Although Ab lo cor trist appears in the bibliographies of Provençal lyric poetry, it is actually a Catalan planh attributed to an anonymous female poet. The composition likely dates to the second half of the 14th century. However, the presence of an Italian caesura in line 28, a feature that fell out of use at the beginning of the 14th century, could suggest an earlier date. The poet demonstrates a deep assimilation of troubadour traditions, a common trait among Catalan poets, by incorporating traditional themes and stylistic elements. Yet, the author reworks these conventions, in a way, to make them distinctly her own.

This composition incorporates all the typical motifs of a funeral lament, though it also introduces subtle variations on some of them. In the first cobla (stanza), the poetess expresses her anguished desolation, rooted in the death of her beloved. The gestures of despair described in line 2 (plorant mos uls e rompent mos cabeyls) are characteristic of the funeral lament. Notably, the act of tearing one's hair, a gesture predominantly associated with women, is a common expression of grief. Self-pity, often conveyed through exclamations like Las! or Caitiu! —which shift the focus from the deceased to the mourner— is frequently found in planhs, whether mourning the death of a sovereign or a loved one. In the latter type, an additional element is often present: the firm resolve to renounce Love, as expressed in line 3 of Ab lo cor trist with the phrase comiat pendray.