The Carmina Burana Songs From Benediktbeuern

The Carmina Burana:
Songs from Benediktbeuern

2nd Edition
pan) fh., Geto Ps Nes x i wa] d

Translated with critical annotations
by Tariq Marshall
Paes i
isc ahaa AOS 5

THE CARMINA BURANA
Digitized by the Internet Archive
In 2022 with funding from
Kahle/Austin Foundation
https://archive.org/details/carminaburanason0000unse
Che Carmina Burana:
Songs
from
Benediktheuern
Cranslated with critical annotations

by Carig Marshall
Marshall Memorial Press
Copyright © 2011, 2012, 2013 by Tariq Marshall. All rights reserved.
ISBN-13: 978-1481117593
ISBN-10: 1481117599
DEDICATION
Susannae Artifici et Franco Carusonio, sine quorum auxilio, et spiritali et aerario,

haec interpretatio numquam perfecta esset, atque Magistro Franco Beznero, sine
quo haud cognovissem Carmina Burana.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface
BOOK I: THE MORAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS
Poem _ Title
] The Hallowed Hand

2 Insatiable
5) The Devil’s Feast by Walter of Chatillion
4 On Perdition’s Eve
5 The Second Coming
6 Shadows In the Gloom
i Leaves of Virtue
8 The Sale of Grace by Walter of Chatillon
9 Hawkers of Faith
10 The Sorcerer’s Apprentices
11 Ode to Lord Dollar
he The Grapes of Slander
13 Meditations on Envy
14 Fortune’s Interchange
15 The Constant Gardener
16 ‘Round Fortune’s Wheel
17 Ode to Fortune
18 Meditations on Fortune
18a The Circle
19 The Magnanimity of the Wise by Walter of Chatillon
20 Meditations on Virtue
BA| Vicars of Sin by Philip the Chancellor
IH) The Garden of the Soul by Philip the Chancellor
23 The Good Priest
24 Away with Vanity!
ZS Aphorisms
26 The Chancellor’s Plea by Philip the Chancellor
21 The Blessed by Philip the Chancellor
28 Otloh’s Law by Otloh of St.Emmeram
29 Perils of Lust by Peter of Blois
30 The Return from Youth by Peter of Blois
a My Wasted Youth by Peter of Blois
Sy On Suffering
33 Advice to a Priest by Peter of Blois
34 The Fall of Zion by Philip the Chancellor
35 Comparative Faith
36 The Good Shepherd of the Flock
ait Crises in the Cloister
38 Otloh’s Wisdom by Otloh of St.Emmeram
Sy) Kings of Greed
39a After the Flesh
39b At the Foot of the Altar
40. More Proverbs
41 The Fall of Rome by Walter of Chatillon
42 The Rebellious Song by Walter of Chatillon
43 Languishing Rome
44 The Gospel According to Marks
45 The Old Way
46 To Victory!
47 The Second Crucifixion
47a Human Ways
48 The Rise of God
48a The Knight of Day by Otto von Botenlauben
49 The Temple of Christ
50 A Misfortune Grave
>) Gaea’s Tears
Sla Valiance in the Holy Realm
a2 The Day of Jubilee
38: The Schism’s End
53a The Prudent Hunter
54 The Demons’ Ball
5) What the Devil Said
BOOK Il: THE LOVE SONGS
Poem aitic
56 The Dawn of Spring

ey) Phrison’s Song
58 The Dance of the Birds
59 In the Shadow of the Linden
60 The Cage of Love
60a Secret Love
61 The Apple of His Eye
62 Hypnogogic Wonder
63 The Amorous Herculean Fall by Peter of Blois
64 On the Twelve Virtuous Labors of Hercules by Ausonius
65 The Rhythmic Symphony
66 The Four Steeds of the Chariot of the Sun
67 A Maiden Supreme by Peter of Blois
68 Spring: A Brief Tale
69 Winter Love
70 A Lovers’ Exchange
71 Love’s Deceit
Pe Peter the Conqueror by Peter of Blois
73 Vernal Flame
74 The Pride of Spring
(E The Joys of Youth
76 Night of the Sacred Venus 99
WAL Love’s Glorious Blossom 101
78 A Loveworthy Maid 105
79 A Failed Attempt 105
80 Earth’s Rebirth 106
81 Dance to the Beat of the Sun 108
82 Thyme and Sorrel’s Disputation 109
83 Peter and His Maid by Peter of Blois 111
84 Peter’s War by Peter of Blois 113
85 Sweet Juliana 114
86 The Pervert’s Song 115
87 Ode to Cupid 116
88 Cecilia 117
88a Born Beneath the Same Reach of Sky 119
89 The Two Good Shepherds 120
90 The Scholar and the Shepherdess 122
9] On Priests 12
92 The Song of Phyllis and Flora 125
93 The Virgin Isle 133
93a To Capture a Unicorn 134
94 Venus’ Knights 134
95 I Am Not a Catamite! 135
96 To the Suit of Maidens! 1S5
97 Apollonius, Prince of Tyre 136
98 The Marriage of Aeneas 138
99 The Death of a Sidonian Queen 139
99a The Folly of Paris 140
99b Death’s Cause 140
100 Dido’s Lament 140
101 Hecuba’s Tears 143
102 The Trojan Prince’s Victory 145
103 Alack, Love Is Burning Me! 147
104 Venus the Cruel 150
104a A Little Advice 151
105 Cupid Forlorn 11
106 Venus’ Bonds 152
107 The Tortures of Love 153
108 The Lusting Scholar by Peter of Blois 154
109 A Faithless Girl 156
110 Enticed by Love [57
111 Harsh Distance from a Comely Girl iS7
2 Rescue Me, O Lass! 158
112a Burned by a Maiden 152
113 To Joys! 159
113a A Maiden’s Complaint by Dietmar von Aist 160
114 On the Threshold of Death 160
114a Love’s Holiday 161
tS 5.08: 161
115a Dangerous Beauty 162
116 Spiritual Turmoil 162
117 I’m Not He! 163
118 O Let Me Leave! 164
119 Awakened to Love 165
119a Temperance 165
120 Has She Become a Whore? 165
120a Cupid Rules All 166
124 My New Girl 166
iia The Invention of God 167
122 Dirge to a King 167
122a Fragile Joys by Marbod of Rennes 169
123 Walter’s Threnody by Walter of Chatillon 169
123a Message from a Bard 171
124 Tears for Philip 171
125 Repent! by Otloh of St. Emmeram 171
126 The Swell of Sin 171
127 Be Anything But a Monk! 72
128 The Lost Navigator 174
129 The Hapless Clerk 175
130 The Swan Song 175
13h Where Is Love? by Philip the Chancellor 176
13la The Court of Injustice by Philip the Chancellor 177
132 Voices of Spring 178
133 The Names of the Birds 180
134 On the Names of Beasts 181
1335 Winter’s Defeat 181
135a Joy Without End by Walther von der Vogelweide 182
136 April Renewed 182
136a The Maiden of His Ideal 182
1337/ The Return of Spring 182
137a Wondrous May 183
138 Beneath the Summer Sun 183
138a The Crown of May 183
139 Followers of Lord Cupid 183
139a Invigorated by Spring 184
140 Vernal Powers 184
140a Fest on the Heath 185
141 A Rigid Girl 185
14la A New Beginning 186
142 A Lone Vixen 186
142a A Maiden Met by Chance 186
143 Venus’ Bidding 187
143a The Damsel’s Pact by Reinmar von Hagenau 187
144 Green Meadows 187
144a A Pleasant Sight 188
145 Terra and the Muse 188
145a If Only! 189
146 A Heavenly Maid 189
146a Send Her My Surety! 189
147 Half of His Former Self 189
147a The Man of High Heart by Reinmar von Hagenau 190
148 Prayer for Venus’ Aid 190
148a Venus Shuts Us Out! 191
149 Who Will Love Me Now? 19]
150 The Happy Throng 19]
150a A King Uncrowned by Heinrich von Morungen hoz
151 The Pearl Set in Gold 192
1Sla The Flowers and the Clovers by Walther von der Vogelweide 193
52 A Singular Summer 193
152a A Summer Serene 194
153 My One Girl 194
153a Torture by Reservation 195
154 The Steps of Love 195
155 Deep Longing 195
155a Most Beautiful of All 196
156 Alla Primavera 196
7 The Maiden and the Sheep 197
158 Crime Beside a Grove 198
159 Repetition Is the Mother of Memory I 199
160 Lady Pain 199
161 Flowered Earth 200
l6la Summer’s Prime 200
162 The Lettered Circle 200
162a Tireless in Love 201
163 Heavy Sighs 201
163a Lured into Harm 202
164 Bedroom Grammar 202
164a Her Loving Slave 203
165 Sick With Love 203
165a As Lovely As Can Be 204
166 Soldier of Love 204
166a Grief Without End by Reinmar von Hagenau 205
167 The Ripe Maiden 205
167a Land of No Lads 206
168 The Anniversary 206
168a Loveless In Spring by Neidhart von Reuental 207
169 Far Away from My Girl 207
169a Cease to be Uncouth! by Walther von der Vogelweide 208
170 The Peak of Creation 208
170a The Maids of Venus 208
(7A Venus’ Furnace 208
l7la Milady, My Clover 209
72, Magicians of Love 209
172a May Summer Come! 210
73} The Sweetest Pain 210
173a Her Eternal Servant 210
174 Come to Me! PA
174a Come You Now! 211
175 Heart of Ash 211
175a What Is Best az.
176 A Healing Hand and a Pleasant Voice 212
Wa There Stood A Maiden PAN
178 Mightier than Father Zeus 213
178a Welcome, Summer Fair! 213
179 Slain by Love 214
179a Letter to a Lass 215
180 Have You Read My Letter? 215
180a O Squire Mine 2ATi
181 Return to Me! 217
18la The Wearied Moor 218
182 Love or Take My Life! 218
182a Summer’s Largess we)
183 Chamber Sport 219
183a Depart In Stealth! 219
184 Chainsong 220
185 Dishonor In The Wood 220
186 Flowers, Flowers! Lips
BOOK II: THE DRINKING SONGS 229
Poem Title Page
187 The Secular Court Dp)

