La Ballade des Dames du Temps Jadis

(video by Patrick Marechal)

Dictes moy ou, n'en quel pays,
Est Flora la belle Rommaine,
Archipiades ne Thaïs,
Qui fut sa cousine germaine,
Echo parlant quant bruyt on maine
Dessus riviere ou sus estan,
Qui beaulté ot trop plus q'humaine.
Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

Ou est la tres sage Helloïs,
Pour qui chastré fut et puis moyne
Pierre Esbaillart a Saint Denis?
Pour son amour ot ceste essoyne.
Semblablement, ou est la royne
Qui commanda que Buridan
Fust geté en ung sac en Saine?
Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

La royne Blanche comme lis
Qui chantoit a voix de seraine,
Berte au grand pié, Beatris, Alis,
Haremburgis qui tint le Maine,
Et Jehanne la bonne Lorraine
Qu'Englois brulerent a Rouan;
Ou sont ilz, ou, Vierge souvraine?
Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

Prince, n'enquerez de sepmaine
Ou elles sont, ne de cest an,
Qu'a ce reffrain ne vous remaine:
Mais ou sont les neiges d'antan?

--- an English version (Robin Shirley)

Tell me where, or in what land,
is Flora the fair Roman girl,
Archipiada, or Thaïs,
who was her match in beauty's hall,
Echo who answered when one called
over rivers or still pools,
whose loveliness was more than human?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?

Where is Héloïse, so wise, for whom
Pierre Abelard was first unmanned
then cloistered up at Saint Denis?
For her love he bore these trials.
And where now can one find that queen
by whose command was Buridan
thrown in a sack into the Seine?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?

Queen Blanche, light as a lily,
who sang with a mermaid's voice,
Bertha Bigfoot, Beatrice, Alice,
Arembourg, heiress to Maine,
and Joan the good maid of Lorraine
whom the English griddled at Rouen;
where are they, where, O Sovereign Virgin?
Where are the snows of yesteryear?

Prince, don't ask me in a week
or in a year what place they are;
I can only give you this refrain:
Where are the snows of yesteryear?

--- a Romanian version (Dan Danila):

Pe unde-s, prin ce tari de vis,
Flora, romana-ncantatoare,
Alcibiada sau Thais,
Ce fost-au bune verisoare,
Echo, dand zvonuri chematoare
Pe stanci si ape spre liman,
Frumoasa de pereche n-are?
Dar unde-i neaua din cel an?

Dar inteleapta Helois?
De dragu-i, cat a patimit
Pierre Abelard la Saint Denis,
Scopit si-apoi calugarit.
La fel, Doamna ce-a poruncit
Sa se inece Buridan
In sac si-n Sena azvarlit?
Dar unde-i neaua din cel an?

Regina Blanche ca floarea-nvoalta
Cantand cu voce descantata,
Betris, Alis, Berte cea inalta,
Erembourg, doamna-n Maine odata,
Lorena Jeanne, nevinovata
De englezi arsa la Rouan,
Unde-s, Fecioara preacurata?
Dar unde-i neaua din cel an?

Printe, nu intreba pe unde,
Nici de al vremilor noian,
Doar un refren iti va raspunde:
Dar unde-i neaua din cel an?

--- another English version (The Ballad of the Ladies of Yore)

Where, pray tell me, in which land,
where is Flora the fair Roman?
and Archipiades and Thaïs,
all cousins in art and voice?
Echo, she spoke where we bellowed
across rivers, over ponds,
held more beauty than human should.
But whither have gone the snows of yore?

Where is that most wise Heloïs
for whom was gelded then monk became
Pierre Esbaillart at Saint-Dennis?
For her love he made the sacrifice.
Where, pray tell me, is the queen
who ordered noble Jean Buridan
to be sacked then thrown into Seine?
But whither have gone the snows of yore?

And Blanche the lily-white queen
who sang with the voice of a siren?
Bertha the slender-footed, Beatrice, Alice?
Haremburgis who held all of Maine?
And Joan the just maid of Lorraine
who in Rouen the English burned?
Where are they? Where, Virgin supreme?
But whither have gone the snows of yore?

Prince, let no week pass save you ask
where they are; and throughout the present year
until it be that you too come up with this refrain:
But whither have gone the snows of yore?

(video by leonocusto2008)

--- and a Japanese version (leonocusto2008)

参考：
「疇昔の美姫の歌（そのかみのやしょめのうた）」
日夏耿之介訳
（『日夏耿之介全集』２、河出書房新社 1977 より）

羅馬（ろま）の麗人（あてびと）フロオラの姫は
いづこにおんわたり候らむ。
そのいと似かよへるタイイスと
アルキビアアダなど阿嬌（あけう）いづちゆきけむ。
水沼幽■（漢字はさんずい＋間）（みぬませゝらぎ）に身がくりて
木魅（こだま）するエコオの姫は
麗容うつし世のものならず、
　　　さはれ故歳（ふるとし）の雪やいづくぞ。

閨秀エロイイズ尼いづくにある
サン・ドニにてピエル・エスバイヤアルの得度（とくど）なせしは
その宮（きゅう）せられしが故とかや、
げにげに戀草（こひぐさ）こそはうらみつらみの種ぞかし。
ビュリダンを嚢中にとり籠め
セエヌ川に投じされと
宣り給ひけむ女王（にょわう）の君はいづれぞや。
　　　さはれ故歳（ふるとし）の雪やいづくぞ。

海妖（シレエヌ）の歌口（うたぐち）をなせしてふ
白百合の女王ブランシュの君
玉筍（ぎょくじゅん）ベルタ、ビヤトリイス、アリスの姫、
メエヌを領ぜしアレムブルギスの公主（こうしゅ）
はた、ロオレエヌ方（がた）貞■（漢字は女偏＋宛）（ていゑん）の乙女ジャンヌは
英吉利びとこれをルウアンに焚殺せりき。
聖貞童女（せいていどうにょ）よ　ここらなべての女人（にょにん）だち今いづくんかある。
　　　さはれ故歳（ふるとし）の雪やいづくぞ。

　反歌
ふるとしの雪やいづくとあざかへし
　　　このとしこの日趾（あと）とふなゆめ。

(François Villon)