Toynbee "Gerardus de Brunèl"
Giraud de Borneil, one of the most famous troubadours of his century, born at Essidueil near Limoges c. 1150, died c. 1220. He introduced a more popular style of lyric poetry and was distinguished for his facility and versatility as a poet. A number of his poems have been preserved. [See F. Diez Leben und Werke der Troubadours (Leipzig 1882), pp. 110-124; H. J. Chaytor, The Troubadours of Dante (Oxford, 1902), pp. 29-46; A. Jeanroy, La Poésie lyrique des troubadours (Toulouse, 1934); and A. Nolsen, Sämtliche Lieder des Trobadors Giraut de Bornelh (Halle, 1907).]

According to the old Provençal biography he was born of humble parents, but was remarkable for his learning and intelligence, and so greatly excelled in his art that he was called by his contemporaries 'the master of the troubadours':

Girautz de Borneill si fo de Lemozi, de l'encontrada d'Esiduoill, d'un ric castel del viscomte de Lemoges. E fo hom de bas afar, mas savis hom fo de letras e de sen natural. E fo meiller trobaire que negus d'aquels qu' eron estat denan ni foron apres lui; per que fo apellatz maestre dels trobadors, et es ancar per toz aquels que ben entendon subtils ditz ni ben pauzatz d'amor ni de sen. Fort fo honratz per los valenz homes e per los entendenz e per las dompnas qu'entendian los sieus maestrals ditz de las soas chansos.

E la soa vida si era aitals que tot l'invern estava en escola et aprendia letras, e tota la estat anava per cortz e menava ab se dos cantadors que cantavon las soas chansos. Non volc mais muiller, e tot so qutel gazaingrlava dava a sos paubres parenz et a la eglesia de fa villa on el nasquet, la quals gleisa avia nom, et a ancaras, Saint Gervas.

Guido Guinizelli (in Circle VII of Purgatory), who says that they are fools who consider Giraud superior to Arnaud Daniel, refers to him as quel di Lemosi, [Purg. xxvi. 120] [Arnaldo Daniello]; in the De vulgari eloquentia D. refers to him as Cerardus de Brunel, V.E. I. ix. 3 Gerardus de Bornello, V.E. II. ii. 9; Gerardus de B., V.E. II. v. 4; Gerardus, V.E. II. ii. 9, V.E. II. vi. 6; he is quoted as having used the Provençal word Amor, V.E. I. ix. 3; he was the singer of rectitude (as Arnaud Daniel was of love, and Bertrand de Born of arms), V.E. II. ii. 9 quoted as such, V.E. II. ii. 9; employed the decasyllabic line, an example being quoted, V.E. II. v. 4, wrote canzoni in the most illustrious style, the first line of one of them being quoted, V.E. II. vi. 6.

©Oxford University Press 1968. From A Dictionary of Proper Names and Notable Matters in the Works of Dante by Paget Toynbee (1968) by permission of Oxford University Press