Giraut de Bornelh (Borneil) (fl. c. 1162-c.1199). One of the most popular troubadours of his day, Giraut's reputation endured throughout the 13th c., when he was known as the Master of the Troubadours. Dante placed him in Paradise as a poeta rectitudinis, but implied that he thought Arnaut Daniel a better poet. Though rebarbative to modern taste when they adopt the high moral tone that recommended them to Dante, Giraut's songs are not devoid of lyricism or humour. He was formally inventive and composed in a variety of genres: cansos, sirventes, pastorelas, and tensos. His best-known piece is an alba. Giraut was a key figure in the controversy over the trobar clus, which some of his poems either illustrate or attack. His poems have been edited by R. V. Sharman (1989).
[Simon Gaunt]
