Aucassin and Nicolette

XXXIX

Sung

In Beaucaire, at the foot of the tower,
Aucassin was one day
sitting on a stone bench,
surrounded by his nobles and high lords.
At the sight of flowers and grass,
when he heard the little birds singing,
he remembered his love,
remembered valiant Nicolette,
who he had loved more and more each day.
He also sighed and wept.
But look, at the stone bench, Nicole
who took out her viol, took out her bow,
and began to speak, so she could discover his thoughts:
"Hear me, nobles and high lords,
those on high as those on low:
would it please you to hear a song
about Aucassin, a noble and high lord,
and about the valiant Nicolette?
They never stopped loving each other
so much that he left to look for his friend in the deep woods.
At the Torelore keep
pagans took them away one day.
Of Aucassin we know nothing,
but the valiant Nicolette,
can be found in the keep of Carthage,
because her father loves her so much,
who is the lord of that kingdom.
They wanted to give her for a husband
a pagan king filled with perfidy.
Nicolette refuses
because she loves a young lord
who was named Aucassin.
She swears to God and his sacred name
that she will never marry
if she is not given her love
who she desires so.