Ce fut en mai

"Ce fut en mai"
by Moniot d'Arras
A fountain in a French garden, as described in the song's lyrics
English	"It Happened in May", "It Was in May", "In Early May", "Once in the Month of May"
Key	F major
Period	Medieval
Genre	Pastourelle
Style	Trouvère
Form	Chanson
Text
Language	Old French (langue d'oïl)
Composed	1235

"Ce fut en mai", or "Ce fu en mai", is a French trouvère song, written in the 13th century by Moniot d'Arras. Its lyrics, in Old French, describe how a man sees a knight and a maiden cavorting in a garden. He follows them, and tells them of his unrequited love; they comfort him, and he cries and commends them to God. The song is a pastourelle and chanson, and was originally accompanied by dancing and medieval instruments like the vielle. "Ce fut en mai" has recently been recorded by early music performers such as Paul Hillier and the New Orleans Musica da Camera.

The song was composed in 1235 by Moniot d'Arras (fl. 1213–1239), a monk at the Abbey of St. Vaast and one of the last trouvère musicians—these were poets from northern and central France who wrote in the langue d'oïl and worked in royal courts. Moniot himself was later patronised by Érard II, Count of Brienne. He also wrote religious poems honouring the Virgin Mary, but "Ce fut en mai" is his most famous work.

A love song, "Ce fut en mai" describes an unhappy lover who is comforted by religious feeling. It is a pastourelle, meaning it concerns the romance of a shepherdess. The song's narrative is written from the perspective of a man who, while playing beside a fountain on a morning in May, hears the sound of a fiddle. He sees a knight and a maiden dancing and embracing, and they leave to engage in sexual intercourse. The narrator hides and follows them, lamenting about how he has no such love. The knight notices him, and asks him what he wants; the narrator tells them of his unrequited love for a woman, to whom he is still faithful. The couple kindly console him, and tell him how they pray he will be happy. He thanks them sincerely, and commends them to God while crying.