Secular song (French song)

of the Ars Nova (14th century)

• Continuing the tradition of the Trouvères (who continued
the tradition of the Troubadors), with songs about courtly
love

• Formes Fixes (poetic and musical forms) include virelai,

rondeau (usually love songs), and ballade (usually more
serious)

• There wer monophonic and polyphonic song settings.

Polyphonic ones are called chansons.
Douce dame jolie (“Sweet Lovely Lady”) by Guillaume de Machaut
Genre: Monophonic Virelai (example of a forme fixes) Date: middle 14th century
DUPLE METER!
 Douce dame jolie,
Pour dieu ne penses mie
A
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.
Qu'adès sans tricherie
b Chierie
Vous ay et humblement
Tous les jours de ma vie
b Servie
Sans villain pensement.
Helas! et je mendie
a D'esperance et d'aïe;
Dont ma joie est fenie,
Se pité ne vous en prent.
A
Douce dame jolie.
Pour dieu ne pensés mie
Que nulle ait signorie
Seur moy fors vous seulement.
Sweet and pretty lady,
For God’s sake do not think That
anyone has power
Over me except you alone.
For always without trickery
My dear
I have humbly
All the days of my life
Served you
Without any base thought.
Alas! I am without
Hope and help;
So my joy is ended
Unless pity seizes you.
Sweet and pretty lady,
For God’s sake do not think That
anyone has power
Over me except you alone.
 Douce dame jolie, Sweet and pretty lady,
Pour dieu ne penses mie For God’s sake do not think That
A
Que nulle ait signorie anyone has power
Seur moy fors vous seulement. Over me except you alone. MUSICAL RHYMES GO
WITH THE POETRY!
Qu'adès sans tricherie For always without trickery
Chierie My dear ”-ie” =
b
Vous ay et humblement I have humbly
(OPEN)
“-ment” =
Tous les jours de ma vie All the days of my life
b Servie Served you
Sans villain pensement. Without any base thought.
(CLOSED) Syllabic except for these
rhymes!
Helas! et je mendie Alas! I am without
a D'esperance et d'aïe; Hope and help;
Dont ma joie est fenie, So my joy is ended
Se pité ne vous en prent. Unless pity seizes you.
A
Douce dame jolie. Sweet and pretty lady,
Pour dieu ne pensés mie For God’s sake do not think That
Que nulle ait signorie anyone has power
Seur moy fors vous seulement. Over me except you alone.
 .

Mais vo douce maistrie But your sweet rule

b
Maistrie Rules
Mon cuer si durement My heart so harshly

Qu'elle le contralie hat it fights with [my heart]

b Et lie And binds
En amour tellement It so in love

Qu'il n'a de riens envie That [my heart] desires nothing

a Fors d'estre en vo baillie; Other than being under your power;
Et se ne li ottrie And yet your heart gives it
Vos cuers nul aligement. No relief.

Douce dame jolie, Sweet and pretty lady,

A Pour dieu ne pensés mie For God’s sake do not think
Que nulle ait signorie That anyone has power
Seur moy fors vous seulement. Over me except you alone.
 .

Et quant ma maladie And since my illness

b
Garie Will be
Ne sera nullement Cured in no way

Sans vous, douce anemie, Without you, sweet enemy,

b Qui lie Who are happy
Estes de mon tourment, At my troubles,

A jointes mains deprie With joined hands I beg

a Vo cuer, puis qu'il m'oublie, Your heart, since it forgets me,
Que temprement m'ocie, To kill me quickly,
Car trop langui longuement. For I have languished too long.

Douce dame jolie, Sweet and pretty lady,

A Pour dieu ne pensés mie For God’s sake do not think
Que nulle ait signorie That anyone has power
Seur moy fors vous seulement. Over me except you alone.
Douce dame jolie (“Sweet Lovely Lady”) by Guillaume de Machaut
Genre: Monophonic Virelai (example of a forme fixes) Date: middle 14th century

(OPEN) (CLOSED)
Machaut’s chansons (polyphonic songs)

• Often treble-dominated — a new upper voice called the cantus or treble

has the words and moves quickly, and the tenor moves slowly
• Usually three voices — tenor, cantus/treble, triplum (complements the
cantus). Sometimes four voices (contratenor complements the tenor)
• Machaut likes to interrupt fast-moving passages with sustained sonorities
(chords)
• Machaut likes syncopation, stepwise melodies, and melismas (especially at
the beginning of lines)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EWwQTJAK7c

Rose Liz (not Liz Rose. That’s Taylor Swift’s

songwriter)
by: Guillaume de Machaut
date: mid-14th century
Genre: Polyphonic rondeau (chanson)
A 1 Rose, liz, printemps, verdure. (a)
2 Fleur, baume et tres douce odour. (b)
B 3 Belle, passes en doucour. (b)
A 4 Et tous les biens de Nature (a)
5 Avez, dont je vous aour. (b)
A 6 Rose, liz, printemps, verdure. (a)
7 Fleur, baume et tres douce odour; (b)
A 8 Et quant toute creature (a)
9 Seurmonte vostre valour. (b)
b 10 Bien puis dire et par honnour: (b)
A 11 Rose, liz, printemps, verdure. (a)
12 Fleur, baume et tres douce odour. (b)
B 13 Belle, passes en doucour. (b)
Rose, lily, spring, greenery.
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
Beauty, you surpass them in sweetness.
And all the gifts of nature
You have, for which I adore you.
Rose, lily, spring, greenery.
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
And since all creatures
You surpass in worth
I must say in all honor:
Rose, lily, spring, greenery.
Flower, balm and sweetest perfume
Beauty, you surpass them in sweetness.
Big melisma at the beginning of the line
Recurring rhythmic motives, with syncopation Fast-moving line brought to a halt

Melisma continues