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Plight of the Troubadour Lyrics by Billy Collins

The Apple that Astonished Paris

1988

For a good hour I have been singing lays
in langue d'oc to a woman who knows
only langue d'oïl, an odd Picard dialect
at that.
The European love lyric is flourishing
with every tremor of my voice,
yet a friend has had to tap my shoulder
to tell me she has not caught a word.
My sentiments are tangled like kites
in the branches of her incomprehension,
and soon I will be lost in an anthology
and poets will no longer wear hats like mine.
Provence will be nothing more
than a pink hue on a map or an answer on a test.
And still the woman smiles over at me
feigning this look of sisterly understanding.
Credits
Billy Collins

Billy Collins

About “Plight of the Troubadour” by Billy Collins

Read the complete lyrics to "Plight of the Troubadour" by Billy Collins from the album "The Apple that Astonished Paris" in 1988. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Plight of the Troubadour" is performed by Billy Collins. from the album "The Apple that Astonished Paris" in 1988 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Plight of the Troubadour", explore more songs by Billy Collins using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Plight of the Troubadour" is credited to Billy Collins. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Plight of the Troubadour" appears on "The Apple that Astonished Paris" in 1988.

Visit the Billy Collins artist page at /artist/billy-collins for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.