trobaire.org

a collection of literature from poets, bards, songwriters, and skalds in the SCA

Now am I in a stronge land, waiward sent

olivier's picture
olivier
Poem (Canso): 

Now am I in a stronge land, waiward sent,
I haue naught but my cote and loue.
The stars aboue bring only sad lament:
Stil homeward on the roade I moue.

How I recal the spring, when with the dawn
Well had we of pleasure our fille.
Now am I cast despairing on a lawn,
Had I your eye, for naught I wille.

Fondly do I think on your gentle kisse,
Which I hope to giue you in kinde.
I pray you euer think of me with blisse
And visit me in dreaming minde.

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 

This is a a Middle English (well, to be honest it kind of spans Middle English to Early Modern English) translation of my Occitan poem Me trob lonh en un regne estranh. I wrote this ME version for a book I printed and bound for Atlantian Twelfth Night AS XL; while I was more interested in the Occitan songs, I knew the book's reader base would not be - so I wanted to provide facing translations for those who might otherwise feel lost (or at least more lost than if they just read these ME poems). I did not base this on any particular lyric, but rather wanted to imitate the general style of the 14-15th c. anonymous ME lyric repertoire.