Jean Chardevoine: "Une jeune fillette" (1576)... French lyrics and English translation from http://humanities.ucsd.edu/courses/kuchtahum3/music/fillette.htm

1. Une jeune fillette
de noble coeur,
plaisante et joliette,
de grand valeur,
outre son gré
on l'a rendu nonette,
cela point ne luy haicte,
d'où vit en grand douleur.

2. Un soir après complie,
seulette estoit,
en grand mélancolie
se tourmentoit,
disant ainsi: "Douce Vierge Marie,
abrège moy la vie,
puisque mourir je doy.

3. Mon pauvre coeur soupire
incessament,
aussi ma mort desire
journellement,
qu'à mes parent ne puis mander n'escrire.
Ma beaute fort empire,
je vis en grand tourment.

4. Que ne m'a-ton donnée
a mon loyal amy,
qui m'a tant desirée,
aussi ay'je moy luy?
Toute la nuit me tiendroit embrassée,
me disant sa pensée,
et moy la mienne a luy.

5. La mort est fort cruelle
a endurer,
combien qu'il faut par elle
trestous passer.
Encor est plus le grand mal qui s'endure,
et la peine plus dure
qu'il me faut supporter.

6. Adieu vous dis, mon père,
ma mère et mes parents,
qui m'avez voulu faire
nonette en ce convent.
Où il n'y a point de resjouissance,
je vis en deplaisance,
je n'attends que la mort.

7. Adieu vous dis les filles
de mon pays,
puisu'en cette abbaye
me faut mourir.
En attendant de mon Dieu la sentence,
je vis en esperance
d'en avoir reconfort."

1. There was once a young girl,
Noble of heart,
Charming and pretty
And of great worth.
Against her will she was made a nun;
This doesn't please her at all,
So she lives in great pain.

2. One evening, after compline,
She was alone,
Tormenting herself
In her great melancholy,
Saying "Sweet Virgin Mary,
Cut off my life,
For I must die.

3. My poor heart sighs
Without ceasing,
And longs for my death
Daily,
And I can send or write nothing of this to my family.
My beauty is disappearing,
And I live in torment.

4. Why wasn't I given
to my faithful friend,
Who desired me
As much as I did him?
He would hold me in his arms all night long.
Telling me his thoughts,
And I telling him mine.

5. Death is a cruel thing
To suffer,
Though all
Must undergo it.
But still greater is the grief that lasts
And the sharper pain
That I must endure.

6. Farewell, my father;
Farewell, my mother and all my family
Who chose to put me
In this convent as a nun,
Where there is no joy.
I live in misery,
And only wait for death.

7. Farewell, girls
Of my home,
Farewell, since I must die
In this abbey.
Waiting my God's judgment,
I live in hope
Of consolation."