Lai

(Fr. lay). Chansons of the French TROUVÈRES and late medieval composers. Like most French song forms of the period, the texts are STROPHIC.

In the case of the lai, there are nearly as many poetic (and thus musical) forms as there are examples. The lai could also be a poem without music. GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT wrote several of both types.

The term lai may refer to one of several related genres: descort, Letch, estampie, ductia, ensalada, and even the liturgical SEQUENCE.