The 'Sweet Breath' of Zephyr 23 



II est biaus, et je sui gente. 

 Sire Dex, por quel fe'i's? 

 Quant Tuns a I'autre atalente, 

 Por coi nos as departis? 

 Dex, etc. 



De ce sui en bone atente 

 Que je son homage pris, 

 • Et quant la douce ore vente 

 Qui vient de eel douz pais 

 Ou cil est qui m'atalente, 

 Volentiers i tor mon vis : 

 Adont m'est vis qui jel sente 

 Par desoz mon mantel gris. 

 Dex, etc. 



De ce sui mout deceiie 

 Que ne fui au convoier; 

 Sa chemise qu'ot vestue 

 M'envoia por embracier : 

 La nuit, quant s'amor m'argue, 

 La met delez moi couchier 

 Mont estroit a ma char nue 

 Por mes malz assoagier. 

 Dex, etc. 



Which may be thus translated'* : 



I will sing for my heart, which I wish to console, for, in spite of 

 my great misery, I desire not to perish nor go mad ; and yet I see no 

 one return from the savage country where he abides who solaces my 

 heart when I hear him spoken of. 



Lord God, when they cry Outree," succor the pilgrim for whom 

 I am in terror, for cruel are the Saracens. 



1 will endure in this estate until I see him return. He is now on 

 pilgrimage ; God grant that he may come back from it ! Noble 

 though my lineage be, I seek no occasion to wed another — mad is he 

 whom I hear suggest it! 



O Lord God, etc. 



What makes me sorrowful is that he is not in the Beauvaisis* who 

 so often causes me torment; of him I have neither joy nor laughter. 



■* There is a translation into modern French in Crapelet, pp. xix-xx, 

 from a text published on pp. xvii-xix. 



°The marching-shout of the pilgrims. Cf. Romania 9. 44; Bedier, pp. 

 xiv-xv. 



* The territory of Beauvais. 



