Notes and text on the facsimile are wonderfully readable! I have, however, no experience in reading early French... but it's a pleasure for me to reproduce now a reliable version of the text sent by Olga (she's kept the original writing, which looks sometimes strange even to a modern French reader - notice the absence of accents, for instance) Native English speakers will forgive my attempt of a translation which, at least, will give them the rough meaning of these words: |
Se je demeure despourveue Et de douleur tant abatue C'est ma dolente destinee Qui ma a ceste loy menee Qua jamais suis de tous biens nue Car sur ma foy de dueil me tue Quant ie pense que fus tenue La plus eureuse qui fust nee Et je me voy si fortunee Que ceste grace jay perdue Se je demeure [...] |
Destitute I remain And so worn out with pain Such is my mournful fate To hear a law I hate: No good will ever gain I feel with grief dying Hopeful in my morning Now sad in that evening Full of despair I am Of thou, sweet grace, lost gem. Destitute I remain [...] |