It was probably during his reign at Sicily (1285–1291) that James composed his only surviving piece of Occitan poetry, a religious dansa dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Mayre de Deu.
Det var formentligt under hans styre på Sicilien (1285–1291), at Jakob skrev sit eneste stykke bevarede occitanske poesi, en religiøs dansa tilegnet Jomfru Maria, Mayre de Deu.