I
— Advise me, Rolant, I entreat you.
Two knights are seeking my love.
One is rich and worthy, I tell you,
And has not lacked daring.
The other, I tell you, is worthy and courageous,
But does not possess as much wealth as the first,
Although he is refined and wise and discreet,
And knows how to behave around others.
If ever I should wish to love,
Which one do you recommend I choose?

II
— Dear lady, since it is the case
That good Love offers you such a beautiful gift,
If you wish to love, I advise and beseech you
To grant your heart to the more powerful one.
Less blame will you incur if it were proclaimed.
A rich, worthy man deserves to possess
Lofty love, which all lovers would praise,
And surely it befits an important lady
To love so highly that she cannot be blamed for it:
She who seeks honor should step up to honor.

III
— Truly, Rolant, I have heard you.
It seems to me that you speak deceitfully.
When a poor man possesses great prowess
Accompanied by wisdom and judgment,
And knows well how to be discreet, I esteem him much more.
A lady cannot err in doing so, it seems to me.
But you are a little too covetous.
Compared to good sense, gold and silver are worthless,
And Love wants us to know how to guard it.
For these reasons, I choose the poorer knight.

IV
— Lady, listen, I believe I have chosen
Much the better man, should he appeal to you.
When a rich man bestows his heart
On good Love and does so ardently,
Love instructs him and teaches him every word:
The man’s worth increases, the more submissive he becomes
Toward his lady; for smiles, appearance,
Sweet words, and amorous encounters
Stir his heart with joy 
And fend off all pride.

V
— Surely, Rolant, you must have lost your mind
When you speak so insanely.
That would not be fair to the poorer man.
For he who risks heart and body, riches and possessions
To gain wealth, praise, and esteem
Deserves help from a lady of worth.
And if ever he were seeking
A very lofty love, and he succeeded,
All his thoughts would go to keeping it secret
And to serving and honoring his lady.

VI
— Dear lady, let us end our discussion,
And let us call on a judge to settle it,
The worthy Countess of Linaige;
Let it be up to her to render judgment
And to her sister Mahaut of Commercy.
— Certainly, Rolant, I consent to it:
Let it be up to them, I never object to this.

(Doss-Quimby, Trasker Grimbert, Pfeffer, Aubrey, Songs of the women Trouvères)