Arnaut Daniel

Arnaut Daniel came from Ribérac in Périgord. According to his vida he acquired his letters, but later abandoned them to become a jonglar. Dante Alighieri rated Arnaut as his favourite troubadour.

A famous story about him is related in the razo to Anc eu no l'aic. In the court of Richard I another jonglar claimed to be a better song writer. Richard challenged the two, saying that whoever could produce the best song by the next morning would be rewarded. Rather than write a song of his own Arnaut listened in to the jonglar practising. When the next morning came Arnaut asked to go first, and sang the jonglar's song perfectly. The jonglar protested that Arnaut had sung his own song, which Arnaut confessed was true. Richard was amused by this and rewarded both men.

Eighteen of his songs survive, but only two melodies are attributed to him. Arnaut Daniel specialised in the hermetic trobar clus and the trobar ric styles. He also invented the sestina.