Jean Passerat

Jean Passerat (18 October 153414 September 1602) was a 16th-century French political satirist and poet.

Life Passerat was born at Troyes, on 18 October 1534. He studied at the University of Paris, and is said to have had some curious adventures at one time working in a mine. He was, however, a scholar by natural taste, and became eventually a teacher at the Collège de Plessis, and on the death of Ramus was made professor of Latin in 1572 in the Collège de France.

In the meanwhile Passerat had studied law, and had composed much agreeable poetry in the Pléiade style, the best pieces being his short ode Du Premier jour de mai and the villanelle whose first line is J'ay perdu ma tourterelle.

"Villanelle" Villanelle

I'ay perdu ma Tourterelle: Eft-ce point celle que i'oy? Ie veus aller aprés elle.

Tu regretes ta femelle, Helas! außi fai-ie moy, I'ay perdu ma Tourterelle.

Si ton Amour eft fidelle, Außi est ferme ma foy, Ie veus aller aprés elle.

Ta plainte fe renouuelle; Toufiours plaindre ie me doy: I'ay perdu ma Tourterelle.

En ne voyant plus la belle Plus rien de beau ie ne voy: Ie veus aller aprés elle.

Mort, que tant de fois i'appelle, Pren ce qui fe donne à toy: I'ay perdu ma Tourterelle, Ie veus aller aprés ell.

Jean Passerat. Recueil des oeuvres poétiques de Ian Passerat augmenté de plus de la moitié, outre les précédentes impressions. [Ed. Jean de Rougevalet.] Paris: Morel, 1606. 344-5.