter melodic units in every song in the troubadour repertory. They look for 

melodic segments that recur within the melody, then indicate these segments with a letter with 

the number of syllables affected attached as a superscript. 

Aubrey suggests using a separate diagram to show repetition of shorter melodic segments 

in which the letters indicate portions of lines as motives. Thus, in her system the designation 

A 3 B 2 indicates three syllables of motive A followed by two syllables of motive B. The motives 

are often varied upon repetition because Aubrey believes that the troubadours structured their 

melodies not so much with exact repetition of melodic segments, as with “the techniques of 

motivic construction, manipulation, development, and linking.” 41 She lists many types of 

motivic manipulation, including transposition, sequencing, expansion, compression, and 

overlapping. Her selected examples exhibit motivic manipulation through exact repetition; pitch 

40 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 184-94; Vanin, “Musical Form,” describes the 

procedure on pages 57-61, then illustrates the use with selected examples on pages 65-176. 


178

epetition with different distributions over the syllables; transposition with intervals maintained; 

and melodic contour and range maintained but not interval structure. 

Vanin includes the motivic diagrams in parenthesis in his general formal diagrams. He 

distinguishes between repetition of incipits, middle sections, and cadences, with the presence and 

placement of the superscripts indicating the number of syllables affected. A superscript before 

the letter indicates a repeated incipit, one after the letter a repeated cadence, no superscript some 

middle section of the line repeated. As with the repetition of complete melodic lines, Vanin 

defines repetition more narrowly than Aubrey does. He looks for exact repetition of pitches, 

usually distributed similarly across the syllables. 

Gossen, Phan, and Switten examine melodic motives within a subset of the troubadour 

repertory. They define motives in various ways and examine their uses within a select group of 

songs. 

Gossen examines Folquet’s “Tan m’abellis” within a study of the songs of Bernart de 

Ventadorn. She identifies motives not based on their interval content, but on their rhythm as 

expressed in terms of numbers of pitches per syllable. She looks for recurrences of three- and 

four-note melismas within the melodies in relation to key words in the poems. 42 

Phan compares motivic manipulation in a song by Guiraut Riquier and one of the 

Cantigas de Santa Maria, both selected because they contain many long melismas. She 

identifies several interval patterns as motives and looks for them in different places within the 

melody. She finds that the same interval pattern sounds over one syllable or over several 

42 Gossen, “Musik und Text,”16-20. 

179

syllables; sometimes it begins a melisma, sometimes it ends one. The interval patterns are exact; 

the location of the pitch series varies with respect to the syllables. 43 

Switten combines the procedures of Arom and Ruwet in her analysis of the melodies of 

Raimon de Miraval. For each melody she identifies as motives very short interval patterns that 

repeat within the melody and lines them up vertically. The motives usually recur in the same 

order in the line, so the melodic lines are relatively compact and remain on one line. Like 

Aubrey, she observes that motives typically recur with variation; she lists transposition, 

expansion, abbreviation, inversion, and retrograde as possible ways to vary a motive. She also 

designates the phenomenon when the same pitches occur with a different distribution in neumes 

as rhythmic variation. In practice, she rarely finds motives varied by retrograde or inversion. 44 

Thus some scholars identify motives based on exact repetition of pitches alone while 

others list the types of variation acceptable between repetitions of a musical idea. Only Phan and 

Gossen outline clear criteria for identifying motives. Vanin and Aubrey find mostly beginnings 

or endings of lines repeated, which may be an artifact of the graphing procedure. 

Medieval Discussions 

Medieval writers cover what we call motives from three different perspectives–melodic 

formulae characteristic of a given mode, interval species, and manipulation of shorter melodic 

segments. Examining each of these concepts in turn complements and justifies some modern 

ideas on motivic repetition in monophonic melodies. 

43 Phan, “Structures poético-musicales.” 

44 Switten, Raimon de Miraval, 22-40. 

180

Formulae may be considered motives that are repeated not only in a given song, but 

throughout a defined repertory. Early modal classifications are based on these formulae rather 

than the modal scales discussed in Chapter 3. Formulae are presented not as melodic segments, 

but as short melodies with melodic gestures characteristic of a given mode. Three types of type 

melodies are commonly provided in tonaries–Noeanne formulae, melodies with Latin texts, and 

neumae. 45 

Modern scholars have identified additional formulae, characteristic not only of a given 

mode but of certain classes of chant such as offertories or graduals. Gevaert, for example, in his 

classic study of the antiphons of the Roman office, arranges the chants by “theme” within a 

given mode. The themes are melodic motives that open many antiphons in a given mode. 46 

Halperin’s identification of melodic formulae is intended to complement studies of formulae in 

plainchant, but he finds that the troubadour formulae he identified differ from those identified for 

plainchant. 47 

Medieval theorists also discuss motives in the context of the division of longer melodic 

units into shorter ones as part of the grammatical theory of musical units. The longer units and 

the hierarchy of shorter units are identified primarily by the relationships between the notes the 

45 Bailey, Intonation Formulas of Western Plainchant. The Noeanne formulae consist of 

short melodies set with nonsense syllables. The melodies with Latin texts appear in later 

tonaries; each text begins with a number that corresponds to the number of the mode the melody 

exemplifies. Neumae are sequences of pitches without words and are described by writers like 

Grocheio as sung at the end of certain antiphons. It is not known whether they originated as 

elaborate melodic formulae or as elaborate sections of plainchant that circulated separately from 

their original context. 

46 Gevaert, La Mélopée antique. 

47 Halperin, “Distributional Structure in Troubadour Music,” 19. 

181

units end on and the final for the melody. This type of division is discussed in Chapter 3. A few 

writers, most notably the authors of the Musica Enchiriadis and Scolica Enchiriadis and Guido 

in the Micrologus, indicate the existence of even shorter musical units and describe how to 

identify and manipulate these shorter units. 

The two Enchiriadis treatises cover melodic units in terms of how to analyze existing 

melodies within the discussion of melodic modes. The Musica Enchiriadis describes the 

melodic contours of commas: “But, the same commas are made by arsis and thesis, that is by 

raising and lowering. But sometimes the voice is raised and lowered in one simple arsis and 

thesis, and at other times more often.” 48 A comma, thus, encompasses a melodic 

gesture–sometimes an arch, other times several arches. 

The Scolica Enchiriadis presents an extended version of the same material in the form of 

a dialogue between the Master and his student. The master first shows how commas and colons 

often end on the final or cofinal using the end of the Noeanne formula for the first mode: 

And thus, in particulae (which are parts of songs), colons, or commas in the rising or 

falling of sounds almost always head for the cofinals, and the arsis or thesis seeks to 

arrive at these. There are plenty of examples of regular melodies. So that we don’t 

search too long, examine the standard neuma or particula which two commas complete: 

Now see how both commas descend a fourth and how the particula begins and ends with 

the same sound [at least in Dasian notation]. We call colons, moreover, the larger 

particula, which contain two, three, or more commas, which also offer certain decorum 

to its distinctiones. Furthermore, commas in their risings and fallings achieve coherence 

48 “At ipsa commata per arsin et thesin fiunt, id est levationem et positionem. Sed alias 

simplici arsi et thesi vox in commate semel erigitur ac deponitur, alias sepius.” Musica 

Enchiriadis 9.16; Schmid, 22; Erickson, 12-13. 

182

in the colon. Sometimes, however, it does not matter whether something is called a 

comma or a colon. 49 

Thus, according to the master, commas and colons consist of rising and falling melodies. He 

analyzes the Noeanne formula for the first mode into two commas, each consisting of a 

descending tetrachord, in his terminology two theses. From this discussion it is apparent that a 

particula is any division in the melody, so commas and colons are types of particula. 

Guido discusses the division of melodies when composing new melodies, not in the 

analysis of existing melodies. After he covers the parts of music in terms of the parts of speech, 50 

he examines ways in which the smaller units are varied. He begins with the varieties and 

variation of individual melodic gestures, in terms of contour and pitch distribution in relation to 

the syllables. The first description corresponds to the descriptions of commas in the Enchiriadis 

treatises: “Also, a musical gesture may return by the same path by which it came and by the 

same steps.” 51 

49 “Itaque in particulis, quae membra sunt cantionis, pene semper cola vel commata has in 

levando aut in ponendo sonorum socialitates petunt, et in eas vel arsis quaerit attingere vel thesis. 

Exemplorum satis legitima mela afferunt, quae ne longius quaeramus, aspice, quam in manibus 

tenemus, neumam regularem vel particulam, quam duo commata perficiunt. 

No an no e a ne (melody written in dasiaen notation in original) 

ac vide, quomodo in quartos sonos utriusque commatis positio vergat et particula a quo sono 

initium levat, in eundem in fine deponatur. Cola autem dicimus maiores particulas, duo seu tria 

vel plura commata continentes, quae et oportunas quasdam sui distinctiones prebent. Porro 

commata sibi in levationibus ac positionibus coherentia colon peragunt. Tamen est interdum, ubi 

indifferenter colon sive comma dici potest.” Scholica enchiriadis; Schmid, 82-83; Erickson, 48- 

49. 

50 discussed in Chapter 3. 

51 “Item ut reciprocata neuma eadem via qua venerat redeat, ac per eadem vestigia.” 

Guido d’Arezzo, Micrologus 15.26; Smits van Waesberghe, 168; Babb, 71. 

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Guido, however, describes several additional varieties of melodic gestures. “Also one 

melodic gesture may make such an ambitus or line by leaping from the high notes, another, 

inclined in this region, should reply by returning from the low notes, just as when we see our 

reflection opposite us in a well.” 52 Thus, a dramatic leap should be followed by motion in the 

opposite direction, and these combine to form one melodic gesture. He continues: “Also 

sometimes one syllable has one or more musical gestures, sometimes one musical gesture is 

divided into several syllables.” 53 Thus, a melodic gesture may form a melisma on a single 

syllable or be stretched over several syllables, one type of variation examined by Phan in a song 

of Guiraut de Riquier. 54 

Guido then turns to how melodic gestures can be combined: 

Next arsis and thesis can be joined to themselves, as arsis to arsis and thesis to thesis; 

then can be joined to different things, as arsis to thesis and thesis to arsis; and thus a 

combination can be made from similar things or dissimilar things. Moreover it will 

produce dissimilarity if the aforementioned melodic gestures have more or fewer notes, 

or are more conjunct or disjunct. Furthermore, when dissimilar or similar things are put 

together the melodic gesture will then be preposite because one is above the other; or 

supposite or apposite, that is, when one ends on the same note as the other begins; or 

interposite, that is, when one gesture is put within another and is either higher or lower; 

or commixed, that is, partly within and partly below or above or next to. And again these 

positionings can be separated according to their lowness or highness, augmented or 

52 “Item ut qualem ambitum vel lineam una facit saliendo ab acutis, talem altera inclinata 

e regione opponat respondendo a gravibus, sicut fit cum in puteo nos imaginem nostram contra 

exspectamus.” Guido d’Arezzo, Micrologus 15.27-28; Smits van Waesberghe, 169; Babb, 71. 

53 “Item aliquando una syllaba unam vel plures habeat neumas, aliquando una neuma 

plures dividatur in syllabas.” Guido d’Arezzo, Micrologus 15.30; Smits van Waesberghe, 169; 

Babb, 71. 

54 Discussed above. Phan, “Structures poético-musicales.” 

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diminished, or varied in modal quality. Melodic gestures and sometimes distinctions can 

be varied in all these ways. 55 

Melodic gestures, then, are further classified by melodic context–whether they occur before, 

after, or even in the middle of another gesture. 

The melodic gestures described by Guido correspond to the commas discussed by the 

authors of the Enchiriadis treatises. 56 These commas are shorter, less complete units than the 

commas that end distinctions on notes other than the final. Both Enchiriadis treatises mention 

that in some cases commas and colons are indistinguishable; the commas that can be 

indistinguishable from colons probably correspond to longer melodic segments that are 

harmonically incomplete. 57 

Medieval writers also discuss motives in terms of species of fourths and fifths. Species 

are the various arrangements of tones and semitones possible within the diatonic, stepwise 

progression of a fourth or fifth. Writers in different periods number them differently. Because 

55 “Deinde arsis et thesis tum sibimet iunguntur, ut arsis arsi et thesis thesi; tum altera 

alteria, ut arsis thesi et thesis arsi coniungitur; ipsaque coniunctio tum fit ex similibus, tum ex 

dissimilibus. Dissimilitudo autem erit si ex praedictis motibus alius alio plures paucioresve 

habeat voces, aut magis coniunctas vel disiunctas. Dissimiliter deinde vel similiter facta 

coniunctione motus motui tum erit praepositus, id est in superioribus positus; tum suppositus; 

tum appositus, id est cum in eadem voce unius finis erit alteriusque principium; tum interpositus, 

id est quando unus motus infra alium positus et minus est gravis et minus acutus; tum 

commixtus, id est partim interpositus partimque suppositus aut praepositus aut appositus. 

Rursusque hae positiones dirimi possunt secundum laxationis et acuminis, augmenti et 

detrimenti modorumque varias qualitates. Neumae quoque per omnes eosdem modos poterunt 

variari et distinctiones aliquando.” Guido d’Arezzo, Micrologus 16.11-20; Smits van 

Waesberghe, 180-82; Babb, 73. 

56The Scholica Enchiriadis treatise did use neume in this context, but it did not refer 

specifically to the comma. 

57John also describes such units, which he ties directly to the words. These relationships 

are covered in Chapter 5. 

185

Marchetto aligns his species logically with the modes and discusses ways to vary the species of 

fourths and fifths I use his numbering system: 58 

Fourths: 

First T[one] S T 

Second S[emitone] T T 

Third T T S 

Fifths: 

First T S T T 

Second S T T T 

Third T T T S 

Fourth T T S T 

Thus, the location of the semitone within the series of tones defines the species. Different 

species exhibit different patterns of tones and semitones–they are exact interval patterns. 

The real power of Marchetto’s theory of species is how they can be combined and varied 

to form real melodies. The species are classified by interval content, relation to mode, and 

melodic context. In terms of interval content, species can be arranged so that the interval of a 

fourth or fifth is filled with motion by step; this is called an aggregate species. If pitches are not 

arrayed linearly in stepwise motion then the species is called segregate. 59 The simplest form of a 

segregate species is the continuous species in which one leaps from the lowest pitch to the 

highest without any intervening pitches. He discusses additional segregate species in his theory 

of intermediations. He illustrates only the intermediations of the first species of fifth but says 

they can be derived from or applied to the other species as well. 60 

58 Marchetto, Lucidarium 9.1.39-41; Herlinger, 328-31 (fourths); 9.1.78-98; Herlinger, 

342-55 (fifths); 9.1.110-13; Herlinger, 358-9 (proper locations). 



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Intermediations are important because different intermediations imply some modes and 

not others. Jay Rahn has examined the logic behind the implied modes; he finds that some notes 

are emphasized by leap because of an omitted note. These emphasized notes may be 

characteristic of the “orienting notes” in a given mode. For example, the second intermediation, 

as shown in Figure 4.14, emphasizes the notes e and a, the orienting notes of mode 4, despite 

being an intermediation of the first species of fifth, characteristic of the first and second modes. 61 

Figure 4.14. Marchetto’s Second Intermediation of the First Species of Fifth 62 

Marchetto also classifies species based on melodic context. Species are classified as 

initial or terminal based on position in the line. Although he provides no example of an initial 

species, the examples of terminal species all exhibit descending melodic lines. 63 He later 

observes that a rising species is intense, whereas a descending species is relaxed; 64 these would 

correspond to increased intensity at the beginning of the line and release at the end of the line. 

He also applies Guido’s method for combining melodic gestures to combining melodic species. 65 

61 Rahn, “Marchetto’s Theory of Commixture and Interruptions.” 





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The authors who discuss melodies more closely related to the troubadour repertory, in 

particular Grocheio and Molinier, mention the importance of melodic gestures in shaping the 

melodies. As mentioned previously, Grocheio indicates that the sections of the stanza are made 

up of concordant intervals; likewise Molinier suggests that the most audible feature of 

troubadour melodies is their ascents and descents. 

To a large extent descriptions of shorter melodic segments by medieval writers 

correspond in part to the identification of motives by modern scholars. Medieval ideas of 

melodic formulae and interval species rely on exact intervallic duplication. Guido’s 

compositional suggestions indicate that the same motive may sound forwards and backwards to 

form an arch, and a motive may be varied by changing its distribution with respect to syllables. 

The more drastic changes suggested, but not actually identified, by modern scholars seem alien 

to medieval concepts of melodic resemblance and repetition. 

Motivic Repetition in Folquet’s Melodies. 

Based on these medieval and modern concepts of shorter melodic segments and their 

repetition I have developed guidelines to the identification of motives. A melodic motive results 

when a series of notes with a defined set of characteristics is repeated within the song. To be 

audible and identifiable within this context a motive must exhibit a characteristic interval pattern 

in association with a particular distribution over the syllables: changes to the distribution over 

the syllables, transposition, retrograde motion, and sometimes addition and subtraction of pitches 

may be considered possible ways to vary or transform a defined motive. Variations of whatever 

kind, however, must leave some essence of the motive intact. The ways in which repetition and 

variation of shorter motives shape the melody, creating contours and similarities between 

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melodic lines, is especially important in creating coherence in melodies that do not repeat 

complete melodic lines. 

Although, according to my evaluation, the melody of “En chantan” exhibits no repetition 

corresponding to whole lines of verse, other scholars hear resemblances between melodic lines 

and even repetition of complete melodic lines. Vanin, for example, examines the relationship 

between the versification and repetition of cadences. His diagram of the musical form indicates 

a few additional resemblances. I find that many lines exhibit varying degrees of resemblance 

resulting from the repetition of two motives, provided in Figure 4.15. The complete melody is 

provided in Figure 4.16. 

Figure 4.15. Motives in “En chantan” 

Motive a, which consists of a leap from e to g followed by stepwise motion to a, opens 

the song. Halperin lists this as initial formula 3, so it commonly begins melodic lines in the 

troubadour repertory as a whole. The only complete recurrence of motive a occurs at the 

beginning of line 8, consisting of the notes for the first three syllables and half the fourth; after 

the opening the two lines differ in their melodic logic. 66 In the first line the rest of the neume on 

the fourth syllable continues the motion upward, the melody then descends in two waves for the 

rest of the line. In contrast, the rest of the fourth neume in the eighth line initially leaps down to 

66 Vanin notes this as a point of articulation. “Musical form,” 91. 

189

Figure 4.16. “En chantan” in manuscript G, complete melody 

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f, but the rest of the line ascends to d', continuing into the first note of the ninth line, creating a 

melodic enjambment. The melodic enjambment further emphasizes the unique high point of the 

melody, f', from which the melody descends a ninth by step to e over the first five syllables of 

the ninth line. 

The beginning of the eighth line, however, is not the first recurrence of the opening 

material; it is simply the only unvaried reprise because other occurrences vary the motive by 

addition or subtraction of notes. The first occurs at the end of the first line itself; the leap from 

the e of the penultimate neume to the g of the ultimate recalls (but does not repeat) the opening 

motive. Similarly, the third line begins with the addition of the lower neighbor d to the e of the 

opening figure and maintains the characteristic leap to g in the second neume, but steps up to a 

instead of repeating the g as in the unvaried motive. The ascending motion continues up to d', 

extending the ascent heard in the beginning of the first line. Similarly, line 7 begins with a 

different variant of the figure in which the e is repeated and the a is never attained. This short 

line ends like the first, with a descent from g to d. 

Motive b consists of a stepwise, syllabic ascent from g to d', forming, in Marchetto’s 

terms, an aggregate of the fourth species of fifth. It occurs at the beginning or end of lines 3, 6, 

8, and 10. 67 In lines 3 and 8 it sounds in close association with repetitions of motive a. The step 

up from g to a at the end of motive a initiates the ascent from g to d' in line 3, so the two motives 

overlap on the second and third syllables. The unvaried sounding of motive b is succeeded by a 

short variation of the motive consisting of a descending leap of the interval encompassed to 

67 Vanin notes the repetition of this motive in lines 3 and 10 only. “Musical Form,” 91. 

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create a continuous species of fifth in retrograde. A vertical stroke after this leap separates the 

iterations of motive b from the cadential material. 

Motive b is also slightly varied in line 8, in that one note is omitted so that it is not an 

aggregate species. Although the motive occurs at the end of the line, it is not cadential–it does 

not create a sense of repose, but leads into the next line. The omission of the c' carries the 

melody up to the f' more energetically by skips of a third across the line end. 

Motive b forms the bulk of the musical material in lines 6 and 10. Line 6 consists 

principally of an arch formed by motive b sounding in ascent from the second to sixth syllables, 

followed by a somewhat ornamented descent from d' to g, thus motive b in retrograde. Line 10, 

similarly, consists of motive b in ascent and descent, here two iterations of the arch. The first 

sounding in ascent in both lines maintains the syllabic character of the motive, but the retrograde 

versions and the iterations in line 10 compress the motive into fewer syllables. 

These motivic repetitions alone create noticeable resemblances between lines and 

contribute to our hearing structure and shape within this melody without obvious repetition. The 

repetition by resemblance in all cases falls into the repetition of material from the first part of the 

stanza in the second part. To a large extent, these resemblances do not divide the stanza into 

sections. As discussed previously, Aubrey considers line 10 to be a repetition of line 4, varied 

by interpolation; the interpolated material consists of iterations of motive b. This connection 

creates a parallelism in function between line 4, the end of the first part of the melody, and line 

10, the end of the melody. 

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Another melody structured through repetition of motives rather than complete melodic 

lines is “Amors, merce!” Several different motives form the bulk of the musical material in the 

song as transmitted in manuscript G; these motives are provided in Figure 4.17. 

Figure 4.17. Motives in “Amors, merce!” manuscript G 

Motive a is defined by stasis–it consists of notes that repeat one pitch at least three times. 

This motive, on the pitch a, begins ten of Folquet’s songs in manuscript G including this one and 

five in manuscript R: it might be considered Folquet’s signature beginning. In this song, the 

melody of which is provided in Figure 4.18, the motive is varied principally through 

transposition to different pitches. It first recurs, untransposed, at the beginning of the fourth 

line. It sounds again, transposed to g at the beginning of the fifth line then a second time in the 

middle of this same line transposed to c'. 

The two soundings of motive a are linked in the fifth line by the transitional motive b that 

is defined by its rhythm and pitch level and which recurs virtually unvaried in the fifth and sixth 

lines. In its first appearance it links two iterations of the transposed variation of motive a. It 

appears again at the end of the fifth line and in the middle of the sixth line leading into motive c. 

Where motive a represents stasis, motive c provides movement. It is defined as a 

stepwise, syllabic descent from b-flat to d, although it never sounds in its purest form. It is 

varied by distribution over the syllables, elongation by the addition of notes, subtraction of notes, 

and retrograde motion. It first sounds at the end of line 1, from the sixth to the eleventh neume. 

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Figure 4.18. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript G, complete melody 

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Here the a is out of order and the g is repeated, but the motion is essentially as defined. The 

gesture is mirrored at the beginning of the second line, a syllabic ascent from d to b-flat, slightly 

lengthened to cover the interval of a sixth over six neumes. These two lines, then, create a large 

inverted arch. The motive next sounds from the third to seventh neumes in line 3, here extended 

at both ends to encompass an octave from c' to c. It sounds again in the middle of line 4, but 

here notes are omitted creating a chain of thirds from b-flat to c. The entire gesture is 

compressed into two syllables at the end of line 5 and expanded again to four syllables at the end 

of line 6. Only line 7 lacks motive c. Because it occurs at the ends of lines 1, 5, and 6, the end 

of motive c provides the cadential materials for these lines. 

Cadential motive x provides musical materials for cadences and other motives. It 

comprises two units; the first, x1, consists of a descending chain of thirds from g to c across two 

syllables; the second, x2, is a stepwise descent to c. The cadential motives are identified by pitch 

level and interval structure; they are transformed not by transposition, but by expansion, 

contraction, and retrograde motion. The combined cadential motive sounds at the ends of lines 

2, 4 and 7. The parts, however, recur independently in other locations within the melody. The 

last three pitches of motive c in line 4 correspond to cadential motive x1; these three pitches are 

then mirrored in ascent on the seventh to ninth neumes, leading to the complete motive x at the 

end of the line. Lines 6 and 7 begin with arches formed from motive x2 first sounding in ascent 

from c to e, then untransformed, descending back to c. Motive x2 also forms the cadence at the 

end of line 6, as the last part of descending motive c. 

The pattern created by the repetition of the cadential motives divides the stanza into three 

sections: ab; cd; efg. The return of motive a at its original pitch level at the beginning of the 

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fourth line, however, counters this division; this countering is tempered by the transposed 

variation of motive a opening the fifth line. The repeated-note motive a contrasts with the other 

frequently-sounded motive of a descending motive b. The last two lines begin with motives 

derived from cadential motive x; these signal the end of the melody. 

