Moniot d'Arras

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Moniot d'Arras (fl. 1213 – 1239) was a French composer of the trouvère tradition.

Moniot d'Arras was a monk who served in the Abbey of Arras in northern France. He was a composer of monophonic songs, both secular and sacred. Many of his poems were addressed to members of the nobility. Most of his secular pieces reflect the tradition of courtly love, telling stories of discreet and not-so-discreet liaisons. His most famous piece, Ce fut en mai, relates the story of an unrequited lover who spies on a lady and her knight in an amorous encounter. When he is discovered he tells his tale of woe, and the lovers give him comfort and a prayer for his happiness.