Troubadour songs: love, friend, mockery and cursing

Cantigas troubadours is the name given to poetic texts from the first medieval period and which were part of the literary movement of troubadour.

In general, they were songs sung in chorus and, therefore, they receive the name of "cantigas".

Troubadour songs are classified into two types:

Lyric songs: include love and friend songs, which are focused on feelings and emotions.
satirical songs: include mocking and cursing songs, which use irony and sarcasm to criticize or ridicule.

love songs

The love songs emerged between the 11th and 13th centuries influenced by the art developed in the region of Provence, in southern France.

The influence of Provençal lyricism was intensified with the arrival of French settlers in the Iberian Peninsula who went to fight the Moors linked to Provence. In addition, the intense trade between France and the western region of the Iberian Peninsula, reaching the North Atlantic, stands out.

In this context, "courteous love" appears, based on an impossible love, where men suffer from love, because they wanted court women who were usually married to nobles.

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This concept is more intense in the voice of the troubadours of Galicia and Portugal, who do not limit themselves to imitating, but to "suffer more painfully".

Characteristics and examples of love songs

The love songs are written in the first person singular (I). In them, the poetic me, that is, the fictitious subject who gives voice to poetry, declares his love for a lady, against the backdrop of the formalism of the palatial environment. It is for this reason that he addresses her, calling her lady.

“Cantiga da Ribeirinha” by Paio Soares de Taveirós

In the world I don't know a match,
lie me for' how are you,
ca ja moiro for you - oh!
my white and red sir,
Do you want me to withdraw
when I saw you in skirt!
Ma day I got up,
that you enton not vi fea!

And, my lord, des that
it was me very bad di'ai!,
And you, daughter of Don Paai
Moniz, and good to you
d'haver for you guard,
because I, my lord, from Alfaia
never of you was there any hei
it was worth the strap.

This type of song shows loving servitude in the purest standards of allegiance.

In this way, the woman is seen as an unattainable being, an idealized figure, to whom a sublime love is also dedicated.

Song “The lady I love” by Bernardo de Bonaval

The owner I love and hold for Lord
show it to me God, if it pleases you,
if not give me death.

What do I have in the light of these eyes of mine
and because they always cry (and) show God to me,
if not give me death.

The one You made better look like
how many I know, to God, make me see,
if not give me death.

To God, that you made me love her more,
show her something she can talk to,
if not give me death.

These characteristics justify the presence of a strong lyricism. This is represented by the "thing of love" (loving suffering); and "coita", which in Galician-Portuguese, means "pain, affliction, disgust". For troubadours, this feeling is worse than death, and love is the only reason to live.

Song "Ai de me, and what will it be?" by Nuno Fernandez

Oh me, and what will it be?
That I was such a lady wanting well
I dare not say ren
how much harm does it make me.
and made her look like
best of how many in the mund'ha.

More serious nací day,
if God counsels non m'i give;
what do you want?
I'm very serious,
how don't you dare to speak,
and she looks like that,

She, what God did for my evil!
I've always wanted to,
and I will never answer
con what joy my heart,
that was sad', ha i gran sazón,
polo your ben, ca non por al.

Friend's songs

The songs by friend originate from popular sentiment and from the Iberian Peninsula itself. In them, the poetic self is feminine, however, their authors are men.

This is the main feature that differentiates them from love songs, where the lyrical self is male. In addition, the environment described in the songs from friend is no longer the court, but the countryside.

The scenarios involve peasant women, a characteristic that reflects the relationship between nobles and commoners. This is, without a doubt, one of the main marks of patriarchy in Portuguese society.

Characteristics and examples of friend songs

Cantigas de amigo are written in the first person (me) and are usually presented in the form of a dialogue. This results in a more refined formal work in relation to love songs.

Song “Ai Flores, Ai Flores do Pino verde” by D. Dinis

- Oh flowers, there flowers of the green pin,
if you know new about my friend!
oh god, are you?

Oh flowers, oh flowers of the green branch,
if you know new about my beloved!
oh god, are you?

If you know anything about my friend,
the one who lied about what he put with me!
oh god, are you?

If you know anything about my beloved,
the one who lied about what he swore to me!
oh god, are you?

-You asked me for your friend,
and I bly tell you that he is san'e alive.
Oh God, are you?

You ask me for your beloved,
and I bly tell you that he is viv'e sane.
Oh God, are you?

And I bless you that he is san'e alive
and she will be vosc'ant'o term gone out.
Oh God, are you?

And I bless you that it is viv'e sano
and will be vosc'ant'the past term.
Oh God, are you?

These songs are the expression of feminine feeling. In this context, the woman suffers from being separated from her friend (who can also be her lover or boyfriend). She lives in anguish for not knowing if her friend will return or not, or if he will change her for another.

Song “Waves of the Sea of Vigo” by Martin Codax

Vigo sea waves,
have you seen my friend
and oh God, will you see yourself soon?

