The Testament and Other Poems The Testament and Other Poems François Villon Translated by Anthony Mortimer ALMA CLASSICS Contents The Testament and Other Poems 1 The Legacy 3 The Testament 25 Miscellaneous Poems 157 Note on the Text 217 Notes 217 Extra Material 227 François Villon’s Life 229 François Villon’s Audience 231 The Legacy 233 The Testament 234 AlmA ClAssiCs ltd Miscellaneous Poems 237 London House Villon in English 239 243-253 Lower Mortlake Road Richmond Select Bibliography 243 Surrey TW9 2LL United Kingdom Index of Names, Places and Texts 245 www.almaclassics.com Index of First Lines in French 263 This translation first published by Alma Classics Ltd in 2013 Index of First Lines in English 265 Acknowledgements 267 Translation, Notes, Extra Material © Anthony Mortimer 2013 Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY isbn: 978-1-84749-328-6 All rights reserved. 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For Martin Dodsworth Bienfait ne se doit oublier The Testament and Other Poems The Testament (Le Testament Villon) X – Ballade de bon conseil X – Ballade of Good Counsel Hommes failliz, despourveuz de raison, Weak men, whose minds are empty of all reason, Desnaturez et hors congnoissance, Devoid of knowledge and of common sense, Desmis du sens, comblez de desraison, Unnatural, in love with your unreason, Folz abusez, plains de descongnoissance, Ungrateful fools, puffed up with ignorance, Qui procurez contre vostre naissance, Who work against your birth’s inheritance Vous submettans à detestable mort And yield to hateful death that lies ahead, Par lascheté, las ! Que ne vous remort Alas, do you not see that you are led L’orribleté qui à honte vous maine ? By evil to a shameful end? Look there, Voyez comment maint jeunes homs est mort How such a host of young men now are dead Par offensser et prendre autruy demaine. For harming others and taking what’s theirs. 10 Chascun en soy voye sa mesprison ! Let each man see his fault within himself, Ne nous vengons, prenons en pacïence : Not seek revenge, in patience bear offence: Nous congnoissons que ce monde est prison We know this world is but a prison cell Aux vertueux franchis d’impacïence. For virtuous unrebellious men; and hence Battre, rouiller, pour ce n’est pas scïence, Fighting and brawls and robbery make no sense, Tollir, ravir, piller, meurtrir à tort : Nor looting, mugging, murdering. The youth De Dieu ne chault, trop de verté se tort Cares not for God and turns his back on truth Qui en telz faiz sa jeunesse demaine, Who wastes his time involved in such affairs; Dont à la fin ses poins doloureux tort, One day he’ll sit and wring his hands in ruth Par offenser et prendre autruy demaine. For harming others and taking what’s theirs. 20 Que vault piper, flater, rire en trayson Where does it lead, to fawn and fake a laugh, Quester, mentir, affermer sans fiance, To beg and swindle, swear what isn’t true, Farcer, tromper, artifier poison, Lie, cheat and con, cook up some poisonous draught, Vivre en peché, dormir en deffiance To live in sin, and toss the whole night through, De son prouchain sans avoir confience ? Distrusting neighbours with no trust in you? Pour ce conclus : de bien faisons effort, Thus I conclude, let’s work towards the good, Reprenons cueur, ayons en Dieu confort. Take heart and find in God the strength we need. Nous n’avons jour certain en la sepmaine ; In the whole week no day is sure; our heirs De noz maulx ont noz parens le ressort, And kinsmen pay the price of our misdeeds, Par offencer et prendre autruy demaine. For harming others and taking what’s theirs. 30 196 197 Vivons en paix, exterminons discord ; Virtuous men, let’s live without discord, Ieunes et vieulx, soyons tous d’ung accord : In peace, both young and old, of one accord – La loy le veult, l’appostre le ramaine Law sent by God, and so St Paul declares,* Licitement en l’espitre rommaine. Let’s heed the truth his Roman Letter bears; Ordre nous fault, estat ou aucun port. Order we need, degree, or some support. Nottons ces poins, ne laissons le vray port Note down these points, let’s not leave our true port Par offensser et prendre autruy demaine. For harming others and taking what’s theirs. 