Robert de Blois
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Robert de Blois (fl. second third of the 13th century) was an Old French poet and trouvère, the author of narrative, lyric, didactic, and religious works. He is known only through his own writings, but one lyric poem ascribed to him, Li departis de douce contree, mentions his involvement in a failed Crusade of 1239. Similarly, his Enseignement has been dated to between 1234 and 1238 from its reference to the political circumstances of the first years of the reign of King Louis IX.[1] He dedicated one of the editions of his works to several lords of Picardy, amongst whom was Geoffrey II of La Chapelle-la-Reine, grand pantler of France, and Hugh Tyrel III, who between them give a date range of ca. 1257 to 1272.[2] It has been pointed out that the compilation of one of the manuscripts that contain his works (MS Arsenal 3516 in the Bibliothèque nationale de France) can be closely dated to 1267 and was written at his direction and so he must still have been alive that year.[3]
Five lyric poems attributed to Robert survive, two of them with more than one melody. All the melodies are recorded in bar form. His lyric work, however, appears to have found a limited audience. Its manuscript tradition is slight and it had no influence on subsequent poets. Tant com je fusse fors de ma contree is believed to be rather by an earlier poet, Guillaume de Ferrières the Vidame of Chartres, while Li departis de douce contree is also claimed for Chardon de Croisilles.
- Merveil moi que chanter puis
- Par trop celer mon courage
- Puisque me sui de chanter entremis
- Li departis de douce contree (several melodies)
- Tant com je fusse fors de ma contree (several melodies)