Repetition of shorter motives also coordinates with repetition of melodic lines 

corresponding to whole lines of verse. This can be seen in both versions of “Ay! tan gen vens”; 

here I discuss only the version transmitted in manuscript R. In this version the varied repetition 

of the melody for the fourth line as the eighth line divides the stanza into two parts, each of 

which ends with similar musical materials. The sense of stanza division is enhanced by the 

repetition of the opening motive at the beginning of the fifth line, as shown in Figure 4.19. 68 

The motive consists of an ascending leap of a minor third from d to f, followed by 

continued ascending stepwise motion to a before the cesura. This interval sequence, like that of 

“En chantan,” fits Halperin’s initial formula 3. The beginning of line 5, however, is the only 

unvaried recurrence of this motive. The first part of the motive sounds again after the cesura in 

line 5, transposed up a fifth, creating a melodic sequence and sounding the upper range of the 

song for the first time. The change in register underscores the difference between the first line as 

the beginning of the song and the fifth line as the beginning of the second half of the song. The 

difference is confirmed in the next line which also begins on the motive transposed to a and 

remains in the upper register. 

The last three notes in the original motive also sound repeatedly throughout the melody, 

first at the end of the first line, on the sixth to eighth neumes, continuing up to b-flat on the ninth. 

68 Aubrey considered the two lines to be similar enough to designate with the same letter. 

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Figure 4.19. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, complete melody 

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These three pitches then begin the second line, followed by a leap down a fifth to d. The 

stepwise, syllabic ascent from d then sounds as a sequential variation of the beginning of the 

line, despite the changes in intervals. The ascent from d then opens the third line and another 

sequential repetition opens the fourth line with a stepwise, syllabic ascent from c. Thus, the 

recurrence of variants of the opening motive in the first half are sequentially nested within the 

lines: 1.A A' 2.A' A" 3.A" B 4.A'" C. 

The sequential nesting is less neat in the second half, although still audible. The 

stepwise, syllabic ascent from f to a that begins the second line also sounds at the beginning of 

the seventh line; here some pitches are interpolated before the leap from a to d and the stepwise 

ascent from d to f is not syllabic. Otherwise, lines 2 and 7 are very similar musically. 69 The 

melody then moves directly to the final sequential transposition of the second part of the opening 

motive to repeat the musical ideas of the last line of the first part of the stanza. 

Thus, the two halves of the stanza begin and end with the same musical materials, but 

vary the opening motive in different ways. The first half of the stanza consists in part of variants 

of the second part of the opening motive, whereas the second half of the stanza begins with 

variations on the first part of the opening motive. The two halves are partially parallel, partially 

different based on repetition. 

Folquet’s melodies, then, do exhibit considerable repetition. Songs without repetition of 

complete melodic lines gain coherence through the repetition of shorter motives; even in songs 

with repetition of complete melodic lines, repetition of shorter motives creates further musical 

coherence. Folquet often begins songs with repeated notes that may serve as a signature 

69 Aubrey also designated these two lines with the same letter. 

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eginning and recur in critical places in the melody. Within the songs, ascents or descents with 

particular interval structures or at particular pitch levels contrast with the repeated note motives. 

The ways in which repetition of complete melodic lines and shorter motives coordinate with the 

words is discussed in Chapter 5. 

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Chapter 5. Relationships between the Music and the Words 

From the myriad of possible areas of interactions between the music and words in 

Folquet’s songs I have selected two to discuss–the relationship between musical and verbal units 

(systematically discussed in troubadour songs only by Switten and Scherner van Ortmerssen) 

and coincidences between musical and verbal repetitions (examined by other scholars, with 

various results depending on the scope and detail of the study). In the discussions that follow I 

examine not only the structural relationships between these various aspects of troubadour song, 

but also how they interact, in particular how the various musical parameters emphasize certain 

parts of the poems to enhance comprehension and underscore the meaning. 

Musical Form and Versification 

Over the years scholars have evaluated the relationship between musical form and 

versification in troubadour song in various ways. As discussed in Chapter 4, Dante’s description 

of the form of the stanza in De vulgari eloquentia presumes a coincidence of musical and 

metrical form. Indeed, in his poetry one can identify the parts of the stanza from the poem alone. 

Because Dante serves as the principal source of information on the form of troubadour melodies, 

some scholars have expected such coincidence between musical and metrical form in troubadour 

melodies. Most, however, have found little or no correspondence between the musical form and 

versification; their reactions to the lack of expected correspondence vary. 

In a widely quoted sentence from his 1972 book on the music of the troubadours and 

trouvères, Hendrik van der Werf decries the lack of correspondence between the melodic 

repetition and versification in the songs: “Since the troubadours and trouvères paid so little 

attention to the form of the melody, it is not surprising that they showed equally little interest in 

200

the relation between the metric scheme and the sequence of melodic lines.” 1 He later refers to an 

“ideal agreement between musical and textual forms,” 2 by which he means that a versification of 

ababcdcd would be set to a melody with the repetition scheme ABABCDCD. 

Later scholars writing about the entire troubadour repertory sought to vindicate 

troubadour melodies by accepting the lack of correspondence as a compositional strategy. 3 In 

later publications van der Werf also came to this conclusion. 4 Thus, it would seem that the ideal 

is a lack of correspondence between melodic repetition and versification. 

However, researchers who have analyzed a sample of the repertory, such as the works by 

an individual troubadour, have observed that some relationship between the musical repetition 

and versification is quite common. Scherner-van Ortmerssen classified Bernart de Ventadorn’s 

songs by the relationship between the melodic repetition and versification. 5 Switten observed 

that two of Raimon de Miraval’s twenty-two songs exhibited exact correspondence between the 

melodic repetition and the versification; some remaining songs exhibited a partial 

correspondence between melodic repetition and versification. She suggests that Miraval avoided 

monotony in the songs in which the versification and melodic repetition coincided by variation 

and by various musical and poetic interactions in the second part of the stanza. 6 

1 van der Werf, Chansons, 64. 

2 van der Werf, Chansons, 67. 

3Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 194; Vanin, “Musical Form”; Switten, “Music and 

Versification,” 148. 

4 van der Werf, Extant Troubadour Melodies, 66-68; “Music,” 141. 

5 Scherner-van Ortmerssen, Bernart de Ventadorn, 36-37. 


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How and to what extent does Folquet coordinate versification and musical form? Like 

most troubadour songs, no canso in Folquet’s oeuvre exhibits complete correspondence between 

versification and melodic form. First, he wrote several melodies without repetition of complete 

melodic lines but devised no versification without repetition of both rhyme sounds and line 

lengths. Second, in many melodies with repetition, only one or two lines are repeated, far fewer 

than in the versifications, so there cannot be complete correspondence between the melodic form 

and the versification. In a few songs the versification and melodic repetition coexist without 

obvious interaction. In most songs there is either partial correspondence or partial conflict 

between repetition in the versification and melodic repetition. 

Three songs exhibit both partial conflict and partial correspondence between the melodic 

repetition pattern and the versification. The strongest conflict appears in “Mout i fez,” as shown 

in Table 5.1. 

Table 5.1. “Mout i fez,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, Common to Both Versions 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Versification 8a 8b 8b 8a 8c 8c 8a 8a 8d 8d 

Melody A B A C D E F G H I 

Here both the melodic repetition and the rhyme scheme divide the stanza into two parts, 

consisting of the first four lines and the last six lines. The ABAC beginning of the melody, 

however, conflicts with the abba opening of the versification. The remaining six lines of the 

melody do not exhibit repetition and cannot correspond to the repetitions in the versification. 

A stronger combination of partial conflict and correspondence between the melodic and 

poetic forms may be observed in “Tan m’abellis” and “Ay! tan gen vens.” These are the only 

two of Folquet’s songs that exhibit the same pattern of repeated melodic lines. As discussed in 

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Chapter 4, the melody for each song can be divided into two halves, each of which ends with the 

same melody, as shown for “Tan m’abellis” in Table 5.2. 

Table 5.2. “Tan m’abellis,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Versification 10a 10'b 10c 10a 10'b 10'b 10d 10d 

Melody A B C D E F G D 

The melodic repetition, then, creates temporary melodic closure at the end of the fourth line and 

final melodic closure at the end of the stanza. This division of the stanza can also be deduced 

from the versification in that the a rhyme opens and closes the first part: abca; but the second 

part reiterates the b rhyme of the first part at the beginning and closes with the new rhyme, d. 

This conflicts with the parallel repetitions heard in the melody. 

The conflict, however, is primarily visual. As discussed in Chapter 2, the a rhyme is en 

and the d rhyme is ens, in theory different rhymes, but in practice so similar that one was often 

substituted for the other in the manuscripts (as they may have been in performance). Thus, the 

two stanza halves close with almost identical rhyme sounds in addition to identical melodies. 

The partial conflict between versification and melodic repetition is equally apparent in 

“Ay! tan gen vens,” as shown in Table 5.3. 

Table 5.3. “Ay! tan gen vens,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Versification 10a 10b 10b 10a 10c 10d 10d 10c 

Melody A B C D E F G D 

As in “Tan m’abellis” both the versification and melody divide the stanza into two halves. Here, 

however, no rhyme sound from the first half of the stanza is repeated in the second half to create 

conflict between the versification and melodic repetition. On first glance the two stanza halves 

end with the same melodic line but different rhyme sounds. However, a closer examination of 

203

the song reveals more complex interaction between the versification and the melodic repetition. 

As discussed in Chapter 2 and reprised in Table 5.4, the pattern of the rhyme sounds progresses 

from stanza to stanza creating the pattern for the whole song. 

Table 5.4. Rhyme Scheme Modules in “Ay! tan gen vens” 

Stanza 1: abba cddc 

Stanza 2: daad bccb 

Stanza 3: cddc abba 

Stanza 4: bccb daad 

Stanza 5 abba cddc 

Tornada abba 

Four, four-line modules are repeated through the song, indicated in different typeface. These 

modules exchange places every other stanza, so that, for example, the module that begins the 

song, abba, sounds in the second half of the third stanza and the beginning of the fifth stanza. As 

a result every rhyme sound occurs in association with the repeated melodic lines at the ends of 

the stanza halves. The module for the tornada, however, breaks this pattern. The tornada would 

normally use rhyme sounds from the second part of either the second (to follow the sequence), 

bccb, or first stanza (to repeat the sounds of the last stanza), cddc. Instead, it uses the rhyme 

sounds from the beginning of the poem, abba; this unexpected rhyme scheme for the tornada 

creates the parallel between melodic repetition and versification in the song. The first time the 

first half occurs (first stanza), melodic line D occurs with rhyme sound a and the last time the 

second half occurs (tornada), melodic line D occurs with rhyme sound a to bind the song 

together. 

In most other songs melodic repetition and versification partially correspond. Two 

songs without repetition of melodic lines exhibit “progressive” versifications in which individual 

rhyme sounds are repeated immediately and not after intervening rhyme sounds (aabbccdd, for 

204

example). The progression in the versification corresponds metaphorically to the progression in 

the melody. 

The clearer example of a progressive versification combined with a through-composed 

melody is “Ben an mort,” 7 diagramed in Table 5.5. 

Table 5.5. “Ben an mort,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, Common to Both Versions 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Versification 6a 6a 6a 6b 6b 6c 8c 8c 10d 10d 

Melody A B C D E F G H I J 

Here, line lengths increase from six syllables to ten syllables, and the rhymes progress from a to 

d as the stanza progresses. There is no obvious division of the stanza, so the versification itself 

would be oda continua. The through-composed melodic setting enhances this progression in the 

versification as shown in Figure 5.1. 

Registral changes in the melody often coincide with changes in line length. The melody 

begins in the upper register of the song and descends to the lower register by the second verse. It 

remains in the lower register through the fifth verse, then returns to the upper register but with a 

range restricted to a third in the sixth verse. Thus the opening six lines form a metrical unit 

consisting of the only six-syllable lines in the song and a musical unit bounded by phrases that 

remain in the upper register. The seventh verse expands to eight syllables in the words and a 

sixth in the melody. The eighth verse returns to the lower register in the melody; the ninth and 

7 The other example is “En chantan” in which the rhymes progress from a to d, but the 

line lengths vary in a sequential rather than progressive manner as discussed in chapter 2. 

205

Figure 5.1. “Ben an mort,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript R 

206

Ben an mort mi e lor. Indeed they have killed me and themselves, 

miei huelh galiador. my treacherous eyes. 

per qe.m platz c’ap els plor. Which is why it pleases me to cry with them, 

car ilh so an merit. since they deserve it. 

qu’en tal don’an chauzit. 1.5 For they have chosen such a lady 

don an fayt falhimen. that they must fail, 

car qui aut pueya bas dissen. since he who climbs high, falls low. 

pero en sas merces m’aten. But, I await her mercy, 

car yeu non cre que merces aus falhir. since I don’t believe that mercy would dare fail 

lay on dieus vol totz autres bes ayzir. 1.10 there where God wants to put all other good things. 

E si conosc d’amor. And so I know all about Love, 

qi mon dan la sabor. who savors my harm, 

qi so don ay langor. who so grants that I have pain, 

me fay prezar petit. makes me value little 

e plorar ad escrit. 2.5 and weep in writing. 

de tal qes mi defen. From whom I defend myself. 

so q’ieu en causa vau fugen. so that in chasing I go fleeing, 

e so q’ieu fug yeu vau seguen. and so I flee and go pursuing. 

aisi no say co si.m puesca sofrir. Thus I don’t know if I can stand it 

qu’essems m’aven en causar e fugir. 2.10 that together we go chasing and fleeing. 

Er aujatz gran folor. Now hear the great joke 

c’arditz soy per paor. for I am courageous through fear. 

qe tan tem la dolor For I so fear the pain 

qe . . . that . . . 

c’ayso.m fai pus ardit. 3.5 that it makes me more courageous 

de mostrar mon talen. to show my desire 

a leis que.m fay velhar dormen. to her who keeps me awake while sleeping. 

donc ay per paor ardimen. Thus, I have courage through fear, 

aysi com sel q’estiers non pot guerir. just like him who cannot otherwise save himself 

es vai totz sols entre .v.c. ferir. 3.10 and goes all alone to fight against 500. 

Pros dona cuy adhor Worthy Lady, whom I love, 

restauratz m’en valor restore in valor 

mi es vostra lauzor. me and your praise. 

c’amdui nem a freolit. For both have weakened, 

car me metetz en oblit. 4.5 since you have forgotten 

mi q’ie.us am finamen. me, who truly loves you. 

car cels qe o sabon van dizen. For those who know go saying 

qe fol servir fai mantas gen. that to serve foolishly makes many noble. 

e car vos am tan qe dals non cossir. And since I love you more than I know 

pert mi e vos gardatz si.m dey marrir. 4.10 I lose myself and you, take heed if I must be 

afflicted. 

207

Ieu ioc c’oguan per flor. I joke henceforth for the flowers 

no.m viratz chantador. you do not see me as a singer. 

mais precx de mo senhor. But the entreaties of my lord, 

del bon rey cuy dieus guit. the good king, whom God protects, 

d’Aragon m’a partit. 5.5 of Aragon, has removed from me 

d’ir’e de marrimen. the sadness and affliction. 

e si chant tot forsadamen. And so I sing completely forced 

mas al seu plazen mandamen. except for his pleasing command. 

non devon res siei amic contradir. His friends must not contradict anything, 

c’als enemicx ilh se fay obezir. 5.10 for he makes himself obey his enemies. 

Bels n’Azimans dieus vos gart. de falhir Good lord Azimans, may God protect you from 

failure 

vas lieis que falh vas me so auzes dir. towards her who fails towards me so I’ve heard. 

tenth verses expand to ten syllables in the words and a seventh in the melody, the largest range in 

the song. 8 

The increased line length also gives greater weight to the longer lines. In many stanzas 

these longer lines include proverbs, underlined in the translation. The pattern is laid out in the 

first stanza. Line 7 states a proverb, attributed to Solomon by Molinier in the Leys d’amors–“for 

he who climbs too high, falls low” 9 –using virtually the same wording. Here Folquet proclaims 

the conventional wisdom that he is likely to be rejected (fall) by such an exalted Lady (aiming 

too high), but the proverbial statement that closes the stanza–that mercy would not dare fail there 

where God has put all good things 10 –indicates that he expects acceptance from his exalted Lady. 

8This expansion and contraction of range in relation to line lengths is also characteristic 

of the version transmitted by manuscript G. 

9 A series of proverbs attributed to Solomon is listed on pages 272-74 of Gatien-Arnoult’s 

edition of the Leys d’amors. “E qui trop pueja bas deschen” appears on page 274. 

10 Listed as a proverb by Pfeffer in Proverbs in Medieval Occitan Literature as number 

223.1 in her supplement to Cnyrim, Sprichwörter. She also discusses the proverbs in this song 

on pages 45-48 and in “‘Ben conosc e sai,’” 401-8. 

208

The parallels between the first and second proverb are underscored by the musical 

setting; lines 7 and 9 begin with similar motives. The motive in line 7 ascends from g to d ' , 

followed by a descent; the complete line covers a range of a sixth. Line 9 begins with a similar 

ascent, but transposed down a fifth to begin on c, and ascends beyond g to b, expanding the 

range of the motive to a seventh. The shorter, higher version of the motive sets the proverb that 

expresses the conventional wisdom that Folquet rebuts with the proverb set with the longer, 

lower version of the motive. Similar connections exist in other stanzas between the 

pronouncements of the seventh line and those of the ninth and tenth lines; these verbal 

connections are likewise connected musically. 

In five songs there is partial correspondence between the infrequent melodic repetitions 

and the versification, either the rhyme scheme, the meter, or both. 11 The two short lines in “Tan 

mou,” numbers seven and nine, are set with the same melody in manuscript R, as shown in Table 

5.6. 

Table 5.6. “Tan mou,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript R. 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 

Versification 8a 8b 8b 8a 8a 8c 4c 8c 4d 8d 8e 8e 

Melody A B C D E F G H G I J K 

The rhymes, however, are different. These are the only four-syllable lines in the stanza; the 

melodic setting enhances the connection between them. 

The melodic repetitions in “Sitot me sui” in the second half of the stanza correspond to 

some repetitions in the versification, shown in Table 5.7. 

11 “Greu fera,” “S’al cor plagues,” “Sitot me sui,” “Tan mou,” and “Us volers.” As I 

discussed in Chapter 4, only one version of the melody exhibits the repetition; in the other 

version or versions the lines in question exhibit close resemblance rather than repetition. 

209

Table 5.7. “Sitot me sui,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G 12 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Versification 10a 10'b 10'b 10a 10'c 10'c 10d 10'c 

Melody A B C D E F G F 

The melody for the sixth line is repeated, with a slight difference in the cadence for the eighth 

line; both are ten-syllable lines with the c rhyme. These repetitions surround the isolated d 

rhyme, the only oxytonic rhyme in the second half of the stanza. The versification clearly 

divides the stanza into two halves, as does the melodic repetition. The three melodies setting 

lines ending with the c rhyme also sound the highest notes of the melody, as shown in Figure 5.2. 

Line 5 arches up from g to the apex of the whole melody, d' on the sixth syllable, returning to g 

at the end of the line. Lines 6 and 8 consist of an ornamented descent from the local high point, 

c ' , down the octave to c; line 8 returns to the final d at the end. These are the only lines in the 

melody in which these high pitches sound. 

There is also some coordination between rhyme type (oxytonic or paroxytonic) and 

cadence pattern. The cadence at the end of line 2 is identical to the final cadence in line 8, 

sounding both the upper and lower neighbors to the final on the penultimate neume, followed by 

the final as the last neume. The cadence at the end of line 3 places the same figure on the 

penultimate neume, but the final neume moves up to e after touching d. The cadence at the end 

of line 6 can be heard as an open ending, on the subfinal, with the closed ending at the end of 

line 8. 

12 Only the last four lines remain of the version in manuscript W, but these exhibit the 

same melodic repetition as the version in manuscript G. 

210

Figure 5.2. “Sitot me sui,” Complete Melody and Words for the First Stanza, manuscript G 

211



qe mais no jog a gran bona ventura. that he gambles no more, to my great good fortune 

m’o dei tener car m’en sui coneguz. I must consider it, since I [finally] recognize 

del gran enian c’amors vas me fazia. 1.5 the great trick Love has played on me– 

c’ab bel senblan m’a tengut en fazia. for with a beautiful appearance it has held me in 

refusal 

plus de dez anz a lei de mal deutor. more than ten years to it, like a bad debtor, 

c’ades promet e re no pagaria. who always promises, but never pays. 

Similar interplay between cadence patterns, melodic contour and repetition, and 

versification is characteristic of “Us volers.” The relationship between the versification and 

melodic repetition is shown in Table 5.8. 

Table 5.8. “Us volers,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Versification 7a 7b 7b 7a 5c 7c 7a 7a 5d 7d 

Melody A B C D E C D F E G 

As discussed in Chapter 4, the melodic repetition divides the stanza into two halves of five lines 

each; the versification does not exhibit an obvious division. Three melodic lines from the first 

half of the song, lines 3, 4, and 5, recur in the second half in the same order as lines 6, 7, and 9. 

The repetition of the melodic lines 4 and 5 as lines 7 and 9 corresponds with some repetition in 

the versification although the repetition of melodic line 3 as line 6 does not. As in “Tan mou,” 

the short lines, 5 and 9, are set with the same melody, but the texts differ in rhyme sound. The 

repetition of melodic line 4 as line 7 corresponds to a repetition of the a rhyme in a seven- 

syllable line. 

Other melodic features enhance the connections between repetitions in the versification; 

the complete melody is provided in Figure 5.3 The repetition of line 5 as line 9 is varied at the 

cadence, a variation that reflects the different functions of the two lines in the melody. Line 5 

212

Figure 5.3. “Us volers,” Complete Melody and Words for the First Stanza, manuscript G 

213

Uns volers oltracuidaz. One outrageous desire 

s’es inz en mon cor aders. has elevated itself in my heart. 

pero non di mos espers. But my hope says that 

ja posca’esser acabaz. it can never be achieved 

tant aut s’es impenz. 1.5 so high it is attached. 

ni no m’autreja mons senz. And my sense doesn’t assure me, 

qe.n sia desesperaz. so that I would despair of it 

e son aisi meitadaz. and am thus divided, 

qe non desesper. for I don’t despair 

ni aus esperanz’aver. 1.10 or dare to have hope. 

ends on the final to terminate the first half of the melody. The return of this melodic line in line 

9 may lead listeners to expect the final again at the end of the line, but this expectation is 

frustrated by the delay of the final to the end of line 10; the sounding of the subfinal at the end of 

line 9 and its repetition at the beginning of line 10 effectively leads to the sounding of the final at 

the end. 

As in “Sitot me sui” there is an association between rhyme sounds, melodic repetition, 

and melodic range. In particular, the melodic lines that reach the highest points in the melody 

set verbal lines that end with the a rhyme–lines 1, 4, 7, and 8. The melody begins at the high 

point of the song, c ' , and descends to the end of the first line and, with two exceptions, remains 

there for the rest of the song. 13 Lines 4 and 7, set with the same melodies, arch to the high point 

of c' in manuscript G, the only lines other than the first in which the melodic high point sounds. 

The opening melodic gesture of line 8 echoes that of line 7, but a step lower, establishing a 

temporary high point before descending to the lower register like the opening melodic gesture of 

the song. These four lines create a palindromic framework for the song: descent. . . arch. . . arch. 

13 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 176-77, discusses this melody as an example of one 

that emphasizes both ends of its octave range. 

214

. . descent. . . . . The last two lines, although they do not consist of the same melodic material, 

remain in the lower register and bring the song to a conclusion there. 

The pattern created by the coincidence of versification and melodic repetition is 

described in the words of “S’al cor plagues.” In the version transmitted in manuscript R, shown 

in Table 5.9, only one melodic line is repeated: the melody for the first line of the song sounds a 

second time, with slight variation, as the ninth line of the song. 14 At this point in the song the a 

rhyme is repeated for the first time in the stanza. 

Table 5.9. “S’al cor plagues,” Versification and Melodic Repetition manuscript R 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

Versification 10a 10b 10b 10c 10c 10b 10b 10c 10a 10a 

Melody A B C D E F G H A I 

The last two lines of each stanza, then, are demarcated from the rest of the stanza by the return of 

the opening melody and rhyme, as shown in Figure 5.4. In the first and third stanzas and the 

tornada the ninth and tenth lines constitute complete proverbs; in the second stanza they 

conclude a proverbial image begun in the eighth line. The proverbs and proverbial image are 

underlined in the translation. The articulation at this point emphasizes the distinctness of the 

proverbs. 

The pitch hierarchy also emphasizes the importance of the proverbs. Only the last line of 

this song ends on the final; only the seventh line begins on it–this suggests some kind of 

beginning at this point. The tornada begins with line 7, and four stanzas initiate a new thought at 

this point. In the first stanza, for example, lines 7 and 8 state a proverb that complements the 

opening statement, echoing the words “pleases the heart.” The song begins “If it pleased my 

14 The two lines are similar in the version transmitted in manuscript G. 

215

Figure 5.4. “S’al cor plagues,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript R 

216

S’al cor plagues be fora’huei may sazos If it pleased my heart, now would be the time 

de far chanso per joia mantener. to compose a song in order to sustain joy; 

mas trop me fay m’aventura doler. but too much my luck makes me suffer 

cant ieu esgart los bes e.ls mals qu’ieu ay. when I consider the good and bad that I have. 

que ricx dis hom que soy e qe be.m vay.1.5 For they say I am rich and that it goes well for me. 

mas sel co ditz no sap ges ben lo ver. But he who says this knows nothing of the truth. 

car benanansa non pot hom aver. For a man cannot have happiness 

de nulha re mais d’aiso que.l cor play. from anything except that which pleases his heart. 

per que n’a may us paupre s’es joios. Which is why a poor man who is joyous has more 

c’un ric ses joy qu’es tot l’an corrossos.1.10 than a rich man without joy who is anxious all year. 

