Jehan Bretel (c.1210–1272) was a trouvère. Of his known oeuvre of probably 97 songs, 96 have survived. Judging by his contacts with other trouvères he was famous and popular. Seven works by other trouvères (Jehan de Grieviler, Jehan Erart, Jaques le Vinier, Colart le Boutellier, and Mahieu de Gant) are dedicated to Bretel and he was for a time the "Prince" of the Puy d'Arras.
Bretel held the hereditary post of sergeant at the Abbey of Saint Vaast in Arras, in which capacity he oversaw the rights of the abbacy on the river Scarpe. He is referred to as sergens iretavles de la riviere Saint-Vaast in a document of 1256. His father, Jehan, had held this same post from 1241 (at the latest) until his death in 1244. His grandfather, Jacques, was described as sergent héréditaire around the turn of the century, when there were eight such officials associated with the abbey. The trouvère and his brother were modestly wealthy property owners near Arras, where Jehan died in 1272.
Bretel wrote eight known chansons courtoises, of which seven survive. Bretel dedicated the chanson Li miens chanters to the countess Beatrice, wife of William III of Dampierre and sister of Henry III, Duke of Brabant.
Bretel also participated in eighty-nine jeux partis, nearly half of all recorded jeux partis. Many of these are assigned on the basis of internal evidence (the poets are often named) since they lack rubrics. A few of these are addressed only to a Sire Jehan or just Sire and their ascription to Bretel, though likely, is not certain. About forty different poets from the region around Arras participated in these jeux partis, either as judges or correspondents. Generally these poems are grouped with others by Bretel in the chansonniers, even if he did not initiate them, though those he initiated with the famous trouvère Adam de la Halle are usually grouped with Adam's works.
Jamais nul jour de ma vie
Je ne chant pas de grant joliveté
Li grans desirs de deservir amie
Li miens chanters ne puet plaire
Mout liement me fait Amours chanter
Onques nul jour ne chantai
Poissans Amours a mon cuer espiié
With Adam de la Halle
Adan, amis, je vous dis une fois
Adan, amis, mout savés bien vo roi
Adan, a moi respondés
Adan, d'amours vous demant
Adan, du quel cuidiés vous, no music
Adan, li qués doit mieus trouver merchi
Adan, mout fu Aristotes sachans
Adan, qui aroit amee
Adan, se vous amiés bien loiaument
Adan, s'il estoit ensi
Adan, si soit que ma feme amés tant
Adan, vauriés vous manoir
Adan, vous devés savoir
Avoir cuidai engané le marchié
Compains Jehan, un gieus vous vueil partir
Sire, assés sage vous voi, proposed by Adam, no music
Sire Jehan, ainc ne fustes partis, proposed by Adam
With Audefroi
J'aim par amours et on moi ensement, proposed by Audefroi
Sire Audefroi, qui par traïson droite
With Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras
Cuvelier, dites moi voir, no music
Cuvelier, or i parra
Cuvelier, s'il est ainsi, two melodies
Cuvelier, vous amerés
Je vous demant, Cuvelier, espondés, no music
With Gaidifer d'Avion
Gaidifer, d'un jeu parti
Gaidifer, par courtoisie
With Gerart de Boulogne
Sire Jehan, vous amerez, proposed by Gerart, no music
With Jehan de Grieviler
Conseilliez moi, Jehan de Grieviler
Grieviler, a ma requeste, no music
Grieviler, del quel doit estre
Grieviler, deus dames sai d'une beauté
Grieviler, deus dames sont
Grieviler, dites moi voir, no music
Grieviler, feme avés prise
Grieviler, ja en ma vie, no music
Grieviler, par maintes fies
Grieviler, par quel raison, no music
Grieviler, par vo bapteme
Grieviler, se vous aviés
Grieviler, se vous quidiés
Grieviler, s'il avenoit, no music
Grieviler, un jugement
Grieviler, vostre ensient, two melodies
Grieviler, vostre pensee
Jehan Bretel, une jolie dame, proposed by Grieviler
Jehan Bretel, vostre avis, proposed by Grieviler
Jehan de Grieviler, deus dames sai, no music
Jehan de Grieviler, sage
Jehan de Grieviler, s'aveuc celi, no music
Jehan de Grieviler, une
Jehan de Grieviler, un jugement, no music
Prince del Pui, mout bien savés trouver, proposed by Grieviler
Respondés a ma demande, two melodies
Sire Bretel, je vous vueill demander, proposed by Grieviler, no music
Sire Bretel, vous qui d'amours savez, proposed by Grieviler, no music
With Jehan de Marli
Maistre Jehan de Marli, respondés
With Jehan de Renti
Jehan Bretel, un chevalier, proposed by Jehan de Renti, no music
With Jehan Simon
Jehan Simon, li quieus s'aquita mieus, two melodies
With Jehan de Vergelai
Jehan de Vergelai, vostre ensïent
With Lambert Ferri:
Amis Lambert Ferri, vous trouverés
Entendés, Lambert Ferri
Ferri, a vostre ensïent
Ferri, il sont doi amant
Ferri, il sont dui fin loial amant, no music
Ferri, se ja Dieus vous voie
Ferri, se vous bien amiés
Jehan Bretel, par raison, proposed by Lambert, two melodies
Lambert Ferri, drois est ke m'entremete, no music
Lambert Ferri, je vous part
Lambert Ferri, li quieus doit mieus avoir
Lambert Ferri, s'une dame orgeilleuse
Lambert, il sont doi amant
Lambert, se vous amiés bien loiaument
Lambert, une amie avés
Prince del Pui, selonc vostre pensee, proposed by Lambert
Sire Bretel, entendés, proposed by Lambert
Sire Jehan Bretel, vous demant gié, proposed by Lambert, no music
With Mahieu li Taillere
A vous, Mahieu li Taillere
With Perrin d'Angicourt
Perrin d'Angicourt, respondés
Prince del Pui, vous avés, proposed by Perrin
With Perrot de Neele
Amis Pierot de Neele
Jehan Bretel, respondés', proposed by Perrot
Pierrot de Neele, amis, no music
Pierot, li ques vaut pis a fin amant
With Prieus de Boulogne
Sire Prieus de Boulogne, no music
With Robert de Castel
Robert du Chastel, biaus sire
With Robin de Compiegne
Sire Jehan Bretel, conseill vous prie, proposed by Robin, no music
With Robert de la Piere
Robert de la Piere, repondés moi
With more than two
Biaus sire tresorier d'Aire, proposed jointly by Bretel and Lambert Ferri to Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras and the Tresorier d'Aire
Cuvelier et vous, Ferri, proposed by Bretel to Jehan le Cuvelier d'Arras, Lambert Ferri, and Jehan de Grieviler