La Trobe University - Library: Medieval Music Database - Annual cycle of feasts of liturgical chant, liturgical polyphony and secular music of the late middle ages.

Je chante ung chant en merencoliant

rondeau by Matheus de Sancto Johanne

Sources

Chantilly: Bibliothèque du Musèe Condè 564, fol. 16 (3/1).

Facsimiles

GENNRICH, Friedrich. Abriss der Mensuralnotation des XIV und der ersten Hälfte des XV Jahrhunderts, Nieder-Modau: 1948. Musikwissenschaftliche Studienbibliothek 3-4, p. 41.

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. 140.
2. French Secular Music. Manuscript Chantilly, Musèe Condè 564, First Part, edited by Gordon K. Greene, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1981. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century XVIII, p. 22.

Text

Je chante ung chant en merencoliant,
a cort de plour en ris desacordé.
Ma dame quant de s'amor vois priant,
je [chante ung chant en merencoliant].

Doucour n'i truis je, ne nuil beau semblant,
s'en sui mort quant ne m'en voy acorder.
Je chante [ung chant en merencolaint,
a cort de plour en ris desacordé].TranslationI sing a song, growing sad,
my smiles out of tune, close to tears.
When I go begging my lady for her love,
I [sing a song, growing sad].

I find no sweetness there, nor do I find any fine appearance.
I die if I am not reconciled.
I sing [a song, growing sad,
my smiles out of tune, close to tears].
Text revision and translation © Robyn Smith