E s’ieu anc jorn fuy gay ni amoros. And if I were ever happy or loving, 

er non ay joy d’amors ni no.l esper. now I no joy of love or hope of it, 

ni autre be no.m pot al cor plazer. and no other good can please my heart; 

ans me semblon. tug autres joi esmay. instead, all other joys seem lamentations to me. 

pero d’amors qe.l vos en diray. 2.5 But from Love, which I will tell you about, 

no.m lays del tot car m’en peza mover. I don’t abstain completely, since it displeases me to 

move. 

q’enan no vau ni non puesc remaner. So I don’t go forward and cannot remain– 

aisi con sel qe mieg del albr’ estai. just like him who remains in the middle of the tree 

q’es tant pujatz qe non pot tornar jos. when he has climbed too high and cannot turn back 

ni sus montar tant li par temeros. 2.10 or climb higher, so fearful it appears to him. 

Pero no.m lais si tot s’es perilhos. But I don’t abstain, although it is dangerous, 

c’ades non pueg e sus a mon poder. for I never climb above my ability. 

e devria.m donar fin cor voler. And it must give my true heart desire 

pus conoysetz qe ja no.m recreiray. since you recognize that I will never give up. 

c’ab ardimen apodere l’esglay. 3.5 For I conquer fear with courage, 

e non ten dan qe m’en deg eschazer. and it doesn’t harm me since it had to happen to me. 

per qe.us er gen si.m denhatz retener. Because of this it will be noble if you deign to 

retain me, 

e.l gazardos es aytals co s’eschay. and the reward is such as is appropriate. 

qe neus lo dos ric fay lo gazardos. For the rich gift in itself makes the reward 

a sel qe sap d’avinens fatz los dos. 3.10 for him who knows how to give graciously. 

Doncx si merces a nulh poder en vos. Thus, if Mercy has any strength in you, 

traya.l enan si ja.m deu pron tener. I would encourage it, since always it must help me. 

q’ieu no m’en fi en pretz ni en saber. For I put no faith in it or in worthiness or 

knowledge 

ni en chansos mas car conosc e say. or in songs. But since I recognize and know 

qe merces vol so qe razos dechay. 4.5 that Mercy desires that which Reason disparages 

cui qer [ ]ab merces conqerer. he who seeks. . . to conquer with mercy 

[ ] m’es esdut contra.l sobre valer. . . . is my shield against over-value 

qe es en vos e.m fay metr’en assay. that is in you and makes me test 

217

de ma chanso so que.m veda razos. in my song that which reason denies to me, 

mais ilh me fay cuidar c’avinen fos. 4.10 but it makes me think it was becoming. 

E si conosc qe son trop oblidos. And so I know I have forgotten too much 

cant al comessamen me desesper. when I despair at the beginning 

de mas chansos pus vuelh merce qerer. of my song. Since I want to seek Mercy, 

faray o doncx si con lo joglar fay. I will do it like the joglar does– 

c’aysi comuoc mon chant lo feniray. 5.5 I will end my song just like I began it. 

desesperar m’ay pus non puesc vezer I will despair since I cannot see 

razo. per qe.s denha de mi chaler. the reason why she deigns to care about me. 

pero savals aytant y retenray. But at least so much I will remember there, 

q’ins e mon cor l’amaray a rescos. for in my heart I will love her in secret 

e diray be de lieys en mas chansos. 5.10 and say good things about her in my songs. 

Mentir cugey mais mal mon grat dic ver. I intended to lie, but against my will I speak the 

truth 

can m’estava mielhs c’aras no.m estay. then it was better for me, for now it is not. 

e cugei far e creyre so qe no fos. And I intended to do and believe that which was 

not, 

mal mon grat es vera ma chansos. T.10 so that despite my will, true is my song. 

heart” and line 8 ends “which pleases his heart,” framing the opening lines of the song and 

preparing for the return of the opening melodic material and the final proverb in line 9. Using 

these proverbs and the images in the first stanza Folquet depicts himself as someone who is 

composing songs contrary to the will of his heart. According to the proverb in lines 7 and 8, he 

is thus unhappy; and according to the proverb in lines 9 and 10 he, an unhappy rich man, has less 

than a happy poor man. The first stanza sets up Folquet’s unhappiness with Love depicted in the 

remaining stanzas. 

In addition to emphasizing proverbial statements, the return of the opening material in the 

ninth verse depicts musically what Folquet declares in the fifth stanza, indicated in bold in the 

translation: “I will compose my song like the joglar does; just as I begin my lai, I will finish it.” 

The repetition of the opening material at the end, in part, accomplishes this in every stanza. 

218

The final song in which the melodic repetition and versification partially coincide is 

“Greu fera,” which has the simplest versification of any of Folquet’s cansos in that only two 

rhyme sounds are used, and both sound en as the last accented syllable. There may be some 

irony in the application of a simple versification to a song that begins with the word “Greu,” 

meaning “with difficulty.” Here the versification interacts with repetition of complete melodic 

lines as well as resemblances between melodic lines. 15 The coordination between these elements 

is shown in Table 5.10; to distinguish resemblances from repetitions I have underlined the 

repetitions and put the resemblances in italics. 

Table 5.10. “Greu fera,” Versification and Melodic Repetition, manuscript G 

Line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 

Versification 7'a 7b 7b 7'a 7'a 7b 7b 7'a 7'a 

Melodic repetition A B B C E F G C C 

Unlike the other songs in this group, the melodic repetition does not correspond to repetition in 

the versification from one part of the stanza to the next, but to the immediate repetition of both. 

The complete melody and text are provided in Figure 5.5. 

The combined effects of the melodic resemblances and repetitions coordinate very 

closely with the versification. Lines 2 and 3 end with the b rhyme; whereas lines 4, 8, and 9 end 

with the a rhyme. With both the versification and the melodic repetitions (and resemblances) the 

stanza cannot be easily divided into sections. The versification could be divided into three 

sections of three lines each–aab baa bba–in which each section combines the two rhymes in 

15 As discussed in Chapter 4, some scholars identify lines 2 and 3 as repetitions; I decided 

there were too many differences in such short lines for them to be true repetitions, but the two 

lines do resemble each other closely, especially at the beginning. Similarly, Aubrey identifies 

lines 8 and 9 as repetitions of line 4. These lines do cover the same range, but line 4 begins, in 

relation to lines 8 and 9, in the middle of the progression, to create resemblance rather than 

repetition. 

219

Figure 5.5. “Greu fera,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G 

220







car contra’amor no me pren since I don’t go against Love. 



Mas en vostra mantenensa. But into your support 

me mes Amor fransamen. I freely put myself, Love, 

e fora mort veramen. and I would truly be dead 

se no fos ma conoscensa. if it weren’t for my understanding. 

dunc vo.n aiaz mais plivensa. 2.5 Thus you would have more pleasure from it 

q’eu man si cum soill plangen. that I remain as I am accustomed, complaining, 

ni mor oi mai tan soven. and die henceforth more often. 

qe mas chansons en parvensa. For my songs in opinion 

n’aviun meins de valensa. 2.9 would have less value. 

Es mi degras dar guirensa. And you should give me protection, 

qe mais gazangn e plus gen for he gains more and is more noble 

qi dona qe cel qe pren. who gives than he who takes 

si prez n’a ni benvolensa. if he has worth and benevolence. 

ma volt ses en vil tenensa. 3.5 But it turns into contemptible power, 

vostr’afar et en nien. your activity, and into nothing, 

c’om vos sol dar ar vos ven. for one accustomed to give you, now sells you. 

e lais m’en car ai sabensa. And I am finished for I have wisdom 

de maldir et estenensa. 3.9 about cursing and abstinence. 

E ja per mi non vos vensa And never for me could conquer you, 

merce que no lai aten. mercy, since I don’t expect it. 

ans me starai planamen. Instead I remain simply 

ses vos pos tan vos agensa. without you, if so much it pleases you, 

frans de bella captenensa. 4.5 noble with good deportment, 

e poisc q’enal no m’enten. and I can, for otherwise I don’t understand. 

e cil sofran lo tormen. And those suffer the torment 

qe fan per fol attendensa. who, from foolish expectations, 

ans lo pechat penedensa. 4.9 put the repentance before the sin. 

Mas eu avia credensa. But I would have believed 

tan quan amei follamen. so much when I loved foolishly 

en aiso cum vai disen. in this as they say: 

be finis qi mal comensa. “it ends well what begins badly.” 

per q’eu n’avia entendensa. 5.5 Because of this I had understanding 

qe per proar mon talen that to test my desire 

m’agues mal comensamen. you gave me a bad beginning. 

mas era sai aparvensa. But now I know openly 

qe m’agra tos temps tenensa. 5.9 that she has always had me in her power. 

221

different ways. This would correspond to a melodic division: ABB CDE FCC. The line endings 

in the melody, however, counter this proposed division, because only the fourth and ninth lines 

end on the final to divide the stanza into a first colon of four lines and a second of five lines. A 

similar division in the versification is also possible–abba abbaa–in which the two parts of the 

stanza are essentially the same, except the second part is extended by one line of rhyme a. The 

melody similarly accommodates this division–ABBC DEFCC–in which the two parts of the 

stanza end with similar materials. 

This last division of the stanza also accentuates rhetorical features of the song. The song 

opens with a proverbial statement that extends through the first four lines. The second and third 

lines contrast what someone should trust–his own good sense–with what he actually trusts–the 

blame of others. The similar melodic settings underscore the parallel arrangement of the 

contrast. The fourth line then limits the other people to those who live “in ignorance” or without 

good sense. Melodically the fourth line too begins similarly to the second and third lines but 

extends the range down rather than up; it exhibits the largest range of the first four melodic lines. 

Musically and verbally the first four lines of the first stanza form a unit. Stanzas three and five 

also exhibit proverbs within the first four lines of the stanza. 

The last two lines in each stanza consist either of a summarizing proverb, as in the first 

and fourth stanzas, or a summary sentence. The melody for these two lines resembles that of the 

fourth line–the last line in the proverbial section of the first part of the stanza. The similarities 

between the lines do connect these two areas of proverbial statement within the song. 

An examination of the relationship between the versification and melodic repetition 

corresponding to whole lines of verse reveals that Folquet did coordinate these elements of the 

222

song, but not in the expected way. Some through-composed melodies set poems with 

progressive versifications. At least one repeated melodic line in most of the melodies with 

repetition coincides with repetition of some element of the versification. These coincidences 

emphasize certain rhetorical features of the song, especially proverbs and proverbial images, and 

are sometimes reflected in the meaning of the words as well. 

Musical and Verbal Syntax 

The one topic discussed by medieval music theorists and medieval and classical 

grammarians is that discourse, whether musical or verbal, is divided into smaller units: commas, 

colons, and periods. Many grammatical treatises begin by defining the elementary units of 

language–sounds, letters, syllables, and words–and music theory treatises compare the musical 

units to the grammatical ones–sounds, pitches, several pitches, and musical gestures–with a one- 

to-one correspondence. The music theory treatises go on to demonstrate how larger musical 

units are formed out of the smaller ones, using grammatical terminology: commas, colons, and 

periods. The earlier treatises–Enchiriadis treatises and the Dialogus–imply that the musical and 

verbal units should coincide. Guido states this directly: “Also, the parts and distinctions of the 

melodic units and words should end at the same time.” 16 He does not provide specific examples 

to illustrate this point. 

The relationship between verbal and melodic units is discussed most completely by John 

in De musica. He first proposes equivalence between units of verbal discourse and melodic 

units: 

16 “Item ut in unum terminentur partes et distinctiones neumarum atque verborum.” 

Guido, Micrologus 16.48; Smits van Waesberghe, 173-74; Babb, 72. 

223

Or surely they are called tones because of the similarity with the tones that Donatus calls 

distinctions; for just as in prose, three things are considered distinctions, which can also 

be called places for pausing, they are colon or member, comma or clause, period or 

clausura (close of a period) or circuitus (period), they can be found in song. In prose 

naturally when there is an interruption in reading, this is called a colon, when the 

sentence is divided by a punctum, this is called a comma, when it leads to the end of the 

sentence, this is a period. 17 

He then provides concrete examples, first how the verbal units are put together in a prose 

phrase extracted from Luke: 

In words: “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Caesar Tiberius,” this, in every place is 

punctuated as a colon; then where it is added: “in the reign of the priests Annas and 

Caiphas,” there is a comma, at the end of the verse: “the sons of Zachary in the desert,” 

there is a period. 18 

He then demonstrates how verbal and musical units coincide, using the antiphon “Petrus 

autem” as an example: 

Similarly when the song pauses on the fourth or fifth from the final, there is a colon, 

when in the middle it leads to the final, there is a comma, when at the end the final is 

reached it is a period. As in this antiphon: “Petrus, moreover” colon, “was kept in 

prison,” comma, and “a prayer was made” colon, “for him without ceasing,” comma, “in 

the church to God.” period. 19 

17 “Vel certe toni dicuntur ad similitudinem tonorum, quos Donatus distinctiones vocat: 

sicut enim in prosa tres considerantur distinctiones, quae et pausationes appellari possunt, 

scilicet colon id est membrum, comma incisio, periodus clausura sive circuitus, ita et in cantu. In 

prosa quippe quando suspensive legitur, colon vocatur; quando per legitimum punctum sententia 

dividitur, comma, quando ad finem sententia deducitur, periodus est.” John, De musica 10.21-23; 


18 “Verba gratia: ‘Anno quinto decimo imperii Tiberii Caesaris,’ hic in omnibus punctis, 

colon est; deinde ubi subditur: ‘Sub principibus sacerdotum Anna et Caipha,’ comma est; in 

finem autem versus ubi est ‘Zachariae filium in deserto,’ periodus est.” John, De musica 10.24; 


19 “Similiter cum cantus in quarta vel quinta a finali voce per suspensionem pausat, colon 

est; cum in medio ad finalem reducitur, comma est; cum in fine ad finalem pervenit periodus est. 

Ut in hac antiphona: ‘Petrus autem,’ colon, ‘servabatur in carcere,’ comma, et ‘oratio fiebat,’ 

colon, ‘pro eo sine intermissione’ comma, ‘ab ecclesia ad Deum’ periodus.” John, De musica 

10.25-26; Smits van Waesberghe, 79-80; Babb, 116. 

224

He does not supply musical notation for this antiphon because he assumes his readers 

will be familiar with it. Bower provides a version of this antiphon from the Worcester 

Antiphonale which corresponds to John’s description; 20 using this version of the antiphon one 

may align the verbal and musical units: 

John Translation Verbal Unit Final Note 

Petrus autem, Peter moreover comma a 

servabatur in carcere: was kept in prison; colon d 

oratio fiebat, a prayer was made comma a 

pro eo sine intermissione: for him without ceasing colon d 

ab ecclesia ad Deum. 21 in the church to God. period d 

John has clearly based his identification of melodic units on the notes they end on, rather than on 

the degree of sense the words offer. The first colon, comprising the comma, “Petrus autem” and 

“servabatur in carcere” is comprised of two incomplete units, the first of which ends a fifth 

above the final, and the second of which ends on the final. This coheres well with John’s 

division into verbal and musical units. 

The second colon, however, is divided into three phrases, two of which can be 

subdivided further. The first phrase, “a prayer was made,” does express a complete thought; the 

two subsequent phrases consist of four prepositional phrases –“pro eo,” “sine intermissione,” 

“ab ecclesia,” and “ad Deum”–which specify for whom, how often, where, and to whom the 

prayers were made. Although the last phrase coincides with the end of the sentence or the 

period, the second phrase is verbally incomplete. John’s hierarchy, however, suggests that the 

20 Calvin Bower, “Grammatical Model,” 137. The version in the Liber usualis, however, 

exhibits no internal phrases that end on the final. As noted in Chapter 3, John reverses the usual 

hierarchy of colon and comma. I retained his reversed hierarchy in the quotations, but here I put 

the commas and colons in their usual hierarchy–a comma is less complete than a colon. 

21 Acts 12.5. 

225

first phrase, which ends on a pitch a fifth above the final, is less complete than the second 

phrase, which ends on the final–a division based on the hierarchy of the ending pitches rather 

than the degree of completeness in the words. Thus the verbal and musical units coincide as 

phrases, but their hierarchies in terms of completeness may be different. 

In this section I explore several aspects of the relationships between the musical and 

verbal units in Folquet’s songs. I begin with coordination between the melody and words at the 

cesura in ten-syllable lines. Then, I examine the relationship between the musical units defined 

by pitch hierarchies and the longer verbal units. 

The Cesura 

Divisions of the song shorter than a line of verse can only be securely and consistently 

identified in the poetry because lines of poetry of ten or more syllables typically have a short 

pause in the middle called the cesura. Some scholars who examine troubadour melodies find 

expression of the cesura in the melodies as well. Here, I revisit some material discussed in 

Chapter 2 on the verbal cesuras and examine it in connection with musical expressions of the 

cesura. 

Musical Expression of the Cesura. The Leys d’amors offers the most complete discussion of 

the cesura. First, Molinier defines what a pause is: “A pause is nothing but a suspended, full, or 

final point.” 22 Thus, he defines a pause as a type of punctuation. He then distinguishes three 

types of pauses in terms of the length of the breath that separates one unit from another: 

22 “Pauza non es als si no ponhs suspensius. o plas. o finals.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; 

Gatien-Arnoult, 1:130 

226

The suspensive pause is the one that one puts in the middle of a verse in order to take a 

breath. A full pause is one that one puts at the end of a verse in order to take a fuller 

breath. The final pause is the one that one makes at the end of the stanza. 23 

The suspensive pause is equivalent to the cesura and indicates a short breath in the middle of a 

verse. The end of a verse requires a larger breath, and the largest breath occurs between stanzas. 

Pauses for a short breath are required between the fourth and fifth syllables in the ten-syllable 

lines; 24 this short pause corresponds to the normal, minor cesura. 25 The cesura, then, divides the 

line of poetry into two incomplete parts. 

A few scholars have observed musical divisions at this point in troubadour melodies. Le 

Vot observes that many of Folquet’s melodic lines divide into two melodic gestures 

corresponding to the minor cesura in the words; he provides five examples but does not discuss 

them. 26 Aubrey mentions the musical expression of the cesura in several songs; she discusses 

23 “Pauza suspensiva es aquela qu’om fay en lo mieg d’un bordo. per far alquna alenada. 

Pauza plana es aquela qu’om fay en la fi d’un bordo, per far plus pleniera alenada. Pauza finals 

es aquela qu’om fay a la fi de cobla.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1:130. 

24 “E devetz saber que en aytals bordos de x sillebas es la pauza en la quarta sillaba. e ges 

no deu hom transmudar lo compas del bordo.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1:114- 

16. 

25 A normal cesura occurs between an accented syllable at the end of one word and the 

next syllable. In a ten-syllable line the normal, minor cesura lies between the fourth and fifth 

syllables, whereas the normal, major cesura lies between the sixth and seventh syllables. 

26 Le Vot, “Intertextualité, métrique,” 644. 

227

how the cesura is articulated by leaps 27 or recurring motives. 28 Phan 29 and Gossen 30 discuss the 

relationships between the melody and words at the cesura in selected troubadour songs. 

Some melodic lines have vertical strokes within them that some scholars suggest 

correspond to the cesura in the words. 31 Aubrey indicates that these vertical strokes separate 

musical phrases and normally correspond to the cesura in the words. 32 Marchetto specifically 

designates vertical strokes as rests within plainchant melodies, 33 so these vertical strokes likely 

do indicate a short pause or cesura within the melodic line. Aubrey and Gossen find the vertical 

strokes to be useful to their understanding of troubadour melodies and include them in their 

transcriptions of the melodies. 

Monterosso also finds the vertical strokes to be essential to his interpretation of the 

rhythm of the songs. He offers a version of the isosyllabic interpretation in which every syllable 

is the same length, and these syllables are grouped into words in different beat patterns. His 

transcriptions, then, resemble some modern compositions in which the time signature changes 

27 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 99, 104, and 180. 

28 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 197, 216. 

29 Phan, “Structures textuelles et mélodiques,” 32-33. 

30 Gossen, “Musik und Text.” 

31 Appel, Die Singweisen Bernarts von Ventadorn, 4. Aubrey cites this as her source for 

the discussion of the cesura in the troubadour melodies. Klobukowska, “Folquet de Marseille,” 

also observes that manuscript R contains many vertical strokes that indicate the location of the 

cesura. 

32 Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 194 and 238. 

33 “Signa enim qui habent distinguere species inter se sunt linee protacte infra per spacia 

et lineas, que pause dicuntur.” Marchetto, Lucidarium 13.1.6; Herlinger, 534. 

228

every measure. The vertical strokes have defined lengths as rests and contribute to the rhythm of 

the melodic line. 34 

Other scholars find their placement to be inconsistent and ambiguous. Beck may have 

created the problem in Die Melodien der Troubadours, where he examines the vertical strokes 

within the lines of verse in troubadour and trouvère melodies. He finds that, although the strokes 

probably indicate where a performer would breathe, they do not appear in consistent locations 

within a melody or between versions of a melody, and their length on the page does not indicate 

their duration. Beck, of course, is seeking clues to the modal rhythms appropriate to each 

melody; the strokes provide no clues, so he finds them to be inconsistent and useless. 35 

Van der Werf echoes Beck’s conclusion in his edition of the troubadour melodies. He 

concludes that since the strokes appear haphazardly in the manuscripts they lack meaning, and so 

he omits them from his transcriptions. 36 But he does not distinguish between strokes found in 

different parts of the melodic line. Many melodic lines end with vertical strokes, and to 

understand the distribution of vertical strokes–as I will show–one must distinguish not only 

between vertical strokes within the melodies and those at the ends of lines, but also between 

different usages by different scribes. 

Switten also finds the few vertical strokes that appear in the melodies of Raimon de 

Miraval to be inconsistent with respect to location within the melodic line and between different 

versions of the same melody. She observes that vertical strokes appear between the third and 

34 Monterosso, Musica e ritmica dei trovatori, 109-19. 

35 Beck, Die Melodien der Troubadours, 75-78. 

36 van der Werf, Extant Troubadour Melodies, 13-14. 

229

fourth or the fourth and fifth syllables in eight-syllable lines. 37 This actually corresponds to the 

description of eight-syllable lines in the Leys d’amors, because eight-syllable lines are not 

required to have a cesura, and if there is one present it may occur in various places within the 

line. She does not include vertical strokes in her transcriptions of Raimon de Miraval’s 

melodies. 

The lack of consistency in placement of vertical strokes observed by these scholars can 

actually help us better understand the melodic structures. The scribes tended to omit what they 

considered to be redundant in the musical notation; 38 thus, the vertical strokes must communicate 

something useful, and there should be some logic to their distribution. An examination of the 

distribution of vertical strokes in Folquet’s melodies provides some insight into that logic. 

Among Folquet’s melodies twenty-eight lines show vertical strokes within the melodic 

line. 39 There are vertical strokes in one line in manuscript W, in five lines in manuscript G, and 

in twenty-two lines in manuscript R. 40 The vertical strokes appear most often in ten-syllable 

lines and most often between the fourth and fifth syllables, that is, coinciding with the minor 

cesura in the words. Because, as discussed in Chapter 2, most ten-syllable lines do have a minor 

cesura in the words, it would seem to be a simple matter to place it correctly in the melody. 


38 For example, the melody is written out only for the first stanza in the words because it 

is redundant to copy the same melody a second time. The scribes also indicate b-flat only where 

they consider it necessary to do so, not before every b that should be sung as b-flat. 

39 Many lines also have a stroke at the end of the verse, but not all lines do. Many of 

those that may have existed in manuscript G appear to be bound in or trimmed off. 

40 An examination of Beck’s list of discrepancies reveals the same pattern. 

230

There are, however, certain melodic contexts in which it may have been difficult for a performer 

to do so. 

The vertical stroke may clarify the location of the cesura in the midst of repeated notes in 

some lines, as shown in Figure 5.6. The vertical stroke in this line separates the first musical 

gesture, which consists of an arch from g to b-flat to f, from the subsequent fs on the fifth and 

sixth syllables. The two sections of the melody are further distinguished by the separate registers 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. que vievre.m faitz | e morir ey- ssa- mens. 

2. mas trop servir | ten dan mantas sazos. 

3. non jes per mi | mas per dreg chau- si- men. 

4. mas per pa- or | qe no fes d’un dan dos. 

5. tan no.us puesc dire | mon cor sela- di- men. 41 

Figure 5.6. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript R, line 3 

employed in the two parts of the melodic line: the first part remains above f and the second part 

below f. The vertical stroke not only supports the cesura in the words, which is minor in every 

stanza, 42 but it also divides the line into two sections in both the words and the melody. 

