Sensual Medieval Poem of the Day: Countess of Dia

[transemacabre]

The Countess of Dia was one of the female troubadours, or trobairitz of Southern France. Little is known of her except that she was the wife of a William of Poitou and that she was in love with the troubadour Raimbaut d'Aurenga and composed her songs for him.


Cruel are the pains I've suffered
For a certain chevalier
Who was once mine. I declare
That I love him... let it be known forever
But now I see that I was deceived;
When I dress or when I languish
In bed, I suffer a great anguish...
I should have given my love to him

I should like to take my lover to bed
And hold him, naked in my arms for one night...
I'd give him reason to believe
He was in heaven, if I deigned
To be his pillow! For I've loved him more
Than Floris loved Blanchefleur
To him I give my heart, my love, my mind, my eyes, my life.

My charming, sweet, best beloved,
When shall I hold you in my power?
If I could lay with you one night I would
Kiss you so you would feel my ardor
I wish to have you in my husband's place
Of that you may rest assured...
So long as you give me your solemn vow
That you'll obey my every command.

I love this poem because Dia is so forward with the object of her affections. No dancing around the subject for her: she wants him in her bed, naked in her arms! She also toys with the subject of power -- at first supposing to put her lover in her husband's place and make him her master, but then decides instead that he shall be in her power

Comments

[silverwhistle.livejournal.com]

Always one of my favourite songs!

There are interesting puzzles over her vida. The Raimbaut d'Aurenga may be Raimbaut III, the trobador, who died in 1173, aged 29; or he may be his great-nephew Raimbaut IV, who died in 1218, but it's not certain he also wrote songs. The Williams of Poitiers are from a junior line: 2 are from the Counts of Valentinois (Die is 25 miles from Valence): one died in 1188, and his grandson in 1226. There's another in the Narbonne area who died in the later 1170s, and a couple of others who are hopelessly obscure. (See notes on her and on Raimbaut in Bonner, Songs of the Troubadours.) So there's a strong case for her to be flourishing in the 1160s-early '70s, or at the turn of the 12-13 centuries. If I recall correctly, I think her first name has been tentatively identified as Beatritz.