The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #137417   Message #3146292
Posted By: Monique
02-May-11 - 05:40 AM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: C'est en Mai (In May)
Warning: first, I never studied Old French (only Old Occitan, I'm sorry!) so this is from a native French speaker with an Old French dictionary; second: this is very literal, I never was a poet; third: my English is... what it is, I never was a native English speaker either. Any help welcome!

Now, just so you have a general idea of what it means, those are the verses that Jim didn't give...

I took her, embraced her
At once
Embraced her and kissed her
Without waiting.
I wanted to make the game of love to her
Without delay
"Sir, what do you want to do?"
Said the maiden
"You'd rather have given (?) me
Either dress or skirt
And then would (???) yours"

She had very green eyes
Like a hawk
And also had a beautiful mouth
And beautiful face/look (?)
She had cheerful/laughing eyes
A regular/nicely made nose,
Her little face (was) rosy
Like a blooming rosebush.
No blazing coal
Is as much in love
As I am with the one
In whom I've set my love upon,
I love her more than (I do) all my friends.

Sure that when I look at her
According to me/my opinion is (lit. it seems to me)
Her body and her face
Seem (to me) very well built
She looks like all those
In paradise (= she looks like an angel)
And I know her as such
In her actions and talks
She always makes me tremble
And sigh
And tremble/shiver so wrongly/in such a wrong way/torture(?)
My heart is fighting with Death/to death?

Ditty, you will go
To my country
And you will speak to the one
Who betrayed me,
Whom I love loyally
And with good heart,
Tell her that I love her more
Than brother or sister
And she doesn't love me
Nor does she have pity on me
And if she wanted to love me
I would be very happy
My sorrow/pain would be alleviated.