THE VOWEL MOSAIC IN THE CANSOS OF BERNART DE VENTADORN
Patrick Michael Thomas
A true poet, Bernart de Ventadorn claims to derive inspiration from the Muse of Love in order to explain the excellence of his verse:
Non es meravelha s'eu chan melhs de nul autre chantador, que plus me tra'l cors vas amor e melhs sui faihz a so coman. (I.1-4)1
A true trei^rifs , this Fra Angelico of medieval lyricism (Billet 173) shows himself to be a superlative craftsman of verse. If, for example, we study the vowels in "Non es meravelha s'eu chan", certain definite patterns emerge, patterns that strongly suggest the hand of a self-conscious, albeit inspired, artist. Insofar as our study of the intraversicular stressed vowels has shown that the vowels naturally fall into groups of 2,2 we have utilized the same division here and found that such a grouping turns out to be equally revelatory.
Strophe I:
Non es meravelha s'eu3 chan melhs de nul autre chantador, que plus me tra»l cors vas amor e melhs sui faihz a so coman. Cor e cors e saber e sen e fors' e poder i ai mes. Si*m tira vas amor lo fres que vas autra part no«m aten.
(1.1-8)
In addition to the end rhymes, there appear to be interior "rimes plates": aa -vv. 7-8; ee - vv. 2,4,5; ii - v. 7. Perhaps even more interesting is the repetition of
1	All citations are from the critical edition of Mosh6 Lazar.
2	This study will soon appear in Neuphilologische Mitteilungen under the title "La Voyelle en miroir: La Tapisserie Vocalique de 'Can vei la lauzeta mover.'" One recalls the "principe binaire" Imre Szabics refers to in his study on Bernart's "Can I'erba fresch' e-lh folha par" (p. 247).
3	When it comes to diphthongs, we have used the stressed element to illustrate more clearly our point. Thus, in the case of "eu," "e" has been retained and "u" has been ignored.
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oe / ea / ea / ea ee / ya / ea / ao ey / ea / oa / ao ee / ya / ao / oa oe / oe / ae / ee eo / eo / ei / ae
ii / aa / ao / oe ea / aa / ao / ae
certain vowel configurations which become reversed as in a mirror.4 For example, ao is found in vv. 2, 3, 4, 7, 8 and its mirror image, oa, shows up in v. 34. In like manner, we see ea in vv. 1, 2, 3, 8 and its mirror image, ae, in vv. 5, 6, 8; oe in vv. 1, 5, 7 and its mirror image, eo, in v. 6; the triple repetition of ea in v. 1 and its mirror image, ae, as the 4th vowel group5 in vv. 6 and 8. Sometimes we find a recurring vocalic pattern without a mirror image, i.e., ya - vv. 2, 4. As to ei in v. 6 and ey in v. 3, one may wonder if this does not border on a recurring vocalic pattern. Although III and lyl are different vowels, nonetheless it is true that lyl is a doubly articulated vowel which includes the fronted tongue position for HI. Nor is this an isolated case where vowel pairs are tantalizingly close. These "imperfect twins" occur in other versos6 as will be pointed out later on in this study. Other observations may be made concerning the recurring vocalic patterns in this strophe: ao as the 4th VG in vv. 2-3; oe/oe in v. 5 immediately followed in v. 6 by its mirror image eo:eo\ aa/ao in
Interior "rimes plates": aa - vv. 12, 16; ee - vv. 9, 11, 13, 15; oo - v. 16. Mirror Images:
1.	a. ao - vv. 9, 10, 11, 13, 14 b. oa - vv. 10, 13
2.	a. oe - vv. 9, 15 b. eo - vv. 12, 15
3.	a. ae - vv. 10, 12 b. ea - vv. 14, 15
4.	a. ai - v. 11
b. ia - vv. 13, 16
There is also a phonomenon that may be summarized by the formula x + H/L, where H is a high vowel /i, e, y/, and L is a low vowel /a, o, u/. Not infrequently, the
4	In her provocative study, Sarah Kay shows how in "Can vei la lauzeta mover" the repetition of verbs in various forms demonstrates verbal reflection (pp. 277-278). Matthew C. Steel devotes an entire article to show how this trobar gives evidence of musical mirroring: "A Case for the Predominance of Melody over Text in Troubadour Lyric: Bernart de Ventadorn's 'Can vei la lauzeta mover.'" Along more linguistic lines, one might refer to Erich Köhler's study: "Can vei la lauzeta mover: Überlegungen zum Verhältnis von phonischer Struktur und semantischer Struktur."
