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Art. 24, Chaunter m’estoit

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Chaunter m’estoit,
Mon cuer le voit,
En un dure langage.
Tut en ploraunt
Fust fet le chaunt
De nostre duz baronage,
Qe pur la pees
(Si loynz aprés)
Se lesserent detrere,
Lur cors trencher
E demenbrer,
Pur salver Engletere.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Si com je qui,
Par un mardi
Firent la bataile;
Tot a cheval
Fust le mal,
Sauntz nulle pedaile.
Tres malement
Y ferirent
De le espie forbie,
Qe la part
Sire Edward
Conquist la mestrie.
   Ore est ocis,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Mes par sa mort
Le cuens Mountfort
Conquist la victorie.
Come ly martyr
De Caunterbyr,
Finist sa vie.
Ne voleit pas,
Li bon Thomas,
Qe perist seinte Eglise.
Ly cuens auxi
Se combati
E morust sauntz feyntise.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Sire Hue le fer
Ly Despencer,
Tres noble justice,
Ore est a tort
Lyvré a mort,
A trop male guise,
Sire Henri
(Pur veir le dy),
Fitz le cuens de Leycestre,     
Autres assez,
Come vous orrez,
Par le cuens de Gloucestre.
   Ore est ocis,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Qe voleint moryr
E mentenir
La pees e la dreyture,
Le seint martir
Lur fra joyr,
Sa conscience pure.
Qe velt moryr
E sustenir
Les honmes de la terre,
Son bon desir
Acomplir,
Quar bien le quidom fere.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Pres de son cors
(Le bon tresors)
Une heyre troverent.
Les faus ribaus
Tant furent maus,
E ceux qe le tuerent.
Molt fust pyr
Qe demenbryr
Firent le prodhonme
Qe de guerrer
E fei tener,
Si bien savoit la sonme.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Priez touz,
Mes amis douz,
Le fitz seinte Marie,
Qe l’enfant,
Her puissant,
Meigne en bone vie.
Ne vueil nomer
Li escoler
(Ne vueil qe l’em die),
Mes pur l’amour
Le Salveour,
Priez pur la clergie.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe tant savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Montfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plurra la terre.

Ne say trover rien
Qu’il firent bien,
Ne baroun ne counte,
Les chivalers
E esquiers.
Touz sunt mys a hounte
Pur lur lealté
E verité,
Que tut est anentie.
Le losenger
Purra reigner,
Le fol pur sa folie.
   Ore est ocis,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.

Sire Simoun,
Ly prodhom,
E sa compagnie
En joie vont
En ciel amount
En pardurable vie.
Mes Jesu Crist
Qe en croyz se mist,
Dieu, enprenge cure
Qe sunt remis
E detenuz
En prisone dure.
   Ore est ocys,
   La flur de pris,
   Qe taunt savoit de guere;
   Ly quens Mountfort,
   Sa dure mort
   Molt en plorra la terre.
 
Sing I must,
My heart wishes it,
In a sorrowful strain.
Entirely in tears
Was made the song
Of our gentle baronage,
Who for the sake of peace
(So long deferred)
Let themselves be destroyed,
Their bodies hacked
And dismembered,
To save England.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

As I believe,
On a Tuesday
They fought the battle;
All on horseback
Was the disaster,
Without any foot soldiers.
Very poorly
They struck blows there
With burnished sword,
So that the side
Of Lord Edward
Won the mastery.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

But by his death
The Earl Montfort
Won the victory.
Like the martyr
Of Canterbury,
He concluded his life.
He did not wish,
The good Thomas,
That Holy Church should perish.
The count also
Entered combat
And died without deceit.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

The fierce Sir Hugh
The Despenser,
Most noble justiciar,
Now is wrongly
Delivered to death,
In a most shameful way,
And Sir Henry
(To tell the truth),
Son of the Earl of Leicester,
And many others,
As you will hear,
By the Earl of Gloucester.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   Count Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

Those willing to die
And maintain
Peace and righteousness,
The holy martyr
Will bring them joy,
His conscience clean.
Whoever’s willing to die
And sustain
The men of the land,
His good desire
To accomplish,
We think he does quite well.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

Near his body
(The good treasure),
They found a hair shirt.
The false knaves
Were so wicked,
And those who slew him.
It was even worse
That they dismembered
The worthy man
Who understood fighting
And keeping faith,
Everything so well.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

Pray all of you,
My gentle friends,
To blessed Mary’s son,
That the child,
The powerful heir,
Be led to a good life.
I will not name
The youth
(I don’t wish it said),
But for the love
Of the Savior,
Pray for the clergy.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

I can find nothing
That they did right,
Neither baron nor earl,
The knights
And squires.
All are brought low
On account of their loyalty
And truthfulness,
Entirely come to nought.
The flatterer
Will be able to reign,
The fool through his folly.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.

Sir Simon,
The worthy man,
And his company
Proceed in joy
In heaven above
In everlasting life.
But may Jesus Christ
Who put himself on cross,
God, take care
Of those confined
And detained
In harsh prison.
   Now he is slain,
   The flower of fame,
   Who knew so much of war;
   The Earl Montfort,
   His cruel death
   The land will deeply mourn.
 






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