merciles beautè (scherperel, michael bruce)

Merciles Beautè

a song for baritone and cello

by

Michael Scherperel

with words by

Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer’s Merciles Beautè and

Middle English pronunciation

Middle English was in a state of great flux during Chaucer’s time. There

were large regional variants in orthography, pronunciation, and even gram-

mar and syntax. The suggestions for pronunciation made here are just that:

suggestions. The composer makes no claim to being a scholar in Medieval

languages—but he has consulted at least one such for some validation.

Vowels are generally those which most singers consider “Italian” vowels.

There was a phenomenon in English known as the Great Vowel Shift which

was beginning even in Chaucer’s day and was pretty much complete by

Shakespeare’s. In Middle English, “a” is “ah”, “e” is “ay”, and “i” is “ee”

(none of these are diphthongs, however). By the time of Elizabeth the First,

“a” had become “ay”, “e” had become “ee”, and “i” had become the diph-

thong “aye”. This makes Middle English much more difficult to hear than it

is to read. Words such as “I” and “me” look like what they are but would be

heard as “ee” and “may”.

The inflectional “e” at the end of words is nearly always pronounced, so we

have “loh-vuh” rather than “luv” for the word spelled “l-o-v-e”. Liaison be-

tween adjacent vowels is common—and in music, just as problematical as in

French (Modern or Middle). The composer elected to let the scansion dictate

for the most part. (These poems are iambic pentameter with 10- or 11-

syllable lines.)

There are no silent consonants: “know” is “kuh-noh”. The digraph “gh” is

pronounced like German “ch”: “though” is “thouX”.

Diphthongs are falling, i.e. the first vowel is the prominent one: “availeth” is

“ah-VIuh-leth”; “trouthe” is “TROu-thuh”.

The composer has attempted to put the text in IPA under the original Middle

English text in the music. The composer claims, as with Middle English, no

great expertise in IPA (disclaimer).

There follows here the lexical and orthographical form of the text that the

composer employed for the creation of these songs. This poem is commonly

called a triple rondel, though the sections are not in any of the strict French

rondel forms. In some anthologies, the three sections are separated by subti-

tles. This approach led the composer to write three separate songs but with

the intent always that the entire set would be sung as a single piece.

Merciles beautè

Your yën two wol slee me sodenly,

I may the beautè of hem not sustene,

So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.

And but your word wol helen hastily

My hertes wounde, whyl that hit is grene,


I may the beautè of hem not sustene.

Upon my trouthe I sey yow feithfully,

That ye ben of my lyf and deeth the quene;

For with my deeth the trouthe shal be sene.


I may the beautè of hem not sustene,

So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.

So hath your beautè fro your herte chaced

Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne;

For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.

Giltless my deeth thus han ye me purchaced;

I sey yow sooth, me nedeth not to feyne;

So hath your beautè from your herte chaced

Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne.

Allas! That nature hath in yow compassed

So greet beautè, that no man may atteyne

To mercy, though he sterve for the peyne.

So hath your beautè from your herte chaced

Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne;

For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.

Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,

I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;

Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.

He may answere, and seye this or that;

I do no fors, I speke right as I mene.


I never thenk to ben in his prison lene.

Love hath my name y-strike out of his sclat,

And he is strike out of my bokes clene

For ever-mo; ther is non other mene.


I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;

Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.

Many modern “translations” are available. Due to possible copyright issues,

the composer refrains from providing any here and encourages the singer

(and cellist) to consult one (or more) of the innumerable online resources.

A few words which may prove problematical are “translated” here:

Yën – eyes

Pleyne – complain

Daunger – pride (pronounced, incidentally, “down-jer”)

Giltless – doubtless

Sooth – indeed

Sclat – slate

Fors – other (“I do no fors” – “I care not”)

?

?

44

44

Baritone

Cello

∑(q approx. 80)

œ œœ œb œ œ

œ œfreely

(q approx. 80)

f

∑

œ œ œ œ œœ œb œ

accel.

∑

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ,-

3

?

?

B

Vlc.

4

Ó ‰ œœ œ

Your y ën

freely

4 wŸI

Í

f ˙ œ œ œ# œ

two wol slee

œœ œ œ# œ œ# œ ˙

ŸI

3 3

B

œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ

me so den ly

˙#ŸI

Œœb œn

Í

p

- - -

?

B

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

7 œ œ œ œ U̇

so den ly;

7

˙ œ œ œU?

rit.

∑

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

P

∑

œ œœb œ œ œ

Ó Œ œ

I

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

P

- -

Merciles Beautè

Michael Scherperel

©2011 Michael Scherperel

All rights reserved

Geoffrey Chaucer

first rondel

for Thomas Cavendish

?