188 Rich and Loved 228
189 When In Rome... by Philip the Chancellor 228
190 On Detractors 230
19] The Wanderer’s Confession by The Archpoet 230
19la Will Verse for Food 233
192 I Serve the Good 234
193 On Water’s Quarrel with Wine by Peter 234
194 Unnatural Unions by Hugo Primas 238
195 The Wonders of Booze and Dice 238
196 In the Tavern 241
197 The Boozers’ Throne 243
198 Godfrey’s Counsel by Godfrey of Winchester 244
199 Unmixed Wine 244
200 Hymn to Bacchus 245
201 Words to the Wine 246
202 Imbibe Without Bound! 246
203 Winter Games 248
203a The Song of Ecke 249
204 O Trier 249
205 A Home Away from Home 250
206 The Effects of Wine 252
207 Cursed Be the Die! Deas
208 Alea’s Riddle 22
209 To the Board! 253
210 The Rules of Chess 253
Al A New God 254
2\la The Song of Palestine by Walther von der Vogelweide 254
Aw Words on Moderation 25
Pas The Players’ Commandments 213)
214 Whilst the Father is Away by Marbod of Rennes 259
DiS The Gamblers’ Mass 259
Pipa A Malicious Prayer VISTI
216 The Merry Fete 258
OAV Wassail to the Worthy 258
218 A Warning to Penny-Pinchers pao
219 The Order of Vagrants 260
220 The Pauper-Poet by The Archpoet 261
220a The Miser Tailors 262
UN Drink In His Name! 263
Dy, The Abbot of Cockaigne 263
DDS Words of the Wise 264
224 Detest Not the Poor 264
22d On Priests—Yet Another Song! 264
226 On the State of the World 265
BOOK IV: THE MAJOR PLAYS 267
Poem Title Page
iH The Birth of Christ 269

228 The Antichrist of Babylon 281
BOOK V: THE SUPPLEMENT 289
Poem Title Page
229 Saint Erasmus 291

230 Anything for Her Pas
231 Winter-Worn by Marner Dil
Dap Through Mary’s Eyes 292
426) The Bride of Christ 295
234 The Provost of Maria Saal by Marner 295
235 The Witness of the Light 296
236 Repetition Is the Mother of Memory II 297
250 The Order of Hypocrites by Marner 297
238 The Penalty for Greed by Marner (?) 298
239 Mary’s Ode 299
240 Catherine of Alexandria 300
241 The Passion of Christ (a play) 300
242 Tears of the Virgin by Godfrey of St. Victor 303
243 The Return of Christ (a play) 306
244 The Passion of Christ II (a play) 315
245 Freidank’s Pearls by Freidank go
246 The Prayer Wheel 334
247 Catherine’s Glory 335
248 The Great Martyress 336
249 The Woman Christ Loved 336
250 The Woman Who Broke the Wheel 30)
251 Joseph’s Song 339
22, Lord, Have Mercy on Us 339
253 The Last Hours of Christ 340
254 The Lord Appears (a play) 340
254a ‘The Bride of Solomon’s Song 343
CRITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTARY 345
Book 1: Poems 1-55 347

Book 2: Poems 56-186 Sei
Book 3: Poems 187-226 597,
Book 4: Poems 227-228 401
Book 5: Poems 229-254a 402
INDEX OF AUTHORS 407
INDEX OF FIRST LINES OF LATIN POEMS 413
INDEX OF FIRST LINES OF M.H.G. POEMS 418
BIBLIOGRAPHY 421
Ade ow ‘
PREFACE
In this complete English translation of the Carmina Burana, or Songs

from Benediktbeuern—the name of the monastery in Bavaria where the
thirteenth-century manuscript (“Codex Buranus” or “CB”) was discovered in
1803, approximately six hundred years after its completion—I sought to translate
as faithfully as possible the Latin and Middle High German into English that is
florid, but never at the expense of the source languages. At times words have been
added to the English—either for sense or euphony—that appear not in the Latin or
Middle High German, but never in such a way that the source language is distorted
or fades away against the splendor of the English. It is for this reason that the
original rhyme schemes in the poems have not been preserved, for though such
translations lead to mellifluous English verse, they are invariably to the detriment
of the source language, whose original tenor is often lost.
The Carmina Burana is truly a seminal work of the Middle Ages, as it

exposes an often unseen facet of the medieval ethos through the eyes (and quills)
of a vast variety of minds: from Philip the Chancellor (1160-1236), a French
theologian and lyric poet, to Peter of Blois (1135-1211), a French poet and
diplomat, to Walter of Chatillon (twelfth century), a French writer and theologian,
to Walther von der Vogelweide (1170-1230), a celebrated Middle High German
minnesinger, to Hugo Primas of Orléans (ca. 1090- ca. 1160), a scholar from the
University of Paris, to Otloh of St. Emmeram (1010-1072), a Benedictine monk
from Regensburg, to Marbodius of Rennes (1035-1123), the Bishop of Rennes in
Brittany, to a host of anonymous others, this unique corpus captures the views of
authors from various paths of life over the span of three centuries. Religious
hypocrisy, courtly love, venal courts where verdicts are for sale, crises in the
monasteries, jingoism that fuels wars, homosexuality cloistered from the world,
hope and despondency in love and life, eschatology that explores the end in sight,
rape through the victims’ and the perpetrators’ eyes, wastrels’ lamentations of
youthful sins, plays about Jesus’ birth and passion and resurrection, advice to
clerics who transgress Church laws, pastorals about shepherds’ countryside
adventures, unwed pregnancy through the eyes of the enceinte girl, secret affairs
hidden from public view, a sylvan journey to Cupid’s earthly paradise, a forlorn
Cupid who laments the loss of the ancient art of love, lessons from the delusive
magicians of love, students’ struggles with their passions under the weight of the
mortifying Church doctrines, a heated debate between water and wine, a
Gamblers’ High Mass modeled after its Roman Catholic analogue, odes to fallen
kings and beloved saints, Queen Hecuba’s grief over Troy’ s fallen state, Aeneas
and Dido’s deadly affair, songs from the taverns and the gambling boards, a
drunkard’s three-month-long affair with the Lady Venus, panegyrics on valiant
Crusaders at war, and pleas from hungry poets who will write verse for food are
among the pantheon of topics that comprise this unique collection of songs.
This second edition of The Carmina Burana: Songs from Benediktbeuern