41 1. who makes me live and die at the same time. 2. but serving too much often causes 

harm. 3. not for me, but because it is the right choice. 4. but for fear that I would make two 

problems out of one. 5. so much I can not reveal my hidden feelings to you. 

42The line in stanza 5 is hypermetric before the cesura. The “e” at the end of “dire” is 

unnecessary. 

231

In other lines the vertical stroke separates two musical gestures that might otherwise be 

combined into one, as shown in Figure 5.7. Here the vertical stroke applies in some stanzas and 

not others. In this line the vertical stroke separates the opening descent from g to c from the rise 

to g thereafter. The location of the vertical stroke in the melody unambiguously corresponds to 

the cesura in the words in the first three stanzas. The descending line enhances the meaning of 

the words in the first two stanzas–a rich man who lives without joy and someone who fears to 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. c’un ric ses joy | qu’es tot l’an co- rro- ssos. 

2. ni sus montar | tant li par te- me- ros. 

3. a sel qe sap | d’a- vi- nen fatz los dos. 

4. mais ilh me fay cuidar | c’a- vi- nen fos. 

5. e diray be de lieys | en mas chansos. 

T. fos. mal mon grat | es vera mas chansos. 43 


climb higher. The minor cesura is essential in the tornada because it shows that es belongs to the 

second phrase and not the first: “despite my will, my song is true.” 

The location of the verbal cesura is ambiguous in the fourth and fifth stanzas. Both 

stanzas have a potentially accented, monosyllabic word on the fourth syllable that would allow 

the cesura to occur after it. In both lines, however, the word or words comprising the next two 

syllables are more closely tied to the words on the fourth syllable than they are to the words on 

43 1. than a rich man without joy who is always worried. 2. nor climb higher, so fearful it 

seems to him. 3. for he who knows how to give graciously. 4. but she made me believe that she 

was gracious. 5. and I will speak well of her in my songs. T. despite my will my song is true. 

232

the seventh. In stanza 4, the word cuidar occupies the fifth and sixth syllables; this is the 

complement to the verb on the fourth syllable, fay. The phrase forming the line is more properly 

divided at the major cesura: “but she made me believe | that she was gracious” rather than “but 

she made me | believe that she was gracious.” Because the three previous cesuras at this point in 

the melody have been minor, the extension of the melodic line through the sixth syllable, 

creating an inverted arch, would emphasize the word before the new cesura, cuidar, to believe. 

The emphasis would underscore the power and duplicity of the Lady–she makes him believe 

something that is not true. 

Similarly in the fifth stanza the line reads better as: “and I will speak well of her | in my 

songs” than “and I will speak well | of her in my songs.” This repeats the anomalous major 

cesura heard in the previous stanza at this point, but, given the constant sounding of minor 

cesuras through the course of the song, the major cesura would still stand out and emphasize the 

words before it, in this case, the focal point of the song–the Lady. Thus, in this song, the vertical 

stroke in the melody helps prevent the performer from continuing the melody too far in the first 

three stanzas and spoiling the emphases provided by the major cesuras in the fourth and fifth 

stanzas. 

Several lines exhibit this sort of play between the minor and the major cesura. Eighteen 

lines begin with ascents or descents that appear to continue through the sixth syllable, but only 

three of these have vertical strokes to prevent a performer from continuing the melodic line in 

this way. Most exhibit minor cesuras for the majority of stanzas with ambiguity in some stanzas, 

in the manner described above. The second line of “S’al cor plagues” as transmitted in 

manuscript R, however, exhibits what appears to be a descent to c on the sixth syllable that is 

233

prevented by a stroke after the fourth syllable, as shown in Figure 5.8. Three stanzas, the first, 

third, and fourth, exhibit unambiguous minor cesuras for which the vertical stroke in the melody 

applies. The fifth stanza has an equally unambiguous major cesura, because the word 

comensamen occupies the third to the sixth syllables; here the vertical stroke would have to be 

ignored in order to pronounce the word correctly, so the melodic line would continue down to c. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. de far chanso | per joia man- te- ner. 

2. er non ay joi d’a- mor | ni no.l e- sper. 

3. c’a- des non pueg | e sus a mon poder. 

4. traya.l e- nan | si ja.m deu pron tener. 

5. cant al co- men- sa- men | me dese- sper. 44 


The cesura in the second stanza is ambiguous because the monosyllabic word on the 

fourth syllable could be accented, but the subsequent word seems to go better with this word 

than the words following it. The line for the second stanza would seem to be divided “now I 

have no joy from Love | or hope of it” rather than “now I have no joy | from Love or hope of it.” 

The two words creating this ambiguity, joi and amor, are key words in troubadour poetry. The 

arrangement of words in the line puts amor between the two things Folquet would like to have 

from Love–Joy and Hope–but does not expect to receive, emphasizing the centrality of Love. 

44 1. to compose songs in order to sustain joy. 2. now I have no joy from Love or hope of 

it. 3. for I never climb above my abilities. 4. I would always encourage it, since it must help me. 

5. when at the beginning I despair. 

234

volers.” 

Lines shorter than ten syllables do not have a preferred location for the cesura. Four lines 

shorter than ten syllables, however, do have a vertical stroke within the melodic line in the 

versions of the songs transmitted in manuscript R. 45 Vertical strokes in these lines perform the 

same functions as they do in the ten-syllable lines, as shown in Figure 5.9. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

1. com lo blasme | de las iens. 

2. yeu fora mortz | vera- men. 

3. ans e- sta- ray | plana- men. 

4. en aiso | com vai dizen. 

5. qui dona | c’aisel qe pren. 

Figure 5.9. “Greu fera” in manuscript R, line 3 

The vertical stroke occurs between the fourth and fifth syllables of this seven-syllable 

line and corresponds to the cesura in the words in the first three stanzas. The musical gestures 

are in this way divided into an arch from a to d' to a across the first four syllables, followed by an 

ornamented descent to f for the cadence. In the last two stanzas, however, the cesura occurs 

between the third and fourth syllables; in the fifth stanza, in fact, the vertical stroke would create 

a pause in the middle of a word, so the vertical stroke would have to be ignored in these last two 

stanzas to convey the meaning and pronunciation of the words correctly. 

45 Line 3 of “Greu fera,” line 6 of “Mout i fez,” line 11 of “Tan mou,” and line 3 of “Us 

235

Lines in a few songs have vertical strokes in places other than the cesura to indicate a 

melodic unit shorter than a whole line. In a few these occur in addition to the vertical stroke at 

the cesura, but in two these are the only strokes. 46 The third line of “En chantan” in manuscript 

G, as shown in Figure 5.10, has a stroke only between the seventh and eighth neumes. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. mas per so chant q’eu o- bli- des la dolor. 

2. q’er merce.us prec qe.l gardaz de l’ardor. 

3. qe.l sen ai met l’engens e la valor. 

4. e tornat l’a al plus onrat segnor. 

5. pero obs m’es q’o- bli- des la ricor. 47 

Figure 5.10. “En chantan” in manuscript G, line 3 

This does not correspond to the verbal cesura in any stanza, but does emphasize the subsequent 

rhyme phrase in several stanzas: 

Stanza 1 oblides| la dolor 

Stanza 2 gardaz| de l’ardor 

Stanza 3 la valor 

Stanza 5 oblides| la ricor 

The rhyme words in these four stanzas all consist of nouns; in three stanzas the word before the 

stroke is a verb; the verb in the first and last stanzas is oblides, the subjunctive of “I forget.” In 

46 The fourth line of “S’al cor plagues” as transmitted in manuscript R has a vertical stroke 

inexplicably between the fifth and sixth syllables that does not correspond to the verbal cesura in 

any stanza. 

47 1. but I sing in order to forget the pain. 2. I beg you, for mercy’s sake, to protect it from 

the burning. 3. where I put sense, ingenuity, and valor. 4. and has turned her to the most 

honored lord. 5. but it is in my best interest to forget the richness. 

236

stanza 1 he sings to forget the dolor or pain of love; in stanza 5 he reminds himself to forget the 

ricor or his lady’s exalted status. In stanza 2 he requests, using the imperative, that she protect 

his heart from the burning; in stanza 3 he describes how his heart makes his body unaware of its 

surroundings. The stroke after the seventh neume, then, emphasizes these key rhyme words by 

putting a pause before them, making the listeners wait a split-second before they sound. Such 

rhetorical pauses would effective only in the stanzas with the key words at the rhyme and would 

not be required in every stanza. This same phenomena can be observed in three other lines in 

which there is also a stroke in a location other than between the fourth and fifth neumes. 48 

Thus, the vertical strokes indicate the melodic units in the majority of stanzas, but may be 

ignored when the cesura in the words occurs in a different location; consequently the melodic 

units are not fixed, but are flexibly coordinated with the verbal units. In ten-syllable lines the 

first melodic unit ends in most stanzas at the minor cesura between the fourth and fifth syllables. 

The location of the melodic cesura between the fourth and fifth syllables in the ten- 

syllable lines is reinforced by the distribution of multi-pitch neumes within the line. A few 

scholars have examined the distribution of multi-pitch neumes in comparison to single-pitch 

neumes within lines of Folquet’s songs. Le Vot divides each verse into equal parts and finds that 

there are more melismas in the second half of the verse than the first half. 49 The division of the 

48 “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript R, line 6 and line 8; “Ja no.s cug hom” in manuscript G, 

line 4. In the version of “Amors merce” transmitted in manuscript R, the sixth line is severely 

hypometric, with only seven neumes and syllables in place of the required ten. The music scribe 

put two strokes in the melody, after the third and fifth neumes, possibly because he had a music 

exemplar with the complete, ten-neume melody, but not enough words in the manuscript. The 

strokes may indicate where he omitted parts of the melody to fit his text. 

49 Le Vot, “Intertextualité, métrique” 644. 

237

line of verse into two equal parts, however, obscures the effect of the cesura on the distribution 

of melismas within the line. Gossen, in her examination of “Tan m’abellis” and the songs of 

Bernart de Ventadorn, observes that her rhythmical motives, based on the numbers of pitches on 

each syllable, tend to occur at the cesura and the cadence. 50 

I tabulated the numbers of pitches per syllable in Folquet’s ten-syllable lines in 

manuscripts G and R. The distributions of neumes consisting of more than one pitch are shown 

in Figure 5.11. The lines in both manuscripts typically begin with single-note neumes, indicated 

in the graph by small numbers of multi-note neumes. The number of melismas rises with each 

syllable through the fourth syllable, then plummets even below the numbers for the beginning of 

the line. The fifth syllable, in particular, normally is set with a single pitch. The number of 

melismas then rises to the end of the line. Thus, the distribution of melismas is bimodal, with 

two peaks of multipitch neumes–one before the cesura and one at the end of the line. The 

examples of cesuras in the ten-syllable lines above exhibit this distribution of melismas. 

The effect of the bimodal distribution is to set the cesura up parallel to the end of the line, 

both ornamented with melismas. Likewise, the syllable after the cesura is set up like the 

beginning of the line. The parallel between the cesura and the end of the line reinforces 

Molinier’s perception of the cesura as a moment of repose within the line. In melodic terms, the 

two parts of the line constitute definable parts that may or may not end on the final depending on 

their degree of completeness. 

50 Gossen, “Musik und Text,” 16-20. 

238

Figure 5.11. Distribution of Multi-pitch Neumes in Ten-syllable Lines. 

An examination of the ending notes of the fourth neume in the ten-syllable lines, as listed 

in Table 5.11, reveals that no one scale degree in relation to the final predominates. The final, 

although not the least common ending note at the cesura, does not occur at this point in 86% of 

the melodic lines. The two most common scale degrees at the cesura are the fourth and fifth 

above the final. The relative paucity of cesuras that are preceded by the final reinforces the 

notion that the cesura is a suspensive pause, indicating incompleteness of the verbal as well as 

the melodic line. 

Table 5.11. Percent of Ten-syllable Lines that Exhibit a Given Scale Degree in Relation to the 

Final at the Cesura 

6 Subfinal Final 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Ms G 0 11 16 13 8 21 14 6 9 2 

Ms R 5 5 12 5 20 22 22 5 2 2 

Ms W 0 25 0 0 0 50 0 0 25 0 

Total 2 9 14 9 12 22 17 6 7 2 

239

Melodic Contour. The indication of a short breath is not the only important feature of the 

suspensive pause. Molinier also suggests that the pause should be preceded by an accented 

syllable: “Again in verses of nine, ten, and twelve syllables one must put an acute accent in that 

place in which the suspensive pause occurs.” 51 He thus suggests that the normal cesura is 

preferred to the lyric, in which the pause is preceded by an unaccented syllable. His definition of 

accent, however, is as a type of verbal melody: “Accent is a regular melodia or tempering of the 

voice which occurs principally in one syllable.” 52 He goes on to describe melodia more 

completely: 

Melodia. This is melodious song or pleasing sonorities. Through these melodious sounds 

or pleasing sonorities every word as it is spoken must be pronounced with elevation or 

depression, that is to say high or low. And you should understand that the melodious 

song that one produces by reading aloud or declaiming has nothing to do with musical 

songs. 53 

Thus, in reading poetry aloud without a melody, one produces a melody by the rising of the 

voice on the accented syllables and the falling of the voice on the unaccented syllables. The 

melodic setting, then, can enhance or counteract the requirements at the cesura when speaking. 

A rising melodic line would intensify the rising voice at the cesura; whereas a descending 

51 “Item en bordos de. ix. sillabas. e de. x. e de. xii. deu hom tostemps pauzar accen agut. 

en aquels locz en lo quals cazon las pauzas suspensivas.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien- 

Arnoult 1: 138. 

52 “Accens es regulars melodia. o tempramens de votz. lequals estay principalmens en una 

sillaba.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 58 

53 “Melodia. so es cans melodios. o plazens sonoritatz. per loqual melodias can. o plazen 

sonoritat: tota dictios en quanque es votz: es segon dever pronunciada amb elevatio. oz am 

depressio. so es a dire n’aut. o bas. Et entendatz can melodios. qu’om fay legen o pronuncian. 

non ges del can de musica.” Molinier, Leys d’amors; Gatien-Arnoult, 1: 58. He goes on to show 

that melismas in plainchant rarely correspond to accented syllables. 

240

melodic line would work against it. 54 Descending melodic lines occur at the cesura about as 

frequently as ascending lines; about half as many lines repeat the previous pitch. 55 

Ascending melodic lines usually enhance the accent pattern in every stanza, as in Figure 

5.12. Here the rising melodic line supports the accented fourth syllable in every stanza. The 

melodic line, however, could be heard to rise beyond the minor cesura to the major cesura. The 

third stanza takes advantage of this rise, since the line coheres better with the major cesura, “then 

I will leave you | surely,” than with the minor cesura, “then I will leave | you surely.” 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. c’ab bel semblan m’a trainat lo- gna- ment. 

2. ni d’al- tr’a- mor no puosc a- ver talen. 

3. puois partir m’ai de vos mon e- sci- en. 

4. car lo meu danz vostres er a- ssa- menz. 

5. et port els oillz ver- goi- gne’et ar- di- men. 

T1. car ai proat altrui capte- ne- men. 

T2. a ce- las tres vallon ben d’altras cen. 56 

Figure 5.12. “Tan m’abellis” in manuscript G, line 8 

54 Phan observed the musical settings before the cesura of the key word, “Donna,” in 

Arnaut de Maruelh’s “Las grans beutatz” in terms of her theory of “exceptions. “Structures 

textuelles et mélodiques,” 32-33. 

55 To standardize the counting procedure because many lines had short melismas on the 

third or fourth syllable, I examined the relationship between last pitch of third neume and first 

pitch of fourth neume. 

56 1. for with a beautiful appearance she has dragged me along for a long time. 2. nor can 

I desire another love. 3. then I will leave you surely. 4. for my harm is yours equally. 5. and 

carry in my eyes the shame and courage. T1. for I have tested the other path. T2. and those 

three are worth more than a hundred others. 

241

Although ascending lines most often reinforce the accent pattern in the words, they 

counter the pattern for lyric cesuras because the syllable before the cesura is unaccented. In 

some lines, as shown in Figure 5.13, in which I have underlined the accented syllables around 

the cesura, they counter not one, but several lyric cesuras. 

Here three out of five stanzas have a lyric cesura; these are set by a melodic line that rises 

beyond the minor cesura to the sixth syllable. Even after the cesura, the rising melodic line 

continues to conflict with the accent pattern in the words, since the first three lines follow the 

cesura with another paroxytonic word whose accented syllables occur directly after the cesura. 

Thus, the words before and after the cesura form a unit of misaccentuation which emphasizes 

their importance. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. c’a la bocha nulla res no m’a- ve. 

2. e pos mon cors dompna vos a dinz se. 

3. com un parla mantas vez se desve. 

4. mas dreich torna ver son segnor an- se. 

5. per- ro ben sai mos lau- zars per non te. 57 

Figure 5.13. “En chantan” in manuscript G, line 6 

The first stanza sets the pattern for the remaining lines, emphasizing “mouth” and 

“nothing.” In the first part of the stanza Folquet has set up the paradox that although he sings to 

57 1. for to my mouth nothing is appropriate. 2. and since my heart, Lady, has you in it. 3. 

for it often happens that someone speaks to me. 4. but turns correctly to her lord always. 5. but I 

know well that my praises hold nothing. 

242

forget, when he sings he does nothing but remember, since “to my mouth, nothing else is 

appropriate / but ‘have mercy!’” With this Folquet declares his mouth independent of his 

control, so the mouth assumes importance in controlling his affairs, and its importance is 

asserted by the melodic setting. The sixth line also sets up an unusual rhetorical device in the 

seventh line–that of auto-citation, or in this case, citing what his mouth says. Although Folquet 

often describes how he begs his Lady for mercy, this is the only place in his works that he 

actually quotes himself. The preceding line with its misaccented lyric cesuras embellishes the 

preparation for this moment. 

5.14. 

The descending melodic lines most often counter the accent pattern, as shown in Figure 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. aysel qe.s laysa venser ab merce. 

2. c’anc mays nuls homs se me- te.us non tra- y. 

3. so qe conqer. q’ieu pres be a- tre- stan. 

4. doncx s.ie.us tenc pro. be vos poc man- te- ner. 

5. blasme per so car non passet dese. 58 

Figure 5.14. “Ay! tan gen vens” in manuscript R, line 2 

This line begins with an ascent from f to a, then leaps dramatically to d on the fourth syllable. 

The fourth syllable is accented in every stanza, and the location of the cesura is supported by the 

puncta indicating the cesuras in the words of stanzas three and four. The cesura for the first 

58 1. he who allows himself to conquer with mercy. 2. for never did anyone so betray 

himself. 3. that he conquers, for I value well. 4. thus, if I consider you helpful, I can support 

you. 5. blames him because he did not go down. 

243

stanza, however, is not a normal, minor cesura, but an Italian cesura, in which the accented 

syllable occurs in the usual location but is not the final syllable in the word. Folquet rarely uses 

such cesuras, and when he does they tend to set important words. Here, he emphasizes that the 

exemplary person he is describing does not just happen to conquer with mercy, but allows 

himself to conquer with mercy–it is a conscious choice on his part. 

The distinctiveness of the Italian cesura is further enhanced by the melodic setting. The 

melody begins with an ascent of a third followed by a dramatic leap down encompassing the full 

melodic range of the line; this gesture is echoed after the cesura, beginning a step higher than the 

pitch at the cesura and completed with a less dramatic leap down, followed by the cadence. The 

rising melodic line from laysa to venser misaccents laysa whose first syllable is accented, but 

enhances the accent pattern of venser in which the second syllable is accented. 

Some descending melodic lines do reinforce the accent pattern of the cesura, but only 

when the cesura is lyric. Usually, at most one line out of five or six has a lyric cesura, but in the 

first line of “Amors, merce!,” shown in Figure 5.15, a majority of stanzas exhibit a lyric cesura. 

I have underlined the accented syllables before the cesura. 

Here, the first and second stanzas have normal, minor cesuras, but the third, fourth, and 

fifth stanzas all have lyric cesuras. The leap down from the a on the third neume to the f on the 

fourth counters the accent pattern in the first two stanzas in which the syllable before the cesura 

is accented, but enhances the accent pattern in the last three. This change echoes the change in 

address, visible in the first line of each stanza, from Amors in the first two stanzas to the Lady in 

the last three. 

244

1. A- mors merce no muora tan soven. 

2. Per q’er pe- chatz a- mors cho sabez vos. 

3. Mas vos donan qe a- vez man- da- men. 

4. Non cu- ge- ra vostre cors or- goi- llos. 

5. A vos volgra mostrar lo mal q’eu sen. 59 

Figure 5.15. “Amors, merce!” in manuscript G, line 1 

Longer Units 

In both the melody and the words, the principal unit of the stanza is the line. The 

working hypothesis assumed by scholars who examine troubadour melodies is that the melodic 

lines correspond to the lines of verse. 60 This correspondence is indicated in the manuscripts that 

transmit the melodies in that vertical strokes at the ends of the melodic lines largely correspond 

to puncta indicating line endings in the words. 

Scribes of different manuscripts do not necessarily follow the same logic in arranging the 

songs on the page. As discussed in Chapter 1, the songs in manuscript G are arranged as poems, 

59 1. Love, have mercy! that I don’t die so often. 2. Because it will be a sin, Love, as you 

know. 3. But you, Lady, who have command. 4. I cannot believe that your proud heart. 5. To 

you I want to show the pain that I feel. 

60 This is the basis of Stevens’ theory of music-text relationships in medieval song, Words 

and Music. See also Aubrey, Music of the Troubadours, 144-45; Switten, Raimon de Miraval, 

15. 

245

so that every line in the manuscript consists, at least in theory, of a line of verse. 61 Because the 

end of the line of verse is clear from the arrangement on the page, vertical strokes appear at the 

ends of only some of the melodic lines. In contrast, the songs are arranged as prose in 

manuscripts R and W so that the lines in the manuscript do not consist of a line of verse. 

Consequently, the scribes more consistently indicated the ends of the lines of verse in the words 

with puncta and in the music with vertical strokes. 

As discussed in Chapter 2, poetic theories proposed by Molinier in the Leys d’amors 

require the lines of poetry to be at least provisionally complete, that is without enjambment; but 

in practice one does find the occasional enjambment within the poems. Likewise, enjambment 

may also occasionally be found in the melodies. Melodic and verbal enjambments, however, 

rarely occur in the same place. 

For example, the melodic enjambment noted by several scholars between the eighth and 

ninth verses of “En chantan,” shown in Figure 5.16, does not correspond to enjambment in the 

words in any stanza. The rising melody of line 8 leads directly into the unique high point of the 

melody at the beginning of line 9, without a vertical stroke to indicate a pause. Although there is 

no true enjambment between lines 8 and 9 in the words, in the first, second, and fifth stanzas the 

two lines do form a unit. The eighth line in the first stanza–emphasizing the veracity of what is 

to follow–prepares the statement of the image of the Lady in his heart in the ninth. Similarly, the 

eighth line of the second stanza provides the reason why the Lady should not abuse his body, as 

he pleads in the ninth and tenth lines. In the fifth stanza the eighth line sets up the comparison 

61The scribe sometimes runs out of space and has to squeeze things in or extend one line 

into the next. 

246

etween his experience of the pain of Love to the proverbial image of the fire that is tended and 

grows in the ninth line, followed by the fire that dies quickly in the tenth line. The melodic 

motion thus enhances the connections between the words of some stanzas. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 

1. per qe.s vertaz e sembla.n be. 

2. pois dinz sofrir vos el conve. 

8. 3. e.m sa- lu- da q’eu no auc re. 

4. qe.m degn se merces no.m rete. 

5. la dolor m’en graissa’e.m reve. 

T. N’A- i- manz q’eu no.i plang de re. 

1. q’inz il cor port dona.m vostra faizon. 

2. e per so faiz del cor so qe.us er bon 

9. 3. per so jamais nuls hom no m’o- cai- son. 

4. qe.l intre.l cor tan q’en loc de ric don. 

5. e.l foc q’il mou fai creisser ab randon. 

T. ni si.m dobla- va.l mal d’aital faizon. 62 

Figure 5.16. “En chantan” in manuscript G, lines 8 and 9 

62 1. which is why it is true and seems good / that I carry your face in my heart. 2. since it 

is inside you and it is appropriate / and so do what you think is good with my heart. 3. and he 

greets me and I hear nothing / so that no one will take offense. 4. that she would accept me if 

Mercy does not keep me / that into her heart, in place of a rich gift. 5. the pain increases in me / 

like the fire that is tended increases quickly. T. Lord Aziman I have nothing to complain about / 

and so the pain doubles for me in the same way. 

247

The occasional melodic and verbal enjambment aside, the longer musical and verbal units 

are comprised of combinations of lines into commas, colons, and periods. Musical units are 

distinguished, as discussed in Chapter 3, by the notes they end on; some songs are easily divided 

into hierarchies of melodically-incomplete commas and melodically-complete colons; whereas 

other songs appear to consist of strings of melodically-incomplete commas. Similarly, as 

discussed in Chapter 2, the poems largely consist of strings of loosely-connected clauses of 

various degrees of independence and completeness; more-complete verbal units often end in 

different places in different stanzas. Several different degrees of correspondence between 

musical and verbal hierarchies can clearly be seen in Folquet’s works. The verbal and musical 

units coincide in “Tan m’abellis,” as other scholars have observed. 63 This is the only one of 

Folquet’s songs in which the verbal divisions occur in the same place in every stanza, so it is 

relatively easy to align the verbal and musical units. 

