Trobar clus (Occitan pronunciation:[tɾuˈβaˈklys]), orclosed form, was a complex and obscure style of poetry used bytroubadours for their more discerning audiences, and it was only truly appreciated by an elite few. It was developed extensively byMarcabru andArnaut Daniel, but by 1200 its inaccessibility had led to its disappearance. Among the imitators of Marcabru wereAlegret andMarcoat, who claimed himself to writevers contradizentz (contradictory verses), indicative of the incomprehensibility of thetrobar clus style.[1] Below is a sample of the style from Marcoat'ssirventesMentre m'obri eis huisel, wherein the poet himself remarks on hismoz clus (closed words):
Among the late twelfth-century practitionars oftrobar clus wasPeire d'Alvernhe, an imitator of Marcabru, whileRaimbaut d'Aurenga of thetrobar ric style was influenced by Marcoat. The onlytrobairitz (female troubadour) to use the trobar clus with mastery wasLombarda around 1216.