marks the second printing of the very first complete English translation of the
Carmina Burana. Crucial changes were made to the first edition to produce this
xvi
superior second. First, the translation has been revised to better capture the
delicate undertones of each poem (hints of sarcasm, resentment, jealousy, etc.)
and to make the English less Latinate by replacing, where appropriate, obscure
Latin derivatives with Anglo-Norman synonyms, such as “delay” for “cunctation”
and the like. Second, the commentary has been expanded to describe in further
detail exotic grammatical constructions and metaphors, as well as characters and
events mentioned in the corpus that merited further exploration. Third, a new
Authors’ Index has been added to provide biographical information on the each of
the known authors of the poems in the corpus, to provide the reader with a
backdrop against which he or she can better understand the psychology of each
writer and the circumstances in their lives that inspired their verse. Lastly, to
provide a lighter, more compact single-volume text, the first edition’s facing Latin
and Middle High German text, which occupied half its pages and appeared on the
verso of each page with a facing translation on the recto, has been moved from the
book to a convenient proprietary website (see below). On this site the Latin and
Middle High German lines can be easily accessed and even downloaded as DOC
or PDE files for a convenient source-language reference to the translated lines in
this edition. This is change is not only more economical, but is also more
convenient to readers who wish to enjoy the translated text without the added bulk
of the Latin and Middle High German lines, which double the weight of the book.
Because of the age of the text, which was putatively completed or

compiled in the mid-thirteenth century and not rediscovered until the first decade
of the nineteenth century, slight changes to the corrupted or senseless sequences of
text were necessary and are indicated in the commentary. Additionally, most of the
poems in the corpus were transmitted without titles, so I nominated each according
to its overall tenor and indicated these added titles with italics; these poetic
christenings are presented as a show of deference to these wondrous poemata
innominata that have survived almost eight centuries of namelessness.
It is now my pleasure to present you with this full and faithful translation
of The Carmina Burana: Songs from Benediktbeuern on this 210th anniversary of
the corpus’ discovery.
Scriptum Angelopoli a.d. XI Kalendas Apriles anno MMXIII.
Tancus Manidllus
URL for the Latin/Middle High German text:

http://www.the-carmina-burana.webs.com
Liber Primus:
Che Hloral and Satirical
Songs
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THE MORAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS
[On Avarice]
1. The Hallowed Hand (ca. 1170)
The hand bearing gifts

makes pious the impious man.
Money forges alliances,
Money gives counsel;
Money softens what is harsh,
Money settles what is strifeful.
Money set in prelates’ hands
is sufficient legal ground.
Ye, who adjudicate on matters of law,
grant money a seat of rank and power.
Where Money has say,

civil rights are confounded:
the pauper, on whose side sits the law,
is cast to the back and dismissed,
whilst the rich man, treasured for his wealth,
is drawn to the court and given ear.'
The arbiter adores the latter man,
and what he beseeches, the arbiter performs.
Money pleads the case on his behalf
and brings to completion what he strives to achieve.
Where Money preaches,

justice slips and falis,
and a case that is limping
the court upholds.
The arrival of pelf decides
the indigent man's fate.
Thus judged is he
who gives naught;
thus of justice stripped is he,
who offers naught.
The fingers of powerful men

are drawing in hoards of cash.
Endowed with such spoils,
they do not offer favor for free.
But, although forbidden, they deem
complaisance a source of wealth.
The clerics’ concern is not
of character, but of net worth;
this group of men is not known
to the chorus of angels above.”
4 THE CARMINA BURANA
“Give! It shall be given you!”

So the Holy Scripture avers.
Piously to the giver speaks
the piety of the impious throng.
But adversely to adversity
are the poor, their enemies, exposed.
Whithersoever he wishes,
he, whose purse is full, leads the reins.
The purse administers the sacraments;
rendering bliss, it becomes a sacred thing.
This is the lawsuit at the court

that he with open wallet wins:
for want of money
Codrus? loses his case.
Such a compact today
sullies and befouls
our ablatives
that swallow men alive;
set in motion through datives,
they arouse our genitives.
2. Insatiable (ca. 1170)
Let the goddess Abundance now say to me:

“Answer me, you who desire so many things!
Set a bound! I shall grant what you wish.”
“T want a full coffer.”
“Let it be full!”
“Add two more to that!”
*So granted.”
“If there were four, the number would suffice.”
“Your habit is such: when I give so very much, you still seek more,
nor will you ever be sated, until dead in the ground you are.”
3. The Devil’s Feast (ca. 1170)

by Walter of Chatillon
Behold! Probity lies dumb;

virtue is inhumed.
Generosity is now scarce;
parsimony abounds.
Falsity speaks truth;
truth tells lies.
Refr. All flout the law

and lawfully retire
to illicit affairs.
Avarice holds sway,

and the avaricious rule.
Anyone of solicitous mind
strives to enrich himself,
since it is the highest glory
to pride oneself on his wealth.
Refr. —_All flout the law

and anyone who desires retires
impiously to endeavors perverse.
A great burden he bears:

“T give, you give, I have given, to give.”
This word before all others
rich men know to ignore—
men, whom you could compare
to the sea.

and surpass in possessions
the numbers themselves.
Greed is sown equally in all men;

fidelity perishes in shame;
no one is faithful
to another loyal soul:
neither is Jupiter to Juno
nor to Aeneas Dido.
Refr. —_All flout the law

and lawfully withdraw
to desolate coverts of turpitude.
If you wish to rightly discern,

know that it is not life
that this ignorant race
so indiscreetly lives;
for it is not life,
if anyone lives so.

and depart from faith
in any business they undertake.
4. On Perdition’s Eve
Struck senseless by bitter misfortunes,”

the voice of jubilation
has hung its instruments

on the willows of Babylon;°
a prisoner of disorder,
enveloped in grief,
Zion has exchanged
joyous songs for tearful tones.
Because of the crime of perfidy,

whereby the world is befouled,
the state of the undulating Church
is thus left wrecked upon the shores.
Grace is prostituted and put up for sale
in the marketplace of the venal court.
Licentiousness attends upon
and obeys almighty pelf.
Hypocrisy, fraud,
and falsehood’s blemish debouch
and distitle the title
of true rectitude.
The fire of charity grows cold;’
faith lives in exile from all men,
whom cupidity’s sting
doth bite and arouse.
5. The Second Coming (ca. 1150)
Beweep the things that must be wept.

