In the third canto occurs the famous song Magali, so popular in Provence.  The melody is printed at the end of the volume.  Mireio’s prayer in the tenth canto is in five-syllable verse with rhymes abbab.

The poems of the Isclo d’Or offer over eighty varieties of strophe, a most remarkable number.  This variety is produced by combining in different manners the verse lengths, and by changes in the succession of rhymes.  Whatever ingenuity Mistral has exercised in the creation of rhythms, the impression must not be created that inspiration has suffered through attention to mechanism, or that he is to be classed with the old Provencal versifiers or those who flourished in northern France just before the time of Marot.  Artifice is always strictly subordinated, and the poet seems to sing spontaneously.  No violence is ever done to the language in order to force it into artificial moulds, there is no punning in rhymes, there is nothing that can be charged against the poet as beneath the real dignity of his art.

Let us look at some of the more striking of these verse forms.  The second of Li Cansoun, Lou Bastimen, offers the following form:—­

“Lou bastimen ven de Maiorco
Eme d’arange un cargamen: 
An courouna de verdi torco
L’aubre-mestre don bastimen: 
Urousamen
Ven de Maiorco
Lou bastimen."[7]

This stanza reproduces in the sixth line the last word of the first, and in the seventh the last word of the fourth.

An excellent example of accentual verse set to an already existing melody is seen in Li Bon Prouvencau.  The air is:—­

“Si le roi m’avait donne
Paris, sa grand ville.”

We quote the first stanza:—­

    “Boufo, au siecle mounte sian
      Uno auro superbo
    Que vou faire ren qu’un tian
      De touti lis erbo: 
    Nautri, li bon Prouvencau
    Aparan lou viei casau
      Ounte fan l’aleto
      Nosti dindouleto."[8]

This poem scans itself with perfect regularity, and the rhythm of the tune is evident to the reader who may never have heard the actual music.

The stanza of La Tourre de Barbentano is as follows:—­

    “L’Evesque d’Avignoun, Mounsen Grimau,
    A fa basti ’no tourre a Barbentano
    Qu’ enrabio vent de mar e tremountano
    E fai despoutenta l’Esprit dou mau. 
        Assegurado
          Sus lou roucas
        Forto e carrado
        Escounjurado
    Porto au souleu soun front bouscas: 
    Mememen i fenestro, dins lou cas
    Que vouguesse lou Diable intra di vitro,
    A fa Mounsen Grimau grava sa mitro."[9]

Here is a stanza of Lou Renegat:—­

    “Jan de Gounfaroun, pres per de coursari,
        Dins li Janissari
        Set an a servi: 
    Fau, enco di Turc, ave la coudeno
        Facho a la cadeno
        Emai au rouvi."[10]