Life of the Black Prince by Chandos Herald

Late Medieval Books, Life of the Black Prince by Chandos Herald

Life of the Black Prince by Chandos Herald is in Late Medieval Books.

A Parys fu, au voir jugier,	It was in Paris, to speak the truth,
Qu’en ce tamps fist appareillier	That at this time he began to prepare
Son grant pooir et amasser.	His great power and to gather them.
Et la fist ses genz assembler,	And there he assembled his people,
Et dist que poi se priseroit	And said that he would consider himself of little worth
Se grant vengeance nen prendoit,	If he did not take great vengeance,
Car bien quidoit avoir enclos	For he believed he had enclosed
Les Englois, selonc mon pourpos,	The English, according to my understanding,
Droit entre le Sayne et le Some;	Right between the Seine and the Somme;
Et la endroit, cou est le some,	And there, in that very place, it is the sum,
Les quidoit il trop bien combatre.	He thought he would easily defeat them.
Mes li Englois pour iaux esbatre	But the English, for their own amusement,
Misent tout en feu et a flame.	Set everything to fire and flame.
La firent mainte veve dame	There they made many a woman a widow
Et maint povre enfant orfanyn.	And many a poor child an orphan.

Battle of Blanchetaque

24 Aug 1346.

Tant chevauchoient soir et matyn	They rode so much, evening and morning,
Qu'il vinrent a 'eawe de Some;	That they came to the water of the Somme;
De l'autre part avoit maint home,	On the other side there were many men,
Car la feurent, n’en doutez mye,	For there were, without a doubt,
Les comunes de Pikardye,	The common folk of Picardy,
Et s'i estoit, sachies de fi,	And there was, know this well,
Sire Godomars de Fai.	Sir Godemar du Fay.
Mout par fu large le riviere	The river was very wide,
Du flum de le mer, rade et fiere,	The flow of the sea, swift and fierce,
Dont Englois moult se merveilloient	Which made the English marvel greatly
Coment par dela passeroient.	At how they would cross over.
Mais li Princes o le corps gent	But the Prince, with his brave men,
ffist eslire chevaliers cent,	Chose one hundred knights,
Des meillours de son avant garde,	The best of his vanguard,
Et les fist aler prendre garde	And sent them to find a way
Coment il pourroient passer.	To see how they could cross.
Et cil qui firent a loer,	And those who did so commendably
Chevauchoient tout environ	Rode all around
Tant qu’ont trove un compaignon	Until they found a companion
Qui lour a enseignie le pas	Who showed them the ford
De Some, je ne vous menk pas,	Of the Somme, I tell you no lie,
Et tout li cent, a une fig,	And all the hundred, in one go,
En I'eawe, le lance baissié,	Lowered their lances in the water,
Se sont feru sur lour coursiers—	They spurred on their horses—
Moult furent vaillanz chevaliers—	They were very valiant knights—
Et li Princes venoit apres	And the Prince came after,
Qui ades les sievoit de pres.	Always closely following them.
Grant escarmuche ot sur le pas	There was a great skirmish at the ford
De Some, je ne vous menk pas,	Of the Somme, I tell you no lie,
Et fort combatoient chevalier;	And the knights fought fiercely;
Et la de traire et de lancier	And there, with arrows and lances,
Se penoient d'ambedeux pars,	They strove on both sides,
Mais assez tost feurent espars	But they were soon scattered
Et mys a fuite li Picart	And put to flight the Picards
Avoec monseignour Godemart;	With Lord Godemar
Mais avoec I'aide de Dieu	But with the help of God,
Tout passa en tamps et en lieu.	Everyone crossed in time and place.

Quant Rois Phelippes I'oj dire	When King Philip heard it told,
Moult avoit a coer doel et ire,	Much sorrow and anger filled his heart,
Et dit: Par saint Poul, le baron,	And he said: "By Saint Paul, the baron,
Je me doute de traison;’	I suspect treachery;"
Mais nepourquant moult se hasta,	Yet he hurried very much,
Parmy Abeville passa.	Passed through Abbeville.
Mout par fu riches ses arois;	His entourage was very rich;
La fu, lui quartime des rois,	There he was, the fourth of the kings,
Cils de Maiole et de Behaigne,	Those of Majorca and Bohemia,
Et s’i fu li Rois d’Alemaigne;	And there was the King of Germany;
Assez y avoit ducs et contes	There were plenty of dukes and counts
Tant que cou estoit granz acontes.	So that there were great accounts.
Tant chevauchierent, sanz nul sy,	They rode so much, without any pause,
Que droit assez pres de Cressy,	That right near to Cressy,
En Pontieu, la fu herbergiez.	In Ponthieu, there they were lodged.
La fu Rois Edouwarz logiez	There King Edward was stationed
Et li Princes, se Dieux me garde,	And the Prince, God protect me,
Qui cel jour avoit l'avant garde.	Who that day had the vanguard.
La n'orent gaires demoure	They had hardly stayed there
Que de deux parz lour a conte	When it was told from two sides
Que si pres feurent ambedoy	That they were both so close
Que chescuns peut veoir l'aroi	That each could see the other’s array
De l'un l'autre et I'ordenement.	And the arrangement.
Lors se leva li cris fortment	Then the cry rose loudly
Et comencent a ordener	And they began to arrange
Lour batailles et devyser.	Their battles and to devise.

