Can vei la lauzeta mover

De joi sas alas contral rai,

Que s'oblid' e.s laissa chazer

Per la doussor c'al cor li vai,

Ai! Tan grans enveya m'en ve

De cui qu'eu veya jauzion,

Meravilhas ai, car desse

Lo cor de dezirer no.m fon.

When I see the lark a-moving

For joy his wings against the sunlight,

Who forgets himself and lets himself fall

For the sweetness which goes into his heart;

Ai! what great envy comes unto me for him whom I see so rejoicing!

I marvel that my heart melts not for desiring.

Ai, las! Tan cuidava saber

D'amor, e tan petit en sai,

Car eu d'amar no.m posc tener

Celeis don ja pro non aurai.

Tout m'a mo cor, e tout m'a me,

E se mezeis e tot lo mon;

E can se.m tolc, no.m laisset re

Mas dezirer e cor volon. 

Alas! I thought I knew so much

Of love, and I know so little of it, for I cannot

Hold myself from loving

Her from whom I shall never have anything toward.

She hath all my heart from me, and she hath from me all my wit

And myself and all that is mine.

And when she took it from me she left me naught

Save desiring and a yearning heart. 

Anc non agui de me poder

Ni no fui meus de l'or' en sai

Que.m laisset en sos olhs vezer

En un miralh que mout me plai.

Miralhs, pus me mirei en te,

M'an mort li sospir de preon,

C'aissi.m perdei com perdet se

Lo bels Narcisus en la fon.

I had no power over myself nor have had ever, since it let me see in her eyes a mirror that much pleased me.

O mirror, since I mirrored myself in thee, deep sighs have slain me, for I have lost myself, as Narcissus lost himself in the fount.

De las domnas me dezesper!

Ja mais en lor no.m fiarai;

C'aissi com las solh chaptener,

Enaissi las deschaptenrai.

Pois vei c'una pro no m'en te

Vas leis que.m destrui e.m cofon,

Totas las dopt' e las mescre,

Car be sai c'atretals se son.

D'aisso's fa be femna parer

Ma domna, per qu'e.lh o retrai,

Car no vol so c'om deu voler,

E so c'om li deveda, fai.

Chazutz sui en mala merce,

Et ai be faih co.l fols en pon!

E no sai per que m'esdeve,

Mas car trop puyei contra mon.

All this makes my lady seem a good woman, wherefore I upbraid her, for I do not wish what one should wish, and I do that which one should.

I am fallen into ill favour, and indeed I have behaved like the fool on the bridge, and I do not know why it happened to me, except that I climb the mount too far.

Merces es perduda, per ver,

Et eu non o saubi anc mai,

Car cilh qui plus en degr'aver, 

No.n a ges, et on la querrai?

A! Can mal sembla, qui la ve,

Qued aquest chaitiu deziron

Que ja ses leis non aura be,

Laisse morrir, que no l.aon.

Grace is indeed lost, and I will never taste it again, for she who should have most of it, never has it; Where shall I seek it?

Ah! how cruel it will seem to whomso sees her, that she let this desirous wretch, who will never have peace without her, die, and aided him not. 

Pus ab midons no.m pot valer

Precs ni merces ni.l dreihz qu'eu ai,

Ni a leis no ven a plazer

Qu'eu l'am, ja mais no.lh o dirai.

Aissi.m part de leis e.m recre;

Mort m'a, e per mort li respon, 

E vau m'en, pus ilh no.m rete,

Chaitius, en issilh, no sai on.

Tristans, ges no.n auretz de me,

Qu'eu m'en vau, chaitius, no sai on.

De chantar me gic e.m recre,

E de joi e d'amor m'escon.