Clerk who would see the Virgin
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The Clerk who would see the Virgin
Traduction française de Florence BOURNE, Maître de conférences, Université Paris-Sorbonne.
Traduction en anglais moderne de Sheryl SAVINA, Maître de conférences honoraire, Université Paris-Sorbonne.
Manuscrit Auchinleck Traduction française Traduction en anglais moderne
[An an]gel sche sent to him anon. {f.37vb} Elle lui envoya aussitôt un ange. Soon she sent him an angel.
[He g]ret þe clerk wiþ milde steuen. Il salua le clerc d’une voix douce. He greeted the clerk with a soft voice.
[Into] þe chamber when he gan gon, Dans la chambre lorsqu’il entra When he came into the room
[He was] briŠter þan ani leuen. Il brillait plus qu’un rayon de soleil. He was brighter than any flash of lightning.
Leuen] no no sonnes bem 5 Aucun reflet ni rayon de soleil Neither lightning flash nor sunbeam
[In so]mers day nas neuer so briŠt, Ne brillait l’été davantage On a summer’s day was ever as bright
[Þan] þat angel, when he doun kem Que cet ange, lorsqu’il descendit As the angel when he came down
[Into] þat hous about midniŠt. Dans cette demeure vers minuit. Into that house around midnight.
[He þo]uŠt his hert schuld tospring, Il crut que son cœur allait se briser He thought his heart would burst,
Þo h]e gan on þat angel sen. 10 Lorsqu’il posa les yeux sur cet ange. When he came to look at the angel.
[‘Mi] clerk, drede þe noþing, « Mon clerc, n’aie pas peur, ‘My clerk, do not be afraid,
[Grace] of God be ous bitven. La grâce de Dieu nous unit. The grace of God is with us.
[Tidan]des now y þe bring Je t’apporte maintenant des nouvelles I bring you now a message
[Fram M]arie, our heuen-quen; De Marie, notre reine céleste ; From Mary, our heavenly queen;
[I þe] telle certain tiding: 15 Je vais te dire une chose certaine : I tell you, truly:
[If þou] wilt hir bodi sen, Si tu souhaites la voir en personne, If you wish to see her body,
[If sen] þou wilt þat leuedi briŠt, Si tu veux voir cette illustre dame, If you want to see our radiant Lady,
[Þis p]enaunce þou most chesen: Tu dois choisir ta pénitence : You must choose your penance :
1[Þou m]iŠt be siker, þine eiŠesiŠt Tu dois assurément, ou bien la vue Make sure, for you will have to abandon
Oþer þ]i liif þou schalt forlesen.’ 20 Ou bien la vie y perdre. Either your eyesight or your life.’
[Þe cler]k anon gan him biþink: Le clerc commença à réfléchir : At once the clerk began to think:
[Šet y] can anoþer croke: Je peux trouver essayer une ruse : I still know another trick:
[Wiþ] min on eiŠe y schal wink, Je peux cligner de l’un de mes yeux I shall wink with my one eye,
[& wiþ] mi noþer y schal loke; Et de l’autre regarder ; And look with my other one;
Mi wa]risoun y schal biswink 25 J’effectuerai ma pénitence I shall obtain my protection
[Til y] may sen opon a boke, Jusqu’à ce que je puisse lire un livre So that I can still read a book
[& haue] anowe mete & drink. Et avoir assez à boire et à manger. And have sufficient food and drink.
[Gode] comfort to him he tok. Il en retira grand réconfort. Thus he comforted himself.
[He tok] to him anon gode hede: Il y réfléchit soigneusement : And so he considered the situation :
[Iwis, m]in on eiŠe may me seruen 30 En vérité, mon œil unique peut me servir Indeed, a single eye may serve me
[Þer to] do wiþ al mi dede; À tout ce dont j’aurai besoin ; To do everything I need to do.
[It is] ynouŠ til y schal steruen. Il me suffira jusqu’à ma mort. It will be enough until I die.
[Þe cl]erk him fair answerd oŠain Le clerc répondit en retour poliment The clerk answered him courteously,
[‘Ich] do me alle in her manay. « Je me mets entièrement en son pouvoir. ‘I put myself entirely in her hands.
[Sch]eu now what y schal mene 35 Fais savoir ce que je veux dire Tell Mary what I mean,
[To] Mari, as y þe say. À Marie, comme je te le raconte. As I say to you.