Most melodies do not exhibit such close correlation between the melodic and verbal units 

because the verbal units end in different places in different stanzas. One way this is 

accommodated melodically is by ending several verses on the final as in the version of “Amors, 

merce!” in transmitted in manuscript R. Table 5.12 shows the relationship between the verbal 

units, the ends of which are indicated with the appropriate punctuation (the first line of the 

tornada is indicated with a “+”) and the pitches the melodic lines end on. When the final is the 

last pitch of the line it is indicated in bold. 

63 Discussed most thoroughly by Schlager, “Annäherung an ein Troubadour-Leid” to 

which Gossen, “Musik und Text,” 16-20 is a reply. 

248

Table 5.12. “Amors, merce!,” Relationship between Musical Form and Syntax, manuscript R 

Line: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 

Last pitch: e g c c c d c 

Syntax, Stanza: 

1 : . 

2 : : . 

3 : : . 

4 : : . 

5 : : . 

Tornada 1 + . 

Tornada 2 + . 

The most important breaks in the stanzas occur at the end of the fourth verse in stanzas 1, 2, and 

3 and at the ends of the third and fifth verses in stanzas three and five. The third, fourth and fifth 

lines all end on the final to accommodate these divisions in the stanza. 

Another compositional strategy is to end no lines on the final except the last–the only line 

in the stanza that always completes a verbal unit. This can be seen in “Per Dieu! Amors,” shown 

in Figure 5.17. In this song verbal units occur in different locations in different stanzas, with no 

one line ending a verbal unit in more than two stanzas. The locations of the verbal units 

correspond in part to the locations of proverbs within each stanza, underlined in the translation; 

“Per Dieu! Amors” has more proverbs than any other song of Folquet’s. The proverbs occur 

most often in the first four or five lines of the stanza; certain melodic features allow flexible 

coordination of the verbal and melodic units in this part of the stanza. 

The first three lines reach the lowest point of the song, c, which is also the final, then 

ascend to another pitch. The first proverb in the first stanza encompasses the second and third 

lines of the song, contrasting the results of pride and humility in terms of rising and falling, 

results set by rising and falling melodic lines. Line 4 then initiates a new verbal unit; an 

initiation emphasized by the echoing of the opening through the repeated note motive at the 

249

Figure 5.17. “Per Dieu! Amors,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G 

250

Per deu amors ben sabez veramen For God’s sake, Love, you know perfectly well 

quon plus deisen plus puoia humilitaz. that the more humility descends the more it rises 

et orgoils chai qan plus aut es poiaz. and pride falls the higher it rises; 

don dei aver gauz e vos espaven. 1.4 thus, I must have joy and fear of you 

car mi mostres orguoil contra mesura. for you have shown me pride beyond measure 

e braus respos a ma humils canzons. and harsh response to my humble song. 

a semblan m’er qe.l orgoilz chaia ios. It seems to me that pride would fall low 

c’apres bel jorn ai vist far nuoich escura. 1.8 like after a nice day I’ve seen a dark night fall. 

Mas vos non par puschaz far fallimen. But it doesn’t seem to you that you could make a mistake. 

pero can cel que es pros ni presaz. however, when he who is worthy and esteemed, 

tan con val mais tan es plus encolpaz. as much as he’s valued, the more guilty he is, 

qan la vallor puoia.l colpa deissen. 2.4 for when the valor rises, the guilt descends. 

e cant hom tot perdona forfatura. And when one pardons all crimes 

ja del blasme no.il sera faiz perdos. never, for the blame, will one pardon him, 

car cel reman en mala sospeichos for he remains under bad suspicions. 

c’a mainz met cel qe vas us desmesura. 2.8 For he who behaves towards one has done so towards many. 

Blasme n’a hom e cascus cela sen. One has the blame and each his agreement, 

mais en l’engan es trop plus galiaz. but in deceit, it is much more deceiving 

a cel q’el fai qe cel q’es enganaz. to him who does it than to him who is deceived. 

e vos amors per q’el faiz tan soven. 3.4 And you, Love, because you do it so often, 

com plus vos servs chascus plus s’en rancura. the more one serves you, the more each complains about it. 

e de servir tang calqe guizardos. And certain rewards are appropriate for service– 

prez o amics meilloramen o dos. esteem or friends, improvement or gifts– 

meinz d’un d’aqestz foll qe s’i atura. 3.8 for less than this, he is a fool who stays there. 

Ben fui eu folz qe i mis lo cor e.l sen. Indeed I was foolish when I put my heart and sense there. 

senz non fon ges anceis fon ganz foldaz. There was no sense at all; instead there was great folly. 

car cel es folz qe cuiza esser senaz. For he is foolish who considers himself wise, 

e sab o meilz ades con plus apren. 4.4 and he always knows more the more he learns. 

donc puois merces qe val mais qe dreitura. Thus, since mercy, who is valued more than justice, 

no valc a mi ni ac poder en vos. has no value to me or strength in you, 

pauc mi sembla.m agues valgut razos. Reason, it seems to me, would have little value. 

per q’eu fui folz car anc de vos ac cura. 4.8 And so I was foolish, since I always thought about you. 

Mais er sui rics car en vos no m’enten. But now I am rich since I don’t think about you, 

q’en cuiar es riqeza o paubretaz. since in thinking is richness or poverty. 

car cel es rics qe s’en ten per pagaz. For he is rich who considers himself paid, 

e cel paubres q’en trop ricor enten. 5.4 and he poor who thinks too much about riches. 

per q’eu sui rics tan grant jois m’asegura Because I am rich, a great joy assures me 

cant pes cum sui tornaz desamoros. when I think how I turned unloving. 

q’adoncs era marriz ar soi joios. For then I was sad, now I am happy, 

per q’eu m’o teing a grant bonaventura. 5.8 which I consider a great good fortune. 

Cortesia non es al mais mesura. Courtesy is nothing more than moderation, 

mais vos amors no sabez anc q’es fos. but you, Love, don’t know what that is. 

per q’eu serai tan plus cortes de vos For this I will be so much more courteous than you, 

qe.l mager brio calarai ma rancura. T1.4 since I will abase my complaint with greater force. 

A n’Aziman et en Toz tems t’atura To Lords Aziman and Tostemps take yourself, 

chanzons q’alor es e de lor razos. Song, for its theme is for them and from them, 

Q’atresi s’es caschus pauc amoros. for also each is a little loving, 

mas fan senblan de cho don non an cura. T2.4 but they make it seem that they have no thought about it. 

251

eginning of this line. This is the only melodic line in the song that never touches the final. 64 

The first proverbs in the second stanza cross this boundary, encompassing the second to fourth 

lines of the stanza. The summary statement in verse 2.4 makes use of the rising and falling after 

the cesura to set the rising and falling of the valor. Although the proverbs in the remaining 

stanzas do not contrast rising and falling as the proverbs in the first two stanzas, they also 

encompass the second to fourth lines of the melody. The third line, the first to sound the final at 

the cesura, ends proverbs in some lines so the fourth line sounds a new beginning, whereas in 

other stanzas, the fourth line ends the first set of proverbs in each stanza. 

In most of Folquet’s songs, however, only one or two strategically-placed lines end on 

the final, as discussed in Chapter 3. One such song is “Ay! tan gen vens,” in which the second, 

fourth, and eighth lines end on the final of d and divide the melody into musical commas, colons, 

and periods. The repetition of the fourth line as the eighth line, as discussed in Chapter 4, 

underscores this division. Here I examine how the melodic divisions correspond to the verbal 

divisions in some stanzas but not others. I have provided the complete melody and poem in 

Figure 5.18 with key phrases underlined. 

Based on the lines that end on the final, the melody can be divided into two periods of 

four lines each; the first period is subdivided into two colons of two lines each. The final 

melodic line of each period is the same; the periods begin with the same melodic figure up to the 

cesuras in the two lines, then continue in different melodic directions. The four-line tornada 

64In the medieval system the note an octave above the final is not considered the same as 

the final. 

252

Figure 5.18. “Ay! tan gen vens,” Complete Melody and Words, manuscript G 

253

Aa qant gen venz et a qant pauc d’afan. Oh! how nobly he conquers and with what little trouble, 

a cil qi.s laisa vencer ab merce. he who allows himself to conquer with Mercy. 

car en aisi vens om altrui e se. For in this way he conquers others and himself 

et a vencut doas vez senes dan. 1.4 and has conquered two times without harm. 

mas vos amors non o fai ges aisi. But you, Love, don’t do that at all, 

c’anc jorn merces ab vos non poc valer. for Mercy never could have value for you, 

anz m’avez tant motrad vostre poder. instead you have so much shown me your strength 

q’era no.us ai ni vos no avez mi. 1.8 that now I don’t have you and you don’t have me. 

Per qe.m par fol qi no sap retener. For he appears a fool who doesn’t know how to keep 

so q’a conquis q’eu prez ben autretan. that which he has conquered, for I esteem as much 

qi so reten qe a conquis denan. him who keeps what he conquered yesterday 

per son esforz com faz lo conqerer. 2.4 with the same effort he used to conquer it. 

mais aisi.m retengaz co.l fol rete. But thus you keep me like a fool keeps 

l’esperaver qan tem qe se desli. the hawk when he fears it could free itself 

qe.l esteng tan is puing tro qe l’auci. that he holds it so tightly in his fist that he kills it, 

e pos estors vos sui vivre pos be. 2.8 and so extracted from you I can live quite well. 

Tot so qe val pot noser autresi. All that which has value can harm also, 

donc se.us tenc per ben vos pos dan tener. thus if I considered you good I could cause you harm, 

et er merce s’ab eis vostre saber. and it will be a pity if, with your own knowledge 

qe m’avez dat pos anc no m’en jauci. 3.4 that you gave me, since I never enjoyed it, 

vos mou tenson ni.os dic mal en cantan. I begin a debate with you and curse you in singing. 

mas non er faich qe causimenz m’en te. But it will not be done since pity prevents me from it, 

enanz vol mais mon dan sofrir jase. instead I would rather always suffer my pain 

qe.l vestre torz adrechurers claman. 3.8 than rectify your wrong by complaining. 

On trobarez mais tant de bona fe. Where do you find more of good faith? 

q’anc mais nuls hom si mezeis non trahi. for never did any man so betray himself 

son escien si com eu c’ai servi. knowingly, as I have, who has served 

tant longamen q’anc no jauci de re. 4.4 for so long but never enjoyed anything. 

ar qier merci so faria aparer. Now I beg Mercy to appear. 

qar qi trop vai servici repronsan For he who goes reproaching service too much 

ben fai semblan qe guierdon deman makes it seem that he seeks rewards, 

mas ia de mi no crezat del n’esper. 4.8 but you never believed I would have anything but hope in it. 

E q’il bon rei richart qi vol q’eu chan. And he who blames good king Richard, who wants me to 

sing, 

blasmet de cho qe no passet dese. because he did not go immediately on crusade, 

ar l’en desmen si qe chascus o ve. now I explain his behavior so that everyone understands it: 

q’areires trais per meill sallir enan. 5.4 he stayed behind in order to better surge ahead, 

q’il era coms ar es richs reis ses fi. for then he was a count and now he’s a rich king without land, 

qe bon socors fai deus a bon voler. for God gives good help to good intentions, 

e s’en dis ben al crozar eu dis ver. and if I spoke well about the crusade I spoke the truth, 

et er vei m’o per c’adoncs no menti. 5.8 and now I see it for myself that thus I didn’t lie. 

Ja no cuid tos temps ne naziman. Never should Tostemps and Azimans think 

q’en contramor aia virat mon fre. that I have turned my reins against Love. 

mas eu teng be proat so q’om ve. But I consider well established that which one sees 

e sab m’o mellz chascun de sor enan. T.4 and knows better each one advances above. 

254

would be sung to the last four melodic lines to bring final closure to the song using the melody 

of the second period. 

N. 

This clear melodic division of the stanza corresponds to divisions in the words in some 

stanzas, but not others. The correspondence is strongest in the first two stanzas, with the pattern 

set up by the first. In both stanzas the first four lines of the stanza consist of a proverb 65 that 

describes how an ideal person conquers; the last four lines contrasts how Love conquers. 66 The 

two periods in the melody, then, correspond to contrasting statements in the words. The opening 

proverbs in both stanzas can be subdivided into two parts, consisting of two lines each. In the 

first stanza the first two lines describe how the ideal person conquers–with Mercy–and the 

second two lines describe the results–he conquers himself by not letting his passions rule his 

actions and the others he intended to conquer. The second stanza states one proverb from two 

perspectives–the fool does not retain what he conquers whereas a worthy person does. 

The second half of the stanza compares Love’s behavior to the ideal behavior described 

in the first part of the stanza. In both stanzas a contrast is indicated by mas at the beginning of 

the fifth line. The two stanza halves are also distinguished by a change in address from general 

statements to direct address to Love. The contrasting comparisons linking the halves parallel the 

musical divisions and repetitions. The ideal person in the first half and Love in the second half 

are put into the same situation, are set with the same melody at the beginning, but differ 

increasingly as each half progresses through the final concluding melodic line. Here, the 

65 These proverbs are not listed in Cnyrim, Sprichwörter, but are bracketed in manuscript 

66 Also described by Locher, “Folquet de Marseille,” 198-99. 

255

antithetical results of the different behavioral strategies assumed by Love and the ideal person 

are set with the same melody. The first half of the first stanza concludes with the observation 

that the ideal person who conquers with Mercy conquers two people–himself and the other 

person. The second half of the stanza concludes with the contrasting observation that because 

Love does not conquer with Mercy, Love ends up with nothing. Similarly, the first half of the 

second stanza observes that the ideal person retains what he has conquered, whereas the second 

half of the stanza indicates that Love has not retained Folquet. 

The relationship between the music and words set up in the first stanza changes in the 

course of the song. The second stanza maintains some of the parallels as discussed above, but 

alters them subtly and adds new relationships. Love’s behavior is described in the second part of 

the stanza in the form of a proverbial image of the fool who holds on to his hawk so tightly that 

he kills it. Thus it is not that Love, represented by the fool in the proverb and the proverbial 

image, releases Folquet by not holding him tightly enough, but by holding him too tightly. The 

proverbial image encompasses the first three lines of the second part of the stanza; the results are 

articulated in the final line, in parallel with the final line of the first half of the stanza. 

The parallels between the musical and verbal units disappear in the third stanza, which is 

divided by the contrastive mas between the fifth and sixth lines, instead of between the fourth 

and fifth as established in previous stanzas. The proverb beginning the stanza takes up only the 

first line of the stanza, with the results for the relationship between Love and Folquet described 

in the second line. The fifth line describes the relationship between Folquet and Love as well as 

the relationship between the words and melody in this stanza–a debate. 

256

The larger musical and verbal units once again coincide in the fourth stanza. Here 

Folquet describes his own situation in the first four lines–he has served Love for a long time 

without reward. In the second part of the stanza he justifies his hesitation to complain too much, 

described at the end of the third stanza, with a proverb in the sixth and seventh lines of the fourth 

stanza. The focus of the song has changed from Love to Folquet, and with this change the 

location of the proverb within the stanza changes as well. 

The change is completed with the fifth stanza, ostensibly defending King Richard’s 

strategy in the third crusade. Other scholars find the change in focus disconcerting, but not 

unprecedented in the troubadour repertory. 67 The connection is clarified in the tornada. In the 

fifth stanza Folquet suggests that Richard appeared to stay behind out of cowardice, but it was a 

strategy designed to conquer the enemy by taking them by surprise. In the tornada Folquet 

suggests that despite appearances (in the rest of the song) he has not turned against Love; the 

parallel with the fifth stanza shows that Folquet hopes to conquer Love by surprise. 

The relationship between the words and the melody differs yet again. The verbal units 

occur as pairs of lines. Here, the first two lines form a verbal unit through enjambment. The 

fourth and sixth lines consist of proverbs that justify the preceding statement. The last two lines 

are linked by antithesis at the rhyme–he spoke the truth about the crusade in the seventh verse 

and didn’t lie about it in the eighth. The repetition in the melody of the initium of line 1 at the 

beginning of line 5 sets the two descriptions of Richard in the song–as the requestor of the song 

in line 1 and in terms of his changing political status in the fifth line. 

67 For example, Locher, “Folquet de Marseille,” 199. 

257

Conclusions 

A close examination of the songs of Folquet de Marseille has revealed that, despite 

pronouncements to the contrary, the songs are carefully organized and tonally focused. The 

medieval grammatical model for reading, as it applies to both verbal and musical structures and 

their combination, oriented the focus of discussion. This model had previously been applied 

only to liturgical song; here it worked equally well in the examination of secular songs. Through 

the process of lectio, identifying the structures that allow the poem or melody to be recited 

correctly, and ennaratio, basic interpretation, I separately analyzed the poetic and musical 

structures of Folquet’s songs. The power of the grammatical model lies in the area of 

identification of the parts of the poem and the parts of the melody in terms of completeness. 

Medieval writers suggest that the degree of completeness of musical and verbal units should 

coincide, but this applies most directly to plainchant, which consists mostly of non-strophic 

songs. Folquet’s songs, however, are strophic so the musical and verbal units must combine 

flexibly. I examined the interactions between musical forms, as expressed through repetition of 

melodic segments, and verbal forms, described in terms of versification, and between the 

musical and verbal units, called commas, colons, and periods. Some interactions emphasize keys 

words and phrases through the mutual reinforcement of the verbal and musical forms; others 

accomplish this by conflict between structures. In particular, the verbal and musical structures 

interacte to emphasize proverbial statements, one key component of Folquet’s poetic style. 

258

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271

Appendix A. Vida and Razos in Manuscript R 

1. Vida 

Folquet de Marselha fo filh d’un mercadier de Genoa qe ac nom sier n’Anfos. E can lo paire 

mori el lo laysset ric d’aver. e el entendet en pretz e mes se a servir valens homes. E trevar ab 

lor e venir. E fon fort grazir per lo rey Richart. E per lo bon comt R[aimon] de Toloza. E per 

en Barral son senhor de Marsselha. E trobet mot be. E fo mot avinnens de la pressona. E 

entendia se en la molher de so senhor en Barral. E pregava la. E de la fazia sas chansos. E anc 

per res q’el fezes non li volc dar plazer d’amor. Per que tostems se plays en las chansos. e 

avenc se que la dona muri. En Barral sos maritz e senherde luy muri. E muri lo bon rey 

Richart. E bon coms de Toloza. E.l rey n’Anfos d’Arago. Don el per tristeza de sa dona e dels 

baros qe ero mortz abandonec lo mon. e rendet se en lor de de Sistel ab sa molher e ab dos fils 

que avia. E son fatz abas d’una rica abadia q’es en Proensa qe a nom lo Torondet. E pueis fon 

fatz avesques de Tholoza. E lay definet. Et aysi trobaretz de las sas chansos. La qual es 

premiera Per dieu amors be sabetz veramen. 

Folquet de Marselha was the son of a merchant from Genoa who was named Sir Anfos. And 

when the father died he left him rich in possessions. And he strove for merit and put himself 

to serve worthy men. And to frequent with them and to come to them. And he was well 

received by King Richard and by the good count Raimon of Toulouse and by Lord Barral his 

lord of Marseille. And he composed very well. And he was very attractive in his person. And 

he loved the wife of his lord Lord Barral and begged her. And composed his songs about her. 

And never through anything he did would she give him the pleasure of love. So he always 

complains about her in his songs. And it happened that the lady died. Lord Barral her 

husband and his lord died. And good king Richard died. And the good count of Toulouse and 

King Anfos of Aragon. He was so sad about his lady and the barons who were dead that he 

abandoned the world and went to the Cistercians with his wife and two sons that he had. And 

he was made abbot of a rich abbey in Provence called Torondet. And then he was made 

Bishop of Toulouse. And there he died. And this you will find in his songs. Of which this is 

the first, “Per dieu amors be sabetz veramen.” 

272

2. Razo for “Oimais no.i conosc” 

Can lo bon rey Anfos de Castela fo estatz descofitz per lo rey de Marroc. lo qual apelatz Mira 

Mamoli. e li ac touta Calatraua e Sabers Tera e.l Castel de Toinnas. fon grans dols per tota 

Espanha. e per totz sols que o auziro. per so car crestiantat era tant descosida. e car lo bon rey 

era estatz descofitz. e auia mot perduda de sa terra. e souen intrauan las gens del Mira 

Mamoli. en la terra de.l rey n’Anfos. e fazia gran dan. E lo bo reys Anfos mandet sos 

mesatges al Papa qe.l deguos far socorre als baros del regisme de Fransa e Anglaterra. e al rey 

d’Arago e al comte de Toloza. en Folquetz era amic del rey de Castela. e no sera encora 

rendutz en lor de sistel. si fes vna prezicansa per confortar. los baros qe deguesso socorre al 

rey de Castela. mostran la honor qe seria.l secors. e perdo qe n’aurian. e comensa aysi. Vei 

mars no.y conosc razo. 

When the good king Anfos of Castille was defeated by the king of Morocco, who was called 

Mira Mamoli, and he had all of Calatrava and the Holy Land and the Castle of Toinnas, there 

was great sadness throughout Spain and through every land where it was heard. In this way 

Christiandom was so defeated since the good king had been defeated and had lost much of his 

land. And often the people of Mira Mamoli would enter the land of King Anfos and cause 

great damage. And the good King Anfos sent a message to the Pope that he should send help 

from the barons of the kingdoms of France and England and to the King of Aragon and to the 

Count of Toulouse. Lord Folquet was a friend of the King of Castille and had not yet entered 

the Cistercian monastery, so he composed a crusade song to comfort the barons who should 

come to help the King of Castille, showing how honor would result from their help and the 

pardons they would have. And it begins thus: “Vei mars no.y conosc razo.” 

273

3. Razo for “Tan mou” 

Folquet si amaua sa molher. de son senhor en Barrall. madona na Alazaitz der Rocamarema. e 

de la fazia sas chansos. e gardaua se fort com no o saubes car era molher de son senhor. La 

dona li sufria sos precs. e sas chansos per la gran lauzor q’el fazia de la. en Barral si auia doas 

seros. de gran valor e de gran beutat l’una auia nom na Laura de San Iorlan. l’autra na Mabilia 

de Portaues. ab dos estamo ab en Barral. en Folquetz auia tanta d’amistat ab cascuna. que 

semblans era qe en cascuna se entende per amors. e ma dona n’Alazays crezia qe entendes en 

madona Laura. e qei uolgues be. E si l’acuzet ela. el si l’acuzar a motz l’omes. e si qe la li det 

comiat qe no uolia pus sos precs ni sos ditz. e qe se partis de na Lausa e qe de leys no espres 

mays be ni amors. Folquetz fo mot dolers can la dona l’ac donar comiat. e layset solatz e 

chan. e estet gran sazo en marrimen. planhen la desauentura q’el era uenguda. car perdia sa 

dona q’el amaua mays qe re. per lieys a qi el no uolia be mas per cortezia. E sobre a qel 

marrimen el anet uezer lemperaritz. molher den .G. de monpeslier. qe fo filha del enperador 

manuel. qe fo caps e guitz de tota ualor. e de tot bo . . .net se ad ela. de la desauentura qe.l era 

uenguda. E ela lo cofortet tan can pot. e.l pregues qe no.s marris ni desespero e qe per la sua 

amor d. . . ntes e fezes chansos. don el per lo sieu prec fetz qesta qe ditz 

Tan mou de corteza razo. 

Folquet so loved the wife of his Lord Barral, Lady Adelaide of Rocamarema, and composed 

his songs about her and was very careful that no one knew about it because she was the wife 

of his lord. The lady tolerated his entreaties and his songs because of the great praise that he 

made about her. Lord Barral had two sisters of great valor and great beauty. One was called 

Lady Laura of San Jorlan, the other Lady Mabilia of Portaves. The two lived with Lord 

Barral. Lord Folquet had so much esteem for them that it seemed as though he intended to 

love each of them. And my lady Adelaide believed that he loved Lady Laura and that he 

desired her. And so she accused her and she accused him with more men. And so she released 

him and [told him] that she no longer desired his entreaties or songs and that he leave Lady 

Laura and that he have no more hope of her or love for her. Folquet was very sad when the 

lady released him, and he gave up pleasure and singing. And for a long time he was 

depressed, complaining about the bad luck that had come to him, since he lost the lady he 

loved more than anything. Because of her he no longer wanted to be courteous. And to 

counteract the anguish he went to see the Empress, wife of Guilhem of Montpellier, who was 

the daughter of the Emperor Manuel. She was worthy and good from head to toe. He told her 

about the bad luck which had come to him. And she comforted him as much as she could and 

asked him not to be depressed and despairing and he should sing and compose songs for love, 

of which he composed this song which goes: 

“Tan mou de corteza razo.” 

274

1. 155, 1. “Amors, merce!” 

