Aucassin and Nicolete

Transcribed from the 1910 David Nutt edition by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk
Dedicated to the Hon. James Russell Lowell.
There is nothing in artistic poetry quite akin to “Aucassin and Nicolete.”
Nor is his matter more original. He tells a story of thwarted and finally fortunate love, and his hero is “a Christened knight”—like Tamlane,—his heroine a Paynim lady. To be sure, Nicolete was baptized before the tale begins, and it is she who is a captive among Christians, not her lover, as usual, who is a captive among Saracens. The author has reversed the common arrangement, and he appears to have cared little more than his reckless hero, about creeds and differences of faith. He is not much interested in the recognition of Nicolete by her great Paynim kindred, nor indeed in any of the “business” of the narrative, the fighting, the storms and tempests, and the burlesque of the kingdom of Torelore.
What the nameless author does care for, is his telling of the love-story, the passion of Aucassin and Nicolete. His originality lies in his charming medley of sentiment and humour, of a smiling compassion and sympathy with a touch of mocking mirth. The love of Aucassin and Nicolete—
“Des grans paines qu’il soufri,”
“Maidens with voices like honey for sweetness that breathe desire, Would that I were a sea-bird with limbs that never could tire, Over the foam-flowers flying with halcyons ever on wing, Keeping a careless heart, a sea-blue bird of the spring.”
But our old captive, having said farewell to love, has yet a kindly smiling interest in its fever and folly. Nothing better has he met, even now that he knows “a lad is an ass.” He tells a love story, a story of love overmastering, without conscience or care of aught but the beloved. And the viel caitif tells it with sympathy, and with a smile. “Oh folly of fondness,” he seems to cry, “oh merry days of desolation”
“When I was young as you are young, When lutes were touched and songs were sung, And love lamps in the windows hung.”