Newly-Discovered Addenda to the Trouvere 
Repertoire 

By Hans Tischler 

A recent article by Vivian S. Ramalingam and F. P. R. Akehurst (1997), 
"A New Trouvere Fragment in The Hague," brings to light a flyleaf of a 
lost late-thirteenth-century manuscript. 1 The authors established the date 
of this fragment based on its contents, script, and notational style. 
Obviously cut from a chansonnier or from a section of a manuscript con­
taining trouvere songs, it was used to bind a codex from the second quar­
ter of the fourteenth century, now located in the Koninklijke Bibliotheek 
in The Hague and bearing the shelf number 72 J 17. This flyleaf preserves 
three items: (1) a line of text, obviously from the end of a song, which the 
editors were unable to identifY; (2) a complete anonymous and otherwise 
unknown single-stanza song; and (3) music and the first four verses of text 
of a well-known song by Adam de la Hale (ca. 1230-1288), "Puis keje sui 
de l'amerouse loi." 

To begin, the single line of text preserved at the top of the flyleaf 
comes from no. 1457 in the Spanke-Raynaud Bibliographie des altJranzosi­
schen Liedes, "Puis ke Ii mal d'Amours me font sentir," and is edited along 
with all of its versions in Trouvere Lyrics with Melodies, Complete Edition 
(Tischler 1997, 9:no. 824). Versions of this song appear in four manu­
scripts: Ms. 0 f. 104v contains stanzas 1-2 and the melody for stanza 1; Ms. 
I also gives the first two stanzas on ff. 167v-168r, but without musical nota­
tion; Ms. Z ff. 23v-24r offers the only complete five-stanza poem with the 
melody for the first stanza, one essentially identical with the one recorded 
in Ms. 0; and Ms. C f. 193r-v provides only four stanzas without music, 
substituting new but related poetry for the latter three stanzas. 2 The 
rhyme syllables and the rhyme order of the replacement stanzas are, how­
ever, identical to those in the other manuscripts. 

The fragment of this poem surviving in The Hague flyleaf consists of 
the last letter of verse 6 and verses 7-8 of stanza 5, as preserved only in Ms. 
Z. The songs collected in that manuscript are grouped by poet. "Puis ke Ii 
mal d'Amours me font sentir" is the second of a group of six by Robert du 
Castel d'Arras (ca. third quarter of the thirteenth century). The Robert 
songs are preceded by a group of four by his fellow trouvere and towns­
man Jehan Ie Cuvelier, and followed by one piece by Guillaume Ie Vinier. 
The fact that Robert is the author of the text fragment preserved in the 
flyleaf casts doubt on Ramalingam and Akehurst's suggestion (1997:25) 

Current Musicology. no. 70 (Fall 2000) 
© 2001 by the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York 101 



102 CURRENT MUSICOLOGY 

that the anonymous song that follows may, like the song fragment that 
ends the flyleaf, be by Adam de la Hale. 

Examples 1a and 1 b present the first and fifth stanzas of Robert's song, 
as given in Ms. Z ff. 23v-24r; the underlined text (in ex. 1 b) indicates what 
is preserved in the flyleaf. The melodies of the one and a half songs that 
follow this line of text on the flyleaf are given by Ramalingam and 
Akehurst in appendices 1 and 4 of their article, notated in rhythmless 
black note heads. The notation of the repeated A section of the AAB form 
of Adam de Hale's song, preserved at the bottom of the flyleaf, elicits a 
long discussion by the authors. (This song is listed in Spanke-Raynaud 
1955:no. 1661 and is edited in Tischler 1997, 10:no. 960.) The article 
mentions the presence of e.o.p. stems3 in Adam's song, but no conclusion 
is drawn from this observation. NOlI" is any mention made of the fact that 
single notes with a stem, like those without, do not signifY any particular 
durational value in this notation but receive their rhythmic values through 
a translation of the poetic meter into the pattern of the correlated rhyth­
mic modes, as is proven elsewhere by versions of trouvere songs in mensu­
ral notation. 

The c.o.p. stem introduces a lively variant into the formulas of the 
rhythmic modes by dividing the breve value. It was the chief variant avail­
able, before songs and motets turned to the notational differentiation of 
the longa and brevis-the beginning of mensural notation, needed for 
more complex rhythms. It is this notation, intermediate between modal­
melismatic and mensural-syllabic writing, that was used in the codex of 
which only the flyleaf survives. A second rhythmic variant carried over 
from modal notation was the plica, which, attached to the right edge of a 
note, provides a gliding tone to the next note. Here and there groups of 
diamond-shaped notes, known as currentes also indicate rhythmic variants 
in this fragment, as in other manuscripts of the period. 