?

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

11 .œJœb œ œb œ œ

may the beau

11

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

œb œ œ œb œb

té of hem not sus

œ œœb œ œ œb

œ œ ˙ ‰ Jœb

te ne, So

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

- - - - -

?

?

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

14 œb œ œ œ œb œ œ

wound eth hit through

14

œb œb œb œb œ œb œ œb

œb œb œ œ œb œ

out my her te

œ œb œ œ

œ ˙ ‰ Jœ

ke ne. And

.˙bœ œ

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

17

œb œb œb œ œ œ œ œ

but your word wol he len

17 œbœb œb œb œ œ œ œ

œb œ œ œ œb œb œ

has ti ly My hert es

œb œb œb œ œb œ œ œ

Jœn .œ œ œ œ œ

woun de whyl that hit is

œœn œnœ œb œ œ œ

- - - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

20 œb œ ˙Œ

gre ne,

20

œb œ œ œ œ œœ œn œ

œ3

3

Ó Œ ‰ JœN

Your

freely

œN œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- ˙ŸI

3 Í

p sotto voce

colla voce

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

y ën two wol slee me

wŸI

B

- -

Merciles Beautè2

?

B

B

Vlc.

23 œb> œ œ œ œ œb œb œ œ

so den ly, I may the beau té

23 œ œ# œ# œ# œ# œ .˙ŸI

3 3

œb œ œN œ œN œ

of hem not sus te ne.

œ#ŸI

Œ ‰œ œœ?

rit. a tempo

rit.

a tempo

Ó Œ ‰ jœ

U

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

F

F

- - - - - -

?

?

43

43

44

44

43

43

B

Vlc.

26 œb œ œ œ œ œ œ

pon my trouthe I sey you

26

œ œœb œ œ œ

œb œ

œb œ œ ‰Jœb

feith ful ly, That

œ œb œb œ œb œb

œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

ye ben of my lyf and deeth the

œ œœb œ œ œ

œ œ

- -

?

?

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

29 œb œ ‰ Jœb

que ne; For

29

œb œbœb œ œb œ

œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ

with my deeth the trou the shal be

œ œœ œb œ œ œ œ

˙N ˙

se ne.

œ œœ œ# œ œ œ œ

œ œ œœ3

33

3

- - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

32

Ó Œ ‰ JœN

Your

freely

32 œN œ œ œ- œ- œ- œ- ˙ŸI

3 Í

p sotto voce

colla voce


y ën two wol slee me

wŸI

B

- - -

Merciles Beautè 3

?

B

B

Vlc.

34 œb> œ œ œ œ œb œb œ œ

so den ly, I may the beau té

34 œ œ# œ# œ# œ# œ .˙ŸI

3 3

œb œb œb - œ- œ œ

of hem not sus te ne,

.˙#ŸI

œn œ œ œ œ œ

3 3

riten.

˙ Œ œ

So

wŸÈ

?

a tempo

- - - - -

?

?

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

37

œn œ œ œ œ# œ œ

wound eth hit through

37

‰œ œ œ œ œ œ œ#a tempo

œ œ# œ œ œ œ

out my her te

œ œ# œ œ œ œ

rit.

rit.

œ# .˙

ke ne.

.˙œ# œ#a tempo

P

- - - -

?

?

43

43

44

44

B

Vlc.

40

∑

40 œœn œn œn œ# œ#

π P

∑

œ œ œ

rit.

∑

˙ U̇

attacca

con sordino

Merciles Beautè4

?

?

45

45

Baritone

Cello

∑q = 60

˙ .˙Œ

œ .œJœ œ#

q = 60(sul A)

(sul D)pcon sordino

∑

˙ .˙Œ

œ .œJœ œ

∑

˙ .˙‰Jœ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ

?

?

B

Vlc.

4

Œ Œ ‰Jœ

.œJœ

So hath your

4 ˙ .˙˙ .˙#

p œ ˙œ œ

œ œ

beau tè fro your her te

˙ .˙Œ

œ .œJœ œ œ#

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

chac ed Pi tee, that me ne'a

˙ .˙œ œ œ# œœ œ œ œ œ œ

- - - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

7 œ œ œb œ .œ œbJœ

vai leth not to

7 œb œ œb œ œ œ˙ .˙

˙b> œ,œ œ

pley ne, pley ne;

.œ œ œ jœ œb

,˙ .˙

Œ ‰Jœ œ œ œ œb

For Daun

˙ .˙‰ Jœœ œb œb œ œ œ

P

P

- - - - - -

secounde rondel

?

?

B

Vlc.

