Aucassin et Nicolette is a medieval French chantefable, or combination of prose and verse (literally, a “sung storyâ€), similar to a prosimetrum. It is the only known chantefable from what was once a very popular literary tradition, and it is from this work the term chantefable was coined in its concluding lines: “No cantefable prent fin†(“Our chantefable is drawing to a closeâ€). Stylistically, the chantefable combines elements of the chanson de geste (e. g., The Song of Roland), lyric poems, and courtly novels-literary forms already well-established by the twelfth century. The work probably dates from the early 13th century, and is known from only one surviving manuscript dating from the later part of the century. The workâ€(TM)s authorship is unknown. It is generally considered a roman dâ€(TM)adventure, or a romantic work of action and adventure. It was translated in 1887 as Aucassin and Nicolette by Francis William Bourdillon (1852-1921), a British poet and translator.