Appendix B. Other Songs in Manuscript G 

275

Amors merce no muora tan soven. Love, have mercy, that I don’t die so often, 

qe ia.m podez viaz del tot aucire. for now you can quickly kill me completely. 

qe viure.m faiz e morir mesclamen. For you make living and dying the same to me 

et enaissi doblaz mi mon martire. 1.4 and thus double my martyrdom for me. 

pero miez morz vos sui hom e servire. But, half-dead, I am your man to serve you, 

e.l servizis es mi mil tanz plus bos. and the service is a thousand times better to me 

qe de nul autra aver rics guizardos. 1.7 than to have a rich reward from anyone else. 

Per q’er pechaz amors cho sabez vos. Because it will be a sin, Love, as you know, 

si m’auziez pos vas vos no m’azire. if you kill me, since I am not annoyed with you. 

mas trop servire ten danz maintas sazos But to serve too much often causes harm, 

car son amic en perd om zo auch dire 2.4 for a man loses his friends, so I have heard, 

e.us ai servit et ancar non m’en vire. and I have served you and still I don’t turn away. 

e car sabez q’en guiardo m’aten. And since you know that I expect a reward, 

ai perdut vos e.l servici aissamen. 2.7 I have lost you and the service equally. 

Mas vos donan qe avez mandamen. But you, Lady, who have command, 

forzaz amors e vos cui tant desire. take Love by force and you, whom I desire so much, 

non ges per mi mas per plan chausimen. [do it] not at all for me, but for plain pity. 

e car plaguen vos preco’mil sospire. 3.4 And when, complaining, a thousand sighs beg you, 

qe.m mon cor plor can vedez los oillz rire. for my heart weeps when you see my eyes smile; 

mas per paor no.us sembles enoios. but for fear that I seem annoying to you, 

engan mi oils e trag mal e perdos. 3.7 I trick my eyes and draw the pain in vain. 

Non cuigera vostre cors orgoillos. I did not expect your proud heart 

volgues e.l meu tant lonc desire assire. would want to put such long desire in me. 

mas per paor qe fezes d’un dan dos. But for fear that I would make from one harm two 

no vos aus eu lo meu mal traich devire. 4.4 I don’t dare to describe to you my unhappiness. 

ha car vostr’oillz non vezon mon martire. Oh, why don’t your eyes see my martyrdom? 

dunc n’agran il merce mon escien. Then, they would have mercy there, in my opinion, 

d’un dolz esgart sivals d’amor parven. 4.7 from one sweet look appearing, at least, to be from love. 

A vos volgra mostrar lo mal q’eu sen. To you I want to show the pain that I feel 

et als autres celar e escondire. and to hide and conceal it from others. 

ca nuill voil dir mon cor celadamen. For I don’t want to sing about my hidden heart. 

donc s’eu no sai cobrir qi m’er cobrire. 5.4 Since if I don’t know how to hide who will hide me? 

ni qi m’er fis s’eu eis mi sui traire. and who will be faithful to me if I betray myself? 

qi si no sap celar no es razos. He who knows not how to hide, there is no reason 

q’el ceillon cil a cui non es nullz pros. 5.7 that they for whom there is no profit, hide him. 

Donna.l fin cor qe.us ai no.ns pot hom dire. Lady, the fine heart that I have for you, no one can speak 

about. 

mas s’a vos plaz cho q’eu lais per no sen. But if it pleased you that I give up for no-reason, 

restauratz nos a bon entendemen. T.3 restore us in good intention. 

276

2. 155, 3. “Ay! tan gen vens” on page 253. 

3. 155, 5. “Ben an mort” 

277

Ben an mort mi e lor Indeed they have killed me, 

miei oil galiador. my treacherous eyes. 

per qe.m plaz q’ab els plor. Which is why it pleases me to cry with them, 

pois il so an merit. since they so deserve it. 

q’en tal don’an chausit. 1.5 For they have chosen such a lady 

dond an fait fallimen. with whom they must fail, 

e qi trop puoia bas deisen. and he who rises too high, falls low. 

pero en sa merci mi ren. But into her mercy I put myself, 

qe no cre ges qe merces aus fallir. for I don’t believe that mercy dares fail 

lai on deus volc toz autres bens assir. 1.10 there where God wants to put all other good things. 

Pero conosc d’amor. But I know all about Love 

q’es mons danz la sabor since my harm is its pleasure. 

qe so don ai largor For the gifts I have in abundance 

mi fa prezar petit. it makes me value little 

e ponger a estrit. 2.5 and jabs me with a lance 

en tal qi se defen in such a way that it defends itself. 

so qe.m inchausa vau fugen. So that when it chases me I go fleeing 

so qe.m fuz eu vau seguen. and when it flees from me I go pursuing. 

aisi no sai com eu posca garir. Thus I don’t know how I can survive, 

q’ensems no poschen calzar e fugir. 2.10 for together we cannot chase and flee. 

Ar aujatz granz follor. Now hear the great joke, 

c’arditz sui per paor. for I have courage through fear. 

mas tant tem la dolor But so much I fear the pain 

d’amor qi m’a saisit. of Love that has seized me 

qe so.m fai plus ardit. 3.5 that it makes me more courageous 

demonstrar mon talen to demonstrate my desire 

a lei qi.m fai velar dormen to her who keeps me awake while sleeping. 

duncs ai per paor ardimen. Thus, I have courage through fear, 

aissi con cel q’esters non pot gandir. just like him who otherwise cannot avoid it 

qe.s vai toz sols entre cinc centz ferit. 3.10 and goes all alone to fight against five hundred. 

Pros dompna cui ador Worthy Lady whom I love, 

restauraz en valor restore in valor 

mi e vostra lauzor. me and your praises, 

c’amdui son frevolit. for both have weakened 

car metes in oblit. 4.5 since you have forgotten 

mi quis am finamen. me who loves you truly. 

qe cil qe sabon van dizen. For those who know go saying 

qe mal servir fai manta gen. that to serve badly makes many noble. 

e qar vos am tant qe dal no consir. And since I love you more than I know 

perd mi e vos gardaz sim dei smarir. 4.10 I lose myself and you, take heed if I must be 

afflicted. 

278

Mas ges ogan per flor. But not on account of the flowers 

no.m viraz chantador. do you see me as a singer. 

mas precs de mon segnor. But the entreaties of my lord 

lo bon rei cui deus guit. the good King, whom God protects, 

d’Aragon m’an partit. 5.5 of Aragon, has removed from me 

d’ira e de marimen. the sadness and affliction 

per q’eu chan tan forzadamen. for which I sing by force 

. . . . . . 

non devon ges sos amics contradir. His friends should not contradict him 

c’als enemics vei qe.m fai obecir. 5.10 if I see that he makes me obey his enemies. 

Chai a la dolor de la den. Now to the pain of my teeth 

vir la lenga lei cui mi renn. I turn my tongue to her to whom I give myself, 

et er merce s’il mi degna coilir. T1.3 and it will be merciful if she deigns to welcome me, 

qe.m mant ric loc faz son bon prez aucir. for I make heard her good worth in many rich 

places. 

Bel n’Azimant deus mi gard de fallir. Good lord Azimans, may God keep me from failure 

vais lei qi fall vas me sos auses dir. T2.2 towards her who, so I’ve heard, has failed towards 

me. 

279

4. 155, 8. “En chantan” 

280

In cantan m’aven a membrar While singing it happens that I remember 

cho q’eu cuich cantan oblidar. what I intend to forget by singing. 

mas per so chant q’eu oblides la dolor. But although I sing to forget the pain 

e.l mal d’amor. and suffering of love, 

mais on plus chan plus mi sove. 1.5 the more I sing, the more I remember, 

c’a la bocha nulla res no m’ave. since from my mouth, nothing else comes out 

mais sols merce. except, have mercy! 

per q’es vertaz e sembla.n be. Which is why it is true and seems good 

q’inz il cor port doma.m vostra faizon. that in my heart I carry, Lady, your face 

qe.m chastia q’eu no vir ma rason. 1.10 that entreats me not to change my intentions. 

E pois amor mi vol onrar. And since Love wants to honor me 

tant q’el cor vos mi fai portar. so much that it has me carry you in my heart 

per merce.us prec qe.l gardaz de l’ardor. I beg you for mercy’s sake to keep it from burning, 

q’eu au paor. for I fear 

de vos molt maior qe de me. 2.5 for you much more than me. 

e pos mon cors dompna vos adinz se. And since my heart, Lady, has you in it, 

si mal li.n ve. if harm comes to it, 

pois dinz es sofrir vos e.l conve. since you are inside, you must suffer it; 

e per so faiz del cor so qe.us er bon and for that reason do what you think best with the 

body 

e.l cor gardaz si com vostra maison. 2.10 and protect the heart as though it were your home. 

Qe.l garda vos e.us ten car. For it protects you and holds you dear, 

qe.l cors e fai nesci semblar. so that it makes the body appear foolish 

qe.l sen ai met l’engens e la valor. where I put sense, ingenuity, and valor, 

si qe.n eror. so that in error 

laisa.l cor pe.l sen qe.m rete. 3.5 it abandons the heart through the sense it retains. 

co.m un parla mantas vez se desve. For one speaks to me, many times it happens, 

q’eu no sai qe. that I don’t know what he says 

e.m saluda q’eu no auc re. and greets me and I don’t hear a thing. 

per so jamais nuls hom no m’ocaison. For this reason no one should blame me 

si.m saluda et eu mot nu li son. 3.10 if he greets me and I don’t make a sound. 

Pero.l cor no se deu blasmar. But the heart should not be blamed 

del cors per mal qe sapcha far. by the body for the pain it knows how to cause 

e tornat la al plus onrat segnor. and turns it to the most honored lord 

e tolt d’aillor. and removes it from elsewhere 

on trabaua enjan en fe. 4.5 where it found trickery in fidelity. 

mas dreich torna ver son segnor an[cse]. But it turns properly towards its lord always. 

per q’eu no cre. Which is why I don’t believe 

qe.m degn se merces no.m rete. that she would receive me if mercy doesn’t hold me. 

qe.l intre.l cor tan qe.n loc de ric don. For may it enter her heart that in place of a rich gift 

deign escoltar ma veraia chanson. 4.10 she deigns to listen to my true song. 

281

Q’ar si la deignaz ascoltar. For now if you deign to listen, 

dona merce.i deurai trouar. Lady, I will have to find mercy there. 

pero obs m’es q’oblides la ricor. But I must forget the richness 

e la lauzor. and praise 

q’eu n’ai dic e dirai jase 5.5 that I have said and will always say. 

pero ben sai mos lauzors per non te. But I know well my praises hold nothing, 

com qe.m mal me. as they have misled me; 

la dolors m’en graissa e.m reve. the pain grows in me and returns to me, 

e.l foc q’il mou fai creisser ab randon. and the fire that one tends grows quickly, 

e q’om no.l toc mor en pauc de sazon. 5.10 and if no one tends it dies in a short time. 

Morir pois be. Now I can die well, 

N’Aimanz q’eu no.i plang de re. Lord Azimans, for I have nothing to complain 

about, 

Ni si.m doblaval mal d’aital faizon. and so the pain doubles for me in the same way 

com dobla.l ponz de tauler per razon. T.4 as one doubles the points on the table for reason. 

282

5. 155,10. “Greu fera” on page 220 

6. 155, 11. “Ja no.s cug hom” 

283

Ja no.s cuich hom q’eu cange mas cansos. Never should one think that I would change my songs, 

pois no.s canja mos cors ni mas razos. since my heart and my intentions have not changed. 

car si.m jaucis d’amors eu m’en lauzera. For if I ever enjoyed Love, I would praise it, 

mas qe mentis non seria nuls pros. 1.4 unless it were worthwhile to lie. 

c’altresi.m ten cor se sol in balansa. For indeed it holds my heart in balance– 

desesperat ab alqet d’esperansa. desperate, but with something of hope. 

pero no.m vol del tot laisar morir. But it doesn’t want to let me die completely, 

per so qe.m posca plus sovent aucir. 1.8 so that it can kill me more often. 

Mas ar vei so qan no cugei qe fos. But now I see what I did not believe could be 

q’eu soi tornat de metes gelos. for I have turned jealous of myself 

contra midonz q’eu no la cortezera. against my Lady that I don’t court her. 

mas tot conseills qant amor sia bos. 2.4 But all advice that would be good for Love, 

n’ai asazat et pois ren no menansa. I have tried, and nothing works: 

tot li farai de desamar semblansa. everything I do seems not-love. 

hailas q’ai diz iam cuiav’eu cobrir Alas, what have I said? I always intended to hide 

e doncs oi mai ia sap tot mon albir. 2.8 and now she already knows all my thoughts. 

Domna ben vei che non val ocaisos. Lady, indeed I see that the excuse has no value 

c’amors no vol qe ja.os sia gegnos. for Love doesn’t want that I ever be deceitful to you. 

marce vos clam q’eu no m’en lais anqera. Mercy, I beg you, for I cannot stand it any longer, 

tant es mon cors de vostr’amor coichos. 3.4 so much is my heart desirous of your love. 

volgues si.us plaz complir la devinanza. I would like, if you please, to complete the rumor, 

q’om dis q’eu ai d’altramor benenanza. for they say that I have enjoyment of another love, 

e qe.us poges cubertamen jaucir. and that I could enjoy you in secret, 

e.l bruiz vengues de lan dond sol venir. 3.8 and the rumor comes from the usual source. 

Domn’esperans’e paor ai de vos. Lady, hope and fear I have of you 

q’era.m conort et era.m sui dobtos. for sometimes I am content and other times doubtful, 

pero.l paors tem qe no.m apodera. but I fear the fear that overcomes me. 

mais un conort ai d’amor a sazos. 4.4 But one relief I have from Love sometimes, 

q’ab tal poder mi mostra sa pesansa for with such strength it showed me its weight 

c’anc plus non poc donar de malestanza that it can no longer cause problems. 

e sai effors qi pot ensems soffrir And I know the effort that he can suffer together, 

ira e poder de cel qi vol delir. 4.8 the wrath and strength of him who wants to destroy. 

Mas si no fos qe granz mellorasos. But this would not be, since great improvement 

es de toz feuz qant om n’es oblidos. comes from all faith when one forgets it. 

jamais amors aital tors no monera Never, Love, did such small things lead you, 

s’eu ia poges tornar desamoros. 5.4 if I could ever turn unloving. 

pero leus cors tol manta benenansa. But a fickle heart prevents many benefits, 

q’eu vei faillir mainz per q’eu n’ai doptansa. for I see many fail, which is why I have no doubt 

qe.l fallimens d’altrui tang c’om se mir. that in the failures of others one should look at himself 

per so con gart si meseis de fallir. 5.8 so that he can prevent himself from failure. 

Vas N’Azimans ten Palaich e tenansa. To Lord Azimans take this, Palaich, 

pois an Tos Temps e di lor ses doptansa. then to Lord Tostemps and tell them without a doubt, 

qe tos e tals sui con eu eis m’albir. that all and such I am as I think myself to be, 

e no m’en pot null faiz enfaidecir. T.4 and nothing can make me afraid. 

284

7. 155, 14. “Mout i fez” 

285

Molt i fez granz pecat amors. Love committed a very great sin 

pos li plac qe.s meses in me. when she decided to put herself in me, 

car merces non abduis ab se. since she did not bring Mercy with her 

ab qe m’adolces mas dolors. with which to sweeten my sadness. 

q’amors perd son nom e desmen. 1.5 For Love loses her name and domain 

et es desamors planamen. and is clearly “Not-Love” 

qan merces no.i pot far secors. when Mercy cannot help there. 

e fora li prez et onors. And it would be worthy and honorable, 

pois il vol vencer totas res. since she wants to conquer all things, 

c’una vez la vences merces. 1.10 if one time Mercy would conquer her. 

Mas trop m’a azirat amors. But Love has angered me too much 

car ab merces se desave. since with Mercy she is in disagreement. 

pero meil de meilz qez om ve. But the best of the best that one sees, 

midonz qe val meilz qe valors. my lady, who is worth more than valor, 

en pot leu far acordamen. 2.5 can easily bring them into agreement, 

car mager n’a faiz per un cen. for she has done so more than a hundred times. 

qi ve com la neus e.l calors. He who sees how the snow and heat, 

com es la blanches e la colors. how the white and colors 

s’acordon en leis semblan es. agree in her, it would seem 

q’amors s’i acort e merces. 2.10 that Love could accord there with Mercy. 

Mas non pot esser puos amors. But that cannot be, since Love 

non o vol ne midons so cre. doesn’t want it or my Lady, so I believe. 

pero de midonz no sai re. However, I know nothing of my Lady 

c’anc tant no m’enfoli folors. for foolishness never so enchants me 

q’eu l’auses dir mon pensamen. 3.5 that I would ever dare tell her my thoughts. 

mas cor aic qe.m capdel ab sen. But I have a heart that guides me with reason 

ab ardimen qe.m tol paors. and with courage when fear touches me. 

pero esperar fai llas flors But to hope makes the flowers 

tornar frug e de midonz pes bear fruit, and I think about my Lady, 

q’esperan la vensa merces. 3.10 hoping that Mercy would conquer her. 

S’ar no.us venz vencuz sui amors. If now I don’t conquer you, I am conquered, Love. 

vencer no.us pos mais ab merce. I cannot conquer you except with Mercy, 

e s’entre tanz mals n’ai o be. and if among so many pains I have any good from it 

ja no.us er danz ni deshenors. never will it be damaging or dishonorable to you. 

cujaz vos dunc qe.us estei gen. 4.5 Do you think thus that it is noble for you 

qan mi fai planger tan soven. when you make me complain so often? 

anz en val meinz vostra lauzors. Rather your praise is worth less from it. 

pero.l mal fora mi dolcors. But the pain would be sweet to me, 

se.l alt rams on era.m sui pres. if the high branch where I am near now 

me pleges mercian merces. 4.10 Mercy would bend to me mercifully. 

286

Esters non pois durar amors. Otherwise I cannot endure it, Love, 

e no sai per qe s’esdeve. and I don’t know why it happens 

de mon cor qe si.us a e.os te. to my heart, that so has you and holds you. 

qe re no cuich qe n’aia ailors. For I intend nothing that I would have elsewhere, 

qe si be.us es granz eissamen. 5.5 for indeed it is equally great to you. 

podez en mi caber leumen. You can easily find a place in me– 

con si devisis una grans tors. as though you depict a great tower 

en un pauc miraill e.l largors. in a small mirror–and the largeness 

es tan granz qe si vos plagues. is so great that, if it would please you, 

ancar neis i caubra merces. 5.10 still even Mercy could find a place there. 

Mal me sui gradaz per no sen I have scarcely protected myself from no-sense, 

ca mi.os a embsat amors. since Love has stolen you from me. 

ar qe.m estorz de sas dolors Now since I escape from its pains, 

mas dir pot q’eu eis me sui pres. but I can say that I am prisoner of myself, 

ne.us no mi val dreiz ni merces. T.5 and justice and mercy have no value to you or me. 

287

8. 155, 16. “Per dieu! Amors” on page 250 

9. 155, 18. “S’al cor plagues” 

288

S’al cor plagues ben for’oi mais sazos. If it pleased my heart, now would be the time 

de far canchon per joia mantener. to compose songs in order to sustain joy. 

mas trop mi fai ma ventura doler. But my luck makes me too sad 

qant eu esgart lo bes e.l mal q’eu n’ai. when I see the good and bad I have from it. 

qe rics diz hom qe sui e qe be.m vai. 1.5 For they say I am rich, and it goes well for me. 

mas cel q’o diz non sab ges ben lo ver. But those who say this know nothing of the truth, 

qe benenanza non pot hom aver. for one cannot have happiness 

de nuilla re mais de cho q’al cor plai. from something that doesn’t please his heart. 

per qe val mais us paubres q’es joios Which is why a poor man who is joyous is worth more 

c’us rics ses joi q’es tot l’an consiros. 1.10 than a rich one without joy who is always complaining. 

E s’eu anc jorn fui gais ni amoros. And if I was ever happy or loving, 

ar non ai joi d’amor ni bon esper now I don’t have the joy of love or good hope, 

ni altres bes no pot al cor plaser nor can any other good please my heart; 

anz mi semblon tot autre joi esmai. instead, all other joys seem lamentable to me. 

pero d’amor q’el ver vos en dirai. 2.5 But of love, about which I will tell you the truth, 

no.m lais del tot ni no m’en pocs mover. I don’t abandon completely and cannot move myself 

from it. 

Enan non vauc ni puosc remaner. Instead, I don’t go, and cannot remain– 

aissi con cel q’en mei del abre estai. just like him who remains in the middle of the tree, 

q’es tan pojaz qe no sap tornar jos. who is so high up he doesn’t know how to turn back 

ni sus no vai tant li par temeros. 2.10 and can’t go higher, so fearful it appears to him. 

Pero no.m lais se tot s’es perillos. But I don’t abandon it even though it’s perilous 

c’ades non poge.n sus a mon poder. for I could never climb above my abilities. 

e devria.m si val fins cor valler And I must at least value my true heart, 

puois conossez qe ja no.m recrerai. since you know that I will never give up– 

c’ab ardimen apoder’om l’etglai. 3.5 for with courage one can overcome fear– 

e non tem dan qe m’en puosca escazer. and I don’t fear the damage that could happen to me 

from it. 

per qe.us er genz se.m deignaz retener. Because of this it will noble of you if you deign to retain 

me, 

e.l guizardos. er aitals com s’eschai. and the reward will be as it happens. 

q’en eis lo don s’en es faiz granz ardos. For in itself the gift becomes the reward 

a cel qi sap d’avinen far sos dos. 3.10 for him who know how to make his gifts graciously. 

E si merces a nul poder en vos And if Mercy has no strength in you 

traga sinan si ja.m vol pro tener. it would go far if ever it wanted advantage over me. 

q’eu no me fi en prez ni en saber. For I put no faith in worth or knowledge 

ni en canzons mais car conosch e sai. or in song, but since I recognize and know 

qe merces vol zo qe razos deschai 4.5 that Mercy desires that which Reason declines, 

per q’eu vos cuich a merce conquerer. I intend to conquer you with Mercy. 

qe m’es escuz cont.el sobre valer. For it is a shield for me against the over value 

q’eu sai en vos. per qe.m mec en essai. that I know is in you, through which I put myself to test 

de vostr’amor zo qe.m veda razos. in your love that which Reason refuses to me, 

mas il mi fai cuiar c’avinent fos. 4.10 but she makes me think that it was more gracious. 

289

A zo conosc q’eu sui nemps pauros. To this I think that I am too fearful, 

car al comenzamen m’en desesper. for at the beginning I despair of it 

en mas chanzons. puois voil merce qerer. in my songs. Since I want to seek Mercy 

farai o duncs aissi co.l joglar fai. I will do it thus like a joglar does– 

aissi con mou mos lais los fenirai. 5.5 just as I begin my lai I will finish it– 

desperaz puois donc no.i puos chaber. desperate, since thus it cannot find a place there 

razon per qe.il deja de mi caler. Reason, because of which she must care about me. 

ma tot lo meins aitant en retendrai. But at least I will retain so much of it 

q’inz en mon cor l’amarai a rescos. that in my heart I will love her in secret 

e dirai ben de leis en mas canzos. 5.10 and speak well of her in my songs. 

Mentir cugei mas esters grat dis ver. I intended to lie, but instead I speak the truth 

q’ers m’estava trop meillz q’era non fai. for now it would be better had I not done that, 

e cugei far crere zo qe no fos. and I intended to believe what was not, 

mas mal mon grat es vera ma chansos. T1.4 but despite myself my song is true. 

Si N’Azimans sabia zo q’eu sai. If Lord Azimans knew what I know 

dir poiria c’una pauc ochaisos. I would say that one little excuse 

noz en amor plus qe no.i val razos. T2.3 harms in love more that not valuing Reason there. 

290

10. 155, 21. “Sitot me sui” 



qe mais no jog a gran bon’aventura. that he gambles no more, to my great good fortune 

m’o dei tener car m’en sui coneguz 1.4 I must consider it, since I [finally] recognize 

del gran enian c’amors vas mi fazia. the great trick Love has played on me– 

c’ab bel senblan m’a tengut en fazia. for with a beautiful appearance she has held me in 

refusal 

plus de dez anz a lei de mal deutor. more than ten years to her, like a bad debtor 

c’ades promet e re no pagaria. 1.8 who always promises, but never pays. 

291

Ab bel senblan qe fals amors aduz. With the beautiful appearance that false Love carries 

s’atrai vas si fis amanz e s’atura. it attract towards itself the true lover, and he remains 


qe.s met el fuoc per la clartaz qe luz. 2.4 that it puts itself into the fire because of the light that 

shines. 

mas eu m’en part e segrai altra via. But I will depart and follow another path– 

sui mal pagaz q’esters non m’en partia. I am badly paid, for otherwise I would not leave. 

e segrai l’aib de tot bon servidor. And I will follow the path of every good servant: 

con plus s’irais e plus fort s’umilia. 2.8 the more he is afflicted, the more strongly he is humbled. 