198 199 XI – Probleme, Ballade de fortune XI – Problem, Ballade of Fortune* Fortune fuz par clercs jadiz nommée, Fortune they named me, scholars long ago, Que toy, Françoys, crye et nomme murtriere, And now, François, you call me murderess – Qui n’es homme d’aucune renommée. Yes, you, without a touch of fame to show. Meilleur que toy faiz user en plastriere I’ve sent your betters, poor men in distress, Par povreté, et fouyr en carriere. To sweat in lime-kilns or break stone for less. S’à honte viz, te dois tu doncques plaindre ? You whinge and moan because you live in shame? Tu n’es pas seul, si ne te dois complaindre. You’re not the only one, so don’t complain. Regarde et voy, de mes faiz de jadiz, Look round and see the feats I did of old, Mains vaillans homs par moy mors et roiddiz, The valiant men I laid out stiff and cold, Et n’es, ce sais, envers eulx ung soullon. Compared to them you’re just a scullion. 10 Appaise toy et mect fin en tes diz : Calm down, I say, shut up for once, don’t scold: Par mon conseil prens tout en gré, Villon ! Take my advice and take what comes, Villon! Contre grans roys me suis bien anymée Against the greatest kings I fought to show Le temps qui est passé ça en arriere. My power in ancient times, in days long past. Priame occis et toute son armée : Priam I killed and all his army too, Ne lui valut tour, donjon ne barriere. No tower or bulwark kept him safe at last. Et Hannibal, demoura il derriere ? Could Hannibal survive? At my behest En Cartaige par mort le feiz actaindre, Death snuffed him out in Carthage, and the same Et Scypïon l’Affrequain feit estaindre. Fate befell African Scipio’s bright flame. Julius Cesar au Senat je vendiz. And Caesar on the Senate floor I sold; 20 En Egipte Pompée je perdiz. In Egypt I destroyed Pompey the Bold; En mer noyay Jazon en ung boullon, Jason was drowned – that whirlwind I brought on. Et une foys Romme et Rommains ardiz. Once even Rome I burned: now you’ve been told – Par mon conseil prens tout en gré, Villon ! Take my advice and take what comes, Villon! Alixandre, qui tant fist de hemée Great Alexander shed much blood, and so Qu’il voulut voir l’estoille poucyniere, Wanted the Pleiades next on his list; Sa personne par moy fut envelimée. A little of my poison laid him low. Alphasar roy, en champ, sur sa baniere King Alphasar fought, but, when I struck his crest, Ruay jus mort. Cela est ma maniere : Fell on his flag. That’s how I like it best: Ainsi l’ay fait, ainsi le maintendray, That’s what I do, I’ll always do the same, 30 Autre cause ne raison n’en rendray. I don’t see any reason to explain. Holofernés l’idolastre mauldiz, When I cursed Holofernes, he was killed 200 201 Qu’occist Judic — et dormoit entandiz — By Judith as he slept, a heathen felled De son poignart dedens son pavillon. With his own sword in his pavilion; Absallon, quoy ? En fuyant le pendis. Absalom? Hanged as he escaped the field. Par mon conseil prens tout en gré, Villon. Take my advice and take what comes Villon! Pour ce, Françoys, escoute que te dis : And so, François, listen to what you’re told: Se riens peusse sans Dieu de Paradiz But for the fact that God in heaven holds A toy n’à autre ne demourroit haillon, Me back, you wouldn’t have a rag to put on: Car pour ung mal lors j’en feroye dix. I’d do ten wrongs for every one of old. 40 Par mon conseil prens tout en gré, Villon ! Take my advice and take what comes, Villon! 202 203 XII – Ballade des pendus XII – Ballade of the Hanged Men* Freres humains, qui après nous vivez, Men, human brothers, who live after us, N’ayez les cueurs contre nous endurcis, Let not your hearts be hardened, for if you Car, se pitié de nous povres avez, Can feel some pity for our wretchedness, Dieu en aura plus tost de vous mercis. The sooner you’ll receive God’s mercy too. Vous nous voiez cy attachez, cinq, six : You see five, six of us, strung up to view: Quant de la chair, que trop avons nourrie, As for the flesh that once we overfed, El est pieça devorée et pourrie, Here’s where it rots, itself devoured instead, Et nous, les os, devenons cendre et pouldre. And we, the bones, to dust and ashes fall. De nostre mal personne ne se rie, Let no one mock our misery or deride, Mais priez Dieu que tous nous vueille absouldre.