Jehan Erart (or Erars) (c.1200/10–1258/9) was a trouvère from Arras, particularly noted for his favouring the pastourelle genre. He has left behind eleven pastourelles, ten grand chants, and one serventois.
Erart's presence at Arras can be deduced from his own writings.Theodore Karp, "Erart, Jehan." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online (Accessed 13 August 2008), contains a short biographical sketch, plus a discussion of the transmission and style of his work, and a good bibliography. He was patronised by the wealthy middle and upper classes. In his serventois, a complainte on the death his patron Gherart Aniel, he asked Pierre and Wagon Wion to help him obtain the patronage of the bankers Henri and Robert Crespin. His relationship with two Arras trouvères is apparent in his lyrics, Guillaume le Vinier and Jehan Bretel. He is also mentioned in a work of Guibert Kaukesel, a canon of Arras.
The chief characteristic of Erart's poetry is his preference for short lines, mostly penta-, hexa-, hepta-, and octosyllabic, as opposed to the traditional decasyllable, which does occur in his chansons "Pré ne vergier ne boscaige foillu" and "Encoire sui cil ki a merchi s'atent" and his serventois "Nus chanters".For a more detailed description of his metres, see Mary O'Neill (2006), Courtly Love Songs of Medieval France: Transmission and Style in the Trouvère Repertoire (Oxford: Oxford University Press), 134–5, with notes 8–12. Musically, Erart is syllabic, with a preference for major modes and refrains. His chansons are composed mainly in isometre, but his pastourelles are predominantly heterometric. His music is conservative and rarely exceeds a ninth in range.
There are two death notices for Erart in the necrology of the Confrérie des jongleurs et bourgeois d'Arras. One records a Jehans Erardi dying in 1258 while another records Jehan Erart dying in 1259. It is possible, when considering that his works are preserved in two different sections of the Chansonnier du Roi, that there were two Jehan Erarts, but this is not likely. Three songs attributed to Jehan Erart in one manuscript probably belong to Raoul de Beauvais.
List of compositions The following compositions are ascribed to Jehan Erart by Robert White Linker.
Grands chants LinkerRSIncipitManuscript sourcesSources with attribution154.11712Amours dont je me cuidoieMTa(104r)MT154.4180Bone amour qui son repaireKNOKN154.61533De legier l'entreprisMTa(103v)Ma154.8644Encor sui cil qui a merci s'atentTT154.10204Hardis sui en l'acointanceMTT154.11823aJe ne cuidai mais chanter (tant m'en)KNOKN154.121627Je ne sai mès en quel guise (ne maintenir)KNXa(103r)KNXa154.16a1914aLi biaus tans ne la saisons dela(102r)(first stanza missing, but song in Jehan Erars section in a)154.171663Mes cuers n'est mie a moiTT154.211240Penser ne doit vilanieKMNPTKNP (attrib. Guiot de Dijon in M; attrib. Andrieu Contredit in T)154.221801Piecha c'on dist par mauvais oirTT154.232055Pré ne vergier ne boscage foilluMTMT154.24474aTant ai seü en amours et trouvé(mentioned only in index of MS a)a (index)
Pastourelles LinkerRSIncipitManuscript sourcesSources with attribution154.2574Au tans novel (Que cil oisel Chantent cler sor l'arbroie)MM154.32005Au tens pascourKNPTKNT154.5570Dehors Loncpre el bosquelKNPa(112v)KNP (attrib. Gillebert de Berneville in a)154.71375El mois de mai par un matinKNPNP (attrib. Raoul de Beauvais in K)154.91718En Pascour un jour erroieH(219v)PTXa(111r)Ta 154.131361L'autrier chevauchai mon cheminMM154.14558L'autrier par une valéeMTMT154.15606L'autrier une pastoureleMM154.16993Lés le breuilMM154.1986Par un trés bel jour de maia(112v)I(207v)a154.20585Pastorel (Lés un boschel)MM
Serventois +LinkerRSIncipitGenreManuscript sourcesSources with attribution154.18485Nus chanters mais le mien cuer ne leeceserventoisTT
Doubtful attributions The following songs carry an attribution to Jehan Erars in at least one source but are not ascribed to Jehan Erars by Linker. +LinkerRSIncipitAttribution to ErarsOther attributions59.319Pour conforter mon corageM (index only)Ernoul le Viele (M)18.373Ier main pensis chevauchaiM (index only)Ernoul Caupain (T)213.2368Delés un pre verdoiantNRaoul de Beauvais (KPMesmes(lost)); Gilles li Vinier (T)213.3806Puis que s'Amours m'estuet chanterNRaoul de Beauvais (KP)228.6823Je ne cuidai mes chanter (en mon)Chansonnier de Mesmes (lost)Robert de la Piere (a)145.4962L'autrier par un matinet (erroie)M (index only)Colart li Boutellier (KNPX); Jehan de Neuvile (MT)59.6973Trespensant d'une amoureteM (index only)Ernoul le VieleAscribed to Ernoul le Viele by Linker based on position in M.59.41258Quant voi le tans avrilier…M (index only)Ernoul le Viele59.21365Pensis chief enclinM (index only)Ernoul le Viele (M)171.11540L'autrier quant jors fu esclarcisM (index only)Lambert li aveugles (M)167.11848L'autrier pastoure seoitM (index only)Jocelin de Bruges (C)
Notes