[Hir s]eriaunt ichaue long ben; J’ai longtemps été son serviteur ; I have long been her servant;
[Wiþ a]ll loue now ich [h]ir pray Je la prie désormais avec tout mon amour With all my love now I pray to her
[Þat] ich mot hir ones sen De me laisser la voir une seule fois That I might see her clearly
[Aper]tliche, er þan y day. 40 En face, avant ma mort. Face to face before I die.
[Whe]n y dye, sche Šiue me grace Lorsque je mourrai, qu’elle m’accorde When I die, may she give me the grace
[To come] to hir wiþ gode entent, De venir à elle en toute honnêteté, To come to her with good intent ,
[To sen] hir bodi & hir face.’ Pour voir son corps et son visage. » To see her body and her face.’
[Þe an]gel oŠain to heuene is went. L’ange retourna au ciel The angel returned to heaven.
Fram heuen into þe clerkes bour, {f.38ra} 45 Du ciel à la chambre du clerc From heaven back into the clerk’s abode,
RiŠt doun biforn his beddes fet, Juste au pied de son lit Right down at the foot of his bed,
Þe angel aliŠt wiþ gret honour, L’ange se posa dignement The angel alighted with great dignity,
& wel fair he gan him gret. Et le salua courtoisement. And greeted him respectfully.
‘Mari, þat bar our saueour’ « Marie, qui porta notre sauveur, ‘Soon,’ he said, ‘you shall see
He seyd ‘þou schalt sen as sket.’ 50 dit-il, tu la verras bientôt. » Mary, who bore our saviour,’
Wiþ him þer com a gret odour; Avec lui vint une puissante odeur, A wonderful fragrance accompanied him,
Nas neuer no smel half so swete. Il n’en était pas d’aussi douce de moitié. Never had there been a smell half so sweet.
So swete a smal nas neuer non, Il n’était pas d’odeur aussi douce, So sweet a smell there never was,
2Of rose no of no spicerie, — Ni de rose ni d’épice — Neither of roses nor of spices,
As com into þat leueli won 55 Que celle qui entra dans cette admirable demeure, As what came into that lowly dwelling
Befor þat leueliche compeynie. Devant cette compagnie digne d’adoration. Before such a humble person.
Wiþ angel song & miri play Avec des chants angéliques et une belle musique With angel song and merry playing
Our leuedi adoun sche liŠt Notre dame descendit aussitôt Our Lady descended
Into þe chaumber þer he lay, Dans la chambre où il se tenait couché, Into the room where he lay,
& seyd ‘clerk, drede þe nowiŠt.’ 60 Et dit « Clerc, ne crains rien. » And said; ‘Clerk, do not be afraid.’
Þei a man biþouŠt him ay, Un homme pourrait y penser incessamment, However long a man may think,
No schuld he reden a poin[t] ariŠt Il ne pourrait réussir à percevoir, From now until Doomsday
Hennes vnto domesday D’ici jusqu’au jugement dernier, He can never properly describe
Hou fair sche is, þat maiden briŠt. À quel point cette vierge est belle. How beautiful the illustrious maiden is.
Hou briŠt sche is no tong may telle – 65 Nulle langue ne peut dire comme elle est belle — How radiant she is, no tongue may tell –
Yblisced mot hye euer ben. Elle est à jamais bénie. Blessed may she ever be.
Of heuen, of erþe & of helle Du ciel, de la terre et de l’enfer She is empress and queen
Sche is emperice & quene. Elle est l’impératrice et la reine. Of heaven, of earth and of hell.
A mantel our leuedy vnfeld, Notre dame déploya un manteau Our Lady unwrapped her mantle
BriŠter þan sonne þat schineþ schire. 70 Qui brillait plus vivement que le soleil flamboyant. Brighter than the sun that shines so clearly.
‘Clerk, drede þe nouŠt, bot be nov beld, « Clerc, ne crains rien, sois brave, ‘Clerk, do not be afraid, now rather be fearless,
For þou schalt haue þi desire; Car ton désir va être exaucé ; For you shall have your desire;
Þerwhiles þou hast þine eiŠen in weld, Tant que tu peux jouir de ta vue, While you still have the use of your eyes,
Avise þe wele of min atire, Contemple la richesse de ma mise, Look well at my apparel,
Apertliche þou me biheld, 75 Regarde-moi en face, Observe me fully,
Bodi & face, brest & swire.’ Le corps et le visage, le sein et la gorge. » Body and face, breast and neck.’
