Douce Dame Jolie - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

"Douce Dame Jolie", sometimes referred to only as 'Douce Dame', is a song from the 14th century, by the French composer Guillaume de Machaut

Guillaume de Machaut

Guillaume de Machaut was a Medieval French poet and composer. He is one of the earliest composers on whom significant biographical information is available....

. The song is a virelai

Virelai

A virelai is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is one of the three formes fixes and was one of the most common verse forms set to music in Europe from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.A virelai is similar to a rondeau...

, belonging to the style ars nova

Ars nova

Ars nova refers to a musical style which flourished in France and the Burgundian Low Countries in the Late Middle Ages: more particularly, in the period between the preparation of the Roman de Fauvel and the death of the composer Guillaume de Machaut in 1377...

, and is one of the most often heard medieval tunes today. Most modern recordings omits the lyrics, however.

One of the most famous musical pieces of the Middle Ages, 'Douce Dame' has been performed by a plethora of artists, mostly but not always in medieval style. Among others are Annwn

Annwn

Annwn or Annwfn was the Otherworld in Welsh mythology. Ruled by Arawn, or much later by Gwyn ap Nudd, it was essentially a world of delights and eternal youth where disease is absent and food is ever-abundant. It later became Christianised and identified with the land of souls that had departed...

(with lyrics), Ayragon (with lyrics), Theo Bleckmann

Theo Bleckmann

Theo Bleckmann is a vocalist and composer.-Biography:Theo Bleckmann is a jazz singer and new music composer, he was GRAMMY NOMINATED and received the ECHO award in 2010...

(with lyrics), Els Berros de la Cort, Corvus Corax

Corvus Corax (band)

Corvus Corax is a German band known for playing Neo-Medieval music using an abundance of authentic instruments. Their name is the latin name for the Common Raven. The band was formed in 1989 by Castus Rabensang, Wim and Meister Selbfried in East Germany...

, Schelmish

Schelmish

Schelmish are a German Mittelalter rock band from of the city of Bonn. The band originally formed in 1999 for a birthday celebration for band member Des Demonia's mother. The language of their songs varies between German, English, Latin, French and several old languages.-History:The inspiration for...

, Dr Cosgill, Filia Irata, Två fisk och en fläsk (with lyrics), Wisby Vaganter, A La Via! (with lyrics), Lisa Lynne

Lisa Lynne

Lisa Lynne is a Celtic harpist and composer and New Age recording artist residing in Los Angeles, California.Lisa Lynne is a self-proclaimed multi-instrumentalist who has "spent the last eighteen years pursuing her passion for the Celtic harp."...

, John Renbourn Group (with English lyrics), WirrWahr, Wolfenmond, and Angels of Venice

Angels of Venice

Angels Of Venice is a harp, cello, flute and vocal group founded by harpist Carol Tatum in 1993.The group's core sound is harp, flute and cello but also combines Middle Eastern, medieval and neoclassical styles.- Members :...

(soprano Christina Linhardt, harpist Carol Tatum).

Full French lyrics

Douce dame jolie,
Pour dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Qu'adès sans tricherie

Chierie

Vous ay et humblement

Tous les jours de ma vie

Servie

Sans villain pensement.

Helas! et je mendie
D'esperance et d'aïe;
Dont ma joie est fenie,
Se pité ne vous en prent.

Douce dame jolie...

Mais vo douce maistrie

Maistrie

Mon cuer si durement

Qu'elle le contralie

Et lie

En amour tellement

Qu'il n'a de riens envie
Fors d'estre en vo baillie;
Et se ne li ottrie
Vos cuers nul aligement.

Douce dame jolie...

Et quant ma maladie

Garie

Ne sera nullement

Sans vous, douce anemie,

Qui lie

Estes de mon tourment,

A jointes mains deprie
Vo cuer, puis qu'il m'oublie,
Que temprement m'ocie,
Car trop langui longuement.

Douce dame jolie...

From: http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/machaut/v4.html

English translation

Sweet, lovely lady

for god's sake do not think

that any has sovereignty

over my heart, but you alone.

For always, without treachery

Cherished

Have I you, and humbly

All the days of my life

Served

Without base thoughts.

Alas, I am left begging

For hope and relief;

For my joy is at its end

Without your compassion.

Sweet, lovely lady....

But your sweet mastery

Masters

My heart so harshly,

Tormenting it

And binding

In unbearable love,

[My heart] desires nothing

but to be in your power.

And still, your own heart

renders it no relief.

Sweet, lovely lady....

And since my malady

Will not

Be annulled

Without you, Sweet Enemy,

Who takes

Delight of my torment

With clasped hands I beseech

Your heart, that forgets me,

That it mercifully kill me

For too long have I languished.

Modern french translation

Douce dame jolie,

Pour (l’amour de) Dieu, ne pensez pas

Qu’en dehors de vous seule

Une autre règne sur moi

Que toujours sans tricherie

Chérie vous ai humblement

Servie

Tous les jours de ma vie

Sans viles arrière-pensées.

Hélas! Et je mendie

L’espoir d’un réconfort

Et ma joie va s’éteindre

Si vous ne me prenez en pitié

Douce dame jolie

Mais votre douce domination

Domine

Mon cœur si durement

Qu'elle le contrarie

Et le lie

En amour grandement

Qu'il n'a d’autre envie

Que d’être en votre compagnie

Mais votre cœur

Ne me donne aucun signe d’espoir.

Douce dame jolie.

Et ma maladie

Guérie

Jamais ne sera

Sans vous, douce ennemie,

Qui vous régalez de mon tourment.

À mains jointes, je prie

Votre cœur, puisqu'il m'oublie,

Qu’il me tue, par pitié,

Car il a trop langui.

Douce dame jolie,

Full French lyrics

English translation

Modern french translation

See also