Skip to content Skip to navigation

Trobairitz Song

Crees que cantan Pajaros  En los Cortes De Aragon? Cantan en tus castillos?  Aqui se quedan sin cancion,  La primavera me ha abandonado Invierno me ha abrazado Trobador, por favor, vuelva a mi.   Rezo para un hombre La oracion de poder “Santificado sea tu nombre” Tu rezas a la virgen mujer Antes de dias de promesa y amor Invierno era infierno, puro calor Trobador, mi amor, vuelva a mi…   En tu campo florecido, La sinsonte trae cancion Se burla de mi destino  En mi maldita dirección Quién tambien vuela, a nuestro camino?  Vuelan de Beziers, markando su destino Trobador, por favor, floritura aquí…  Te pido mi Virgin Santa Y Pedro El Segundo Mira esta Guerra Santa y salve nuestro mundo Ser fiel, por favor, no deben traicionar Los conquistadores afuera, esperan triunfar Trobador mi amor, ven por mi…  Esperan afuera mis muros Mis muros del Castillo Sus colores tan oscuros frente nuestro Amarillo A Aquitania ha traído la cultura trobador Le quiero para mí, muero un pecador Trobador, por favor, vuelve a mi… Introduction   Blanch of Castile and Sancho VI of Navarre gave birth to a little girl they named Berengaria.  Berengaria’s father truly lived up to the name Sancho the Wise, for he was a patron of the arts and prized education above all else. He fortified Navarre to such an extent that it was never defeated during all of Sancho’s reign. This left his four children richly endowed and allowed them to become enticing prospects for other kingdoms. Berengaria was a kind, wise and talented girl who learned to love Navarre and its culture from her father. The troubadours were at the time a prominent fixture within the Navarra culture.  Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was the queen dowager of England was hoping to marry her son Richard the Lionheart to an educated and cultured young woman like herself, began marriage negotiations and asked that some of the kingdom’s acclaimed troubadours accompany her to Sicily, where the marriage was to be officiated. History would mark Berengaria as the only English Queen who never set foot on English soil, and as the queen who brought the celebrated troubadour culture to England. Richard the Lionheart, who only returned to England for 6 months out of his reign, died leaving his widow behind in Navarre. Berengaria then captured the heart of a certain Martin Codax, a Galician medieval joglar and a troubadour from Vigo, which can be found in what is now known as present day Spain. Martin was in love with Berengaria, knowing that marriage with this queen dowager was certainly an impossibility. He wrote seven cantigas d'amigo which appear in the Galician-Portuguese songbooks today. It is said throughout medieval folklore that Martin had gone to celebrate the birthday of Peter the II, the current King of Aragon and the Count of Barcelona, when news of the massacre reached the kingdom. The massacre at Beziers had accomplished what it was intended to do and placed fear in the hearts of all who heard the news. The troubadours who had arrived at the palace for the king’s celebration were ordered to remain there and to stay for their own safety.  It was during this time Berengaria wrote this song for her own beloved Martin. Legend has it that Martin Codax volunteered for the crusades and died just before he passed through Navarre to get through France, on his way to see Berengaria.    Crees que cantan Pajaros  En los Cortes De Aragon? Cantan en tus castillos?  Aqui se quedan sin cancion,  La primavera me ha abandonado Invierno me ha abrazado Trobador, por favor, vuelva a mi.   Rezo para un hombre La oracion de poder “Santificado sea tu nombre” Tu rezas a la virgen mujer Antes de dias de promesa y amor Invierno era infierno, puro calor Trobador, mi amor, vuelva a mi…   En tu campo florecido, La sinsonte trae cancion Se burla de mi destino  En mi maldita dirección Quién tambien vuela, a nuestro camino?  Vuelan de Beziers, markando su destino Trobador, por favor, floritura aquí…  Te pido mi Virgin Santa Y Pedro El Segundo Mira esta Guerra Santa y salve nuestro mundo Ser fiel, por favor, no deben traicionar Los conquistadores afuera, esperan triunfar Trobador mi amor, ven por mi…  Esperan afuera mis muros Mis muros del Castillo Sus colores tan oscuros frente nuestro Amarillo A Aquitania ha traído la cultura trobador Le quiero para mí, muero un pecador Trobador, por favor, vuelve a mi…            English Version  Do the birds sing Within the courts of Aragon? Do they sing within your castles? Yet here their song is gone Springtime has abandoned me, Winter in its place Troubadour, please return it to me…  I pray for just one man Behold the power of the prayer “Hallowed be thy name”  Yet you pray for the Virgin Saint Before, the days were full of promise and full of love, Winter was aflame, heat is all it consisted of, Troubadour, my love, return to me,   All within your flourished fields  The mockingbird mocks your intention He mocks with the way he yields Away from my damned direction  Do you know who else mocks us, and brings us their song? Straight from Beziers, where they rode all night long Troubadour, come, flourish with me   I beg of you the Virgin Mary,  Peter the Second as well To see this unjust Holy War And save our world from hell Stay faithful, please, do not betray The conquistadores, outside they stay Troubadour, my love, come for me   They wait outside my castle walls My walls are high, they wait Our yellow crosses hold them off Their colors are dark and death I brought the troubadour culture with my dowry, in to the outside lands The sinner I am ask for them back, these are my demands Troubadour please, come back to me.       VIDAS  Berengaria was a young princess who lived in the kingdom of Navarre. Berengaria was married to King Richard for only 8 years, when he died during the crusades. Berengaria then fell in love with a Spanish troubadour named Martin Codex, whom she communicated with using many different birds.  Martin had gone to celebrate the birthday of Peter the II in July, the year of 1209. Both had heard about the massacre at Beziers. Shortly after communication stopped, Berengaria feared the worst and collected every single bird she saw. She was especially fond of trapping Mocking birds, sometimes even cooking them for dinner if they did not sing for her.  Berengaria retired to an Abbey in Le Mans where she became a nun and died in the Abbey shortly thereafter…

Course: 
The Other France: Troubadours and the Politics of Cultural Heritage