Pero amors mi sui eu recrezuz. But, Love, I have given up 

de vos servir e mais non aurai cura. your service and I couldn’t care less. 

c’aissi com prez hom plus laida pentura. For just as one values an ugly painting more 

canc es de long qe qan es pres venguz. 3.4 when far away than when he comes closer to it, 

preza’eu uos qan non vos conossia. I valued you when I was unacquainted with you, 

e s’anc n’aic pauc mais n’ai q’eu non volria. and if I ever had less, I have more than I would want. 

c’aissi m’es pres con al fol qeridor. For thus it seems to me like the foolish seeker 

qe diz q’aurs fos toz cho q’el toqaria. 3.8 who said that all he touched would turn to gold. 

Pero no cuich si be.m sui irascuz But I do not imagine, even if I am angry 

ni faz de lei en cantan ma rancura. and make known my complaint about her in singing, 

q’eu diga ren qe no semble mesura. that I would say anything that seems immoderate. 

mas sapcha ben q’a sos ops sui perduz 4.4 But I know well that I am lost to her interests, 

q’anc sobre fren no.m uolc menar un dia for she never wants to lead me by the reins one day. 

anz mi fetz far mon poder tota via. Instead, she makes me do my ability always, 

mas anc sompers cavals de grant valor. but even a horse of great valor, 

qan beordet trop soven cuioil felnia. 4.8 when he jousts too often, gathers affliction. 

Fels fora eu top mas soi m’en retenguz. Afflicted I would be more, except I refrain from it. 

qar cel qui plus fort de si desmesura. For he who behaves immoderately with one stronger 

than him 

fai gran foldat neis en gran aventura. commits a great folly, even in great danger 

es de som par q’esser en pot vencuz. 5.4 he is from his equal, for he can be vanquished, 

e de plus freul de si es vilania. and with one weaker than him, it is villainous. 

per q’anc no.m plac ni.m plaz sobransaria. Because of this arrogance never did or does please me. 

pero en sen deu om gardar honor. But in wisdom one must protect honor, 

qar sen aunit prez trop mens qe folia. 5.8 since wisdom shamed is worth much less than 

foolishness. 

Pels Aimans se amors vos destrengia. For you, Azimans, if Love torments you, 

vos ni.n Tostemps eu en consellaria. you and Lord Tostemps, I would counsel you, 

sol membres vos qant eu n’ai de dolor. I only remember you when I have pain, 

e qant de joi ia plus no.us en calria. T1.4 and when I have joy I would no longer worry about you. 

En Plus Lial s’ap los ols vos vezia Lord Plus-Lial, if I could see you with my eyes, 

aisi cum eu fas ab lo cor tota via. like I do with my heart always, 

so c’aves dig poria aver valor. T2.3 that which you said could have worth. 

292

11. 155, 22. “Tan m’abellis” 

Tant m’abellis l’amoros pessamenz. So much the amorous thought pleases me 

qi s’es venguz e mon fin cor assire. that has established itself in my true heart, 

per qe no.i pot nulz autre pes caber. that no other though can fit there, 

ni mais neguns no m’er dolz ni plazens. 1.4 and nothing else will be so sweet and pleasing to me. 

c’aduncs viu sans qan m’aucio.l consire. For thus, I live healthy while the thoughts kill me, 

e fin’amor allevia mon martire. and true love lightens my martyrdom. 

qe.m promet ioi mas trop lo dona len. For it promises me joy, but gives it too slowly. 

c’ab bel semblan m’a trainat longamen 1.8 For with a beautiful appearance it has made me languish 

for a long time. 

293

Ben sai que tot qan faiz es dreiz neienz Indeed I know that all I do is absolutely nothing. 

eu qen puossi s’amor mi uol aucire. What can I do if Love wants to kill me? 

q’a escient m’a donat tal voler. For knowingly it has given me such desire 

qe ja non er vencuz ni el no.m venz. 2.4 that I will never conquer it and it does not conquer me. 

vencuz si er qe mort m’an li sospire Conquered it will be, for my sighs have killed me 

tot soavet si de leis cui desire. so sweetly, if from her whom I desire, 

no ai socors qe d’altra no l’aten. I have no help, for I do not expect it from another 

ni d’altra’mor no puosc aver talen. 2.8 and cannot have desire for another love. 

Bona domna si.us platz siaz sufrenz. Good Lady, if it pleases you, be tolerant 

qe.l ben qe.us voll q’eu sui del mal sofrire. of the good I desire for you, since I am to suffer the pain, 

e pois lo mal non poira dan tener. and then the pain could not harm me; 

anz m’er semblan qe.l partam engalmenz. 3.4 rather it will seem that we share it equally. 

e s’a vos plaz qe.n altra part me vire. And if it pleases you, that I turn my attentions elsewhere, 

partez de vos la beltaz e.l gen rire. separate from yourself the beauty and noble laughter 

e.l dolz parlar qi m’afolis mon sen. and the sweet talk that drives me crazy. 

puois m’ai partir de vos mon escien. 3.8 Then I will surely leave you. 

Qar toz jorn m’es plus bell’e plus plaisenz. For every day is more beautiful and pleasing to me 

per cho voil mal als oilz ab qe.us remire. so that I want pain for my eyes with which I look at you 

car a mon grat no porion vezer. For, according to my will they could not see, 

mas al men danz vezon trop sotilmenz. 4.4 but to my harm they see too subtlely. 

mous danz non es zo sai pos no.m n’azire. It does not harm me, I know, since I am not offended. 

anz es mon pro domna per q’eu m’albire. Instead, it is my to my advantage, Lady, which is why I 

think 

si m’auzjes qe no.us estara gen. it would not be noble of you to kill me, 

car lo meu danz vostres er assamenz. 4.8 because my harm will be yours equally. 

Pero dona no.us am saviamenz. But, Lady, I do not love you wisely, 

c’a vos sui fis et a mon ops traire. For I am faithful to you and traitor to myself; 

eu vos cuich perdre e mi no puesc aver. I expect to lose you and cannot have myself; 

e vos cuich noser et a mi sui nosanz. 5.4 I expect to harm you and be harmful to myself. 

per cho nos aus mun mal mostrar ni dire. Although I dare not show or tell you about my pain, 

mas a l’esgart podez mon cor devire. with your glance you can understand my heart. 

qe.us cugei dir mas era m’en repen. For I intended to tell you, but now I repent of it, 

e port els oillz vergoigne et ardimen. 5.8 and carry shame and courage in my eyes. 

E car vos am mil tanz q’eu no sai dire. And since I love you a thousand times that I don't know 

how to tell you. 

. . . . . . . . 

no m’en repent anz vos am per un cen. I do not repent, instead I love you one hundred percent, 

car ai proat altrui captenemen. T1.4 for I have tested another way. 

Vers Nems ten va chanson qiqes n’azire. Go song, to Nimes, whoever is offended, 

Qe gauz n’aura per lo men eu escien. that he have joy of it, in my opinion. 

las tres domnas a cui ente presen. The three ladies to whom I intend to present it, 

e cellas tres vallon ben d’altras cen. T2.4 and those three are worth more than one hundred others. 

294

12. 155, 23. “Tan mou” 

295

Tant mou de cortesa razon. So much it begins with a courtly theme, 

mos chanz q’eu no.i posch fallir. my song, that I cannot fail in it. 

anceis i dei meil avenir. Instead I must succeed better in it 

q’anc mais non fis e sabes qon. than I ever did, and do you know why? 

car l’emperariz m’en somon. 1.5 Because the empress requests it from me, 

e plagra.m fort qe m’en geqis and it would please me greatly to abandon it, 

s’il m’o sofris. if she would allow it. 

mas pois il es maestatis But since she is the height 

d’ensegnamen. of good manners, 

no s’eschai. C’al seu mandamen. 1.10 it is not proper that to her command 

sia mos sabers flacs ni lenz my wit be weak and slow: 

ainz taing q’es doble mons engenz. instead it is proper that my ingenuity doubles. 

E s’anc parlei in ma chanson And if I ever spoke in my song 

de lau lenger cui des azir. about the praise chatterers whom God hates, 

aisi lor vol del tut maldir. thus I want to curse them completely 

e sa des nonqes lor perdon. and for God never to pardon them. 

qan dizon zo q’anc ver no fon. 2.5 For they said that which was never true. 

per qe sela cui obezis. Because of this she whom I obey 

me relinquis has released me, 

e sonan q’aillor aia assis. and they say that I have placed elsewhere 

mon pensamen. my attention. 

ben mor dunc per gran fallimen. 2.10 Indeed I die thus from a great error, 

s’eu pert zo q’eu am fracamen if I lose her whom I love freely 

per zo q’il dozom zo q’es menz. through those who say what is a lie. 

Mas ges per tan no m’abandon But I don’t give up at all, 

qeu o ai sempres auzit dir. for I have always heard it said 

qe mezonza no.s pot cobrir. that a lie cannot conceal itself 

qe no mostra qalqe sazon. for it shows itself sometime. 

e pois dreiz venz fals ocaison. 3.5 And since justice conquers false charges, 

ancar er proat e devis. again it will be tested and understood 

com eu soi fis. how I am faithful 

leis cui soi subiez e aclis. to her to whom I am subject and submitted 

de bon talen. from good desire. 

q’en lei amar an prez conten. 3.10 For they have taken up a fight over her love, 

mon ferm corages e mos senz. my firm spirit and wit, 

c’usques cuia amar plus formenz. for each intends to love more strongly. 

E si merces no.m ten pron And if mercy doesn’t help 

qe farai poirai m’en partir. what will I do? can I leave her? 

eu non q’ai apres a morir. No, for I have learned to die 

de guisa qe.m sab sobre bon. in a way that pleases me very much. 

q’inz e.l cor remir sa foizon. 4.5 For within my heart I contemplate her face, 

296

e.l remiran mor e languis. and thinking about her I die and languish. 

car ela.m dis. For she said to me 

qe no.m dara zo q’eu l’ai quis. that she won’t give me what I have sought 

tant lonzamen. for so long. 

e ges per aitant no m’alen. 4.10 And because of this I don’t slow down at all. 

anz dobla ades mos pensamenz. Instead I always double attentions 

e mor aisi mescladamenz. and I die thus mixed/together. 

Amarai la donc a lairon. I will love her thus in secret, 

pois no.i plaz qe.m deing a sofrir. since it doesn’t please her to deign to tolerate me. 

q’inz en mon cor lan e desir. For in my heart I languish in desire 

e sai q’afar m’er voilla o non. and know what the business will be, like it or not. 

qe.l cors ten lo cor in preison. 5.5 For my body holds my heart in prison, 

et al si destreiz e conquis. and has it so distressed and conquered 

qe no m’es vis. that it doesn’t seem to me 

qe.m despoder qe m’en partis. that it weakens me when I leave it. 

anceis aten Instead I wait, 

com la posca venzer sofren. 5.10 as though I could conquer her by suffering. 

qe merces e lonc sofrir venz. For mercy and long suffering conquer 

lai on o val forza ni genz. there where strength and nobility have no value. 

297

13. 155, 27. “Us volers” 

298

Uns volers oltracuidaz. One outrageous desire 

s’es inz en mon cor aders. has elevated itself in my heart. 

pero non di mos espers. But my hope says that 

ia posca esser acabaz. it can never be achieved 

tant aut s’es impenz. 1.5 so high it is attached, 

ni no m’autreia mons senz. and my sense doesn’t assure me. 

qe.n sia desesperaz. So that I would despair of it 

e son aisi meitadaz. and am thus divided, 

qe non desesper. for I don’t despair 

ni aus esperanz’aver. 1.10 or dare to have hope. 

Car trop mi sent aut poiaz. For I feel myself mounted so high 

ves q’es petiz mos poders towards that which my strength is small, 

per qe.m chastia temers. so that the fear chastises me, 

car aital ardimenz faz. since such courage causes 

qe mous nos a maintas genz. 2.5 harm to many people. 

mas d’un conort sui iaudenz. But of one solace I have joy 

qi.m ven devers. autre laz. that comes to me from another place 

e mostra.m c’umilitaz. and shows me that humility 

l’a tant en poder. has her so much in power 

qe bens m’en pot eschader. 2.10 that good things could happen to me from it. 

Tant s’es en mor cor fermaz. It is so fixed in my heart 

qe.l mensonia.m cor fermaz. that a lie is to me [fixed heart]; 

aital mal traiz m’es lezers. such mistreatment is pleasure to me. 

pero ben sai q’es vertaz. But I know well that it is true 

qe bos artus venz. 3.5 that a good end conquers. 

per qe.us prec domna valenz. So that I entreat you, worthy Lady, 

qe sol d’aitan me sofraz. that you only tolerate me so much, 

e poi serai gent pagaz. and then I will be nobly paid, 

qe.m laises voler if you allow me to desire 

lo ioi q’eu desir aver. 3.10 the joy that I want to have. 

Ben parec nescietaz Indeed it seemed stupid 

o sobrat ardiz volers. or an overly ardent desire, 

car solamens un vecers. since only one sight 

m’a desebnz tan uiatz. has deceived me so quickly. 

qe coindetamenz. 4.5 For graciously 

me venc al cor uns talens. one desire comes into my heart 

tals q’eu son enamoras. such that I am in love. 

mas pos s’es tant fort doblaz. But since it is so strongly doubled 

qe.l maitin e.l ser. that morning and night 

mi fai dolzamen doler. 4.10 it makes me sweetly sad. 

299

Mas pero chantar no.m plaz. But to sing no longer pleases me, 

si m’en valgues asteners. if it please you for me to abstain. 

anz me fara no chalers Instead it makes me not-caring 

laissar deport e solaz. and leave off fun and games, 

qi mais pois n’es menz. 5.5 since she is lacking, 

l’emperariz cui iovenz. the empress, whose youth 

a poia en auchors graz. is raised graciously on high. 

e s’el cors no.i fois forzaz. And if her body were not forced there 

il fera saber. she would know 

com fols si vol dechader. 5.10 what a fool so wants to destroy. 

300

1. 155, 1. “Amors merce!” 

Appendix C. Other Songs in Manuscript R 

Amors merce no mueyra tan soven. Love, have mercy, that I don’t die so often, 

que ia.m podetz viaz del tot aussire. for now you can easily kill me completely. 

que vieure.m faitz e morir eyssamens. For you make living and dying the same to me 

et enaisi doblatz me mo martire. 1.4 and thus double for me my martyrdom. 

pero mietz mortz vos son om e serveires. But, even dead, I am your man and servant, 

et es me mil tans pus bos. and it is for me a thousand times better 

que de nulh autr’aver ric gazardos. 1.7 than to have rich reward from another. 

301

Per qu’er peccatz amors so sabetz vos. Because it will be a sin, Love, as you know, 

si m’azirat pus vas vos no.m azire. if you bother me, since I don't worry about you. 

mas trop servir ten dan mantas sazos. But to serve too much often causes harm, 

qe son amic en pert hom so aug dire. 2.4 for a man loses his friend from it so I hear. 

q’ie.us ai servir et encars no m’en vire. Since I have served you and still don’t turn away, 

e car sabetz q’en guizardo n’aten. and since you know that I expect a reward, 

ai perdut vos e.l servir eyssamen. 2.7 I have lost you and your service equally. 

Mais dona vos qe avetz mandamen. But you, Lady, who have command, 

forsatz amors. e vos c’aitan dezire. take love by force, and you whom I so much desire, 

non jes per me mas per dreg chauzimen. not for myself but as the right choice. 

que tan planhen vo.n preguon miei sospire. 3.4 For my sighs lament and beg you so much 

qe.l cor plora canc vezetz mos huelhs rire. that my heart cries even when you see my eyes smile. 

mais per paor qe no senbl’enuejos. But for fear that I would seem annoying, 

engan mi eys e trac mal en perdos. 3.7 I trick my eyes and suffer in vain. 

Anc non cugey vostre cors ergulhos. Never did I believe that your proud heart 

volgues a mi tan lonc dezir assire. would want to put such long desire in me. 

mas per paor qe no fes d’un dan dos. But for fear that I would make two harms from one, 

no vos auze lo meu maltrait devire. 4.4 I dare not reveal my suffering to you. 

ai car vost’uelh no vezon miei martire. Oh, why don’t your eyes see my martyrdom? 

c’adoncx m’agratz merce ab solamen For thus you would have mercy for me with only 

lo dos esgart qe.m fay merce parven 4.7 the sweet look that appears merciful to me. 

A vos volgra mostar los mals q’ieu sen. To you I want to show the pain that I feel 

et ad autra selar et escondire. and hide and conceal it from others. 

tan qe no.us puesc dire mon cor seladimen. So much I cannot tell you about my hidden heart. 

car s’ieu non puesc cobrir. qi m’er cubreire 5.4 For if I cannot hide myself, who will hide me? 

o qi m’er fis. se neis qe.m son trayre. and who will be faithful to me if I betray myself? 

car qi no sap selar. non es razos. For he who doesn’t know how to hide, there is no reason 

q’el selon sel a cuy non es nulh pros. 5.7 that they, for whom there is no advantage, hide him. 

Mas N’Aziman ditz qu’ieu li son trayre. But Aziman they say that I am traitor to her, 

e leu Tostemps ditz hom q’ieu so nulhs. and perhaps, Tostemps, they say I am nothing, 

car tot mon cor non retrac a els dos. T1.3 since all my heart I do not take back from those two. 

Dona.l fin cor q’ie.us ai no.us puesc tot dire. Lady, the true heart I have for you I cannot tell you 

about, 

mas per merce so q’en lais per no sen. but for mercy’s sake that which I allow for no reason, 

restauratz vos ab bon entendemen. T2.3 restore yourself to good intentions. 

302

2. 155, 3. “Ay! tan gen vens,” New Melody 

303

Palimpsest Melody (separation aided by Aubrey, “Study,” 123-24) 

Ay tan gen vens et ab tan pauc d’afan Oh, how nobly he conquers and with what little trouble, 

aysel qe.s laysa venser a merce. he who allows himself to conquer with Mercy. 

car enaysi vens hom autrui e se. For thus he conquers himself and others 

et a vencut doas vetz senes dan. 1.4 and has conquered two times without injury. 

mas vos amors no faitz jes enaysi. But you, Love, do not do this at all, 

c’ap vos merce no.m poc un jorn valer. for to you mercy can have no value one day. 

ans m’avetz tant mostrat vostre poder. Instead you have so much shown me your strength 

qu’eras no.us ay ni vos non avetz me. 1.8 that now I don’t have you and you don’t have me. 

304

On trobaretz may tan de bona fe. Where will you find ever so much of good faith? 

c’anc mays nuls homs se meteus non tray. For never did any man so betray himself 

son essien si con yeu vos servi. assuredly, as I serve you 

tan lialmens c’anc de re no.m jauzi. 2.4 so loyally that I never enjoyed anything. 

ans qier merce so fazia parer. Instead I seek mercy that would make this appear. 

car qi trop val servizi reproperchan. For he who so much goes around reproaching service 

semblansa fai qe.l gazardon deman. makes it seem that he’s seeking rewards. 

mais de mieus dic q’ieu de vos no.l esper. 2.8 But of myself I said that I do not hope for this from you. 

Per que.m par fol qi no sap retener. Because he seems a fool to me who doesn’t know how to 

retain 

so qe conqer. q’ieu pres be atrestan. what he conquers. For I value well equally 

qi so rete qe a conqist donan him who retains what he already conquered 

per son esfors com fas lo conquerer. 3.4 through the same effort as he conquered it. 

mais retengratz enaisi col fol reten But you retain me thus like the fool retains 

l’esparvier . . . . . the hawk 

qe.l estrenh tan e.l punh tro qe.l aussi. for he grasps it so tightly in his fist that he kills it. 

mas pus estortz vas se vievre puesc be. 3.8 but thus freed from it I can live well. 

Tot so que val pot nozer atressi. All that which has value can also cause harm. 

doncx s’ie.us tenc pro. be.us poc mantener Thus if I were useful to you I could abide by you, 

et er merce sabe.us vostre saber. and it will be a pity if with your own knowledge 

que.m avetz dat don anc jorn no.m iauzi. 4.4 that you have given me, that since I never enjoy myself, 

vos mou tenso ni e.us dic mal en chantan. I begin quarrel with you and curse you in singing. 

mais non er faitz que chauzimen n’aten. But it will not be done, since I await the choice. 

en vuelh mais mon dan sofrir iasse. I want more to suffer my damage always 

qe l’autrui tort adrechures claman. 4.8 than to rectify others’ wrongs by complaining. 

Mais que.l bon rey Richart qe vel q’ieu chant. But he who blames good King Richard, who wants me to 

sing, 

blasme per so car non passet dese. because he didn’t immediately go to the crusade 

ar es sauput si qe cascus o ve. now it is known so that each sees it. 

car yeu estranh per mielhs salhir avan. 5.4 For I stay back in order to better jump ahead. 

q’el era coms ar es ric. . . ses fi. for he was a count, now he is a rich . . . .without land. 

car bon secors fay dieu a ric voler. for God gives good help with rich desire. 

s’ieu dis mal a crozar en dis ver. If I spoke ill of the crusade, I spoke the truth, 

et es sauput si e.us no m’en de soi. 5.8 and it is known if I didn’t lie about him. 

Ja N’Azimans ni Tostemps non creyrai. Now Azimans and Tostemps, I will not believe 

qe vas amors aiatz virat mo fre. that you have turned my reins towards Love. 

mas ben pot hom creyre ayso qe ve. But, indeed, a man can believe what he sees, 

et er sauput huei mais o a qi enan. T.4 and it will be known henceforth who advances better. 

305

3. 155, 5. “Ben an mort” on page 206 

4. 155, 10. “Greu fera” 

306

Greu fera nulhs hom falhensa. With difficulty no one would make a mistake 

si tant teuses son bo sen. if he considered his good sense more 

com lo blasme de las iens. than the blame of the people 

qui juron descosiensa. who judge in ignorance. 

qu’ieu falh car lais per temensa. 1.5 For I fail, since I allow through fear 

d’un blasme desconoisen. of the blame of the ignorant, 

qu’es contr’amors non empren. since against Love I don’t move. 

q’eissamen notz trop sufrensa. For too much forbearance harms as much 

com leu cors ses retenensa. 1.9 as a light heart without restraint. 

Car en vostra manensa. Since into your support, 

me mis amors francamen. Love, I freely put myself, 

yeu fora mortz veramen. I would truly be dead 

si no fos ma conoisensa. if it were not for my understanding. 

don non aiatz mais plavensa. 2.5 Thus you wouldn’t have more pleasure, 

q’ieu man si co suelh planhen. for I remain as I am accustomed, complaining, 

ni.m mut huey mais tan saven. and silence myself now so often 

que mas chansos a parvensa. that my songs apparently 

n’aurion mais de valensa. 2.9 would have more value. 

E ia merces no vos vensa. And never would Mercy conquer you 

per mi qu’ieu non lay aten. for me, since I don't expect it. 

ans estaray planamen. Rather, I stand quietly 

ses vos pus tant vos agensa. without you if so much it please you, 

franqe de bela captenensa. 3.5 noble with beautiful deportment, 

si puesc que.n aiso m’en pren. if I can, when I turn my thoughts to this. 

car sil sofron los turmen For they suffer the torments, 

que fan per fol entendensa. who by foolish understanding, 

ans del peccat penendensa. 3.9 do the penitence before the sin. 

Car ieu avia crezenza. For I had belief, 

tan can amiei finamen. so much I loved truly, 

en aiso com vai dizen. in this as they say: 

ben fenis qui mal comensa. “it ends well what begins badly.” 

mais en avia entendensa. 4.5 But I had understanding of it 

que per proar mon talen. that in order to test my desire 

m’acsetz mal comensamen. you gave me a bad beginning. 

mal eras vei a prezensa. But now I see clearly 

que tostemps m’a gran tenensa. 4.9 that great power always had me. 

E si.m degratz dar guirensa. And if you must give me protection 

car mielhs. . . .e plus gen for better . . . . and more noble 

qui dona c’aisel que pren. who gives than he who takes, 

si pretz n’a ni be volensa. if he has worth and good desire. 

mas . . . . vil tenensa. 5.5 But . . . . bad power 

vostr’afar et en . . . .nien. your affairs and in . . . . .nothing, 

c’om vos sol dar er vos ven. for one is used to giving to you, now he sells you. 

mais lais m’en qu’ieu ai sabensa. But I finish, for I have the wisdom 

de mal dir et abstrenensa. 5.9 and moderation in cursing. 

307

5. 155, 14. “Mout i fez” 

308

Mot y fes gran peccat amors. Love committed a very great sin, 

can li plac que.s mezes en me. when it pleased her to herself in me, 

car merce no.y adus ab se since she did not bring Mercy with her 

am que s’adossis ma dolors. with which to sweeten my sadness. 

c’amors pert so nom e.l desmen. 1.5 For Love loses her name and domain 

et es desamor planamen. and is clearly “Not-Love,” 

pus merce no.i pot far secors. since Mercy cannot help there. 

per que.l fora pretz et honors Which is why it would be worthy and honorable, 

pus ilh vol venser totas res. since she wants to conquer all things, 

c’una vetz la venses merces. 1.10 if one time Mercy would conquer her. 

