Thibaut de Champagne: Chançon ferai, que talenz m'en est pris

Mentioned by Dante amongst 'the most illustrious poets of his time, Thibaut deChampagne (1201-1253), also called 'Thibaut the Songwriter', was one of France'sgreatest trouvères (or 'musician-poet' in langue d'oïl). He left us some sixty songs,cultivating highly varied musical genres: songs of love and of the crusades,pastourelles, hymns to the Virgin, jeux-partis... Count of Champagne and King of Navarre, grandson of Marie de France and great-grandson of Eleanor of Aquitaine,he was chosen by the Holy See and numerous barons to lead a new crusade in 1239.A seal from 1226 portrays him on horseback, brandishing his sword.