blog post #9

You’ve asked, my lords, for song:

I sing for my reply

Yet never sing for long—

I’ve lost the heart to try.

How should a troubadour

Sing when his luck’s run dry?

Has love, then, gone awry?

No; better than before.

Then why feel so heartsore?

Stanza 1:

Addressing “my lords” indicates that there is someone who asked him to sing for. By saying that “Yet never sing for long” indicates that he does not like to sing he sings because it is his job and he is asked for. Also “I’ve lost the heart to try” tells that he no longer has love in it. His wiliness to sing has been discouraged and that “his luck’s run dry”. Even though his love is lost, he indicates that it is “better than before” and that he thinks love is somewhere else, not completely disappeared. However, he still feels lonely.

With gifts beyond compare

The Lord has honored me;

I love a lady, fair,

Who loves me faithfully.

Yet while I languish here

I can’t so much as tell

If she fares ill or well

Which fills my thoughts with care

Since I dare not go there.

Stanza 2:

The “gifts” that he got from the Lord is a love of a woman. He does love a lady but by saying that “I languish here” indicates that he has pain with the love. We know that he has lost interest in singing, which annotates that he is being forced to sing a song. “if she fares ill or well/ Which fills my thoughts with care/ Since I dare not go there” illustrates that the woman that he is love is beinEveng locked away from him and that it is hard for him to reach her. He knows that he is going to make the situation worse if he tries to get the woman back and therefore, he feels powerless.

Through her, such joys I find

That if men shout or call

While she invests my mind,

I’d never hear at all.

So subtly does she snare

The heart out of my breast

That men swear and attest

That they all see me here

Though my best part’s still there.

Stanza 3:

“Through her, such joys I find” illustrates that the woman is still the one who makes him the better person and that he is still missing her. Joys can be identified as both emotionally and sexually. “While she invests my mind,/ I’d never hear at all.” Shows that when he is sharing love with the woman he does not care what the people around him thinks about their relationship. He does not mind what their reputation turns out to be. Even people swear and attest he annotates that “Though my best part’s still there” that he is greatly and deeply in love with the woman. Nothing can resist him from loving her.

Oh Love, what shall I do?

Shall we two live in strife?

The griefs that must ensue

Would surely end my life.

Unless my Lady might

Receive me in that place

She lies in, to embrace

And press against me, tight,

Her body, smooth and white.

Stanza 4:

Love that is capitalized points to the woman that he is in love with and saying “Shall we two live in strife” illustrates the sharing of the strife to resolve the problem. Although strife and saying we two separates them apart, “end my life” shows that he is greatly in love with her. He feels that his love is more important than of his life. “Receive me in that place” annotates that he is willing to sneak in to make love with her. Shows willingness to do anything to feel her again. “press against me, tight/ her body, smooth and white” he is indicating what he could feel as they reunite.

I’ll not renounce my love

For troubles or love’s pains.

When God who reigns above

Gave much, I took my gains;

Now when his gifts abate,

I’ll suffer that as much,

Seeing the times are such

Those far apart must wait

To overcome their fate.

Stanza 5:

He shows his strong opinion how he is not going to give up on his love towards the woman no matter what kind of situation he is going to fall into. He knows that “love’s pains” many troubles will follow. But he believes that when “God” reigns, no matter what pain follows by loving, he feels it is gain for him. “Now when his gifts abate,/ I’ll suffer that as much” illustrates that his love is being lost and he is suffering from it. However, “Those far apart must wait/ To overcome their fate” indicates that at this point they are separated a part, but he is still waiting until they come together again.

Good Lady, thank you for

Your love so true and fine;

I swear I love you more

Than all past loves of mine.

I bow and join my hands

Yielding myself to you;

The one thing you might do

Is give me one sweet glance

If sometime you’ve the chance.

Stanza 6:

He is illustrating his amount of love towards the woman. He sounds like praise towards the God but that is how much he is into love. “I swear I love you more/ Than all past loves of mine” illustrates that he has experience of other loves that he feels the love towards her isn’t because it is his first time. He illustrates that he knows what love is and from that understanding he feels the love towards woman is the most. “give me one sweet glance/ Is give me one sweet glance” illustrates that the woman that he is in love is with other man rather than the writer and that is why he is asking for the just “one” glance that will make him happy. And this illustrates the pains he have mentioned that he will go through.

May God give heart and mind

To Escudor and me

Wandering endlessly.

Stanza 7:

He is searching for the help from the God to get his love back. He illustrates the “wandering endlessly” so that he could be guided thoroughly until achievement.

He’ll bring what he can find

To keep him company;

My Magnet goes with me.
Stanza 8:

He is referring to himself as the “Magnet” and “Escudor”. It sounds like he is the one who must go through the pain and he holds the answer for himself. And that whatever “He” reffering to the God that he asked for help brings, he is the one who decides and that his “Magnet goes with me” tells that he is the one to lead his love.