Ausiàs March is presumed to have been born in Gandia in 1397; he died in Valencia in 1459. His life was that of a knight, and he took place in military expeditions in Italy under Alphonso the Great (Alfons el Magnànim) between 1420 and 1425. He retired from military life at the age of 27, which made it possible for him to devote himself on poetry. He's regarded as the leading figure in the Catalan lyrical poetry in the Middle Ages. He was the first poet whose work can be said essentially Catalan. He not only decisively contributed to detach the Catalan literature from the late Provençal influence, but his poetry did renovate the literary milieu and influenced other literatures. He wrote 128 poems, published at Barcelona in1543.
According to Carbonell et al. (Literatura catalana: dels inicis als nostres dies. Barcelona, Edhasa, 1981, p. 157), what essentially distinguishes March both from the Provençal troubadours and from the Italian poets is his attitude towards women. The troubadours' lady is celebrated regarding her high social hierarchy, and by doing that, the poet is expressing the feudal vassalage in an amorous way. The Italian poets, for their part, increasingly tended to sublimate their lady —for Dante, Beatrice will be the Theology that will lead him to God, and for Petrarch, Laura will have the highest spirituality. In this upward path it was impossible to get higher —and Ausiàs March did not intend it. What March did (and either the Provençal troubadours or the Italian poets did not) was to regard the lady simply as a woman —with her virtues and defects, being resolute or feeble, a person liable to fall and also to make the poet fall.
All the poems transcribed here come from an anthology of March's poems selected and adapted to modern Catalan by Joan Fuster, and published by Tres i Quatre in 1984 (ISBN 84-7502-113-1).
Raimon has beautifully sung several poems by March. I would love to have Raimon's Veles e vents in some audio format so I could put it here for the world's to listen to and admire. If someone visiting this page could provide me with that recording I'd be extremely grateful to her or him. The excellent (but unfortunately uncredited) English translations I've used here come from the printed lyrics in the CD. Also, having some of the thrilling recitations of March's poems made by Ovidi Montllor would be terrific!
If you're interesed in the Catalan language, the Catalan Foundation Paulí Bellet has published an online "Catalan Grammar in Brief", along with exercises and several dialogs. They also provide links to another Catalan-learning sites in the web.
Please accept this suggestion regarding the poems: read them aloud, in the original version of course, pronouncing each word carefully, and you'll be surprised of the rich and beautiful sonority every verse has. Don't try to understand every word. Stick to the strophes you like most and then go to the other ones. Give you some time to get used to the language and topics. Be aware with the word delit, used in abundance by March: don't get it for what it's not —it means delight, pleasure, joy. Also, take care to pronounce cell with the sound of thek letter, insofar it's the equivalent of aquell.
29
Sí com lo taur se'n va fuit pel desert
quan és sobrat per son semblant qui el força,
ne torna mai fins ha cobrada força
per destruir aquell qui l'ha desert,
tot enaixí em cové llunyar de vós,
car vostre gest mon esforç ha confús;
no tornaré fins del tot haja fus
la gran paor qui em tol ser delitós
Like the bull which takes flight into the wilderness
when overcome by another which forces him,
and does not return until he musters the strength
to destroy the one which banished him,
so must I also go away from you,
for yous gesture has confused my effort;
I shall no return until I have completely banished
the great fear which prevents my happiness.
46
77
No pot mostrar lo món menys pietat
com en present dessobre mi pareix.
Tota amor fall, sinó a si mateix;
d'enveja és tot lo món conquistat;
hom sens afany no vol fer algun bé:
com lo farà contra si, ab gran cost?
Cascun cor d'hom io veig pus dur que post;
algú no es dol si altre null mal té
Lo qui no sap, no pot haver mercé
d'aquell qui jau en turment e dolor;
doncs io perdon a cascú de bon cor,
si no són plant del que mon cor sosté.
Secretament, ab no costumat mal,
ventura em fa sa desfavor sentir;
d'Amor no em clam, si bé em porta a morir;
bé i mal passats, io en reste cominal.
Altre socors de vostra amor no em val
sinó que els ulls me demostren voler,
ne res pus cert de vós no puc saber,
ans si més cerc, per ser content no em cal.
Io veig molt hom sens amar ser amat,
i el mentidor tant com vol és cregut;
e io d'Amor me trob així vençut,
que dir no pusc quant só enamorat.
Amor, Amor, un hàbit m'he tallat
de vostre drap, vestint-me l'esperit;
en lo vestir, ample molt l'he sentit,
e for estret, quan sobre mi és posat.
The world cannot show less pity
than that wich now it does to me:
all love fails, except that for oneself;
and it is envy that conquers all the world.
If to do good man to make an effort,
how will he do it, if all is against it?
I see the hearts of men are harder than wood,
and no one is sorry for another's ills.
He who does not know can have no mercy
for the one who lies in torment and in pain;
and so, with all my heart I pardon every one
who does not mourn the suffering of my heart.
In secret, with and unaccustomed pain,
fortune makes me feel its disfavour.
Of love I do not complain, though it leads me to death.
I am indifferent to times passed, good or bad.
I need no other help from your love
except that your eyes show me you love me;
anything surer of you I cannot know,
nor do I need more to be happy.
I see many men are loved without loving
and the liar is believed as much as he wants;
and I feel I am so overcome by love
that I cannot say when I am in love!
Love, oh love, I have cut a habit
of your cloth, to dress my spirit;
when I first wore it, it feel too wide,
but when I wear it now, it is too tight.