Battle of Crécy

26 Aug 1346

A quoy faire vous conteroye	Why should I recount and prolong
Le matere et alongeroye ?	The matter?
Celuy jour y ot il bataille	That day there was a battle
Si orible, que, tout sanz faille,	So horrible, that, without fail,
Onques ne fu corps si hardis	There was never a body so brave
Que n’en pooit estre esbahis.	That could not be astonished.
Qui veist venir le puissance	Whoever saw the power
Et le pooir du Roi de ffrance,	And the might of the King of France,
Grant mervaille seroit a dire !	It would be a great marvel to tell!
Espris de mautalent et d’ire	Driven by malice and wrath
Se vont ensamble entr’encontrer,	They went together to meet,
En faisant d’armes le mester,	In making their craft of arms,
Si tres chevalerousement	So very chivalrously
Que onques puis 'avenement	That ever since the advent
Ne vit on bataille plus fiere.	No fiercer battle was ever seen.
La veoit on maynte baniere,	There one could see many banners,
Pointe de fin or et de soye,	Pointed with fine gold and silk,
Et la, se li vrais Dieux m’avoye,	And there, if the true God aids me,
Englois estoient tout a pie,	The English were all on foot,
Com cil qui feurent afaitie	As those who were accustomed
De combatre et entalente.	To fight and eager.
La fu li Princes de bonte,	There was the Prince of goodness,
Qui I'avantgarde conduisoit,	Who led the vanguard,
Si vaillantment se governoit	So valiantly he conducted himself
Que merveille fu a veir ;	That it was a marvel to see;
A paines lessoit envair	He scarcely let
Nuli, tant fust hardyz ne forz.	Anyone, however brave or strong, invade.
Que vous feroie lons recorz ?	What long record should I make?
Tant combatirent celui jour	They fought so much that day
Qu’Englois en avoyent le meillour.	That the English had the better of it.
Et la fu morz li nobles Roys	And there died the noble King
De Behaigne qui fu courtoys,	Of Bohemia who was courteous,
Et li bons ducs de Loerayne	And the good Duke of Lorraine
Qui moult fu noble capitayne,	Who was a very noble captain,
Et de fflandres li nobles conte	And the noble Count of Flanders
Dont on fesoit un grant aconte,	Of whom a great account was made,
Et li bons conte d’Alencion	And the good Count of Alençon
Qui fu frere au Roy Philippon,	Who was brother to King Philip,
Cils de Joii + de Harcourt.	Those of Joinville + of Harcourt.
Que vous diroye a brief mot court?	What can I tell you in brief words?
Uns roys, uns ducs et sept contes	A king, a duke, and seven counts
Et, ensi com dit li acontes,	And, as the account says,
Plus que LX baneres	More than sixty banners
ffurent illoecques mort, tout fres,	Were there killed, all fresh,
Et trois roi qui s'en departirent ;	And three kings who departed from there;
Et plusours autre s’en fuirent,	And many others fled,
Dont je ne say mie le nombre,	Of whom I do not know the number,
Ne n'est pas droiz que je le nombre;	Nor is it right that I count them;
Mais je sai bien que celi jour	But I know well that that day
Li nobles Princes de valour	The noble Prince of valor
Del bataille avoit 'avantgarde	Had the vanguard of the battle
Si com on doit bien prendre garde,	As one must take note,
Car par lui et par ses vertus	For by him and by his virtues
ffu li champs gaigniez et vaincus.	Was the field won and conquered.

Li Rois Philippes a Parys	King Philip to Paris
S’en ala qui moult fu marys,	Went, who was very sad,
En son corage regretoit	In his heart he lamented
Ses homes qui perduz avoit ;	The men whom he had lost;
Et li nobles Roys d'Engleterre	And the noble King of England
Qui fu dignes de tenir terre,	Who was worthy to hold land,
Eu champ cele noet se logea,	That night lodged in the field,
Que moult grant honour conquesta.	Where he gained much honor.
Les morz fist aler visiter	He had the dead visited
Pour conoistre et pour aviser,	To recognize and to observe,
Et trova le Roy de Behaigne,	And found the King of Bohemia,
Qui gisoit morz sur le champaigne ;	Who lay dead on the field;
Carkier le fist en une biere	Had him placed in a bier
Et mettre sur une litiere	And put on a litter
Acovert d'un riche drap d'or ;	Covered with a rich cloth of gold;
Ariere le tramist et lor	Sent him back and then
De la place se deslogea,	Departed from the place,
Par devers Caleis chevaucha.	Rode towards Calais.
Pour ce que je ne mente mye,	So that I do not lie,
Cele trenoble chevauchié,	This noble ride,
Dont je fai mencion ycy,	Of which I make mention here,
Ce fu en I'an que Dieux nasqui,	Was in the year of our Lord's birth,
Mille trois cenz quarante et sis,	One thousand three hundred forty-six,
Et, ensy com dit li escris,	And, as the writing says,
Le veille de seint Bartholmieu,	On the eve of Saint Bartholomew,
Qu’avoecques le grace de Dieu	That with the grace of God
Li Roys ceste bataille fist,	The King fought this battle,
Ou tant de noblece il acquist.	Where he acquired so much nobility.