When the Next Feast Day Came

Poem by Charles D'Orléans Collection BalladsPeriod 15th century

When the next feast day came
That Love held his parliament,
I presented him my request,
Which he read very sweetly,
And then he said to me: « I grieve (1)
For the ill that has befallen you,
But there is no remedy,
When death has struck its blow (2).

Banish from your head
Your sorrowful thinking!
Show yourself a man, not a beast!
See to it that, without hindrance,
Reason have in you the governance,
Which often has provided
In many a misfortune (3) most wisely,
When death has struck its blow.

Take up a new conquest!
I will help you so
That you will find a Lady ready
To love you most loyally,
Who will have goods in abundance.
By her you will be held as a friend:
I see no other amendment,
When death has struck its blow. »

1. Dolent: Sorrowful.
2. Féru: Has struck its blow.
3. Meschief: Misfortune.

Charles D’Orléans

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-quant-vint-a-la-prochaine-feste-charles-d-orleans/