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| History of Portuguese Literature | Origins of Portuguese Literature | The Portuguese Language | Oral Literature | Fiction | Lyricism |
| Travel Literature | Cantigas de amigo | Historiography | Doctrinal Prose | ||
Cantigas
de Amigo
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These
compositions, which are generally included under the heading of troubadour
poetry, represent the most important and original variety of our mediaeval
lyrical production, but they also have the special peculiarity of conferring the
responsibility for their enunciation upon the woman, even though they are
composed by men.
One
peculiar type of cantiga de amigo is that known as paralelísticas (parallel verses), which combine a simplicity of
motifs and semantic resources with the elaborate arrangement of their expression.
Their repetitive structure enriches the meaning, creating the effect of a litany
and incantation, frequently one that sounds sorrowful, perplexed or questioning.
These cantigas were typical of
Galician-Portuguese poetry and were also to be found in love songs and other
mediaeval poetic varieties, continuing to appear with some regularity until a
much later period in medieval literature. The king D. Dinis was one of
the most famous composers of these songs:
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João Zorro, a poet of the sea like Martim Codax, was the author of a famous barcarole, also composed in parallel verses: In
Lisbon on the sea, |
Ah
flowers, ah flowers of the green pine Ah
flowers, ah flowers of the green branch If
you have news of my friend, If
you have news of my beloved, (...) D.
Dinis |
© Instituto Camões, 2001
