You’ve Asked, My Lords, for Song

You’ve Asked, My Lords, for Song by Bernart de Ventadorn

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?

In the first stanza, Bernart’s purpose for this poem is shown. He is writing this poem because his lord, Viscount of Ventadorn, asked for a poem. Bernart is writing the poem even though he is not passionate about it as we can see when he says “Yet never sing for long- / I’ve lost the heart to try.” From this first stanza, we can imagine the life of a troubadour who lives under the control and help from the lord. When he says his luck’s run dry, he is referring to the fact that his love is not lucky enough to be blessed by others or even be recognized. However, when he asks whether the love has gone (awry), he says no. Despite the heartsore or pain it gives, he is expressing his persistent love for his beloved.

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.

            Here, Bernart is praising God (the Lord) for giving him a chance to love the lady who also loves him faithfully. However, he languishes because he cannot figure out how the lady is doing whether she is ill or well. His mind is filled with these thoughts about her, but he dare not to go near her because she is the wife of the lord and their love is not to be known.

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.

            Bernart expresses the joy from her and how she snare the heart out of his mind. The word “snare” illustrates an image or a trap. He is feeling as if he is trapped by this dangerous love and cannot get away with it. The last three lines show how Bernart feels. Even when his physical body is “here” his best part is not here. The “best part” represent his heart that the lady took out of him. “there” represent the place hear her since his heart is taken by her and stays with 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.

            Here he is expressing his grief and desire for her. He wants to be with her physically. He is probably imagining this scene since they would have never been in this situation. He said earlier that he “dares not go there.”

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.

            From this stanza, we can see his faith for God and how he accepts whatever comes to his life. Even though this love is difficult and painful, he will still keep it because this is what God has given to him.

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.

            Bernart is expressing gratitude for the lady’s love toward him. Although readers cannot see how she expressed her love for Bernart, he is sure that she loves him, and he expresses his huge love for her. Last five lines from this stanza shows the typical characteristics of courtly love. He is yielding himself to the lady who is higher in position/status. He bows, expressing his respect for the lady. With the lady’s one sweet glance, He will be satisfied. What a small wish from his lover. He even adds “if sometime you’ve the chance,” showing his carefulness and passiveness in this relationship.

May God give heart and mind

To Escudor and me

Wandering endlessly.

               

When he asks for heart and mind from God, he is maybe asking for the rationality so that they can see they are in a wrong relationship and that they can stop the love. Wondering endlessly depicts the image of him and the lady in an unsettling or uncomfortable situation.

He’ll bring what he can find

To keep him company;

My Magnet goes with me.