Be affrighted of what must be feared.
Bewail what must be mourned.
Dread what one must dread.
Lament what must be moaned.
The ages are running fast;

the years are gliding by.
Vice remains,
sins in number grow,
and tyrants are on the rise.
Virtue ceases;
the Church is trodden underfoot.
The cleric obtains his ministries by fraud.
Mammon* holds sway;
simony rules.
The bishops are astray,

the kings are confused,
the princes are the cause,
the sacristies lie befouled,

and transgressed are the laws.
The abbot is distended,

devastates everything he owns,
and diminishes his prebend;
the congregation blusters
powerless, it stands by.
Knights are his pride,

by praise he is lured,
to him anathema are monks,
worldly things he adores,
and with guile he lies in wait.
Subjects overleap fealty’s bounds;

dunderheads rejoice;
the learned grieve;
the scorned are elevated;
the unpunished grow bold.
Order is languid;
shamefacedness is imbrued;
piety flees;
erudition dwindles;
wisdom grows faint.
The innocent man is punished;

the orphan is set in straits;
the poor man is trodden underfoot;
the widow is oppressed;
the little child is robbed.
The freeborn man becomes a slave;

the bondman is esteemed;
the parasite thunders;
the popinjay” gives commands;
the wanton dominates.
The wastrel excels;

the perjurer is enriched;
the bandit flourishes;
the swindler triumphs;
Epicurus is in honor held.
Voluptuousness enervates all;

arrogance swells;
enmity circulates;
commotion raves;
cunning presses hard.
Flattery exhorts;
threats then follow;
fury riots;
usury is wielded;
rapine is rife.
For these reasons we are struck down,

into pestilence we fall,
loss do we suffer,
grave maladies do we endure,
and in a vacuum of sorrow we waft and wade.
The air is vanishing,

the sicknesses are waxing,
the flames are devouring,
the dagger is raging,
and fears are fanning out.
Gold deceives,
the judges are chicaned,
the vicious take the lead,
the just are all gone,
and better men are seized.
Gerald'® was once our chieftain;

his way of life was an ornament of every virtue.
A loss to be lamented, he passed away,
orphaned his flock,
and by his quietus heaped our sorrows to the vault.
O Omnipotent One, hear my prayer:

let him be lifted from all our anguish,
let the fiend be put to flight,
let paradise stand open to him,
and let him be warmed by supreme delight.
6. Shadows In the Gloom
Study once flourished;

now to weariness it has turned.
Long ago knowledge thrived,
but frivolity has prevailed.
Guile now seizes
boys before their time,
who in malevolence
shut wisdom out.

But long ago in centuries past
students were scarcely allowed
a long-awaited rest
after studies spanning ninety days.
But now ten-year-old boys,
free from the yoke now cast aside,"
freely boast that they are teachers.
The blind goad the blind,'”
birds without plumes take to flight,
and the strings Burnelluses’* now strike.
Oxen dance in the palace halls;
heralds of the plough serve as knights.
In the tavern Gregory the Great,"
respected little now, holds a disputation.
The ascetic Jerome” now
litigates for a penny’s share.
Augustine’® discusses seedlings,
Benedict" casks of wine,
when they parley at the meat market
in secret and with business in mind.
Sitting is nettlesome to Mary,
and action pleases Martha not. ny
In our day Leah’s womb is sterile,
and Rachel becomes bleary-eyed.'”
Nowadays abstemious Cato
directs his course to the eateries,
and the chastity of Lucretia”!
is a Slave to vile lasciviousness.
What the previous age repudiated
ours so widely now has esteemed.
Hot now turns to cold
and wet to dry.
Virtue migrates into vice
and work into idle sloth.
Now all things deviate
from the path of right.
The wise man should be mindful of this,
his heart he should exonerate and cleanse,
lest in vain he say, “Tord!
on the final judgment day:
for the Judge will then show him
what he could not in life name.
7. Leaves of Virtue
After nobility elected to love servile things,

it began to degenerate together with slaves.
Nobility, which integrity does not rule nor guard,

after its fall, lies dead and pleases none, for it is noble no more.
The nobility of man is his soul and his likeness to God.

The nobility of man is the illustrious offspring of his virtues.”
The nobility of man is the bridling of a raging mind.
The nobility of man is lifting the humble from the ground.
The nobility of man is upholding nature’s laws.
The nobility of man is fearing nothing except turpitude.
Noble is he whom virtue has ennobled.

Degenerate is he whom no virtue has blessed.
8. The Sale of Grace (ca. 1170)

Although myself a sick man among the sick

and a nameless soul among unknowns,
I shall nevertheless perform the duty of a whetstone,“
and arrogate the bishop’s sovereign right.
Weep, daughters of Zion!”
The heads of the Church
today are imitating Christ
from a world away from all.
If, living without an exalted station,

the priest or the deacon wishes
the things he seeks be given him,
he proceeds along this beaten path:
a pact beforehand is made
in the spirit of Simon Magus,”°
whereupon gifts follow:
he thus becomes a follower of Gehazi.””
The clerical order lies dead

before the eyes of the laity.
The bride of Christ becomes
a purchasable good
and the noble woman
a miserable whore.
Altars are sold along with the Eucharist,
though grace sold has no true value at all.
The gift of God is not given

unless it is conferred for free;
he who sells or trades it,
is smitten with a Syrian’s leprosy.””
He around whom ambition revolves—
THE MORAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS 11
service to idols, that is to say—

unifies himself not in any way
with the temple of the Holy Spirit.*°
If anyone maintains this course,

in vain does he call himself a shepherd,
nor does he govern himself as a leader,
having plunged into the heat of the loins.
She truly is the second
daughter of that leech,”!
whom the venal court
its wife has made.
In the days of youth they fear

the years of senectitude,*
and the day flesh’s splendor
will leave them destitute of wealth.
And whilst they seek a middle course,
they turn to the other extreme,
for vice chicanes
under virtue’s guise.
Now I shall speak on something abominable:

the sacred anointing is put up for sale,
the hearts of old men act with youthful indiscretion,
and they give full vent to the motions of the loins.
The old and decrepit,
as if they were just now born,
quaff the poison
of a forbidden nectar. .
Therefore no one lives free from sin:

the wall of chastity perishes,
the epicurean is praised,
and no one is mindful
of his eventual demise.
Welcome are the banquets,
and for gold or money
the future bishop unbolts all paths.
9. Hawkers of Faith
Judas earned his place in hell,

because he sold Christ but once.
But tell me now:
what punishment awaits those,
who seven times a day
sell the body of the Lord?
Carefully consider this:

although they sell the mass cheaply
and sin against one another
by taking more or but a little,
because they pant at the sight of gifts,
it is all avarice in the end.
Peter condemned Simon

and sharply anathematized him,
whereby he taught that the pious,
apropos of spiritual gifts,
should have no future community
with the hucksters of such wares.
Many now condemn Simon Magus

more emphatically than they do the Devil;
still the heirs of Simon caress them
with the allurements they dangle about.”
Simon is not yet dead,
if he lives through his heirs.
Since Ephron accepted money,

albeit at Abraham’s behest,
when he sold a field as a site for a tomb,
he deserved to be called Ephran;
In a similar wise, you can now
call many Ephranites.*“
10. The Sorcerer’s Apprentices
Behold! In the open sounds

the voice of one shouting in the desert waste:
we are the desert, we are the deserted,
we are certain of our punishment.
Scarcely does anyone obtain the jewel of life,
and thus every living thing fades away.
We all assuredly share blame for this:
no one is in the discipleship of Christ,*°
no one wishes to carry the cross,”
no one follows His lead.
Who is veracious, who is good,
and who carries the onus of God?
To sum up many ideas in one phrase:
death exercises its own laws.
Already death reigns in the prelates’ circle.**
They wish not to give something sacred for free,
which they vow to do in the beginning
in the specious projection of a pious soul.
After they are settled, now free from care,

they contradict the sacrosanct law.
Roses become nards;*”
the home of God becomes a cave.
They are thieves, not donors,
destroyers of God’s law;
Simon sits among them
and transforms great men into fiends.
Simon prefers iniquitous men to good,
Simon thinks of nothing other than gifts,
Simon rules in the South”
and breaks every bastion in twain.
When something is not given, Simon screams;
but if it be granted, Simon smiles with glee.
Simon takes; Simon gives.
This one he banishes; that man he crowns.
This lad he envelopes in an illness grave;
that fellow he in a nuptial vest enfolds.
A diadem he sets on that man’s head,
who hitherto has been excommunicated.
In our time Simon does not hide himself or his ways,
but muddles and confounds every affair.
Let this Simon be brought to ruin,
to whom such power is given!
Peter eluded this Simon’s grasp
and thrust him down from his lofty seat.
Whilst he stood proud on tumult’s wing,
sent was he to hell’s domain.
May whoever imitates this con
be chastised with the same,
interred in hell’s flames,
and suffer punishments for all eternity! Amen.
11. Ode to Lord Dollar
On earth the loftiest ruler in this age is Lord Dollar.

