Jehan Erart (orErars) (c.1200/10–1258/9) was atrouvère fromArras, particularly noted for his favouring thepastourelle genre. He has left behind elevenpastourelles, tengrand chants, and oneserventois.

Erart's presence at Arras can be deduced from his own writings.^[1] He was patronised by the wealthy middle and upper classes. In hisserventois, acomplainte on the death his patron Gherart Aniel, he asked Pierre and Wagon Wion to help him obtain the patronage of the bankers Henri and Robert Crespin. His relationship with two Arras trouvères is apparent in his lyrics,Guillaume le Vinier andJehan Bretel. He is also mentioned in a work ofGuibert Kaukesel, a canon of Arras.

The chief characteristic of Erart's poetry is his preference for short lines, mostlypenta-,hexa-,hepta-, andoctosyllabic, as opposed to the traditionaldecasyllable, which does occur in hischansons "Pré ne vergier ne boscaige foillu" and "Encoire sui cil ki a merchi s'atent" and hisserventois "Nus chanters".^[2] Musically, Erart issyllabic, with a preference formajor modes andrefrains. Hischansons are composed mainly inisometre, but hispastourelles are predominantlyheterometric. His music is conservative and rarely exceeds a ninth in range.

There are two death notices for Erart in thenecrology of theConfrérie des jongleurs et bourgeois d'Arras. One records a Jehans Erardi dying in 1258 while another records Jehan Erart dying in 1259. It is possible, when considering that his works are preserved in two different sections of theChansonnier du Roi, that there were two Jehan Erarts, but this is not likely.^[1] Three songs attributed to Jehan Erart in one manuscript probably belong toRaoul de Beauvais.

• Trouvères
• 1259 deaths
• Male classical composers

• Year of birth uncertain