Medieval lyric poets of southern France, the troubadours wrote mainly in Occitan during the 11th through 13th centuries. They were often also musicians, performing songs about courtly love, honor, politics, and personal feeling. Their work helped shape later European lyric poetry and introduced many refined verse forms.
Example
At the winter court, a troubadour sang of distant love
and the hall grew quiet as his words moved from torch to torch.