Dissertation on Birds of Prey and the Sport - the Falconry Heritage ...

tal es mon talens, Ke m'inervia d'onor e plager, Kar'ei non sui della maniere
d'ors, Ke qui batte non tien vile, Se mercie adorne engras, Et muluira or ven.
Ab rot le mon sui clautz, De mi trop parlar, Ess'io poghes finis contrefar,
Ke non es mai c'uns que s'art, E poi resurte sus ieu m'arserei, Car sui tan
malannaz, E mis fais dig, Messongier turanz, E sortir con spire et con plor, La
giovenz e bietaz e valor, Es que non deu fallir un pauo di merses, La udieuasis
tutt'altri bon.
Mia canzone e mio lamento, Va' la u ieu non os annar, De' miei occhi
sguardar, Tanto sono forfatto e fallente. Ia ie non me n'escus, Nk nu1 fu miei di
donna, Ke fu'n dietro du an, Or torno a voi doloroso e piangente, Si come cierbo
k'a fatto su lungo cors, Torn'al morir a1 grido delli cacciatori, Et io cosi torno alla
vostra mercie, Ma voi non cal se d'amor no soven.
The poem appears in an interesting mix of Italian and Provengal; it is an
adaptation of a canso by Richart de Berbezilh, written entirely in Provengal. It is of
interest to note the the use of bestiary images that is typical of Rigaut de Berbezilh, and
its several links in subject matter to the novella.
It has been argued that the story itself is an adaptation of the razo that prefaces the
Provengal version of this poem, in the collection of razos written possibly by Uc de Saint
circ.13 Indeed, the two stories share many similarities, not least the poem, and are
undoubtedly related in some way. However, the Novellino tale is more detailed than the
razo; it includes a long, rich description of life at the court of Po, of "nostra donna in
Provenza", where the events take place. Because of this setting, the Novellino tale
includes a sparrowhawk, with very courtly connotations, while the razo does not.
The tale in the Novellino begins with this background story, totally absent from
the razo, of a great court that was held for the knighting of the son of "Conte Raimondo."
Elements of the description of the court suggest that it remains in existence for a very
l3 See Guido Favati, La novella LXIV del "Novellino" e Uc de Saint Circ," Lettere italiane XI, no. 2
(1959): 133-73, and Alberto Varvaro, Rigaut de Berbezilh, Liriche, 23-28 for discussion of the question of
sources, and a comparison of these two versions. Favati argues for a common source, while Varvaro
disagrees.