Kings marvel at and wait upon Lord Dollar.
The venal pontifical order is devoted to Lord Dollar.
In the chambers of the abbots Lord Dollar holds command.
The throng of black priors*' venerates Lord Dollar.
Lord Dollar is made the arbiter of great councils.
Lord Dollar leads wars, and, if It so wishes, peace will not fail.
Lord Dollar drives lawsuits because It wishes to beggar the rich.
Lord Dollar raises a pauper from dung to abundance.
Lord Dollar buys and sells all; It gives and takes back all gifts.
Lord Dollar fawns, then flatters, then threatens.
Lord Dollar lies, but It still appears truthful.
Lord Dollar makes perjurers of abject and imperiled men.
Lord Dollar is the god of the avaricious and the gluttons’ hope.
Lord Dollar draws women’s love straight into error.
Lord Dollar makes doxies of regal queens.
Lord Dollar makes brigands of the high nobles themselves.
Lord Dollar has more thieves than the firmament has stars.
If Lord Dollar pleases both parties, swiftly It avoids all trials.
If Lord Dollar prevails, the master of the manor and the judge then say:
“Lord Dollar was only japing, for the lamb It caught was white.”
Quoth Lord Dollar, mighty king, “My lamb is black. ee
Lord Dollar has as promoters upright older men.
If Lord Dollar speaks, the pauper hushes; ‘tis a well-known fact.
Lord Dollar curbs sorrows and lightens toils.
Lord Dollar slays the hearts of the wise and blinds their eyes.
Lord Dollar, ‘tis certain!, teaches eloquence to fools.
Lord Dollar locates doctors and secures invented friends.
On Lord Dollar’s table is a dense crowd of exquisite foods.
Lord Dollar dines on succulent, peppered fish.
Lord Dollar quaffs the wines of the Franks and those overseas.
Lord Dollar wears haute fashions and expensive clothes.
The apparel affords Lord Dollar a splendid shell.
Lord Dollar wears those stones that India preserves.
Lord Dollar thinks it delightful that every nation salutes It.
Lord Dollar both invades and surrenders the towns It wishes.
Lord Dollar is hallowed because of the wonders It works.
It heals the sick, operates, cauterizes, and levels uneven health.
It makes costly the cheap and bitter the sweet.
It enables the deaf to hear and the lame to leap.
I shall tell of awork of Lord Dollar greater than any told before:
I watched Lord Dollar lead a High Mass and the flock celebrate.
Lord Dollar sang; Lord Dollar provided the response.
I saw It drop tears, whilst Its sermon It gave,
and saw It cast a secret smile, because It had them chicaned.
Without Lord Dollar no one is honored, and no one is loved.
When all defame one, Lord Dollar shouts “He’s a just soul!”
Behold! It is ostensible to all that Lord Dollar rules the world.
But because the glory of Lord Dollar can be swiftly consumed,
wisdom alone wishes not to be of this school.
12. The Grapes of Slander
The aim of slanderers, to engender dislike,

scarcely rejoices in its own effect.
Slander itself is the binder of hearts:
so in a reversal of his intent
an enemy inadvertently becomes an aide.
Therein it proves to be the lovers’ happy state.
I know that the insults of such men are of use,

for an opportunity to do away with weariness has shined.”

They thwart joy with malicious intent,
but delay only compounds desire.
With such a remedy I gather grapes
from my enemies’ thorns.
13. Meditations on Envy
“The jealous man is burned by envy, within and without.”
“The jealous man grows lean on another’s prosperity.

Envy—not once did the Sicilian tyrants invent a greater torment.“
He who will not his ire control will wish undone
what his pain or temper advised.”
Horace, Epistles 1.2.57-60
“Envied, not envious, do I strive to be.”
“Nothing is more just than envy, which forthwith

arrests its own authors and tortures them.”
“Remember to shun jealousy with excessive care.”

Distichs of Cato 2.3.1
14. Fortune’s Interchange
O fickle, slippery state of Fortune!

Capricious is the tribune of judges you appoint.
To him you furnish no small reward,
whom your favor desires to coddle,
and whom it wishes to see scale the heights of your wheel.
Uncertain though are your gifts, when in a reversal of hierarchy
you raise a pauper from the dung
and elect a consul from the orators’ throng.”
Fortune builds; Fortune destroys.

Now she renounces those, whom she cherished before,
and claims in turn those, whom she cast away in scorn.
This wayward skivvy”° contradicts herself
and allots gifts that readily flee the recipient’s grasp.
Faithless are the pacts made with Chance;
she enriches and ennobles the poor;
she strikes down the nobles and pauperizes them all.
Of what use was it to Darius that he once was king?

What did his reign in Rome bestow upon Pompey the Great
2 47
Both succumbed to the sword.

Choosing the middle is safer than seeking
the summit of the wheel, for more painful

is the plunge from its lofty peak:
a graver and harsher fall from prosperity is made
than one from tribulations low to the ground.
Did not mighty Troy, then renowned,

now bewept, fall in battle to ashes and flame
with slippery Fortune’s aid?*
Who was it that shattered
Roman blood’s high esteem,
the eloquence of the Hellenes, and Carthage’s palmy days?
Mercurial Chance took back what she gave!
It is she alone who cherishes and destroys.
Nothing is more welcome than Fortune’s favor;

nothing is sweeter among all things sweet
than glory that lasts a very long while.
But it falls from grace, like addled greens,
and takes after the field that, blooming now,
will tomorrow present a withered state of decay.
Therefore I do not indite an unseemly song at all.
O so fickle is the state of Fortune’s slippery slopes.
15. The Constant Gardener
The clime, not the mind,

does constancy change;
it guarantees the very best
that a steadfast heart can pledge—
with the rational judgment
of the sensibility nevertheless.
For if you by the design

of a most immoral vow
plan to imprint turpitude on history
through an evil deed,
this promise made must
be forthwith annulled.
Unstable was
the step that fell;
gliding was the foundation
of the house that gave way.”
Hence consider what
in your opinion should be done,
so long as the matter is open still.
Thus stand up, lest you lie dead.*!
Determine which business
you should negotiate first,

lest too late you rue
the following day.
Half the deed has he accomplished,

who has the enterprise begun,”
provided he does not abort
the undertaking he began
and be enthusiastic only
about the beginning,
but less passionate
for the glorious end.
For industry determines
the denouement of things,
and temerity and carelessness
approach only their starting point.
The end of the battle crowns

the warrior, not the battle itself;
in this way he makes his prize
an uncertain goal.
Constancy dictates
what he devotes to the cause,
and fickleness establishes
what he fears.
For the integrity of the heart
grants victory’s palm,
whose very conferral
wayward inconstancy spurns.
Like Proteus,” caprice

mutates its shape
and thus assumes
unknown forms.
Constancy maintains
its essential face,
bends an alpha inception
to an omega conclusion,
achieves the very best
consummation,
and variously changes
but the clime, not the mind.
16. ‘Round Fortune’s Wheel
I do lament Fortuna’s wounds,

my little eyes with tears suffused,
because she in rebellious strife
withholds from me her gifts.

True it is, as the books do tell,
that long tresses are draped o’er Opportunity’s brow,
but almost always she passes by
with a bald occiput grasped by none.
Exalted sat I
on Fortuna’s throne,
crowned with prosperity’s
fickle blooms;
I abounded in everything,
felicitous and blessed;
now from the pinnacle
have I fallen, of glory bereft.
Fortune’s wheel now turns:

diminished, I descend,
whilst another to the top is raised;
elevated too high,
the king is seated at the peak—
but he should beware of the fall!
For we read that even Queen Hecuba”
came beneath the wheel.
17. Ode to Fortune
O Fortuna,
variable in phase like the moon,
always you wax or wane:
detestable is your life’s way!
Now she palsies, then in sport she spurs”°
the acuity of the mind;
penury, power,
she dissolves like ice.
Luck, fearsome and vain,

you are a spinning wheel,
an injurious state, a treacherous salvation,
always ready to dissolve;
shadowed and veiled,
you Strive after me, too;
by the sport of your evil
my back is now nude.
O goddess Luck of prosperity and of might
who art now opposed to me,
my desire and my failure
are forever vassals to thee.
In this hour without delay
bestir this stroke of the string:

since Fortune through lot prostrates the strong,
be this my and your dirgeful song!*’
18. Meditations on Fortune
“O fickle Fortune! To anyone you please you give the gifts you wish,
then a brief hour will take everything from him!”
“With dithery steps, volatile Fortune wanders about

and sits certain and fixed in no locale. But sometimes
she is happy, and sometimes she assumes a repellant face—
only in her frivolity does her constancy dwell.”
Ovid, Lamentations, 5.8.15-18
“Fortune gives a good, though transient, gift.