5	Henceforth "vowel group" will be abbreviated as VG.
6	It would seem that prior to the thirteenth century the terms canso and verso are used interchangeably. During the first decades of the thirteenth century a generic distinction begins to emerge (Bossy 280).
vv. 7-8.
Similar patterns of sound can be found in the second strophe.
Ben es mortz qui d'amor no sen al cor cal que dousa sabor, e que val viure ses amor mas per enoi far a la gen? Ja Domnedeus no«m azir tan qu'eu ja pois vivajorn ni mes. pois que d'enoi serai mespres ni d'amor non aurai talan.
ee / oi / ao / oe ao / ae / oa / ao ee / ai / ee / ao ae / eo / aa / ae ao / ee / oa / ia ea / oi / ao / ie oe / eo / ea / ee ia / oo / aa / aa
(II.9-16)
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study of vowel groups seems to indicate an alternation of high and low vowels. In this strophe the phenomenon is complicated by the reversal of a mirror image. In vv. 9 and 14, we find oi, in v. 14 ie. What these vowel groups have in common, represented by x, is i. Rewritten according to formula, oi > L + x, ie > x + H with mirror image.
Other recurring patterns: the 3rd VG of vv. 9-10, i.e., ao ... oa, are repeated in the same position in vv. 13-14 in mirror reversal, oa ... ao\ as in 1.2-3, the 4th VG of 11.10-11, ao being in the second and third verse of each strophe.
Strophe III:
Per bona fe e ses enjan	eo / ae / ee / ea
am la plus bel' e la melhor.	aa / ye / ea / eo
Del cor sospir e dels olhs plor,	eo / oi / ee / oo
car tan l'am eu, per que i ai dan	aa / ae / ee / aa Eu que*n pose mais, s'Amors me pren, ee / oa / ao / ee
e las charcers en que m'a mes,	ea / ae / ee / ae
no pot claus obrir mas merces,	oo / ao / ia / ee
e de merce no«i trop nien?	ee / ee / oo / ie
(III. 17-24)
Interior "rimes plates": aa - vv. 18, 20; ee - vv. 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; oo -vv. 19, 23, 24.
Mirror images:
1.	a. ae - vv. 17, 20, 22 b. ea-vv. 17, 18, 22
2.	a. oa-v. 21
b. ao - vv. 21, 23
Imperfect twins: ye (v. 18) and ie (v. 24)
Other recurring patterns: eo - vv. 17, 18, 19; the first vowel group of vv. 17-20: eo ... aa ... eo ... aa.
Strophe IV:
Aquest' amors me fer tan gen	ae / ao / ee / ae
al cor d'una dousa sabor:	ao / ya / oa / ao
cen vetz mor lo jorn de dolor	ee / oo / oe / oo
e reviu de joi autras cen.	ee / ie / oa / ae
Ben es mos mais de bel semblan,	ee / oa / ee / ea
que mais val mos mais qu'autre bes;	ea / ao / aa / ee
e pois mos mais aitan bos m'es,	eo / oa / aa / oe
bos er lo bes après l'afan.	oe / oe / ae / aa
(IV. 25-32)
Interior "rimes plates": aa - vv. 30, 31, 32; ee - vv. 25, 27, 28, 29, 30; oo - v.
27.
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Mirror images:
1.	a. ae - vv. 25, 28, 32 b. ea- vv. 29, 30
2.	a. ao - vv. 25, 26, 30
b. oa- vv. 26, 28, 29, 31
3.	a. oe - vv. 27, 31, 32 b. eo - v. 31
Other recurring patterns: the third VG in vv. 25-26, i.e., ee ... oa, is repeated in the same position in vv. 28-29 with mirror reversal: aa ... ee\ the first VG of vv. 27-29 is identical: ee\ the oe/oe repetition in v. 32.