Mas trop m’a azirat amors. But Love has angered me too much, 

cant ab merce se desave. when she disagrees with Mercy. 

pero.l mielhs del mielhs qe hom ve. But the best of the best that one sees, 

midons qe val mais de valors. my Lady, who is worth more than valor, 

en pot leu far acordamen. 2.5 can easily bring them into agreement, 

qe majer n’a fag per 1 cen. since she has done so more than a hundred times. 

qi ve con la neus . . . He who sees how the snow. . . 

. . . q’es e.l colors . . . that is and the colors 

s’acordon en lieys semblans es agree in her, it would seem 

c’amors s’i acort ab merces. 2.10 that Love could agree there with Mercy. 

Mais no.m pot esser pus amors But that cannot be since Love 

nozens. ni midons so cire. harming or my Lady so I believe. 

pero de midons non say re. But of my Lady I know nothing, 

c’anc tant no me forset folors for never did foolishness so force me 

qe.l auzes dir mon pessamen. 3.5 that I would dare tell her my thoughts. 

mais cor ai que capdel ab sen But I have a heart that guides with reason 

mon ardimen. qe tol paors. my courage, when fear strikes me. 

pero esperan fan las flors But, hoping makes the flowers 

tornar frug. e d’amors s’om pes bear fruit, and of Love, so one thinks, 

q’esperan la venca merces. 3.10 that hoping Mercy would conquer her. 

S’ar nous vens vencut soi be. If now I don’t conquer you, I am conquered indeed, 

venser nous puesc mais ab merce. I cannot conquer you except with Mercy, 

e s’entre tans mals n’ay un be. and if among so many evils I have one good, 

ja no.us er dans ni desonors. it will never be harmful or dishonorable for you. 

cujatz vos doncx qe.us estey gen. 4.5 Do you think it is noble for you 

car me faitz planher tan soven. when you make me complain so often? 

ans en val mens vostra valors. Rather, your valor is worth less in value. 

pero.l malmen fora dossors. But the pain would be sweet 

si.l aut ram a cuy me sostenc. if the high branch which holds me up, 

me pleyes merceyan merces. 4.10 Mercy would mercifully bend to me. 

Mais mi son gardat per no sen. But I have protected myself for no reason, 

car mi jes ma emblat amors. since Love has stolen me from myself. 

ara epron rescon de las flors. Now it withholds the flowers. 

mais dir pot q’ieu eis me son pres. but I can say that I am prisoner of myself, 

pus que no.m val dretz ni merces. T.5 since justice and Mercy have no value to me. 

309

6. 155, 16. “Per dieu! Amors” 

Per dieu amors be sabetz veramen For God’s sake, Love, you know perfectly well, 

con pus dissen mais pueie humilitat. the more Humility descends, the higher it climbs, 

et erguelh cai on pus aut es puiatz. and Pride falls when it has climbed higher. 

don dei aver gaug e vos espaven. 1.4 Thus, I must have joy and fear of you 

can se mostret erguelh contra mezura. when Pride shows itself beyond measure 

e.l brau respos ab sas humils chansos and harsh response with its humble songs. 

per qu’es semblan. que l’orguelh caja jos. Which is why it seems that Pride should fall low, 

c’apres ben jorn a vistas nueg escura. 1.8 like after a nice day I've seen dark night fall. 

310

Mas vos no.m par puscatz far falhimen. But it doesn’t seem to you that you could make a 

mistake. 

pero can falh selh q’es pros ni prezatz. However when he fails who is worthy and prized, 

tan can val mais. tan n’es pus encolpatz. as much as he’s worth the more he is guilty of it; 

qe la valor pueja e la colpa dissen. 2.4 for the valor rises, and the guilt descends. 

e si tot hom perdona forfaitura. And although one pardons wickedness, 

ja del blasme no sera fatz perdon. never will there be pardon for the blame, 

e cel reman en mala sospeiso. and he remains under bad suspicions, 

c’a mans met sel qi vas us desmezura. 2.8 for he who behaves badly toward one has done so 

towards many. 

Blasme n’a hom e cascus sela sen. A man has blame for it and each hides his reason, 

e si.l engan reman pus enganatz and if the deceit remains, he is more deceived 

sel qe falh qe sel q’es enganatz. who does it than he who is deceived. 

e doncx amors per qe fatz tan soven. 3.4 And thus, Love, because you do it so often, 

com plus vos feri. cascus pus se rancura. that the more one serves you the more each complains 

about it. 

e del servir tanh calqe guazardos. And whatever reward is fitting to the service, 

precx et amicx melhuramens e dos. entreaties and friends, improvements and gifts, 

ses us d’aquetz par fols qi si atura. 3.8 without one of these, he appears foolish who remains 

there. 

Fols fuy ieu be. que mis lo cor e.l sen. I was foolish indeed when I put my heart and sense 

there. 

sens non con ges q’enans fon gran foldatz. there was no sense, rather there was great foolishness. 

car cel es fols qe cuja esser senatz. For he is foolish who intends to be wise, 

e sap hom mais ades on pus apren. 4.4 and a man knows more always when he learns more. 

car anc merce qe valc mais qe dreitura. Since Mercy, who is worth more than Justice, 

no valc a mi ni ac poder a vos. has no value to me or had strength in you, 

ab pauc me sembla m’ages valgut razos. little it seems to me, Reason would be valued by me. 

adoncx fuy fols car aic de vos anc cura. 4.8 Thus, I was foolish, since I always had problems with 

you. 

Mas ar soi ric pus en vos non enten. But now I am rich since I don’t turn my thoughts to you, 

qe cujar es riqez’e paubretat. for in thinking is richness and poverty. 

car sel es ricx qe s’enten apaguatz. For he is rich who considers himself paid, 

e sel paubres q’en trop ricor enten. 5.4 and he poor who thinks about riches too much. 

c’ara soi ricx can fin gaug m’asegura. However, I am rich since refined joy assures me, 

can pens com soi tornatz dezamoros. when I think how I was turned unloving. 

era maritz ar soi joios Then I was unhappy, now I am joyous. 

per q’ieu m’en torn en gran bonaventura. 5.8 Through this I find my great good fortune in it. 

Cortezia non es als mas mezura Courtesy is nothing but moderation, 

mas vos. amors no saubes anc qes fos. but you, Love, never knew what it was. 

mais yeu serai tan pus cortes qe vos. But I will be so much more courtly than you 

c’al major bron selarai ma rancura. since to greater merit, I will hide my sadness. 

311

7. 155, 18. “S’al cor plagues” on page 216 

8. 155, 22. “Tan m’abellis” 

Tant m’abelis l’amoros pessamens. So much it pleases me, the loving thought, 

que s’es vengutz ins en mon cor assire. that has established itself in my heart, 

per que no.i pot nulhs autres pretz caber. so that no other value can fit there, 

ni mais negus no m’es dos ni plazens. 1.4 and nothing is more sweet or pleasing to me. 

c’adoncx vieu sas. cant m’ausizo.ls sospirs. For thus I live healthy, when the sighs kill me, 

e fin’amors alevia mo martire. and true love lightens my martyrdom. 

que.m promet joi mas trop lo.m dona len. For it promises me joy, but gives it too slowly to me, 

c’ab bel semblan m’a traynat loniamen. 1.8 for with a beautiful appearance, it has made me languish 

for too long. 

312

Be sai que tot cant fas er dreit nien. Indeed I know that all I do will be absolutely nothing. 

e qe.n puesc may s’amor mi vol aussire. What can I do if Love wants to kill me? 

car esien m’a donat tal voler. For knowingly it has given me such desire 

on ja non er vencut ni el no vens. 2.4 that never will it be conquered and I don’t conquer it. 

vencut soi caussit m’an li sospire. Conquered I am, for the sighs have killed me 

tot planamen pus de leys q’ieu dezire. plainly, since from her whom I desire 

non ay secors ni d’alhors non l’aten. I have no help and don’t expect any from elsewhere, 

ni d’autr’amor non puesc aver talen. 2.8 and cannot have desire for another love. 

Bona dona siatz se.us platz sofren. Good Lady, if it pleases you, be tolerant of 

del be q’ie.us vuelh qu’ieu soi del mal sufreire. the good that I want for you, that I am to suffer the pain, 

e pus lo mal no.m poiria dan tener. and then the pain cannot harm me; 

ans m’es semblans qe.ls partam engalmens. instead it seems that we share it equally. 

pero se.us platz cadz autra part me vire. 3.5 But if it pleases you that I turn my attentions elsewhere, 

partes de vos la beutat e.l dos rire. separate from yourself the beauty and sweet smile 

e.l bel semblan qe.m esfolis mo sen. and the beautiful appearance that enchants my sense, 

pueis partray me de vos mon essien. 3.8 then I will surely leave you. 

A totz jorns m’es pus bel’e pus plazens. Ah, every day is more beautiful and pleasing to me, 

per q’ieu vuelh mal als huelhs ab qe.us remire. so that I want pain in my eyes with which I see you. 

q’ieu no volgra qe.us poguesson vezer. For I don’t want them to be able to see you, 

car a mon dan vezon trop sotilmen. 4.4 but to my harm, they see too subtlely. 

mas dan no.m er car savals no.m n’azire. But it will not harm me, since it doesn’t bother me; 

ans m’es tan dos. dona per qe m’albire. instead it is such a gift, Lady, which is why I think 

si.m aussizetz qe no.us estara jen. if you kill me, that it would not be noble of you, 

car lo meu dan. vostres es eysamen. 4.5 for my harm is equally yours. 

Pero dona no.us am saviamen But Lady, I don’t love you wisely. 

c’a vos soi fis. et a mos obs traire. For to you I am faithful but to my own interests a traitor; 

q’ie.us tem perdre e mi no puesc aver. I fear losing you and don’t have myself; 

e.us cug nozer. e soi a mi nozens. 5.4 I expect to hurt you and am harmful to myself. 

pero mos mals no.us aus mostrar ni dire. But I don’t dare show you or tell you about my pain, 

mais al esgart podetz mon cor devire. but with your glance you can read my heart. 

car no.us vuelh dir et eras m’en repren. For I want to tell you, and now I repent of it 

en port al cor vergonh’et ardimen. 5.8 and carry in my heart the shame and courage. 

Trop vos am mais dona qe no.us aus dire. I love you too much, Lady, more than I dare to say, 

e car anc jorn aic d’autra amor rire. and since I used to have fun with another love, 

no m’en penet caraus am per sen, I don’t repent, since I love you through sense, 

car ai proat autrui captenemen. T1.4 for I have tested another conduct. 

Dona.l fin cor q’ie.us ay no.us puesc tot dire. Lady, the true heart I have for you I cannot tell you 

about, 

mais per merce so q’ie.us lais per no cen. but for pity’s sake, so that I don’t give up for no reason, 

restauratz vos ab bon captenemen. T1.3 restore yourself to good conduct. 

313

9. 155, 23. “Tan mou” 

314

Tant mou de corteza razo It begins with such a courtly theme, 

mon chan per que no.i dei falhir. my song, because I must not fail in it. 

ans dei mielhs endevenir. Instead I must succeed better 

c’anc mais no fis. e dire.us co. than I ever did, and do you know why? 

que l’emperairitz m’en somo. 1.5 Because the empress commanded me, 

e plagra.m fort que m’en gequis. and it would please me greatly to abandon it 

s’il m’en sufris. if she would allow me. 

mas car ilh es sim e razitz. But since she is, from head to toe, 

d’essenhamen. the example of good manners 

no.s cove c’al sieu mandamen. 1.10 it is not proper that to her command 

sia mos sabers flacx ni lens my wit be weak and slow, 

ans tanh que.i doble mos eniens. rather I must double my ingenuity. 

E s’anc parlei e mas chansos And if ever I spoke in my songs 

de lauzengier. cui dieus azir. about the flatterers, whom God hates, 

eras los vuelh del tot maldir. now I want to curse them completely, 

e ja dieus noca lur perdo. and God never pardon them. 

car an dig so c’anc vers no fo. 2.5 For they said that which was never true, 

qe.l bela cui ieu soi aclis. that the beautiful woman to whom I am submitted, 

me . . . . me . . . 

que.s cuja d’alhors aia assis that she believes that I have placed elsewhere 

mon pessamen. my attentions. 

doncx morray per gran falhimen. 2.10 Thus I will die from a great error. 

. . . . . . . 

per so qe dizon q’es men. because they say what is a lie. 

Mal ges per so no.m abando. For this I don’t yield to harm at all, 

qe mantas vetz ai auzit dir for many times I have heard it said 

qe messonja no.s pot cobrir. that a lie cannot conceal itself, 

qe no.s mostre calqe sazo. for it shows itself at some time. 

e pus dretz vens fals’ochayzo. 3.5 And since justice conquers false charges, 

encar er sauput e devis again it will be known and understood 

com ie.l soi fis. how I am faithful to her 

c’aisi.l soi totz mes aclis in whom I have put all my inclinations 

de bon talen. from good desire. 

q’en lieys amar ay pres conten. 3.10 For they have taken up a fight over loving her, 

mo ferm coratge e mo sen. my firm courage and wisdom, 

c’usqecx cui amar pus fortmens. over which one loves more strongly. 

315

E si merces no.m ten pro. And if Mercy doesn’t help me, 

qe farai poirai m’en geqir. what will I do? and can I refrain from her? 

ieu non c’apres ai a morir. No, for I have learned to die 

en guiza q’es sobre bo. in a way that is very good. 

q’en pessan remir sa faiso. 4.5 For in thinking I contemplate her face, 

e remiran e ieu languisc. in contemplating and I languish. 

car je la.m dis. For she said 

qe no.m da so q’ieu l’ay qis. that she wouldn’t give me what I had sought from 

her 

tan loniamen. for so long. 

e ges per aiso no m’alen. 4.10 And because of this I don’t slow down; 

ans dobla ades mon pessamen. instead I always double my attentions 

e muer ades mens cada mens. and always die little by little. 

Amarai la doncx a layro I will love her thus in secret, 

pus vei qe no.m denher sofrir. since I see that she doesn’t deign to tolerate me. 

qe ins e mon cor l’an remir. For in my heart I contemplate her 

e say c’afrir m’er vuelh o no. and know that it will go for me like it or not. 

qe.l cors ten lo cor en preizo. 5.5 For my body holds my heart in prison 

et a.l si vencut e conqis. and has so conquered and vanquished it 

qe no m’es vis. that it doesn’t seem to me 

qe.m despoder qe s’en partis. that it weakens me when it leaves me. 

per q’ieu n’aten. For this reason I expect, 

qe merces la.m vensa brevinen. 5.10 that mercy would conquer her soon for me, 

car lonc servirs ab merces vens. since long service conquers with mercy 

lai on no val forsa ni genhs. there where strength and skill have no value. 

316

10. 155, 27. “Us volers” 

317

Us volers otracuiatz One presumptuous desire 

s’es dins e mon cors aders. has attached itself within my heart. 

pero no.m ditz mos espers. But my hope tells me 

ia puesqu’esser acabatz. that it can never be achieved, 

tan aut s’es enpenhs. 1.5 so high it is attached; 

ni no m’o autreya mos sens and my sense doesn’t assure me. 

que sia desesperatz. For I would be desperate 

e soy aysi meitadatz and am thus divided, 

que no.m desesper for I don’t despair 

ni.n aus esperans’aver. 1.10 nor dare to have hope 

Car mot me sent aut puiatz. For I feel myself mounted so high 

ves qe es petitz mos poders. towards that which my strength is small, 

c’aitals maltratz m’es lezers. for such mistreatment is pleasure to me. 

pero si say qes vertatz. But since I know that it is true 

que bos . . . vens. 2.5 that good . . . conquers, 

per q.ie.us prec dona valens for this reason I entreat you, worthy Lady, 

qe sol d’aitan me sofratz. that only you would tolerate me, 

e pueis serai ien paiaitz and then I will be nobly paid, 

qe.m laisetz voler for you would allow me to desire 

lo ioy q’eu dezir aver. 2.10 the joy I desire to have. 

Cant y.es mon cor pausatz How tranquil my heart is there, 

qe.l mesonia sembla vers. that a lie seems true. 

per qe.m chastia temers. Because fear chastises me 

qe aitals ardimens fatz. that such courage does 

notz a mantas gens. 3.5 harm to many people. 

mais d’un conort soy iauzens. But of one solace I have joy 

qen ven deves l’autre latz. that comes to me from another place 

e mostra.m c’umilitatz and shows me that humility 

a tan de poder has so much strength 

que bes m’en pot eschazer. 3.10 that good can come to me from it. 

Ben parec nessietatz Indeed it seemed folly 

e sobre autieus uolers. and beyond lofty desire 

cant solament us vers that only one truth 

m’as descubut tant viatz. has deceived me so quickly. 

q’escondudamens 4.5 For secretly 

me venc al cor us talens. one desire came into my heart, 

tals qe suy enamoratz. so that I am in love. 

mais pueis m’es tan fort doblatz But since it is so strongly doubled in me, 

qe mati e ser. that morning and night 

me fay doblamen doler. 4.10 it makes me doubly sad. 

318

De res no.m sen malmenatz. I do not feel that I behaved at all badly 

vas vos mas car mos sabers. towards you, but since my knowledge 

me sofranh a dir plazers. prevents me from uttering pleasantries, 

e car son desmezuratz. and since I am immoderate 

d’amar lialmens. 5.5 in loving loyally, 

cre que falh mos essiens. I believe that my knowledge has failed me. 

pero si.m fos dretz iutgatz. But if I were judged properly, 

ja non degr’esser blasmatz. I would never be blamed. 

c’aital non chaler. For such not-caring, 

devriatz en grat retener. 5.10 you would have to retain in thanks. 

Mas er si chantar no.m platz. But now indeed to sing does not please me, 

si m’en volgues estener. if you would want me to abstain from it. 

pero laisar a non chaler. But to leave from not-caring 

m’en fora joy e solatz. would be joy and solace to me. 

heuy mays pus n’es mens. 6.5 Now since she is lacking, 

l’emperayritz avinens. the charming empress, 

es puiatz en lauzors grans. is raised in great praise. 

e s’il cor no.m fos forssatz. And if her heart had not forced me, 

yeu feyra parer. I would indicate 

com fols se vol dechazer. 6.10 how the fool wants her destroyed. 

Ai dossa res avinens. Ah, sweet charming thing, 

prenda vos humilitatz. humility becomes you. 

pus nulh autre joy no.m platz. Since no other joy pleases me 

ni d’autra voler. nor desire for another, 

non ay enienh ni saber. T1.5 I have neither ingenuity or wisdom. 

Que tans sospirs n’ay gitatz. I have thrown out so many sighs 

qe mati e ser. that morning and night 

me fais doblamen doler. T2.3 makes me doubly sad. 

319

1. 155, 10. “Greu fera. 

Appendix D. Songs in Manuscript W 

320

En la vostre maintenence Into your protection 

m’ai mis amors franchement. I have freely put myself, Love, 

qu’eu fusse mors verament. for I would truly die 

se non fust ma connoissence. if it weren’t for my understanding. 

dont non eu en me pervence. Thus I do not accomplish it in myself, 

don muit quan pluz sui plaignens. so that I am silent when I am complaining more. 

dont mire me tan suvent. Thus I remember so often 

que ma cancon en pervence. that my song in appearance 

n’auric matz de valence. would have more value. 

321

2. 155, 21. “Sitot me sui” 

1. . . . 

2. . . . 

3. . . . a grant bonavinture 

4. me d. . . er. quan me sui conaguz. 

5. des grans engins quamors vers me faisie. 

6. toz biaus semblanz ma tenguz en faidie. 

7. maiz de li est a lei del mal deutor. 

8. qu’ades pramet. et gius non pagarie. 

9. A bel semblant ou false amor saduis. 

10. vers li se trai fals amans. et sa cure. 

11. con papillons a tan folle nature. 

12. quel foc se . . . 

13. . . . men part. . . . 

14. . . . az . . . estar . . . 

15. . . . age sufridor. 

16. . . . 

322

17. . . . retenguz. 

18. de . . . drai maiz cure. 

19. . . . val miaz de . . . 

20. . . . venguz. 

21. nos a . . . conoissie. 

22. si amz vos . . . a volgrie. 

23. tot altrest . . . 

24. qui dit que or fu quan. . . 

25. . . . oinz que toz sui irascus. 

26. . . .n chantant ma rancure. 

27. et . . . que non semble mesure. 

28. mes . . . ie qua son oez sui perduz. 

29. car sou. . . fra un mi vol menar un die. 

30. anz ma . . . fer far mon poder tota vie. 

31. er semble lou cheval de grant valor. 

32. qui behorde de trop souvent et faustrie. 

323

3. 155, 22. “Tan m’abellis” 

Molt m’abelist l’amoros pensament. 

qui s’est venuz en mon fin cor ausire. 

per q’eu non pos nul altre pens aber. 

ne ia nus tant non mi 

. . . . 

q 

los . . . u tener. fai. . . 

que per . . . ingalment. et sil vos plaz q 

daltre par mi vue. ostas de vos la beltat. 

et geut [illegible]. et dolz parlar qui mafolist 

mon sen. pos partirai de vos mon escien. 

324

4. 155, 23. “Tan mou” 

325

Tan mot de corteise raison. It begins with such a courtly theme 

mos chantars que non pot faillir. my song that it cannot fail. 

si meu degreit bens avenir. So I must succeed better 

que mais non faz et sabes con. than I have ever done and do you know why? 

car l’empereris m’a semon. 1.5 Because the empress commands me. 

et plas gien fors q . . . chis. And it would please me strongly . . . 

si men sufris. if she would allow it. 

car ele est . . . Since she is . . . 

denseignement. of good manners, 

non se chai qu. . . ment. 1.10 it would not be proper that . . . 

sie mos trobas falz ni le. . . if my composition false or . . . 

deit doublar mos engens. my ingenuity must double. 

Et son parla de ma chancon. And if I spoke in my song 

. . . qui dex deigne air. . . . whom God must hate 

em si les vue . . . maudir. And me if them . . . curse 

que ia dex ne les lor pard. . . that God never pardon them. . . 

dient que veir non fon. 2.5 They said what was never true 

et cele a . . . m’obeis. and she . . . I obey 

m’ai relenquis. has released me. 

et dien c . . . assis. and they say . . . 

mon pensament. my attentions 

ben muir . . . gran failliment. 2.10 Indeed I die. . . great error 

quant per ce qu. . . nalment. When for that which . . . 

per que dient que faz ne . . . because they say what . . . 

Amerai donc a larron. I will love her thus in secret 

oil car non . . . pos partir. yes, since I cannot leave. . . 

car dedens mon cor la desir. since in there my heart desires her 

. . . sab se ben faz vueille u non. . . . I know it goes well, like it or not. 

qu’en cor tie. . . mon cor en prison. 3.5 For my body holds my heart in prison 

quele a si destramer et conquis. and has so destroyed and conquered 

si que m’est vis. so that it seemed to me 

qu’aie poder que m’en partis. that it had strength when it left me 

en mon vivent. in my living. 

per hoc siu ason c’assiment. 3.10 for this if I to her 

q’umilitas et sufrir vent. that humility and suffering come 

ta ou___ val force ne gent. so much . . .values force or nobility. 

326

Mais per ice que m’abandon. But for this I do not give up, 

quete si ___ en auzir. for so . . . hear, 

ne mossongers non pot cubrir. that a lie cannot hide itself 

quit non muire aquel que saison. that it does not die after a time. 

per ico faz bon al que non. 4.5 For this reason I do good rather than not, 

quenque sa bouche devis. so that the mouth reveals 

eu en sui fis. how I am faithful. 

si con sui souges et aclis. to her to whom I am submitted 

de bon talent. from good desire. 

de li amar ont pus conten. 4.10 In order to love her, they have taken up the fight 

mos fins corages er mon sen. my true courage and my sense, 

chascun cuide amar plus forment. for each intends to love more strongly. 

327

Vita 

Nancy Washer was born in New York City on May 16, 1960 and grew up in Rye, New 

York. She has had a long and strange academic career leading up to her dissertation in music. 

She showed no exceptional musical abilities before she started to learn the violin in fourth grade. 

She quickly progressed, however, and in high school participated in the New York All-State 

Orchestra her junior and senior years and in the All-Eastern Orchestra her junior year. She 

participated in Tri-M Musical Honor Society and won the Mother’s Guild of Rye High School 

Music Scholarship in 1978. 

Despite these achievements in music, she went on to study agronomy at Cornell 

University. She continued to play the violin in the Cornell University Symphony Orchestra but 

also played rugby. She was a member of the Cornell University Soil Judging Team that won the 

national title in 1982. She continued her studies in soil science at the University of Florida, 

completing a master’s thesis in 1986 on a group of soils in the panhandle of Florida (she knows 

of several excellent places to dispose of bodies). She later worked at the San Luis Historical and 

Archeological Site in Tallahassee, Florida. 

In 1988 she moved to Baton Rouge to be with her husband, Whitney Autin; there she had 

a premature mid-life crisis and returned to the music of her youth. She combined her interests in 

archeology, music, and research in two ways. First, she became interested in historical 

performance practice and took up the viola da gamba. Second, she became a medievalist. She 

now lives in Brockport, New York, where she integrates her previous life experiences by 

teaching Humanities in the Delta College program at SUNY, College at Brockport. She will 

receive the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the December 2002 Commencement. 

328

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