She elevates a downcast man, and makes a farmer of a king.”
“Luck enriches whom she will; the rest she grinds beneath her heel.”
“Whoever seeks extreme heights, falls back and is set in the deep.”
18a. The Circle
I will rule; I do rule; I did rule; I am without rule.
19. The Magnanimity of the Wise (ca. 1170)

Good and Evil walk abreast

with almost equal steps;
the prodigal does not redeem
the vice of the avaricious man.
Virtue must consider cautiously,
with a temperance nonpareil,
the middle”
between two
opposing poles of vice.
If thou rememberest thy reading

of the Ethics of Cato
in which the line
“walk with good men” is read,”
then, when thou resolvest
upon the glory of giving,”
above the rest
perpend this first:
who is worthy of thy gifts.
Admittedly thou shouldst

with a friendly expression and a kind word
greet all in the same way;
nevertheless I consign this one pearl:
if thou wishest to earn rightly
glory through giving,
thou shouldst first discern
the grain among the chaff:
when and to whom thou shouldst give.°!
Inappropriate giving
is not the fruit of virtue.
It is a relative good,
not an absolute.
Thou canst give properly
and earn unobjectionable renown
for thy generosity,
if thou first attainest
a knowledge of me inside and out.”
If thou prudently winnowest out

the wheat from the straw,
thou purchasest glory through thy gift.
But be vigilant, whilst thou givest,
against spilling the oil of largess.
I pride myself in thee:”
though I am more Codrus
than Codrus himself,”
thou aboundest in all things.”
20. Meditations on Virtue
“Every word has its own scope; two words are antitheses:
‘I give, you give’ and ‘I possess’ contend in a conceited strife.
By ‘I give, you give’ generous men always to be loved do assay.
But ‘I possess, I possessed’ miserable niggards own.”
“Just as it is beneficial in all affairs to set a measure,

so too the sovereignty of a king will not last without one.”
“Virtue is the middle path of vice, removed from either extreme,

and bad stands well-nigh good; due to this fallacy dread,
virtue has often borne calumny in vice’s stead.”
Horace, Epistles 1.18.9
Ovid, The Cure for Love 323-24
“When the fool tries to avoid a folly, into its opposite he runs;
for vice deceives under virtue’s pretense and silhouette.°®

Horace, Satires 1.2.24
Juvenal, Satires 14.109
21. Vicars of Sin

by Philip the Chancellor
O Truth of truths,”
Path, Life, Truth,”°
through the tracks of truth,
You eradicate all sin!
Faith, hope, and charity shout’!
that You are the incarnate word.
You restore after the Fall of Man
the state of primordial peace.
After carnal lust You grant
the sweet gifts of grace,
so that You may reforge a blessed state.
O how wondrous a power,
how regal the Lord’s voice,
when You enjoin the sick
to “arise, take up thy bed!”””
The fault of Adam circumscribed

all things within the radius of sin;
when he, too disposed to the forbidden,
did not obey God’s command,
from our so blissful state
he brought us to our ruin;
from the envenomed bite”
gall cleaved to his palate
which, as the cost of his blemish,
was translated into
all his progeny’s vice.
The draught of bitter death
is transfused into our age,”
nothing sweet is drunk to it
from such a corrupted glass.
The spirit of truth,

the spirit of right counsel,
does not yet render the penalty
of divine punishment for sins,
so that the reverence for purity,
whereby sons are returned to the path direct,
may first attempt to mend
the olden mischief of the prelature’s men.
But when the Bridegroom comes,
He will ascertain what to do

with ingrates who have squandered
the chance to evils undo.
He has not commuted their sentences,
but only delayed, yet the grease of their iniquities
now fattens their souls for the final offering.”°
The tardiness of the prelates

exasperates the Judge,
but He alone reveals
the marrow of their souls,
knows them by their fruits,”
and observes those whom
the impulse for folly
leads outside the path of right.
But “Behold,” He exclaims,
“T come with sword in answer
to the ignominies of wicked men.”
And when He purges
the threshing floor
He shall then cast out the chaff.”
Thus it shall be, when that Saint of saints comes.
The lot of mankind fell with clarity,”

and the eye of our souls
through the paths of this sea
sedulously strove for the goal
of this singular way.*°
But secular splendor
among the altar’s knaves
now devotes itself only
to might and wealth
that stand open
to avaricious whims.
Thus on account of the prelates
the death of the soul by Mammon is conceived,
whilst all live in deviance
from the example’s frame.
22. The Garden ofthe Soul

Man, see through Whom thou art strong!

Thou shouldst adhere to thy faith in God,
in hope take great joy,
and in thy faith glow deep within;
outside thou shouldst shine
and twist back to its shoulders
the beak of the turtledove.*'

Teaching thus by thy word and way of life,
thou shouldst with the plough of thy mouth
eradicate the darnel
from the hearts of faithful men.
Plant thou a lily of chastity between each rose of love,
so that thereby thou mayest in splendor discharge
the duty of fraternal correction.”
Strive thou after virtue and the salvation of all,
and hold thou in abomination harmful delights.
Consider thou good works:
if thou performest none, thou shalt be damned.
On this path of grace perform thy service
with valiant mien, and think always on
the celestial fatherland’s rewards;
and thus thy heart forever will be
the sacred home of mirth.
23. The Good Priest
Consider thou, O lettered man

and teacher of right living,
what the writing’s instruction is,
and about what and for what purpose thou lecturest.
Consider thou attentively,
if thou a teacher desirest to be,
what thou shouldst teach,
and that thou upholdest thy teachings, lest thy works lose
THE ETERNAL GIFTS OF CHRIST.
See to it, thou, who appliest himself

to study in the service of God,
that thou dost not thy studies misuse,
nor sigh over a profit’s loss,
nor associate thyself with vice,
the constant companion of life;
for I behold many, who are
partakers of this vicious strain:
THE PRINCES OF THE CHURCH.
See to it, thou, who shouldst assume

the glory of religion through the grace
of the highest God,
that a Philistine® be not able
to chicane nor drive thee,
in a moment of unwariness, to ruin—
for then the Delilahs™ will betray thee!
Do not let fall the recompense,
O GOD, OF THY WARRIOR KNIGHTS!

24. Away With Vanity!
This raging world furnishes false delights,
since they fade and set like the lilies of the field.®
Secular glory and a life of vanity defraud mankind of true rewards,
for they drive into and submerge souls in the infernal depths.
The carnal, mortal, most transient law’? takes to flight
and passes away like a disembodied silhouette.*”
What we in the fatherland of this present life see and hold,
we shall renounce and lose, as the oak does its leaves.*®
We should eschew, we should contemn, the vain pleasures of this life,
lest we in the hereafter lose the truly precious gifts.
Let us trample and let us dash the desires of the flesh,”
so that with the just and chosen in heaven’s glory
we may forever be entitled to manifest our joy.
Amen.
25. Aphorisms
“The law and prophets bid us to live within measure.”
“Like a wave of the sea are the voice, glory, and laud of man.”
“The fortunes of men hang on a slender thread.”

Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea 4.3.35
“Who delays the penalty, lets loose the reins of sin.”
“Unpunished sinners foolishly trust that no retribution comes.”
“What another derides he learns more quickly and sooner recalls

than that which someone esteems and reveres.”
Horace, Epistles 2.2.262-3
[On the Correction of Men]
26. The Chancellor’s Plea

Turn back unto thy heart,”

man of wretched state!”
Mankind! Why dost thou disdain life,”?
why dost thou dedicate thyself to vice,
why dost thou indulge in sin?
Why dost thou not set right thy blunders,
why directest thou not thy steps”
along the paths of righteousness,”

but rather against thyself provokest thou
the wrath of God everyday?
Have fear that the roots on thee
of the foolish fig tree will be cut away,
since thou yieldest no fruit!”
O wretched condition!
Consider how harsh this life—
a second death—is
because it so inexorably metamorphoses!
Why dost thou not purge
thyself of guilt without delay,
since the hour of death
is not known to thee?
And in life love that benefits none”
withereth utterly, dieth away,
and leadeth unto no beatitude.
If, invited to a wedding,

thou shouldst arrive
without a nuptial vest,
ejected wilt thou be
from the royal court;”
00
and if thou comest to meet the Bridegroom!
with an empty lamp in hand,
thou art like a foolish virgin."
Therefore see to it that thou dost not sleep,

but that thou, in wakefulness,
openest to the Lord, when He knocketh.
Blessed is he, whom He findeth
awake when He cometh!
27. The Blessed

Good it is to confide
in the Lord oflords;'”
good it is to place hope
in our hope’s aim.
Thou who conceivest a hope
for the power of kings
and not the mercy of God,
deceivest
and withdrawest
thyself from the palace
of the highest Lord.
Wherefore heapest up thou sin

in a mound of wealth?
Cast thy worrisome thoughts
in God before thou strivest
to atone for thy prior acts:
by the labor of thy hands
and the sweat of thy face
thou shouldst consume thy bread! i
Let the spirit go free

from the penitentiary
of the flesh,
lest it be bound
by the fetters of sin
and haled into the moans of hell,
the home of the tearful
104
and the screeching of teeth,
where all wicked men,
by the inferno’s vengeance,
are dashed on the final day
on the most grave of days—
when the Judge cometh
to thresh the threshing floor
and to extirpate the vine
that hath produced no fruit.
Thus the grain from the chaff
He will separate
and the wheat in granaries
He will store.”
Blessed are
the pure of heart,'°
whom vice doth not befoul—
since the sordidness
of sin has been wiped away—
whom crime does not assay,
nor do sins denounce,
who heed
and thirst
for the mandates of God!'”’
Blessed are they who hunger for
and confide in God'®
and who think not on the morrow!!!”
Blessed are they who don’t entangle
themselves in temporal cares,
who multiply the talent,''®
and preach the word of God,
having dismissed all secular concerns!
28. Otloh’s Law

by Otloh of St. Emmeram
Rightly does he praise God, who truly cherishes Him.

He girds his loins, who restrains flesh’s desires.
He must especially seek to gain what he can always keep.
The eyes sin not, if the heart wills to rule them.
Delay thou not, if the opportunity to convert another should arise.
Fools’ efforts will always be the same as allies’ strivings.

Everything just can deservedly be called an indivisible whole.
It has been shown that a mouth that lies slays the soul.'!”
O how many concerns the heart spins hour after hour!
Who sins should strive everyday to renew himself anon.
[On the Conversion of Men]
29. Perils of Lust

by Peter of Blois
In the pit of misery

and the mire of debauchery!”
thou rollest and whirlest,
yil4
fecklessly wasting time, O Pamphilus
Why fearest thou not
the wrath of God
or the derision of men,
whilst thou destroyest
thy body, fortune, and soul?
Save at least the last small portion of thy life,
to offer the gods
a haulm of old age
in place of the lost flowers
of thy spent youth!
Perchance through the sport of Venus

thou art inflamed beyond thy strength,
such that an aversion to the pleasures
of love is thy only remedy.
But if thou shouldst exhaust thyself
to thy very core,
desiccated deep within,
to the point that thou burnest with fever,
nevertheless thou accomplishest nothing,
when thou withdrawest
but for the moment.
For a more manifold Hydra will arise'!”
with greater vigor, and after each fall,
: 1 16
the son of Earth will stand stronger than before.
Stand thou fast on a steady foot

without coming to a fall for a trifle;
beware of disaster, by avoiding vice.
But if that Egyptian seductress'"’
tormenteth or detaineth thee,
quickly run away, forsake the veils,
and trammel not thyself
recklessly in a struggle;
for he who resisteth
in this type of war
is subdued,
and he, who knoweth
how to withdraw,
escapeth by fleeing.
30. The Return from Youth (ca. 1170)

by Peter of Blois
When his flower of youth

was in bloom,
it was possible and agreeable
for a lad to do what he pleased,
to run according to his own will,
and to indulge in the pleasures of the flesh.
Henceforth acting thus,

living so unfettered and free,
and leading such a life
the age of manhood forbids;''®
it eradicates and annuls
a boy’s wonted laws.
That stage in life served
as remembrancer, tutor, and counselor wise;'!”
likewise it favored the maxim:
“Nothing is forbidden!”
With indulgence it brought together
all things for its enjoyment and use.
I wish to return to my senses,

to abandon and set right
what I in rashness committed.
Henceforth I will turn to serious affairs
and expiate my past mischief
through virtuous works.
31. My Wasted Youth (ca. 1170/80)

by Peter of Blois
I had subordinated myself to the law of profligate life,

when I sinfully broke my vow.
But in the twilight of my life,
I have chosen to set right
whatever mistakes
I made as a boy.
Whilst I assay to examine the end of things

and to divorce completely falsehood from truth,
I am deceived by a false labor,
if I hope to reap the laurel of victory
for my virtuous deeds,
whilst I sow the seeds of vice.
The forked path did not tempt me,'”

venery I did not learn to shun,
and yet I did not recklessly cheat
Delilah of a spouse’s embrace
121
so that my sex would be deceived,
in a tender way!
The husks of sows'” did not take away the hunger

that brought me unto the slippery seasons
of my follies and blunders.
But Holy Scripture advised me
to enter upon the path of virtue,
which offered a bounty of foods as gifts.
When I reflect on what befell Dinah'”

and consider what end that rape assumed,
I then know that a corrupt heart
scarcely escapes its doom,
so long as it has contracted
the stain of its labors’ swill.
I will not have given myself to a death

contrary to my desert, if I return
to the vomit!” I have expelled,
nor will I have freed myself
from a harsh verdict'”
if as a slave I serve vice’s dregs.
So L alter the tracks of the old path

and refuse to traverse love’s devious trails,
for the king’s road
is in safety coursed.
If anyone withdraws from it,
forever steeped in mire is he.
Combine Belus’ sway'”’ with Sinon’s craft,'7”

and Cicero’s eloquence with Zeno’s sagacity:'”*
I, exploiting these goods to their fullest, know
that nothing would be of use,
if Ishould not escape Samson’s Delilah
by the swiftest of flight.'”
Therefore to light upon a pardon
from the affliction of a guilty man
from the merciful hand of God, I pray:
O Matchless, Sparing Grace of God,
for these and similar sins I have committed,
take pity on my plight!
32. On Suffering
Why must man suffer? So that pride may not rule him.
Why must man suffer? So that he may gather his deserts.
Why must man suffer? So that Christ may be exalted.
Why must man suffer? So that through pain sin may be atoned.
Why must man suffer? So that he doubly may be racked.'*°
God’s grace alone makes those He chooses earn their heights.
[On Admonishing Prelates]
33. Advice to a Priest

by Peter of Blois
You should not be ashamed of your past disports,'*'

but you should be mortified at your failure to desist
from your old games and aimless, reckless ways
and your refusal to turn to the fruit of life.
The schoolmistress of ethics, Reason,
should teach you
that to be deemed worthy of the bishopric,
a gift from the power divine,
you should administer the episcopal office
to the glory of Christ’s name.
You should be pious, just, sensible,

prudent, modest, humble,”
versed in God’s law,
and not be a fruitless tree;'*?
you should govern yourself

more duly than your office,
and having banished vice to far-off realms,
you should cleanse yourself of blighting reproach, 134
so that you, free from sin,

