Gab (song)

A "gab" or "gap" is an Occitan boasting song of the High Middle Ages (1100–1350), when the troubadours were popular. It is often considered related to the "tenso" and "partimen", two types of debate poem. Sometimes the "gab" is not considered a separate genre of poetry but simply a boast found within another genre, commonly the "sirventes".Fraser, 153.]

The Occitan word "gab" (or "gap") means "boast" and comes from the verb "gabar" (to open the mouth wide, i.e. gape). The song is innately competitive and the boast is often presented as a challenge, which may generate poetical responses. The boasting, however, is made in good fun and typically follows a formula ensuring it will be well-received (unlike a real boast). Often it is heavily ironic and the boasts are intended specifically to entertain the audience that knows better.

The first "gab" was "Ben vuelh", composed by William IX of Aquitaine (died 1126).Monson, 199.] The "sirventes" "De mots ricos no tem Peire Vidal" by Uc de Lescura begins with a "gab" proclaiming the composer's superiority to eight of his contemporary troubadours, including the man of the title, Peire Vidal, who was himself a famous composer of "gabs". One of his more widely disseminated opens like this:

ources

*Monson, Don A. (1999). "The Troubadours at Play: Irony, Parody and Burlesque." "The Troubadours: An Introduction". Simon Gaunt and Sarah Kay, edd. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0 5215 7473 0.
*Fraser, Veronica M. (2006). "The Songs of Peire Vidal: Translation and Commentary". New York: Peter Lang. ISBN 0 8204 7922 5.

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