Swire & al hir bodi he seiŠe, Sa gorge et tout son corps il vit Her neck and all her body he saw,
When sche hadde to him spoken: Lorsqu’elle lui eut parlé : When she had spoken to him:
He loked on hir wiþ his on eiŠe – Il l’a regarda d’un seul œil — He looked at her with one eye –
Þat oþer he held stille yloken. 80 Il tenait l’autre bien fermé. Still holding the other one closed.
OŠain to heuen our leuedi went Notre dame retourna au ciel Straight to heaven our Lady went
Wel stillelich out of þat clos. Tout doucement depuis cette demeure. Leaving the place without a sound.
Þe clerk held him foulely schent, Le clerc se trouva cruellement trompé The clerk felt miserably shamed
Amorwe, when þat he aros. Le lendemain lorsqu’il se réveilla. In the morning, when he arose.
His Šalu here he haþ al torent, 85 Ses cheveux blonds il avait arrachés, He had all torn out all his golden hair
& in his hert sore him agros; Et il était triste en lui-même ; And in his heart he shuddered with painful horror;
Al þus he seyd & him biment Il dit ainsi et se plaignit : And he said to himself thus and lamented his lot:
‘Þis niŠt y saued on of mi fos; « Cette nuit j’ai sauvé l’un de mes ennemis ; ‘Tonight I saved one of my foes;
3Mi fo y spard, allas þat while! {f.38rb} Mon ennemi est sauf, hélas ! My enemy I spared, alas the day!
Sori icham & wele ich owe: 90 Je suis désolé et à juste titre : I am full of sorrow and well I ought to be:
Min eiŠe doþ mi soule gile, Mon œil trompe mon âme, My eye beguiles my soul
& often bringeþ it ful lowe.’ Et souvent l’avilit. » And often brings it down low.’
RiŠt in his chaumber, þer he stode, Là dans sa chambre, où il se trouvait, As he stood there in his room
Him þouŠt his liif was him ful loþ, Il lui parut que sa vie le dégoutait, He felt that his life had become loathsome to him,
He wepe sore wiþ dreri mode, 95 Il sanglota, en proie au désespoir, He wept bitterly with a doleful heart,
& out of his chaumber he goþ. Et sortit de sa chambre. And he went out of his room.
‘Þat me no deined, ich was wode, « Je n’ai pas daigné — j’ai été fou — ‘I was reckless not to think it fit
To loke wiþ min eiŠen boþe Regarder de mes deux yeux To look with both my eyes
Opon þat leuedi fair & gode; Cette belle et bonne dame ; Upon my Lady so lustrous and good;
Y wot þerfore þat sche is wroþ. 100 Je sais désormais que je l’ai fâchée. I believe therefore that she is angry.
Wroþ sche is, & wele sche may, Elle est fâchée, et à juste titre, Angry she is, and well should she be
Wiþ me, þat am sinful chaitif, Contre moi, qui suis un pauvre pécheur, With me, who am a sinful wretch
Þat y schuld hir so bitraye, Car je l’ai ainsi trahie, To have betrayed her so,
Þat ichaue loued in al mi liif. Moi qui l’ai aimée toute ma vie. She whom I have loved all my life.
Euer me may rewe þat ich while 105 À tout jamais je puis regretter, à tout moment, I will always regret what I did:
Þat y schuld for ani drede D’avoir sans crainte That because I was afraid I should
Do Marie þat gret gile. Ainsi m’être rendu coupable envers Marie. Have done such great treachery to Mary.
Allas, what schal me to rede? Hélas, que puis-je faire ? Alas, what shall I do now?
Mi soule y brouŠt in gret periil. Mon âme est placée en grand péril. I have put my soul in great danger.
A, leuedi, for þi maidenhed 110 Oh, dame, au nom de ta pureté Ah, Lady, for your maidenhood
ForŠiue me mi sinnes vile, Pardonne-moi mes infâmes péchés, Forgive me my vile sins,
& help me in þis muchel nede. Et aide-moi dans mon besoin. And help me in my great need.
In þis nede þou me saue, Sauve-moi dans ce besoin, In my trouble save me,
Þat y no be neuer forlorn; Pour que je ne sois plus perdu ; So that I will not be doomed;
Graunt me þat y þe craue, 115 Accorde-moi ce que je recherche Grant me what I beg of you,
For his loue þat of þe was born. Pour l’amour de celui qui est né de toi. For the love of Him that you bore.
