Minnesanc

by

Klaus J. Gerken

(1976)


I

Were all the world mine
from the ocean to the rhine
all of that I would renounce
if the queen of engeland
were lying in my arms.

(Anonymous)


II

It has torn my heart apart
that I've lusted for
what I cannot, nor ever
hope to have.

that is so destructive.
now I don't mean gold or silver:
it's people this resembles.

(Der Von Kuerenberg)


III

The morning star hides itself
like you do lovely lady
when you catch me in your sight
by looking at another man.
in that way none will ever know
how it really is between the two of us.

(Der von Kuerenberg)


IV

Woman and featherplay*
are both easily tamed:
they both come searching for the one
who lures them right.
to that end
a handsome knight
came searching for a lady.
when I think of that
my spirits soar!

(Der von Kuerenberg)

*Hawks



V

Tristam, without any thanks, had
to be faithful to the queen,
because poison forced him to it,
more than the power of love.
then shall the good one thank me
that I ne'er took a drop of such
spiced wine and that I loved her more
than he did, if that could be.
o beautiful one, and faultless one,
let me be yours
and you be mine.

(Heinrich von Veldeke)


VI

I beg of minne and I warn
the one who hath won all of me,
t'help me with my lady, full of charms
that she will do the most for me.
because if it's the same with me as with the swans
that singeth so before they die,
she will lose too much of me thereby.

(Heinrich von Veldeke)


VII

I would rather live in misery
for seven years then speak
one word against her will.
there's a lot of lamenting she's now heard
and still wants me to lament some more:
the minne's still the same it was before.

(Heinrich von Veldeke)


VIII

Whosoever injures me in the eyes of my lady,
the branch of death to him
which-on thieves go to meet their ends.
whosoever helps me with her honestly,
paradise to him,
to him I fold my hands.
if any man asks who she is
he will know  of her by this:
she is the beautiful one.
pity me, lady.
I'll leave the sun to shine on you,
as I on me will let the moon.

If my distress were just more bearable,
I'd be winning life, not sorrow
and joys insurmountable,
far and wide  hear more life:
flowers spring up on the heath
the birds sing in the forest.
where just a while ago lay snow,
green clover there now grows,
bedewed in the morning.
whosoever wants to, let him be rejoicing.
for me, let no man bother me.
I'm not yet free of sorrowing.

(Heinrich von Veldeke)


IX


In my dream I saw a very
beautiful lady
through the night until they dawn:
that's when I awoke.
that it was that she was taken from me sadly,
such I didn't know where she had gone,
her who should have brought me joy.
my eyes were doing this to me:
then I wanted them no more.

(Friderich von Husen)


X

Many say full true   for many year
that women they despise gray hair
that's hard on me
and that's a shame for them
that rather they would have their lovers
dumb than wise.

The more or less   that I am gray,
it's women with a sickly wit I hate,
who would take new
tin before old gold.
They say they take the younger ones
because hey are impatient.

(Heinrich von Veldeke)


XI

My heart and my body want to separate,
they were together for a long time.
the body wants to gladly fight against the heathens:
but the heart chooses a lady
before all the world. that has weighed hard on me since then,
that they never follow each other.
my eyes have brought me too much grief.
god alone may break up that sacrifice.

I wanted to be finished with that weight,
when I took the cross in god's glory.
it would have been right if my heart had been in it,
but it's own lack of faith held it back.
I should have rightly been a living man,
if that dumb desiring could be stopped.
I see now that it's all the same to it
how it shall fare at the end with me.

Since I cannot turn you back, my heart,
from loving me so sadly,
I bid god that he reach to send you
into a state where you will be well received.
Now how shall it go with you!
How does one dare to go into such danger?
Who shall help you end your worries
with such loyalty as I have done?

(Friderich von Husen)



XII

Lady, if you want to nurture me,
then only look on me a bit.
I cannot stand it much longer
so that I will lose my life.
I am ill, my heart is wounded.
lady, mine own eyes and your
red mouth have done all that to me.

Lady, see what ails me now
before I come to lose my life.
If you'd only say one word, that would make it better:
forego that then, thou holy woman!
all you ever say is no,
never never never no,
that breaketh my heart in two.
if only once you would say yes,
yes yes yes yes yes yes yes?
that lies close to my heart.

(Heinrich von Morungen)


XIII

Alas, why do I follow my dumb dreams,
that leadeth me down into despair?
I have left her and all of my joys behind,
'cause she never offered help nor comfort me.
she was the shade of white lilies and red roses,
when that lovely well-made one sat before me
and thus she rightly blossometh like the full moon.
that was full joy to the eyes, to the heart death.