A copy of the notation of Adam's song, as furnished in the above­
mentioned article, is reproduced in example 2a. This example shows the 
ubiquitous use of e.o.p. stems. All of the ligatures are written either as a 
series of rhomboid currentes or with e.o.p. stems, and are all thereby desig­
nated as breve values (several of them also carry plicae, as do some of the 
single notes). As the ligatures represent breve values, so, it would seem, do 
the single notes, thus revealing a simple tribrachic meter or sixth mode to 
go with the decasyllabic verses of the poem. 

Example 2b offers a transcription of the complete first stanza of this 
song, which additionally demonstrates a feature quite frequently found in 
trouvere songs: a change of meter from tribrachs to trochees and from 
sixth mode to second, which marks the transition from the decasyllabic 
verses of the A section to the pentasyllabic and heptasyllabic verses (five 
through ten) that form the B section of Adam's song. 



HANS TISCHLER 103 

Example la: Robert du Castel d'Arras, "Puis keje sui de l'amerouse loi" (first stanza); Ms, Z 
ff. 23v-24r. 

AA 

fn V ~ U f r 6! In ~ r' 10 r E r 10 If' [*'j . ;J 

1. Puis ke Ii mal k'A - mours me font sen tir 
3. bien doi voir va len te et de sir 

fv 
--I'" J AIJ J --1 ~ J IJl U R I r' £, :11 U! • -- r -

2. sont si plai sant k'il m'en e - stuet chan ter, 

4. d'a-voir les biens ke mi font e spe rer. 

B 

fr' 0 r If' V f gt' 10 .. U 0 I r' [*'j I 
5. Or mi laist Dieus si ser vir et ou vrer 

fr- V r If' 0 r Iv r 0 r If r r r r V m 
6. Vers rna da me, ki tant est sage et fran ce 

f-' V r Ie U 0 .. I I 
7. ke nc me laist cha - if de - spe ran ce 

fa. )1 J IJ J' f I r' 0 UJ I r' ~' II 
8. et si me laist mon de sir a chie ver. 

Example lb: Robert du Castel d'Arras, "Puis ke Ii mal d'Amours me font sentir" (fifth 
stanza); Ms. Z ff. 23v-24r. 

Nus ne se doit de boine amour partir 
pour nul travail c'on en puist endurer, 
car nus ne puet pour Ii tant mal souffrir 
k'ele ne puist mil tans guerredouner. 
Nus ne poroit lajoie comparer 
ki vient d'amour: Nis d'estre rois de Franc,r 
n'avroit on pas tant deduit ne plaisance 
c'uns amans a d'amie conquester. 



104 CURRENT MUSICOLOGY 

Example 2a: Adam de la Hale, "Puis ke je sui de l'amerouse loi." 

L 
~ 

t;; L n , ...... , "'" 
, I , 

'" IV\ 
Puis ke ie sui de la - me-rou - se loi bien doi a-mours en can-tant en - sau - cier 

l . , l 
L n ... , , , "." I 

, q , SI' ,~~ 

En- cor i a mil- leur rai - son p(ou]r-koi Je doi cant-fer] da - me-r~us de-si-rier 

Example 2b: Adam de la Hale, "Puis ke je sui de l'amerouse loi." 

(written a 5th higher in Ms. The Hague) 

AA 1) 
2) 

fu )1 
3 J -, J J j ~ }I m -3i J J 1)1 J "I J 

I. Puis ke je sui de l'a me rou se loi, 

3. En cor mil leur rai son, pour koi 
2) 

2) 2) 1) 

f =t~ V 
n m on JI I I, 4i h J ] J j J J [OJ ] :IU • .11 ~ 

2. bien doi A mours en can tant en sau cier. 

4.je doi can ter d'a me rous de si rier. 

Ms. W (Paris, B.N. fr.25566) f.20r-v 

5. Car sans rna - ne - chief 6. sui au cuer trais et fe rus 

7. d'uns vairs iells ses et a gus 8. ri-ans pour mieus as - se - nef; 

9. a chou ne puet con - tre ster 10. hau-bers ni e - sellS. 

1) c.o.p. stem written; 2) currentes written. 



