Rutebeuf (Old Fr., Rutebuef), a 13th century poet from Paris, wrote under a nom de plume derived from “rude” (“coarse”) and “boeuf” (“ox”). He is best known for his satirical, irreverent verse, filled with wordplay, that takes aim at such institutions as religion and marriage, as well as making fun of himself. His work represents a departure from the courtly and aristocratic lyricism popular at the time, focusing on a bourgeois lyricism with down-to-earth themes, including the quotidian.
Thanks to contemporary interest in Rutebeuf’s work, including Joan Baez’s rendition of one of his texts, Rutebeuf’s legacy survives. In 2014, French astronomers named their newly discovered asteroid after him. The two poems in this selection are based on Achille Jubinal’s compilation of Rutebeuf’s Oeuvres (1839) in Old French.