The Poems of Master François Villon of Paris
Villon’s two Testaments and his ballades in John Payne’s translation, which keeps the original French verse forms.
Measured across the book
Across its 2,921 lines, 93% of stressed syllables fall on the beat (95% interval 93% to 94%). Alliteration runs at 1.14 times what shuffling the words would give (0.27 observed against 0.24 expected). 17% of the lines have a feminine ending.
Baselines and intervals are described in the methods.
Contents
The Lesser Testament of Master François Villoniambic tetrameter · ABABBCBC · 320 linesThe Greater Testament of Master François Villoniambic tetrameter · 2023 linesBallad of Villon in Prisoniambic pentameter · ABABBCCDCD · 36 linesEpitaph (Quatrain)iambic pentameter · AABB · 4 linesVariant of the foregoing Epitaphiambic pentameter · 8 linesEpitaph in Form of Balladiambic pentameter · 35 linesRequest to the Court of Parliamentiambic pentameter · 35 linesBallad of Villon’s Appealiambic tetrameter · 28 linesBallad of Proverbsiambic tetrameter · ABABBCBC · 28 linesBallad of Things known and unknowniambic tetrameter · 28 linesBallad of Poor Chimneysweepsiambic tetrameter · 30 linesBallad of Fortuneiambic pentameter · 41 linesBallad against those who missay of Franceiambic pentameter · ABABCCDDEDE · 38 linesBallad of the Debate of the Heart and Body of Villoniambic pentameter · 47 linesBallad written by Villon upon a Subject proposed by Charles Duc d’Orleansiambic pentameter · ABABBCCDCD · 35 linesBallad of Villon’s Request to the Duc de Bourboniambic pentameter · 35 linesRoundeliambic tetrameter · 12 linesA Merry Ballad of Vintnersiambic pentameter · ABABBCCDDEDE · 40 linesBallad of the Tree of Loveiambic pentameter · ABABBCCDCD · 35 linesBallad of Ladies’ Love, No. 1iambic pentameter · ABABBCCDCD · 35 linesBallad of Ladies’ Love, No. 2iambic pentameter · 28 lines
About this text
Public domain. Text from The Poems of Master François Villon of Paris, now first done into English verse, in the original forms, with a biographical and critical introduction, by John Payne, Internet Archive. Free to read, print, copy and reuse.