HANS TISCHLER 105 

Turning now to the anonymous song, the second item on The Hague 
flyleaf, it is useful to compare its rendition in Ramalingam and Akehurst's 
article (ex. 3a) with that of Adam's piece, given in example 2a. As will be 
immediately apparent, in example 3a the figures are all written without 
c.o.p. stems or eurrentes. Thus one may presume that the figures, whether 
ligatures or single notes, do not all symbolize breve values. On the other 
hand, the verses, like Adam's, are also mainly decasyllabic and catalectic 
(i.e., they end on accented rhyme syllables). They may therefore be either 
iambic pentameters or dactylic tetrameters. The only exception is verse 6, 
which has only seven syllables, again catalectic. Reading the poem in ei­
ther meter, it becomes clear that the ornamental figures would, in an 
iambic scansion, fall sometimes on strong "beats" and sometimes on weak 
ones. With one exception, however, they would ornament only long rhyth­
mic values, when the dactylic third mode is employed. And dactyls also 
seem preferable for scanning the poem. Example 3b provides a transcrip­
tion of this hitherto unknown song according to this analysis. It is followed 
by the very fragmentary text as edited by Ramalingam and Akehurst (ex. 3c). 

To the three addenda discussed above, a fourth discovery may be 
added here, one that is included in, but more or less hidden among, the 
hundreds of songs of the Complete Edition of trouvere songs (Tischler 
1997). It appears there in vol. 14, as part of lai no. 18. Recorded in 
Spanke-Raynaud (1955:no. 362a) as " ... en tremblant" and extant in Ms. 
N f. 186r, this is, in fact, the end of a contrafactum to Philip the 
Chancellor's Marian lai Ave gloriosa. Because of a lacuna in the manu­
script, however, most of it is lost. This fragment can now be added to 
the three other contrafacta of this famous Latin lai, which survives in six 
manuscripts. These contrafacta are listed in the Spanke-Raynaud (1955) 
under: 

no. 1020, Nete (or Virge) glorieuse (in Ms. Paris, Bibliotheque de 
l'Arsenal 3517-3518, ff. 3v-4v, and without music in Ms. Tours, 
Bibliotheque municipale 948 f. 119 and Ms. C f. 157r); 

no. 1695, L'autrier ehevauehoie pensant (in Ms. N ff. 186r-v+185r-v; 
also listed in the lost chansonnier Mesmes); and 

no. 2060, Lone tens m'ai teu (Ms. N ff. 185v+ 187r-v; also listed in the 
lost chansonnier Mesmes). 

Example 4 shows the last two sections of Philip's lai and the newly­
recognized fragment of its fourth contrafactum. 

To conclude: the Hague flyleaf adds one new fragmentary source to 
each of two trouvere songs, one by Robert du Castel d'Arras and one by 
Adam de la Hale. It also adds a new song to the 1224 songs and song 



106 CURRENT MUSICOLOGY 

Example 3a: Anonymous song in the Hague flyleaf (as in Ramalingam and Akehurst 1997). 

f I! e- I! • I. • I! • . .. ; . I! I! • I! ., • .. ~ I! • jI, I! 

Est mer - velIe se chas - cuns nest a - mans car se tOllS ciaus vo loit a - mours grey [er] 

I! e- I! • I. • I! 
., 

S • I! I! • I! I! 
I! ., • • 

[ki] [n]e Ie sont elle [est] bien si poi - sans eun tout seul iour nen po roit uns 

.... ;. I! • .-;;. 
I • 

I! • -7; 
-':;0 I! • I! I! I! 

I! • 
[du] rer mais a - mours veut dou che - ment doc tri ner tOllS cuers pour mett,re en len 

II! • I! • • • M;;; • I· i;;. I! I! I! • . I! 
I! • I! I! • I! I! 

tent] e de Ii ser- vir car mout a ta -len - te quant elle puet as bains ses biens don ner 

Example 3b: Transcription of anonymous song in the Hague flyleaf. 

AA 
(0) 

0 fB V 
Ji m V p Ji 1)1 J1 )1 J !j 

1. [C]est mer vel Ie se chas cuns TI'est a mans, 

3. [ki] ne Ie sont, elle [est] bien si poi sans 

fk JI 
(0) 

P V V 
I! 

0 In I ~I 

3 

I) 
k n J :11 ;0 j' 

2. car se taus ciaus vo loit A moms gre ver. 
4. c'un tout seul jour o'en po roit uns [du] rer. 

5. MaisA - moursveutdou-che-ment doc-tri-ner 6. taus cuers pour mettreen l'[en ten] - te 

fg V V V V V V Iv V r c:r j J1 
7. de Ii ser vir, car mout Ii ta len teo 

fp 
(0) 

Ji 
(0) 

Ji r.-.. 1) 

r c:r )1 Ji ) IQ )1 J j' 

3 
8. quant el Ie puet as bains ses biens don - nero 

1) the rest in vv. 2,8 is cut off. 



