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May is the month of the Virgin Mary. Below a chanson dedicated to Mary by Peire Cardenal & Raimon de Miraval (XIII century). The text is taken from the leaflet of the record “Mare Nostrum - Chant grégorien, troubadours et motets en Languedoc-Roussillon”, Editions Jade, by Ensemble Discantus / Brigitte Lesne. The full text with some comments (it appears that the Ensemble Discantus recording skipped a few stanzas) is available on a website dedicated to the author.
Cover of the CD
(details from the portal of the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Maguelone)
Copyright © by Editions Jade
Vera vergena Maria, vera vida, vera fes
Vera vertatz, vera via, vera vertutz, vera res,
Vera maire, ver'amia, ver'amors, vera merces;
Per ta vera merce sia, qu'eret en me tos heres.
De patz, si't plai, dona,
Traita qu'ap to Filh me sia faita.
Tu restauriest la follia don Adams fon sobrepres;
Tu yest estela que guia los passans d'aquest paes,
E tu yest l'alba del dia don lo tieus Filhs solelhs es
Que'l calfa e clarifia, verais, de dreitura ples.
De patz, si't plai, dona,
Traita qu'ap to Filh me sia faita.
Tu fust nada de Suria, gentils e paura d'arnes,
Humils e pura e pia en fatz, en ditz et en pes;
Faita per tal maïstria: ses totz mals, mas ab totz bes.
Tan fust de doussa paria, per que Dieus en tu se mes.
De patz, si't plai, dona,
Traita qu'ap to Filh me sia faita.
David, en la prophetia dis, en un salme que fes,
Qu'al destre de Dieu sezia, del rey en la ley promes,
Una reyna qu'avia vestirs de var e d'aurfres:
Tu yest elha, ses falhia, non o pot vedar plaides.
De patz, si't plai, dona,
Traita qu'ap to Filh me sia faita.
Quar latz de Dieu estas,
Traita que'm sia patz de Luy faita.
True virgin Mary, true life and true faith,
True truth, true way, true virtue, true reality,
True mother, true friend, true love, true mercy:
In the name of your true mercy, I your true heir inherit.
Beseech your Son, Lady, if it so please you,
That there may be peace between me and Him.
You have healed the madness that struck Adam;
You are the star that guides travellers in this land,
You are the dawn of day whose sun is you Son.
Warming and illuminating, He who is righteousness and truth.
Beseech your Son, Lady, if it so please you,
That there may be peace between me and Him.
You were born in Syria, noble but impoverished,
Humble, pure and holy in your deeds, words and thoughts,
Made for such perfection, free of all evil, yet blessed with all gifts.
You were such sweet company that God descended to you.
Beseech your Son, Lady, if it so please you,
That there may be peace between me and Him.
David, in his prophecy, says, in a psalm he wrote,
That at God's right hand, there was a king promised in the scriptures,
A queen, seated, adorned with vair and orphrey:
That queen was you without a doubt,
no man of law could deny it.
Beseech your son, Lady, if it so please you,
That there may be peace between me and Him.
Since you are at God's side,
Beseech Him that I may be at peace with Him.