Waves of the washed sea,
have you seen my beloved?
and oh God, will you see yourself soon?

if you saw my friend,
o why do i sigh?
and oh God, will you see yourself soon?

If you saw my beloved,
o why i gram coidado?
and oh God, will you see yourself soon?

This suffering is usually reported to a friend who serves as a confidant. The other characters who share the woman's suffering are the mother, the friend or even an element of nature that appears personified.

Song “To my friend, that I always loved” by João Garcia

To my friend, who I've always loved,
since i saw him, much more ca min nen al
it was another owner, because of my evil,
but me, sandía, when I woke up,
I didn't know if I was going to come,
senon cry how much I wanted to cry.

I loved it ca min nen other ren,
since I saw him, and it was time to do
tan gran regret that there is to die,
but I, sandía, what did I do to you for eh?
I didn't know if I wanted to,
senon cry how much I wanted to cry.

Please God that in my heart
I never ren't in your login
and it was up to me to make tan gran weigh,
but I, sandía, what did I do to you then?
I didn't know if I wanted to,
senon cry how much I wanted to cry.

Songs of Scorn

The derision songs are songs that presented, in general, an indirect and ironic criticism. Below, we have an example of this type of ditty:

Song “Oh, lady fea, you went to complain” by João Garcia de Guilhade

Oh lady lady! you went to complain
May I never praise you my trobar
But now I want to make a sing
Wherein I will praise you all the way;
And see how I want to give you:
Female, old and sane lady!

Oh lady lady! If God pardon me!
And for you have tan gran coraçon
May I loe en esta reason,
I want to pay you all the way;
And see what the loaçon will be:
Female, old and sane lady!

Mistress fea, I never gave you
En my trobar, but much trobei;
But now it's good to sing I'll do it
Wherein I will praise you all the way;
And I will tell you how I will praise you:
Female, old and sane lady!

Note that in mocking songs, we can find ambiguous expressions, that is, with double meanings.

Song “A la fe, Deus, senón por sua madre” by Gil Peres Conde

A la fe, God, if not by your mother,
which is the very good Santa Maria,
I had made you regret, I would say,
for my lord, that you have fathered me,
to see you who barely cheaped,
I can't know much about your priest.

Why did I to you suffer,
if not for her, if lhi non weigh?
I would die if I com'hom'love you
my lord, that you hampered me.
If I was yours, why have you lost me?
Did you not want me to be worth more?

Tell me now that you did,
why did i create in you nen it served you
senon gran tort'endoad'e superb,
ca mi teedes my lady forced;
I never give you anything,
since I was born, you did not give it to me.

I would do what you do to me:
old females, and the fremous ones
and young girls daughter them by wives.
How many do you want, so many daughters,
and I never know anything:
thus departes migo quant'havedes.

Neither serve you nor loads,
and go to you, for them alo teedes,
dress them very badly and you rule,
and you put them in the walls.

Cursing Songs

Cursing songs are songs whose structure allows for more direct and crude criticisms. In them, profanity terms are used, such as swear words, because the intention is to attack someone verbally.

Check out an example of this type of ditty:

Song from “A mim dam preç', and not desguisado” by Afonso Anes do Cotom

They give me prices, and it's not unreasonable,
of the malleted ones, and do not err;
Joam Fernandes, the mour', otherssi,
in the maltadas I see it counted;
and but maltalhados without [us],
s'man saw Pero da Ponte in waistband,
it would look like moi peor cut.

Unlike mocking songs, this type of song usually identifies the person to be satirized, for example:

Song “A fremosa do Soveral” by Lopo Lias

The fremosa owner of Soveral
she has money per preit'atal
that veess'a mí, u non háss'al,
a day cut to the house of Don Corral;
and she is perjured,
she didn't do anything
and she was cheap,
here's this lane
she will be pawned
that fold the sign.

If she writes me, I'll take care of me, I'll give her
the best advice I know today:
Give me my possession and I will thank you for it;
if I don't give it, I'll pledge it:
I'm forced,
of the elongated body,
I will not suffer it;
more, by my liking,
will give me ben folded
sign I gave you.

Understand more about the Satire.

Troubadourism

O Troubadourism, also called the First Medieval Period, is the period that extends from 1189 (or 1198) to 1434.

In Portugal, this literary movement began with the riverside song, written by Paio Soares de Taveirós. It ends with the appointment of Fernão Lopes to the post of chronicler of Torre do Tombo.

The troubadour culture, which emerged between the 11th and 12th centuries, reflects well the historical moment that characterizes the period. In it, we have Christian Europe and the organization of the Crusades towards the East.

Some factors that deserve to be highlighted in the Iberian Peninsula are:

the struggle of Christians against the Moors to conquer the territory of the Iberian Peninsula;
decentralized power in feudal society, where kings and feudal lords held power;
the commitment of fidelity sealed among the nobles of the feudal period, called suzerainty and vassalage;
the spiritual power concentrated in the hands of the clergy, responsible for theocentric thinking (God at the center of all things).

Learn more about troubadourism: