Epistolæ

• Sordello

• Beatrice of Savoy

"Sir Sordello, what do you think
about the good, highly thought of Countess?
For everyone's talking, gossiping
about how you came here just for her love,
and you're planning to be her man instead
of Sir Blacatz, who's all gray because of her."

"Peter William, God put all his care
into fashioning her for my loss,
and the beauties that other women have
are nil, and their worth minute.
Blacatz and I would sooner be hanged
than to let one of them join our crowd."

"Sir Sordello, I never saw here
any operator with quite the coloration
that you have; for all other wooers
want to lie down and kiss,
but everything that other lovers want
you treat as not worth a damn."

"From her I want company and honor,
Peter William, and if she throws in
a little bit of the savor of love --
out of mercy, not from necessity --
he who wants it can have sheer wealth,
provided I can have her pleasure instead."

"Sir Sordello, you seem more in control
than any lover who ever lived;
and if the Count lies back assured,
he'll be very sorry for it later;
because you'd dare to scandalize a man --
if anyone dares to bring this up to you."

"Peter William, you're deranged,
in the style of a man who doesn't value his fun;
but my Count is such a brainy guy
that he won't sleep less because of this;
because a man should never see or hear
a thing that he can't conceal or cover up."

"Sordello, he truly knows how to fence
who can ward away your swipe."


"Peter William, I know how to suffer
the evils of love -- and to enjoy its good."

"En Sordell, e qe'us es semblan
de la pro comtessa prezan?
Qe tuit van dizen e gaban
qe per s'amor sai iest vengutz,
e cujatz ans esser sos drutz
q'en Blacatz, q'es per leis canutz."

"Peire Gilhem, per far mon dan,
mes Dieus en leis tot son afan
e las beutatz qe autras an
son nientz, e'l pretz es menutz:
ieu e Blacatz fossem pendutz
anz qe nuls i fos avengutz."

"En Sordell, anc entendedor
no sai vi mais d'aital color
com vos iest; qe'lh autr'amador
volon lo baizar e'l jacer,
e vos metes a no caler
so q'autre drut volon aver."

"De leis vueilh solaz et honor,
Peire Gilhem, e si d'amor
i mesclava un pauc de sabor,
per merce e non per dever,
qi's volges ages tot l'aver,
sol q'ieu n'ages aqel plazer."

"En Sordell, plus amesuratz
vois faitz d'amador q'anc fos natz;
e s'el coms es aseguratz,
el s'en poiria ben pentir;
qar autre n'auzetz escarnir,
Sordel, s'om vos o auzes dir."

"Peire Gilhem, vos derrengatz
a lei d'ome cui jois non platz;
mas lo coms es tan enseinhaz
que d'aisso no'l qal mens dormir;
q'om deu so celar e cobrir
qe no's tainh vezer ni aucir."

"Sordel, fort sap pro d'escremir
qi's pot de vostre colp gandir."

"Peire Gilhem, ben sai sufrir
lo mal d'amor, e'l ben jauzir."

The identification with Beatrice is not absolute, but the fact that Sordello is coming to serve the lady Blacatz has long served, makes the countess of Provence a likely candidate. Sordello spent about fifteen years from 1230 to 1245 at Raymond Berengar's court (Wilhelm, xviii) and probably wrote his lament for Blacatz there, on which Dante modeled the litany of princes in Purgatory 7. After Raymond Berengar's death, Sordello was retained by his successor, Charles of Anjou, Beatrice's son-in-law.

Paris, Bibl. Nationale, French 12474

The Poetry of Sordello, ed. and transl. James J. Wilhelm (New York: Garland, 1987), 56-59.