Strophe V;
Ai Deus! car se fosson trian	ae / ae / oo / ia
d'entrels faus li fin amador,	ee / ai / ia / ao
e»lh lauzenger e*lh trichador	ea / ee / ei / ao
portesson corns el fron denan!	oe / oo / eo / ea
Tot l'aur del mon e tot l'argen	oa / eo / eo / ae
i volgr'aver dat, s'eu l'agues,	io / ae / ae / ae
sol que ma domna conogues	oe / ao / ao / oe
aissi com eu l'am finamen.	ai / oe / ai / ae
(V.33-40)
Interior "rimes plates": ee - vv. 34, 35; oo - vv. 33, 36.
Mirror images:
1.	a. ae - vv. 33, 37, 38, 40 b. ea - vv. 35, 36
2.	a. ai - vv. 34, 40 b. ia - vv. 33, 34
3.	a. ao - vv. 34, 35, 39 b. oa - v. 37
4.	a. oe - vv. 36, 39, 40 b. eo - vv. 36, 37
H/L + x: a. ei - v. 35 (H + x)
b. io - v. 38 (x + L with mirror image)
Other recurring patterns: eo/eo (v. 37), ae/ae (v. 38), ao/ao (v. 39); the ae ending in vv. 37-38 and 40; as in the first 2 strophes, the second and third verses of this stanza end in ao.
Strophe VI:
Cant eu la vei, be m'es parven	ae / ae / ee / ae
als olhs, al vis, a la color,	ao / ai / aa / oo
car aissi tremble de paor	aa / ie / ee / ao
com fa la folha contrat ven.	oa / ao / ao / ae
Non ai de sen per un efan,	oa / ee / ey / ea
aissi sui d'amor entrepres;	ai / ya / oe / ee
e d'orne qu'es aissi conques	eo / ee / ai / oe
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pot domn' aver almorna gran.
oo / ae / ao / aa
(VI. 41-48)
Interior "rimes plates": ee - vv. 41, 43, 45, 46, 47; aa - vv. 42, 43, 48; oo - vv. 42, 48.
Mirror images:
1.	a. ae - vv. 41, 44, 48 b. ea - v. 45
2.	a. oa - vv. 44, 45
b. ao - vv. 42, 43, 44, 48
3.	a. oe - vv. 46, 47 b. eo - v. 47
H/L + x: a. ey - v. 45 (H + x)
b. ya - v. 46 (x + L with mirror image) Other recurring patterns: ai - vv. 42, 46, 47; ae/ea - v. 41; ao/oa - v. 44; the first VG of vv. 44-45: oa.
Strophe VII:
Bona domna, re no*us deman mas que*m prendatz per servidor, qu'e*us servirai com bo senhor, cossi que del gazardo m'an. Ve*us m'al vostre comandamen, francs cors umils, gais e cortes! Ors ni leos non etz vos ges, que«m auciatz, s'a vos me ten.
(VII. 49-56)
Interior "rimes plates": aa - v. 52; ee - vv. 50, 51, 52, 56; oo - v. 51. Mirror images:
1.	a. oa-vv. 49, 52, 53 b. ao - vv. 54, 56
2.	a. eo - vv. 49, 51, 55 b. oe - vv. 53, 54, 55
3.	a. io - v. 50
b. oi - vv. 52, 55
4.	a. ea - vv. 49, 50, 53, 56 b. ae - vv. 50, 53, 54
x + H/L: a. ia - vv. 51, 56 (x + L)
b. yi - v. 54 (H + x with mirror image) Other recurring patterns: oa/oa in v. 49; oe in the 4th VG of vv. 54-55; oe/oe in v. 55; the first VG of vv. 52-53, i.e., oi... ea, repeated in vv. 55-56.
oa / oa / eo / ea ae / ea / ee / io ee / ia / oo / eo oi / ee / aa / oa ea / oe / oa / ae ao / yi / ae / oe oi / eo / oe / oe ea / ia / ao / ee
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Strophe VHP:
A Mo Cortes, lai on ilh es, tramet lo vers, e ja no*lh pes car n'ai estât tan lonjamen.
ao / oe / ao / ie ae / oe / ea / oe aa / ea / ao / ae
(VIII. 57-59)
Interior "rimes plates": aa - v. 59.
