Lament of Edward II
Encyclopedia
The "Lament of Edward II", "En tenps de iver me survynt damage" (sic), is traditionally credited to Edward II of England
, and thought to have been written during his imprisonment shortly after he was deposed by his wife Isabella
in January 1327. Not all readers are convinced of the royal attribution of its authorship. The poem, in fifteen stanza
s, bears the heading De Le Roi Edward, le Fiz Roi Edward, Le Chanson Qe Il Fist Mesmes ("Of the King Edward, son of King Edward, the Song that He Made himself"). It was a chanson
, and was likely to be sung to an existing tune. In each stanza two rhyme
s alternate, in approximately octosyllabic lines
. The text survives in a manuscript on vellum
at Longleat
, bound into a volume titled Tractatus varii Theologici saec. XIII et XIV (76v and 77r), causing it to be overlooked; and in a manuscript in the Royal Library
. It was identified by Paul Studer and first published by him with a short literary introduction and an English translation in 1921.
"The tone of the poem, the line of arguments, the touches of deep personal feeling unmistakably stamp the work as genuine," Studer concluded. "The king's song is a rare and valuable specimen of Anglo-Norman lyric poetry
." The poet uses the poetical conventions of Provençal love poetry
to lament
his fall, the loss of his queen and his kingdom. In the Provençal tradition of the canso
, he commences by invoking the (winter) season and ends with an envoi
. Nevertheless, the poem compares favourably with contemporary poems of Northern France, Studer concludes: "It is free from their mannerism and artifice, and possesses a directness of speech and an accent of deep sincerity which they seldom exhibit."
A garbled account of this "lamentable complaynt" from manuscripts that he had seen, "with many other of the same makynge" was given by Robert Fabyan
(died 1513), who rendered six lines of the incipit
in Latin and offered his own flowery and pedantic variant in English. No other poems by Edward survive.
Edward II of England
Edward II , called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed by his wife Isabella in January 1327. He was the sixth Plantagenet king, in a line that began with the reign of Henry II...
, and thought to have been written during his imprisonment shortly after he was deposed by his wife Isabella
Isabella of France
Isabella of France , sometimes described as the She-wolf of France, was Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the youngest surviving child and only surviving daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre...
in January 1327. Not all readers are convinced of the royal attribution of its authorship. The poem, in fifteen 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, bears the heading De Le Roi Edward, le Fiz Roi Edward, Le Chanson Qe Il Fist Mesmes ("Of the King Edward, son of King Edward, the Song that He Made himself"). It was a chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
, and was likely to be sung to an existing tune. In each stanza two rhyme
Rhyme
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. The word "rhyme" may also refer to a short poem, such as a rhyming couplet or other brief rhyming poem such as nursery rhymes.-Etymology:...
s alternate, in approximately octosyllabic lines
Octosyllable
The octosyllable or octosyllabic verse is a line of verse with eight syllables. It is equivalent to tetrameter verse in iambs or trochees in languages with a stress accent. It is often used in French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese poetry...
. The text survives in a manuscript on vellum
Vellum
Vellum is mammal skin prepared for writing or printing on, to produce single pages, scrolls, codices or books. It is generally smooth and durable, although there are great variations depending on preparation, the quality of the skin and the type of animal used...
at Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
, bound into a volume titled Tractatus varii Theologici saec. XIII et XIV (76v and 77r), causing it to be overlooked; and in a manuscript in the Royal Library
Royal Library
Royal Library can mean:*Royal Library, Windsor - the royal library of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom*Danish Royal Library - the national library of Denmark*Dutch Royal Library - the national library of The Netherlands...
. It was identified by Paul Studer and first published by him with a short literary introduction and an English translation in 1921.
"The tone of the poem, the line of arguments, the touches of deep personal feeling unmistakably stamp the work as genuine," Studer concluded. "The king's song is a rare and valuable specimen of Anglo-Norman lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
." The poet uses the poetical conventions of Provençal love poetry
Provençal literature
Occitan literature — still sometimes called Provençal literature — is a body of texts written in Occitan in what is nowadays the South of France. It originated in the poetry of the 11th- and 12th-century troubadours, and inspired the rise of vernacular literature throughout medieval...
to lament
Lament
A lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
his fall, the loss of his queen and his kingdom. In the Provençal tradition of the canso
Canso (song)
The canso is a song style used by the troubadours. It consists of three parts. The first stanza is the exordium, where the composer explains his purpose. The main body of the song occurs in the following stanzas, and usually draw out a variety of relationships with the exordium. The canso can end...
, he commences by invoking the (winter) season and ends with an envoi
Envoi
In poetry, an envoi is a short stanza at the end of a poem used either to address an imagined or actual person or to comment on the preceding body of the poem.-Form:...
. Nevertheless, the poem compares favourably with contemporary poems of Northern France, Studer concludes: "It is free from their mannerism and artifice, and possesses a directness of speech and an accent of deep sincerity which they seldom exhibit."
A garbled account of this "lamentable complaynt" from manuscripts that he had seen, "with many other of the same makynge" was given by Robert Fabyan
Robert Fabyan
Robert Fabyan , chronicler, was born in London, of which hebecame an Alderman and Sheriff. He kept a diary of notable events, whichhe expanded into a chronicle, which he entitled, The Concordance of Histories. It covers the period from the arrival of Brutus in England tothe death of King Henry VII...
(died 1513), who rendered six lines of the incipit
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
in Latin and offered his own flowery and pedantic variant in English. No other poems by Edward survive.
External links
- Full text of the poem in Studer, Paul, "An Anglo-Norman Poem by Edward II, King of England", The Modern Language Review, Volume XVI, 1921.