> Shirley Collins > Songs > C’est La Fin / Pour Mon Cuer

C’est La Fin / Pour Mon Cuer

[Guillaume d’Amiens, 13^th century / anon., arr. John Sothcott]

Shirley Collins sang the two short Medieval French songs C’est La Fin and Pour Mon Cuer on her and her sister Dolly’s 1976 album Amaranth; She was accompanied by John Sothcott on vielle. Their album notes commented:

Two short songs from the Northern French Trouvère Tradition of the 12^th and 13^th centuries. It is likely that Blondel de Nesle, Minstrel to Richard The Lionheart (himself a Trouvère), would have played the vielle as accompaniment to his master’s song.

Emily Askew sang C’est la Fin in 2017 on her band’s CD Alchemy. She commented in her liner notes:

[…] We follow it by C’est la Fin by Guillaum d’Amiens, who was a Trouvère and painter from Amiens. All his songs are preserved in a single chansonnier (songbook) from Arras. The only reference to Guillaume outside of the chansonnier is in a list of taxpayers in Amiens in 1301, which mentions a “William the Painter”.

Lyrics

Shirley Collins sings C’est la Fin

C’est la fin koi que nus die, j’amerai!
C’est la jus en mi les prés,
C’est la fin, je veul amer!
Jus et baus i a levés bele amie ai.
C’est la fin koi que nus die, j’amerai!

Translation

It’s the end whatever anyone may say, I shall love!
Down there at the meadows,
It’s the end, I want to love!
Today I woke early,and I have a beautiful friend.
It’s the end whatever anyone may say, I shall love!