A, leuedi, to me þou liþe, Oh, dame, viens à moi Ah, Lady, return to me,
For care min hert wil toriue; Ou de chagrin mon cœur se brisera ; My heart will break from grief,
Michel loue ichil þe kiþe De grand amour je t’aimerai Great love shall I bring you
& worþschip þine ioies fiue. 120 Et adorerai tes cinq joies. And worship your five joys;
Lene me grace, anoþer siþe Accorde-moi la grâce, à nouveau, Grant me the grace, one more time
To se þi bodi wiþouten striue De revoir ton corps sans entrave. Without delay to see your body.
Bi so, ichil be bliþe Alors j’accepterai volontiers With this, I will be content
4To be blinde in al mi liue. De rester aveugle toute ma vie. To remain blind all my life.
In al mi liue ichil be glad 125 Toute ma vie je me réjouirai For all my life I shall be glad
In swiche penaunce for to ben, D’accomplir cette pénitence, To do such penance.
Bi so þou graunt þat y þe bad: Accorde ce que je t’ai demandé : Therefore, grant me what I have asked of you :
Efsones y mot þe sen.’ Il faut que je te voie bien vite. » That I may soon see you once more.’
Alday he was in sorwe strong; Tout le jour il demeura en proie à ce cruel chagrin ; All day he was in great sorrow;
& afterward þat com þe niŠt; 130 Ensuite quand vint la nuit And afterwards when the night arrived
His white honden hard he wrong, Il tordit violemment ses blanches mains, He wrung his white hands hard,
He ne may for wo slepe nowiŠt. Il ne pouvait dormir tant il était triste. And he could not sleep at all for worrying.
He herd þan a miri song {f.38va} Il entendit alors le beau chant Then he heard a merry song
Of angels þat were so briŠt; D’anges éclatants ; Of angels so bright;
Our leuedi com hem among, 135 Notre dame était venue avec eux Our Lady came among them
& seyd ‘clerk, drede [þe] nowiŠt.’ Et dit « Clerc, ne crains rien. » And said, ‘Clerk, do not be afraid.’
Sche spac þe clerk so fair vntille Elle s’adressa fort courtoisement au clerc. She spoke so sweetly unto the clerk
‘Ich forŠiue þe al þi gilt; « Je te pardonne ta faute ; ‘I have forgiven you all your sins;
Þi praier y schal fulfille: J’accomplirai ta prière : Your prayer I shall fulfill:
Loke on me, Šif þat þou wilt. 140 Regarde-moi si tu le souhaites. Look at me if you wish.
Þerwhiles þat þou art hayl & quert, Tant que tu es vif et en bonne santé, While you are hale and hearty,
Biheld me wele euerich a bon. Regarde-moi en entier. Behold me well, every bone.
Biþenche in þine owhen hert Sache en ton cœur In your heart know that
Þat warisoun no hastow non; Que tu n’as plus de pénitence ; You have yet to do penance.,
Þine axing sore schal þe smert, 145 Ta requête te fera souffrir, Your request will cause you great pain;
Šif þou be blinde as ani ston; Quand tu seras aveugle comme une taupe ; If you become as blind as a stone,
Þou most liue in gret pouert, Tu devras vivre dans une grande pauvreté You must live in great poverty
[W]hen þou hast þine eiŠen forgon. Lorsque tu auras abandonné la vue. When you have given up your eyes.
When þou forgos þi warldes wele, Lorsque tu abandonneras les biens de ce monde, When you give up your worldly riches,
& loue of frendes, fremed & sibbe, 150 L’amour de tes amis, de tes frères et de ta famille, And love of family, both close and far removed,
Angwis þou most suffri fele, Tu endureras de grandes souffrances, You will suffer cruel anguish
In alle time þat þou schalt libbe.’ Durant toute ta vie durant. » For all the time that you shall live.’
Þe clerk answerd, & louŠ Le clerc répondit en riant The clerk answered laughingly,
‘Min hert is ful of gret solas; « Mon cœur est empli de douce consolation ; ‘My heart is filled with great comfort;
Icham bliþer þan brid on bouŠ 155 Je suis plus joyeux qu’un oiseau dans le taillis I am happier than a bird on a branch
Þat ich haue seyn þine holy face; D’avoir contemplé ton saint visage ; Now that I have seen your holy face;
Of al ioie ichaue anouŠ, J’ai suffisamment de joie, This joy is enough,
Sende me now, leuedi, of þi grace – Tu peux me renvoyer de ta grâce — Give me now, Lady, your grace –
5To suffren wo mi body is touŠ, Mon corps robuste pourra endurer le chagrin So that my body has the strength to suffer the calamity,
Bi so ich mot hauen a place. 160 Si ainsi j’y gagne une place. And by this action may I have a place.
