Cardenal's freedom from the confines of the clergy

In stark contrast to the clergymen that Cardenal condemns, his role as a moral spokesman is raised to a higher level of truth because of his freedom from some of the earthly themes that confine the clerics (and even other troubadours). In his sirventes, he portrays his interpretation of religion as a truer form of faith uncorrupted by outside forces that taint the actions of clerics. In “Tartarassa ni voutor” the clerics “smell out the rich” and “confound[] the earth”, leaving the world and their religious institution less pure due to their fraudulent actions. He urges God to “untie them from the sin in which they are caught and bound up”, revealing that the clerics are not only corrupting their faith, but that they are also confined by this mentality. There is a distinct feeling that the clerics are trapped in an enclosed intellectual space, while Cardenal is free of these binds and advocates for a pure, more true perspective on religion. In “Vera vergena, Maria”, he repeats the word “vera” (truth) twelve times in just the first seven lines, which, alongside the alliteration of words beginning with “v”, creates a melodic effect communicating the purity of the “true virgin, Mary”. He implies that the clergy are unnecessary in this serene description of Mary, “free of all evil”, saying, “he who trusts in you needs no other to defend him”. Cardenal distances himself from these narrow-minded and self-confined clergymen by illustrating his own freedom from these confines. For example, Cardenal announces in the beginning of “Ar me puesc ieu lauzar d’Amor” that he is free of the oppressive influence of love. Using satire to undermine the idealized yet tragic image of fin’amor portrayed by many troubadours of this era, he identifies love as a problematic oppressor that chagrins, betrays, and upends men. Even the traditionally positive aspects of love (“nor do I stand openmouthed for it or sigh, nor, for love, do I wander about in the night”) are twisted to seem silly or trivial. Cardenal thus compares his freedom from love to the Virgin Mary’s untainted trueness, expressing that his perspective on faith is clear of corrupting factors like love or financial gain.