The troubadors of the 12th and 13th centuries constitute a legendary literary movement, but their reputation is certainly more famous than their poetry itself. This collection, presenting 90
poems by 30 different poets of the era, addresses this imbalance. The scarcity of the poetry is partly due to the fact that very few scholars are conversant in Occitan, its original dialect.
The poems are presented here with the original text and English translation on facing pages. An extensive introduction describes the historical context of the troubadors; outlines the major
themes of the poetry, such as courtly love and political satire; and presents biographical sketches of the anthologized authors. Extensive textual notes and a bibliography complement this
unique collection. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
