By
Master Rhodri ap Hywel of Calontir and THLaird Colyne Stewart of Ealdormere,
March AS 50 (2016)
Introduction
As
part of my goal (this is Colyne speaking) of writing fifty poems during Anno
Societatis 50, I decided I wanted to write a partimen. The partimen was a genre
of Occitan and Old French lyric poetry composed between two troubadours. It is
a subgenre of the tenso or cobla (a poetic debate). I reached out to see if
anyone else was interested in taking part in the partimen and Master Rhodri of
Calontir eagerly accepted.
The
first speaker in the partimen presents a problem with two solutions and leaves
his opponent to choose which solution to defend and then takes up the second
option themselves. Therefore the debate is not based on conviction but simply
for the sake of discussion. However, this distinction does not appear to have
been seen in period, with troubadours and trouvères using both interchangeably.
One of the most common themes in partimen was courtly love. Each speaker
(sometimes the same poet, sometimes two different poets) contribute three
stanzas and an envoi in which he appeals to someone to be his judge. In some
poems the two participants appeal to the same person, but more often each
participant chose their own judge.
Since
Rhodri is from Calontir, and I am from Ealdormere, and both of our kingdoms
share strong bonds of friendship, I decided to pose a dilemma in which I felt
sure we’d both have opinions. Namely,which animal is more noble, the falcon or
the wolf? (The falcon being the totemic beast of Calontir, while the wolf
serves Ealdormere as the same).
The
form of the poem was set as tercets (groups of three lines rhyming aab) written
in trochaic trimeter (lines of three metrical feet switching between stressed
and unstressed syllables). I chose this form as I do not usually write in
trochaic meter so felt it would be more of a challenge.
The Partimen
Colyne
There
the strong beasts abound
Round
the woods they fierce found
But
which most noble be?
Wolf
of fang and claw red
From
whom all foes have fled
King
of forest’s great tree?
Or
be it the bold bird
Falcon
feathery furred
God
of blue sky made free?
This
our dilemma be
Answer
this is our plea
So
ask I friend Rhodri.
Rhodri
Like
days of winter’s end
Come
words from Colyne friend.
Wisdom
he seeks from me.
Joyfully
I reply
My
answer not denied
So
this I now decree:
The
wolf is strong indeed
Shall
none say I mislead,
But
in this he lesser be.
He
watches falcons fly
Above
his howling cry;
His
wish to be so free.
But,
like all falcon’s prey
Must
watch until the day
When
suffers falcon’s glee,
And
the storm-cleaver strikes
With
claws like soldier’s pikes
Then
even wolf must flee.
So
this claim I is true
But
to friend Bryce I sue
Judge
these words I do plea
Colyne
Reply
I must and will
Through
paper ink and quill
To
words by friend Rhodri.
Falcon
lord, Wolfen king,
Which
is best, Which takes ring?
Answer
is lupine, thee
Must
if are honest men
Take
his side, only then
Will
all of us agree:
For
soaring bird on wing
Target
is, for bow string,
Plummets
down into tree,
While
the grey wolf will stalk
Those
who slew purple hawk
And
with teeth sharp and free
Tear
out the hunter’s throat
Rend
his maille and surcoat
Pay
no heed to his plea.
I
claim this to be true
Frederick,
master, you
Judge
our words, blessed be.
The Judgment
As
our judges Rhodri chose Master Bryce de Byram of Atlantia and I choose Master
Fridrikr Tomassen of AEthlemearc (though he is referred to by an Anglicization
of his name in the poem). Both judges elected to render their verdicts in
verse. Master Fridrikr was the first to reply:
You
call on me to stand and speaking true
an
answer to your pleadings give to you
And
now I say, good fellows never fear
for
Rhodri stands and calls forth bravest hawk
Whilst
Colyne enters with lupine friend to talk
and
neither makes the answer sky-blue clear
Come
gentle foes, who friends at end must be
and
hear this Master, for whom the words direct
are
hard, who speaks in kennings using their effect
to
form the verse to make the hearer see.
My
love for Ealdor Crown must hold and sway
And
thus I claim that Colyne takes the day.
We
still await Master Bryce’s verdict, and I will post it once it is received.