10 œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ

ger halt your

10 ˙ .˙œ œb

‰ Jœœ œ œ

.œJœ .œ œb

Jœ

mer cy in his

˙ .˙Nœ œ œ œb œb œ œ œ œ œb

˙ .˙

chey ne.

‰jœ œ

œ ‰jœ œ

œ˙ .˙

- - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

13

Ó Ó œb

Gilt

13jœb œb j

œ œ œ œ œ œb˙ .˙

F

F .œb Jœ œb œ œ œ œ œ

less my deeth thus

œ œb œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ˙ .˙

œ œ œ œb œb œ œ- œ-

han ye me pur

.œbjœ

jœ œb

jœ œ

˙ .˙

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

16 œb .˙ Œ

chac ed,

16.œb œb j

œb œb œ.˙ ˙

‰ Jœ œ œ .œ

Jœ œb

I sey yow sooth, me

œb œ .œ jœ œ˙ .˙

p

p

.œJœ œ œ œb œ

ne deth not to

œb œ œ œ ˙˙ .˙

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

19

.œJœ ˙ Œ

feyn e;

19

œ œ œ œb œ˙ .˙

riten.

riten.

Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

So hath your beaut è from your

œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œœ

sotto voce

π

a tempo

a tempo œ œ œ œ œ œ

hert e cha ced Pi tee,

œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œœ œ

- - - - -

Merciles Beautè6

?

?

B

Vlc.

22

‰ Jœ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ

that me ne'a vail eth not to pley

22

œœ œ œ

œ œ œœ œ œ

œb , œ œ œ œb œ

ne, pley ne.

Jœœ œ œb œb

Jœ

pizz.

riten.

riten.

∑

Œ ‰ jœ

.

.œœ

jœœb œœbœ

o ˙o

(sul D) arco

f

a tempo

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

25

‰ Jœ œ œ œ œb œ œ

Al las!

25 Œ ‰ jœ

.

.œœ

jœœb œœbœ

o ˙o(pizz)

(arco)

f‰ J

œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ

That na ture hath in yow com

Œ ‰ jœ

.

.œœ

jœœb œœbœ

o ˙o

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

27 œb ˙Œ œb

pas sed So

27 Œ ‰ jœ

.

.œœ

jœœb œœbœ

o ˙o

B

œb œ .œJœ œ

greet beau té, that

‰œN

jœb œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙ .˙arco

œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œb

no man may at tey ne to

œb œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ˙ .˙

- - - -

?

B

B

Vlc.

30 œ ˙ Ó

mer cy,

30 ˙

˙

œ

œ

- œ

œ

- œ

œ

- ,?

∑

˙ .˙Œœ .œ

Jœ œ#

p

∑

˙ .˙Œœ .œ

Jœ œ


though he ster ve for the


P

- -

Merciles Beautè 7

?

?

B

Vlc.

34 ˙b .˙

pey ne.

34 ˙ .˙˙ .˙#

Œ ‰ Jœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

So hath your beau tè from your

œ œ œœ œ œ

œ œ œœ

sotto voce

π

œ œ œ œ œ œb

her te cha ced Pi tee

œ œœb œ œ

œ œ œœ œ

- - - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

37

‰ Jœb œ œ œ œ œ

that me ne'a vail eth

37

œœb œ œ

œb œb œb

œN œ œ œ,œ œ

not to pley ne, pley ne;

Œ ˙b ˙,

pizz.P

Ó Ó œ

For

˙ .˙Œ

œ .œJœ œ#

arco

P

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

40

œ œ œ œ .œJœ# œ

Daun ger halt your mer cy

40 ˙ .˙Œ

œ .œJœ œ

Œœ œ œ œ œ#

in his


˙ .˙

chey ne.

˙ .˙˙ .˙

∑

..˙̇ Ó

pizz.

attaccasenza sordino

- - -

Merciles Beautè8

?

?

87

87

Baritone

Cello

∑

e = 120

e = 120

.œ œ .œ# œ# .œ œ .œ œ .œ œjœ Jœ

pizz.arco

fsenza sordino

∑


pizz.arco

?

?

B

Vlc.

3

∑

3

œœœœœœ

œœœœœœ

.œ œ .œ œ Jœarco

Œ Œ Œ Jœ

Sin

œœœœœœ

œœœœœœ

.œ# œ .œ œJœpizz.

f

arco

œ œœ œ .œ œ# œ œ

I fro Love es cap ed am so


pizz.

