Augats, seyós qui credets Déu lo Payre
Encyclopedia
Augats, seyós qui credets Déu lo Payre (əwˈɣats, səˈjos ˈki ˈkɾɛdədz ˈdew ɫu ˈpajɾə, sometimes called the Plany de la Verge) is a Catalan
poem of lamentation (planctus
) in the planctus Mariae tradition, in which the Virgin Mary laments the death of her son. It was written between 1240 and 1260 and is thus one of the oldest Catalan poems, although it is comes two hundred years after the Cançó de Santa Fe
. The piece is sometimes confused with the Plant de la Verge of Ramon Llull
.
Structurally, Augats is divided into twelve stanza
s, each composed of five monorhyming decasyllabic lines followed by tetrasyllabic single-line refrain
and a final decasyllabic line without rhyme. The language of the poem is heavily influenced by the Occitan of the troubadours and the courtly love
lyric.
The poem is preserved in four manuscripts. It was first brought to light by Jaime Villanueva in 1821, when he redacted it for publication from a manuscript in the archives of the church of Àger
. Villanueva found it entitled Planctus Sanctae Mariae virginis. Its language (whether Occitan or Catalan) became at once an issue of debate. The first two lines of the second stanza are a direct translation of an earlier Latin
lament, Qui per viam pergitis. The poem, which was perhaps performed, is the first-person lament of the Virgin Mary over the crucifixion of her son, Jesus Christ
:
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
poem of lamentation (planctus
Planctus
A planctus is a lament or dirge, a song or poem expressing grief or mourning. It became a popular literary form in the Middle Ages, when they were written in Latin and in the vernacular . The most common planctus is to mourn the death of a famous person, but a number of other varieties have been...
) in the planctus Mariae tradition, in which the Virgin Mary laments the death of her son. It was written between 1240 and 1260 and is thus one of the oldest Catalan poems, although it is comes two hundred years after the Cançó de Santa Fe
Cançó de Santa Fe
The Cançó de Santa Fe , a hagiographical poem about Saint Faith, is the earliest surviving written work in a Catalan dialect of Old Occitan. It is 593 octosyllabic lines long, divided into between 45 and 55 monorhyming laisses...
. The piece is sometimes confused with the Plant de la Verge of Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull was a Majorcan writer and philosopher, logician and tertiary Franciscan. He wrote the first major work of Catalan literature. Recently-surfaced manuscripts show him to have anticipated by several centuries prominent work on elections theory...
.
Structurally, Augats is divided into twelve stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
s, each composed of five monorhyming decasyllabic lines followed by tetrasyllabic single-line refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
and a final decasyllabic line without rhyme. The language of the poem is heavily influenced by the Occitan of the troubadours and the courtly love
Courtly love
Courtly love was a medieval European conception of nobly and chivalrously expressing love and admiration. Generally, courtly love was secret and between members of the nobility. It was also generally not practiced between husband and wife....
lyric.
The poem is preserved in four manuscripts. It was first brought to light by Jaime Villanueva in 1821, when he redacted it for publication from a manuscript in the archives of the church of Àger
Àger
Àger is a municipality in the comarca of the Noguera in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the north-west of the comarca, and the territory of the municipality stretches between the Noguera Ribagorçana and Noguera Pallaresa rivers. The Terradets reservoir on the Noguera Pallaresa is situated...
. Villanueva found it entitled Planctus Sanctae Mariae virginis. Its language (whether Occitan or Catalan) became at once an issue of debate. The first two lines of the second stanza are a direct translation of an earlier Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
lament, Qui per viam pergitis. The poem, which was perhaps performed, is the first-person lament of the Virgin Mary over the crucifixion of her son, Jesus Christ
Crucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
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External links
- MS 1144: Leccionari d'Àger, Bibliografia de Textos Catalans Antics, at PhiloBiblon.