HANS TISCHLER 107 

Example 3c: Fragmentary text of anonymous song in the Hague flyleaf (as in Ramalingam 
and Akehurst 1997). 

1. C'est mervelle se chascuns n'est amans, 
car se tous ciaus voloit Amours grev[ er J 
[kinJe Ie sont, elle [estJ bien si poisans 
c'un tout seuljour n'en poroit uns [duJrer. 
Mais Amours veut douchement doctriner 
tous cuers pour mettre en I' [ententJe 
deliservir, car mout Ii atalente, 
quant elle puet as boins ses biens donner. 

2. Dont doit cascuns bien iestre desirans 
k'Amours Ie voelle aves le[s boins conJter, 
car tant de joie est en Ii apparans 
k'elle en puet .... gouverner.* 
Mais pur les bons vuet Amours estorer 
· ............... . ente, 
si fallent cil dont Ii volontes gente 
· ........ t en iaus en trer. 

3. Car casc .......... nans 
et si'il i a teis c'on ne puist douter 
· ................ . sanz, 
mais cius ki cui de encontre Ii [ ... erJ 
· ................. penser, 
dont il doit iestre en I'atente 
[ ................. entJe 
de grandement a besoing conforter. 

4. . ........ congnissans 
e got les biens k'Amours voe[t donnerJ 
· .. uns ki onkes fust vuians 
et cil ki sont .............. . 

ret n'Jaukuns m'en espoente 
s'a boine Amours a chou mise m'entente 
Ke [comfors? li?J donne sans demander. 

5. Dame, vous estes Ii ente 
dont Ii biens [vieJnt, car boine Amours l'i ente, 
pour chou vous pri de mon chant escouter. 

* gouverner looks like [gJ ominerwith a superscript e above the i. 

N.B.: The text in square brackets ([ J) is strictly conjectural. 



108 CURRENT MUSICOLOGY 

Example 4. Philip the Chancellor, Ave gloriosa (ninth section with fourth contrafactum). 

7a. Ne 0 - sbire a - per - te - ment 8a. Ie mar - ti - re 

Ms. LoB (Brit. Libr. Eg. 274) Dr 

93. Mun - di 
101.lu - sti 

por 

97. per gra 

105. per Spi 

6a. 
J'aim 

100.0 ri 
107. pu el 

ti - e 94. tu spe ell - lum, 95. tu g10 ri - e 
ti - e 102. ge - sta ell - lum, 103. Ie - ti (i - e 

Ii scnt. lOa. mes maint pre - sent 11. Ii front, oil 

ti - e 98. mi - fa ell lum 99. es rna ter ge 
ri - tus spi - fa ell lum 106. es eel la ere 

en trem blant. 
que fre re ne suer. 

go con di to ris. 

Ia pIa sma (0 ris. 

ne Ie tor- ment 

96. spe - cta eli - lurn, 
l04.1y - fa eli - lum, 

de mon cuer; 

ni - to 
a - to 

ris, 

ris, 

families and ninety-three lais edited in the Complete Edition. And it adds 
one more manuscript to the 292 sources which preserve trouvere songs 
with their melodies or poems connected with them. Furthermore, it in­
creases our knowledge of the notation and its implications for the ap­
proach to the performance of thirteenth-century songs. 

Notes 
1. Use of this article and of its musical examples by permission of the Alamira 

Foundation and the Alamira music publisher. 
2. The following manuscripts are referred to by their customary designations: 

Ms. C: Bern, Stadtbibliothek 
Ms. I: Oxford, Bodleien Library, Douce 308 
Ms. N: Paris, Bibliotheque nationale, fr. 845 



Ms. 0: Paris, Bibliotheque nationale, fro 846 
Ms. Z: Siena, Biblioteca comunale, H.x. 36 

HANS TISCHLER 109 

3. A c.o.p. (cum opposita proprietate) stem is one drawn up from the left edge of 
a note or a ligature, to indicate that the next two (or sometimes three) notes are 
to be read as together filling the durational value of a breve, i.e., splitting the 
breve into two (or three) semibreves. 

References 
Ramalingam, Vivian S., and F. P. R. Akehurst. 1997. A New Trouvere Fragment in 

the Hague. Yearbook of the Alamira Foundation 2: 19-29. 
Spanke, Hans, ed. 1955. G. Raynauds Bibliographie des altjranzosischen Liedes. Leiden: 

E.]. Brill. 
Tischler, Hans. 1997. Trouvere Lyrics with Melodies: Complete Comparative Edition. 15 

vols. American Institute of Musicology, Corpus mensurabilis musicae, no. 107. 
N euhausen: Hanssler-Verlag.