Virelai

A virelai (from old French virer , "to turn" or "to bend") is a medieval dance and love song. Since around 1450 it was also established as an independent form of poetry without music. Its Spanish counterpart is the Villancico .

Along with the ballad and the rondeau, it is one of the three formes fixes (fixed forms) of old French poetry . This is a very free form in which the number and length of the stanzas are not prescribed; but mostly only two rhymes are used.

The virelai was one of the most widespread types of song from the 13th to the 15th centuries. Guillaume de Machaut was one of the masters of form, 33 of his creations have been preserved. Some of the oldest Virelais come from Jehannot de Lescurel († 1304); Guillaume Dufay († 1474) is at the end of the tradition.

example

Douce Dame Jolie by Guillaume de Machaut

Douce dame jolie,

Pour dieu ne pensés mie

Que nulle ait signorie

Seur moy fors vous seulement.

Qu'adès sans tricherie

Chierie

Vous ay et humblement

Tous les jours de ma vie

Servie

Sans villain pensement.

Helas! et je mendie

D'esperance et d'aïe;

Dont ma joie est fenie,

Se pité ne vous en prent.