Franchois sunt nobles, preus, vaylans
ballade by Egidius de Francia
Sources
Modena: Biblioteca Estense e Universitaria a.M.5.24 (Latino 568; olim IV.D.5), fol. 12 (3/1).
Editions
1. French Secular Compositions of the Fourteenth Century, music edited by Willi Apel, texts edited by Samuel N. Rosenberg, Rome: American Institute of Musicology, 1970. Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae 53/I, p. 43.
2. French Secular Music.
Ballades and Canons, edited by Gordon K. Greene, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1982. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century XX, p. 41.
Literature
1. HOPPIN, Richard H. and Suzanne CLERCX. 'Notes biographiques sur quelques musiciens français du XIVe siècle', Les Colloques de Wègimont II, 1955, Paris: Sociètè d'Edition "Les belles lettres", 1959, p. 84.
2. The Motets
of the Manuscripts Chantilly, Musèe Condè, 564 (olim 1047) and Modena, Biblioteca Estense, a M. 5,24 (olim lat. 568), edited by Ursula Günther, [n.p.]: American Institute of Musicology, 1965. Corpus Mensurabilis Musicae 39, p. xlix.
Recordings
Two Gentlemen of Verona, Ensemble of the Fourteenth Century, directed by John Griffiths and John Stinson (1987): Move MC 3091.
Text
Franchois sunt nobles, preus, vaylans,
courtois, loyaus, fermes, doulz et honestes,
con bien que cheux, lax et lians,
voit on atenps, comme des nobles bestes,
muer leurs condicions
et oblier les observacions
des noblesses de
leur progeniee:
le tenps apert que c'est chose esprouvee
en leur pays et autres nacions.
Franche fu de toutes grevans,
costumes, loys, exactions, molestes,
et les segneurs, de franchise luisans,
precedens tous en pris, honeur et
festes,
et en conversations,
humbles, prudens, en batailles lyons;
or est griement sour tout ce alteree:
le tenps apert que c'est chose esprouvee
en leur pays et autres nations
Translation
The French are noble, worthy, valiant,
courtly, loyal, dependable, gentlemanly and honest,
although one does see some, cowardly and clinging together,
at this time, like noble beasts,
acting out of character
and
forgetting to observe
the noble ways of their race:
the time has come when this is a proven fact
in their country and in other lands.
Free was it of all harms,
taxes, laws, duties, damages,
and the lords, glowing with the generosity
of their nature,
preceding everyone in worth, honour and celebrations;
humble and prudent
in the company they kept; in battle, lions.
Now, this above all has been fundamentally changed:
the time has come when this is a proven fact
in
their country and in other lands.Text revision and translation © Robyn Smith