De faire bien

Gentian's De faire bien is a secular chanson for SATB voices in French. The text expresses a poignant complaint from a lover who has been wronged. Despite having acted with loyalty and virtue, expecting a just reward, the speaker finds themselves suffering the penalty, while the object of their affection, who has acted cruelly, escapes blame. The singer laments this unjust balance, where their love leads to penance and their beloved's cruelty is met with impunity. This four-part setting would have been typical of secular part-music from the Renaissance period, offering a chance for expressive word-painting on a theme of unrequited or betrayed affection.