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Blondel, the traveling minstrel, stamped & tinted brass.
This is a photograph of a button that was stamped in the United Kingdom
celebrating and in honor of the French Minstrel Blondel de Nesle
To hear a song written by Blondel de Nesle or dowload the midi file
click on this site:
http://www.contemplator.com/folk4/blondel.html
Blondel de Nesle & King Richard
Blondel was attached to the court of King Richard
(the Lion Heart) and traveled with Richard to the Holy Land on a crusade.
At any rate, while on their travels, Blondel and King Richard wrote a song
together.
En route from Jerusalem back to England, the King
was shipwrecked, and attempted to make his way back to England. Unfortunately,
he had made enemies with many of the Frankish (Germanic) princes due to
his high-handedness, and was captured and held for ransom in Germany. But
King Richard’s brother, John, was loathe to see Richard back in England.
He was a greedy man, unwilling to follow the set rules of primogeniture,
and he wanted to rule as King. So, he took his time raising the money to
send to Germany, and claimed he couldn’t find out where King Richard was
held captive.
Angered by the way his liege Lord was being treated,
Blondel went to Germany, his lute in hand. He went from castle to castle,
singing for his supper after befriending the kitchen staffs. Of course,
the song he sang was the one only King Richard knew, and when he heard
a voice in a distant room singing along, he knew he’d found his friend.
After that, it was a short time before King Richard was returned to his
throne.
The following is a poem written by Blondel. It was written in
French so the English trnaslation is also included:
Text:
1. Ma joi me semont De chanter au douz tens; Et mes cuers li respont Que droiz est que j'y pens; Car nule riens el mont Ne fas seur son deffens; Dex, quel siecle cil ont Qui i metent leur sens! |
Translation:
My joy summons me
|
2.
A la joie apartient D'amer mout finement Et quant li leus en vient Li doners largement; Encor plus i convient: Parler cortoisement. Qui ces trois voies tient Ja n'ira malement. |
Joy appertains
to love in a fine manner, 10 and, when the occasions arrive, to give gifts generously; One further thing concerns it: to speak courteously. He who holds to these three ways 15 will never fare badly. |
|
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© Blondel 1998-2002 Blondell