William IX , Duke of Aquitaine
中古世紀的情歌大膽坦蕩，但說是春宵一刻值千金，倒也有幾分傷春惜時的意味。
In the sweetness of new spring
the woods grow leafy, little birds,
each in their own language, sing,
rehearse new stanzas with new words,
and it is good that man should find
the joy that most enchants his mind.
I see no messenger or not
from her, my first source of delight;
my heart can neither sleep nor laugh,
I dar not make a further move,
till I know what the end will be--
is she what I would have her be?
Our love together goes the way
of the branch on the hawthorn-tree,
trembling in teh night, a prey
to the hoar-frost and the showers,
till next morning, when the sun
enfolds the green leaves and the broughs.
One morning I remeber still
we put an end to skirmishing,
and she gave me so great a gift:
her loving body, and her ring.
May God keep me alive untill
my hands again move in her mantle!
For I shun that strange tal which might
pull my Helpmeet and myself apart;
I know that words have their own life,
and swift discourses spread about--
let others vaunt love as they will,
we have love's food, we have the knife!
文字脫離了我的手之後就不再屬於我了呀。
我是不能信任的，我的文字也是不能信任
的，或許這才是文字之所以能拯救我的原
因？
以字為盾，以詞為劍，我保護自己，也刺
傷自己。是我所擁有的，也是不屬於我的，
生命。
penury:拮据
rung：梯子
lichen：地衣
perch：棲木
gazelle：瞪羚
eglantine：多花薔薇
cavalcade:騎兵隊
hoar：灰白色
skirmish：小爭執
Helpmeet：配偶
vaunt：誇耀