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

6 ˙Œ J

œ

fat, I

6

.œ œ# .œ# œ# .œ œ .œ œ .œ œjœN J

œœœpizz.arco

œ œ#œ

Jœ

nev er thenk to

œœœœœœ

œœœ œœœœœœ

œœœJœœœ

Jœ Jœ# œ œœ œ

ben in his pris on

œœœœœœ œœœ

œœœœœœ œœœ

œœœ

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

9 œb Jœ .œ ‰le ne;

9

‰ .œb œ .œ œ ‰ .œ œ .œ œn Jœr¿

arco

‰ œ œ œ œ Jœ

Sin I fro Love es

J¿

‰ .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œb œ .œ œ

clap!

pizz.

F

- - - -

thridde rondel

?

?

B

Vlc.

11

.œb œ Jœ Jœœb J

œn .≈ . RÔ

œ#

cap ed am so fat, I

11

.œ œ .œb œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ

.œ# œ .œ œ œ .œ œ œ# œ#

nev er thenk to ben in his pris on

.œ# œ .œ œ# .œ œ# .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ# œ#- - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

13 œ Jœn .

Œœ

le ne; Sin

13 œ œ œ ..œœn œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœcol legno

falsetto

P

P œ œ .œ

I am free,

..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ ..œœ œœ-

?

?

B

Vlc.

15

‰ Jœ œ œ

Jœ# œ

I count e him

15

Jœœ Œ Ó

full voice

fŒ ‰ œb œ

not a

.œb œ .œ œRœ ≈ Ó

arco

f

œN œ ‰ Œ ŒU

be ne.

Œ ‰ œœ#fl

œœfl

ŒUpizz.

riten.

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

18

∑

18


pizz.arco

a tempo

F

œ .œ œ

He may


pizz.arco

F

Merciles Beautè10

?

?

B

Vlc.

20 œ .œ œ

an swere and

20


pizz.arco

œ# œ œ œ œ ,Jœ

se ye this or that, and

Œ Œ œœœœœœ

œœœp

œ# œ œ œ œ ‰se ye this or that;

Œ Œ œ œ œ#

- - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

23 œ œJœ#

œ

I do no fors,

23


œœœpizz.arco

f

f

Œ Jœ œ œ#

I spe ke

œœœœœœ

œœœ œœœœœœ

œœœJœœœ

œ .œ œ œ

right as I

œœœœœœ œœœ

œœœœœœ œœœ

œœœ

-

?

?

B

Vlc.

26 œb Jœ .œ ‰me ne.

26


arco

‰ œ œ œ œ Jœ

Sin I fro Love es

J¿


clap!

pizz.

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

28


œn .≈ . RÔ

œ#

cap ed am so fat, I

28


.œ# œ .œ œ œ .œ œ Jœ# Jœ#


.œ# œ .œ œ# .œ œ# .œ œ .œ œ .œ œ .œ# œ#- - -

Merciles Beautè 11

?

?

B

Vlc.

30 œ Jœn .

Ó U

le ne.

30 œ œ œ œœ œœ# œœbn œœ#UB

col legno

rit.

.œ œ .œ# œ# œ œJœ

Lo ve hath my

œ œ œœ œ

arco

a tempoP

P.œ œ .œ# œ# œ Jœ œ

na me y strike

œœ œ œ œ# ?

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

33 œb œ .œ

out of his

33 œ# œn œ œ œ œb œ

Jœ#˘ Œ Œ ‰ Jœ

sclat, And

Jœ#˘ œœ# œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ B

col legno

F.œ œ# .œ# œ# œ œ#

Jœ

he is strik e, and

œ œ# œ#œ œ

arco

P

-

?

B

B

Vlc.

36

.œ œ# .œ# œ# œ œ#Jœ

he is stri ke

36

œ#œ œ# œ œ# ?

œb œ .œ#

out of my

œ# œn œ œ# œ œn œ

œn œ Œ œ# œn œ#

bok es out of my

œ œ œ œ œ œ# œpizz.

arco

- - - -

?

?

B

Vlc.

39

œn œ Ó ‰bok es

39

œb œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ

pizz. col legno

œ œ Œ Œ Jœ-

cle ne For

œb œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœB

pizz. col legno

Pœ œ .œ U

ev er mo;

˙ ..œœ U?

riten.

riten.

arco

p

- - - -

Merciles Beautè12

?

?

B

Vlc.

42

∑

42


pizz.

f

a tempo

a tempo

∑


pizz.arco

?

?

B

Vlc.

44

∑

44

œœœœœœ

œœœœœœ

.œ œ .œ œ Jœarco

Œ Œ Œ Jœ

Sin

œœœœœœ

œœœœœœ

.œ# œ .œ œJœpizz.

f

arco

œ œœ œ .œ œ# œ œ

I fro Love es cap ed am so


pizz.

- -

?

?

B

Vlc.

47 ˙Œ J

œ

fat, I

47


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Merciles Beautè14

merciles beautè (scherperel, michael bruce)

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