A place graunt me, Marie, Accorde-moi une place, Marie, Grant me a place, Mary,
Þat mi soule mot wone, Pour que mon âme puisse demeurer So that my soul may live,
Wiþ ioie & wiþ melodye; Dans la joie et dans la mélodie ; Before your beloved son in heaven,
In heuen bifor þi swet sone.’ Au paradis devant ton doux fils. » Surrounded by joy and sweet music.
Sche seyd ‘mi clerk, no wepe þou nouŠt, 165 Elle dit « Mon cher clerc, ne pleure pas, She said, ‘Clerk of mine, do not weep,
No make no mornand chere. Ne porte plus le deuil. Nor make a mournful face.
Þi bon þou hast me bisouŠt, Cette grâce que tu m’as réclamée, The favour you have asked of me,
Ich graunt þe in al maner; Je te l’accorde entièrement ; I grant it to you in its entirety.
Into þat ioie þou schalt be brouŠt, Dans cette joie tu seras mené, When you have departed your life on earth,
When þou hast laten þi liif here, 170 Dès que tu auras quitté ta vie ici-bas, You shall be brought into the joy
Þat mi swete sone haþ wrouŠt Que mon doux fils a préparé That my beloved son has prepared
To hem þat ben him leue & dere. À ceux qui lui sont proches et chers. For those who are loved and dear to him.
Dere þou art to me, ywis. Tu m’es cher, en vérité. And truly, you are dear to me
OŠain to heuen now ich mot wende Je dois maintenant retourner au paradis ; Now I must return again to heaven.
Þou schalt com into þat blis, 175 Tu viendras dans cette joie, You shall come into that bliss
When þou hast laten þi liues ende.’ Lorsque tu auras achevé la fin de ta vie. » When you have finished the end of your life.
Vp into heuen anon sche steyŠe, {f.38vb} Elle remonta aussitôt au ciel, Then immediately she ascended into heaven
Þer sche is quen & leuedi corn. où elle est reine et dame bénie. Where she is queen and blessed Lady.
Þe clerk his eiŠen fast he wreiŠe, Le clerc plissa les yeux bien fort, The clerk shut his eyes tightly,
He wende his siŠt were forlorn. 180 Il crut que sa vue était perdue. He believed his sight was lost.
When it was day, ful wele he seiŠe Lorsqu’il fit jour, il vit clairement When day arrived, he could still see
Þis warldes pride al him biforn. Toute la splendeur de ce monde devant lui. All the splendour of the world before him.
‘Merci, leuedi’ he crid on heiŠe « Merci, ô Dame, s’écria-t-il, ‘Thank you, Lady,’ he cried to the heavens.
‘Wele be þe time þat þou were born. Vive le temps de ta naissance ! ‘Happy be the moment when you were born.
Þat þou were born of o wiman, 185 Que de ta naissance d’une femme When you were born of a woman,
Blisced be euer þe day. Le jour soit béni à jamais. Blessed forever be that day.
Þer liueþ no wiŠt þat telle can Nul homme qui vive ne saurait dire No living being can describe
Þe ioie þat of þe springeþ ay.’ La joie qui toujours de toi sourd. » The joy that springs from you continually.’
Leuedi, flour & frout of Iesse, Dame, fleur et fruit de Jessé, Lady, flower and fruit of Jesse,
Þou art maiden, gode & hende, 190 Tu es vierge, bonne et noble, You are the Virgin, good and gracious,
Godes moder, mild & fre; Mère de Dieu, douce et gracieuse ; The mother of God, noble and mild;
Michel þou helpest al mankende: Tu aides beaucoup l’humanité : You give all mankind great help:
On þi seruaunt haue pite, Aie pitié de ton serviteur, Have pity on your servant,
6& saue ous, lord, fram þe fende Sauve-nous, Seigneur, du démon, And save us, Lord, from the devil
& graunt ous, Šif þi wille be 195 Et entends-nous, si telle est ta volonté, And requite us, if it is your will,
When we schul of þis warld wende Lorsque nous devrions quitter ce monde When we must take leave of this world,
When we schal wend out of þis liue. Lorsque nous quitterons cette vie. When we leave this life.
Here our prayer & our steuen: Écoute-notre prière et notre voix : Hear our prayer and our voice:
Bring ous, for þine ioies fiue, Amène-nous, pour l’amour de tes cinq joies, Bring us, for the sake of your five joys,
Into þe swete blis of heuen. Amen. 200 Dans la douce joie du ciel. Amen. Into the sweet bliss of heaven. Amen.
Explicit Explicit Explicit.
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