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S'Anc Fuy Belha Ni Prezada

from The Plum Tree and The Rose by Sarah McQuaid

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about

This “alba” or “dawn song” was written by the Provençal troubadour Ellian du Cadenet (c. 1160-c. 1235). I’ve found a number of different versions of it; the text here is as printed in Choix des Poésies Originales des Troubadours, Tome Troisième, by François Juste Marie Raynouard (Didot, Paris, 1818), and the melody is as printed in The Extant Troubadour Melodies by Hendrick van der Werf (published by the author, Rochester, New York, 1984); many thanks to Dr. Joseph Baldassarre, Professor Emeritus at Boise State University, for emailing me a scan of the relevant pages. I’ve tried to follow the Old Occitan pronunciation guidelines in Timothy McGee’s Singing Early Music, which I bought at Joe Baldassarre’s suggestion, and hope I’ve succeeded. I make no excuses for the fact that this 13th century Occitan song is accompanied here on an Indian shruti box (a very nifty bellows-driven instrument with levers that can be manipulated to change the chord being played) and a South American tiple!

lyrics

S’anc fui belha ni prezada
Ar sui d’aut en bas tornada
Qu’az un vilan sui donada
Tot per sa gran manentia
E murria
S’ieu fin amic non avia
Cuy disses mo marrimen
E guaita plazen
Que mi fes son d’alba

Ja per guap ni per menassa
Que mos mals maritz me fassa
No mudarai qu’ieu no jassa
Ab mon amic tro al dia
Quar seria
Desconoissens vilania
Qui's partria malamen
Son amic valen
De si, tro en l’alba

If before I was beautiful and esteemed
Now I am turned from high to low
For I am given to a vulgar man
All because of his great wealth
And I would die
If I did not have a noble lover
To whom I could tell my unhappiness
And a pleasing watchman
To sound the dawn for me

Never for any gibes or threats
That my wicked husband may make to me
Will I cease lying
With my lover until daylight
For it would be
Ungrateful and base
If anyone wickedly sent away
Their worthy lover
Before the dawn

credits

from The Plum Tree and The Rose, released March 5, 2012
Cadenet, c. 1200, arr. Sarah McQuaid & Gerry O’Beirne
Vocals & Shruti Box – Sarah
Tiple – Gerry O’Beirne
Keyboards – Rod McVey
Percussion – Noel Eccles

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Sarah McQuaid Penzance, UK

“One of the most instantly recognisable voices in current music … Shades of Joni Mitchell in a jam with Karen Carpenter and Lana Del Rey.” —Neil March, Trust The Doc

“Captivating, unorthodox songwriting … layered satin vocals ... enthralling, harrowing arrangements … a gateway into a true innovator’s soul.” —PopMatters

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