My mind's state is not light like the wind:
I am still to her as she hath left me,
still loyal like was when a small child,
how for a long time she hast done me grief
by forcing me to be silent of the secret dream,
no matter how thick I unwind this foolishness,
would I were to stand before her speaking high words,
and then still must go from her speaking naught.

Now have I spoken much and sung so much
that I am tired and hot from my lamenting,
forceth have I been to nothing but to dream,
since she did naught believe me what I sayeth,
how I love her, and towards her hold the heart I carry.
that is how I have been now rewarded,
had I struggled after god half as much as that,
he would have taken me to him long ago.

(Heinrich von Morungen)



XIV

Many a man gets himself bewitched by elves:
so am I bewitched by the great minne
by the best one that ever a man called friend.
if for that she wishest to blame me,
and so cast me down,      then may she find revenge
doing what I ask: sorely she delighteth,
to forgo life I must for her love.

She commandeth and in my heart is my lady
and is so much mightier than I myself:
alas if only I could be more powerful
that she wouldst faithfully stay with me
for three whole days and      for some appointed nights!
such I would not lose my life; nor all my power.
yet for now she's still too free from me.

The more her bright eyes shine the more I am burned
like the fire that burneth dry tinder,
and my heart is damp from her estrangement
like the water on a very hot flame:
and her high mead,     her beauty, and worthiness,
and the wonder that one doest from her virtue win,
that's my illness and still good to my health.

When her brightly shining eyes turneth towards me
then she seeth straight into my heart,
who there stands between us and fains block the way,
for him shall all is pleasures go awry,
when then I stood and      waited for my lady
like the small birds waiteth for the day to come and break:
when to me shall that joy happen?

(Heinrich von Morungen)


XV


Glances that are painful and a lot of grief
hath loseth me almo body and the soul.
it's ld sufferings I newly now lament.
if only I'd not fear their raging scorn
because I sing for her      who once maketh me rejoice,
such by god none falsify my loyalty,
since I was born upon this world to sing.

Many who sayeth      'see how he now singeth!
feeleth he sorrow, this he wouldst not do.'
he prob'ly doesn't know how I am forced to sing:
I do so now as I have done before.
if I stood in sorrow,      naught would she careth.
this in anguish is the worry that oppresseth me:
sorrow's despised where folks enjoy themselves.

She is a wonder unto my heart and a crown
amongst all the women I have ever seen,
beauty above beauty and beautiful above all,
is she, my lady; I've to grant her that.
all the world should beg      her gladly through her beauty.
'there is still time enough, lady, to chide him:
or else he'll speak foolishness with his praise.'

I stand before her and stareth in wonder
at what beauty god hast put on her body,
I see so much that is extraordinary,
that I would to gladly stay there alway.
alas so I must      in dark sadness part from her:
there cometh now a dark cloud there between us
such that nothing haveth I of her light.

(Heinrich von Morungen)


XVI

Beneath the linden
on the heather
there were our second bower was,
there might you find them
both together
lovely broken flowers and grass.
before the forest in a dale,
tandaralei,
lovely sang the nightingale.

When I came walking
to the meadow;
there was my love awaiting me.
there we had our meeting,
lady mellow,
forever joyful will I be.
kissed he me? a thousand times:
tandaralei,
see how red's this mouth of mine.

There it was that he hath
made so richly
from the flowers around, a bed.
that surely will be laughed at
innerly,
by one passing by this stead.
from the roses he could fain
tandaralei,
see where it was my head had lain.

That he did lie with me,
if anyone
found that out, by god, ashamed I'd be,
what he there did with me
let no one know
of that, save him or me,
and that bird so very small,
tandaralei,
that will say no word at all.

(Walther von der Vogelweide)


XVII

Foliage falleth from the trees down to the ground.
that's why branches bare.
flowers all fadeth
that they are all made unsound:
lovely was their splendour.
thus forceth the frost
many herbs and plants to wilt:
that's why I am made so very sad.
now I believe thus,
since the winter is so cold
it's new joys that must be found for us.

Helpeth me to sing
hundred thousand joys or more
than even May could bring.
roses are falling
on my lady's so red cheeks
of that I wish to sing.
the cold may bother
me, but all of the plant's scents
are dispersed upon her body.
could I be her serf
I'd be filled with so much joy:
'cause the good one gives so much to me.

(Wizlaw von Rugen)


Copyright (c)  1976  Klaus J. Gerken
Published by Ygdrasil Press