Mirror images:
1. a. ae - vv. 58, 59 b. ea - vv. 58, 59
Other recurring patterns: ao - vv. 57, 59; oe - vv. 57, 58.
With Bernart de Ventadorn, poem is incantation,8 the repetition of certain sound patterns lulling and entrancing the hearer. As with Marie de France, the poet's power is his seductive charm (Guidot 433). Beneath the poetic enchantment lies the subtle craft of the troubadour fabricator. In the canso analyzed, we investigated beneath the poetry's polished surface to discover: interior "rimes plates", several cases of mirror images, as well as recurring VG without a mirror image, the H/L + x pattern, and possibly a case of "imperfect twins". It should be noted that quite a large number of VG fall into the mirror image category. In "Non es meravelha...", out of a total of 236 VG, 108 are mirror image (MI). It is also perhaps not irrelevant that in this poem the ea/ae MI predominate, although the eo/oe and ao/oa MI are also numerically significant: "Non es meravelha..." ea/ae - 43, ao/oa - 39, eo/oe -26. Reminding us somewhat of the H/L + x pattern, most of the 3 major MI, i.e., ea/ae and eo/oe, follow a H/L // L/H pattern. The wonderful thing about a poet like Bernart de Ventadorn is that his work has so much depth that, despite the surface simplicity,9 there is always something more to discover.
Billet, Léon. Bernard de Ventadour, Troubadour du XIIe siècle. Orfeuil: Tulle, 1974. Bossy, Michel-André "Cyclical Composition in Giraut Riquier's Book of Poems." Speculum 66, ii (April 1991), 277-293.
Guidot, Bernard. "Pouvoirs et Séductions, Pouvoir de Séduction dans les Lais de Marie de France." Romanische Forschungen 102, iv (1990), 425-433. Hitti, Philip K. History of the Arabs. New York: Macmillan, 1951. Kay, Sarah. "Love In a Mirror: An Aspect of the Imagery of Bernart de Ventadorn." Medium Aevum Lll (1983), 272-285.
7	Of course, in the tornado there is nothing essentially new. As the name itself indicates it is a "refurn" as to structure of the rhymes, probably of melody, a recall of the poet and the Lady, more rarely a repetition of the poem's themes (Plian 57).
8	There are various etymologies given to the word troubadour, one tracing its origin to the Arabic root TRB (= music, song) (Hitti 562), another more recently going back to the Latin tropator or composer of tropes, optional accretions to the liturgy (Robertson 250). Whatever its source, music seems to be intimately associated with these poets of fin' amors.
9	The recent study by Roy Rosenstein, "Latent Dialogue and Manifest Role-Playing in Bernart de Ventadorn", only enhances our contention that this poet's cansos are less than simple.
Works Cited
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Köhler, Eric. "Can vei la lauzeta mover. Überlegungen zum Verhältnis von phonischer Struktur und semantischer Struktur." Ed. Peter V. Zima. Linguistic and Literary Studies in Eastern Europe. Amsterdam: Benjamins, 1981. 445-468.
Lazar, Moshé, ed. Bernard de Ventadour, Troubadour du XIIe siècle, Chansons d'amour. Paris: Klincksieck, 1966.
Phan, Chantal. "La tornada et l'envoi: fonctions structurelles et poïétiques." Cahiers de civilisation médiévale XXXIV, 1 (janvier-mars 1991), 57-61.
Robertson, Alec and Denis Stevens, eds. The Pelican History of Music. I: Ancient Forms to Polyphony. Baltimore: Penguin, 1960.
Rosenstein, Roy. "Latent Dialogue and Manifest Role-Playing in Bernart de Ventadorn." Neuphilologische Mitteilungen XCI, 3 (1990), 357-368.
Steel, Matthew C. "A Case for the Predominance of Melody over Text in Troubadour Lyric: Bernart de Ventadorn's 'Can vei la lauzeta mover." Michigan Academician XIV (Winter 1982), 259-271.
Szabics, Imre. "Structure et sens poétique dans les anciennes chansons d'amour occitanes." Acta litteraria Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 25 (1983), 237-247.
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