‘Lo ferm voler qu’el cor m’intra’

The one desire I feel my heart enter
Can’t be marred by scratch of beak, or nail
Of the lout who curses, showing his true soul.
And since I daren’t beat them with branch, or cane
All I have is solace: no auntie, uncle:
I rejoice, out in the garden or inside my room.

When I think to myself of that room,
Where, to my chagrin, I know will no-one enter.
(Any would mean more than brother, uncle!)
Every organ I have shakes, down to the nail.
Just as a child cowers before the cane--
That’s my fear of not joining her soul.

If I was close to her body, not her soul
If she would let me into her room...
It beats at my heart like a stinging cane
When her maid is there, and I can’t enter.
I’ll cleave to her like a cuticle to a nail
Ignoring all chatter from my friend, or uncle.

Not even the sister of my uncle,
Did I love as much, I swear on my soul.
And as the finger bleeds into the nail,
so they're one, if she'll let me into her room,
I can show the love that my heart will enter;
Now, I'm but a strong man with a weak cane.

Back when it used to grow, the withered cane,
And Adam begat nephew and uncle,
A love like the one I feel my heart enter
Hasn’t existed, in body or soul.
Wherever I am, outside or in a room.
Her thoughts pierce my heart like a nail.

And so it’s bound, fixed fast with a nail,
My heart to her like bark on a cane,
To me, she is castle, tower and room,
None do I love so: parent, brother, uncle:
So in heaven I’ll have twice the joy in my soul,
If any I love as well should enter.

Arnaut sends out this song of ‘uncle’ and ‘nail’
To the God of Desire, who holds a cane over his soul,
An architecture of song will enter the room.