may serve the altar of the Virgin pure.
As benevolent protector of the poor,

give unto all who seek your charity;
with a forceful voice censure the wicked
and wash your sacred hands
of the contagion of sordid gifts.
None should flatter you
with lucre of any kind.
Without charge you should lavish
the benefits you have freely received,
but only to those who a benefice deserve.
You should not give, under kindness’ guise,

to the attendants of sin that which is not yours,
but belongs to the Church.
You should not pitilessly misuse
the paupers’ farthing entrusted to thee;
from you the entertainer
should carry nothing away,
nor should you attract,
with the patrimony of Christ,
to yourself friendships of ill repute.
You should keep very far from you

the ministers of impurity and filth:
an ally perverse boldly depraves
the lives and ways of good men
and inflicts the loss of their good names;!*°
so much is the presumption of similar minds
drawn from their jointly quartered lives;
thus the life of the prelate
becomes worthless when
he lives and messes with vile men.
Prudently arrange your home,'*°

speak you briefly but true words;
strengthen your words through acts akin,
for it befits not a bishop’s mouth
to be defiled carelessly
with mendacity’s help.
It should not displease you to enjoy
the counsel of sagacious men,
nor should an expedient exhortation

put you in an wicked mood.
You are required to abstain

from every semblance of evil;'°”
under the rein of temperance,
chastity’s noble tutoress,
may you soberly bloom,
lest you fall into allurements
by way of variable and vagrant whims,
but rout the darkness
of a blind heart
with virtue’s ever refulgent ray.
34. The Fall ofZion

Let run, Zion, like a torrent,

1 38
a most copious stream of tear
For, in place of your fathers,
the sons born to you,”
in whose hands you have set
the scepter of supreme command,
are thieves and their confederates.
'“°
The order of things now disturbed,
these brigands are abusing
the pastorate’s rule.
The sickness of the head

to the body descends;'"!
heaviness seizes
every single limb;
love grows cold,'”
nor does it now reach out to a neighbor.
For we see an orphan being crushed
by a powerful man,
and there is no one
who would protect him
or rescue the just
from the wicked oppressor.'?
Behold, God of vengeance,

behold, You, Who behold all:
the Church has become
a robbers’ den;'“*
into the Temple of Solomon
the King of Babylon has come
and set his high throne in its midst
before the eyes of all!'®

Unsheathe Your sword
and this sacrilege avenge!
Come, Judge of men,
and overturn the seats
of men selling doves!'*°
35. Comparative Faith
Great, greater, greatest,

small, smaller, smallest:
I have learned those degrees; 7
I have discovered that through them
the steps of man’s state
are elevated and sunk,
according to the rank conferred,
the sum of offices he holds,
and the ponderosity of his name.
I am a dwarf of great origin,

I am a giant of little worth,
receipt of small gifts
befits a rich man not:
he, to whom morte is given today,
is more beholden than who says nay;'*®
but anyone who has received less
and bestowed less as well,
renders far less graciously.
O noble brothers,” presiders,

highest magistrates of reason,
do not imitate my ways!'”’
do not perform your works thus
for the flock of the Lord;
let your heart be watchful,
151
let there be light in your hands,
let Him as Keeper rule your loins—
He, the Great, the Greater, the Greatest!
36. The Good Shepherd of the Flock
The benefaction
of right repentance
is pruned from none;
nothing greater
than ingratitude’s fault
is credited to anyone.
So then, bishop, if you are confessing,
be you truly penitent,

because a confession
that lacks contrition
washes nothing away.
If you should confess in words,

the confession your salvation becomes,
if in it you should
employ your heart.
Contrition of the heart
endows virtue upon ye,
so that you may enjoy deliverance;
abandon your quondam ways
so that you may virtue possess,
and decorate your youth
with refined manners.
It befits you to rely upon goodness

and not the ancestry of your blood.
Beneath the pillar
of your ecclesiastical majesty you should
nurture the innocent with a gentle heart.
Keep in check the opprobrium
of arrogance and iniquity.
Mindful of the law supreme,
judge you justly and waver not,
when you preach!
Let contempt of scorners

be your domain
and support with gifts those
who have nothing to their name.
Lift up the weak
and exalt the poor;
let there exist in you humility
and with it let dignity be mixed,
so that you may chide gently
and clearly soothe.
To whom more is entrusted,

more is exacted from him.
How repay you the Lord
for the many things He bestowed upon ye,
when you demand milk
and wool from the flock,
whose shepherd He commissioned you to be?
Rather be on your guard
lest, when He comes, He crush you then
severely as if you were a thief!

As a stringent Judge will He appear;
though enduring you now,
He reckons ye a man of sin.
Lest you perish with your subjects,

you should fear the transfusion
of your perverse models into them.
For a more grievous fall is imposed
when you plunge from your heights
as a higher step plummets
with a deadlier weight.
Despair you not,
if your foot should slip
into the lurking precipice of sin,
for the benefaction
of right repentance
is pruned from none.
37. Crises in the Cloister (ca. 1187)
On Gideon’s threshing floor’?

the outstretched wool grows dry,
and the moth consumes”
the king’s robe;
chaff, which overwhelms
the grain, superabounds,
and the beast of burden talks;'™
the ox returns not to the barn,
but follows behind the cart.
The rumor of a crisis emanates

from the cloister of Grandmont,'”
whence earlier streamed far and wide
the honey of such sweet holiness.
The setting of the new order'”°
is inverted and placed atop the head,
when it stirs up internecine wars
and sets the bases, not the capitals,
atop the heights of its pillars.
That the holy priesthood,

that the anointed King'”’
bend themselves to the dominion
and voice of a burdened beast
is a mortal mystery!”
9
and the madness of the laity."
Favor, though, mind you, is for sale:
160
them, who enter not through the door, :
it takes and beneath its wings warms.
The once so cloistered monastery, ”"

a remote seat of tranquility,
now is subject to opprobrium
by the indiscretions of the rabble,
which was not accustomed
to an apprenticeship of that sort.
The decree that this rabble fashions
is not under the protection of law
nor does it rely on letters of any kind.
As soon as the dolt is in the capuchin enrobed—

now erudite after but one brief lesson—
he prophesies with full breast;
belching, he expounds and contends
in words with the rhetorician,
who stands silent and marvels
that the just man is eradicated
and one picked up from dung!”
voices in lectures his thoughts. ps
Woe, woe to ye, who pass the daughter

of the king into the hands of the pimp! oe:
Woe to ye who profane the glory
of piety so great, who plunder
the chamber of spices and the Temple of Solomon
with the skullduggery of a thief—
such you do and such you are,
if Ilook more intently
upon the facts of the case.
38. Otloh’s Wisdom

Without deeds, the words of the doctrine avail only a few.

Holy words are more precious than gold itself.
One destitute of knowledge will suffer darkness everywhere.
He is like an empty vessel, who has no concern for souls.
39. Kings of Greed (ca. 1120)
In the fatherland of this world

idolatry as sovereign reigns.'©
Everywhere are spiritual gifts
put up for sale.
The guardians are thieves
and the shepherds are wolves;

princes and kings
have subverted the laws.
In this uncertain home,
all mankind is insane;
but all these things will in but a moment!
pass away with the wind.
Blear-eyed Leah is pleasing,

but beautiful Rachel weeps,
who, long remaining infertile,
because of the enormity of evil,
gives birth only as an old woman.'®’
For Rahab, but a harlot,
sunk mankind’s ship;'®*
discord scattered
the seeds of death,
and the light-givers of the world
radiate a gloomy glow;
few in safety live.
Certain apostolic teachers

and the arbiters of Christendom
venerate Saint Albinus
69
and love Saint Rufinus, |
but cease to execute justice for
and strive to devour
the flock commended to them.
They fall into the abyss.
If the blind leads the blind,
they fall together into the piles
Men such as these are mocked
and burned inside the camp.'”'
The bishops with their horned caps

became still and mute;
they lie in wait for booty
and wear unseemly crowns.!”
Instead of a staff they carry a spear;
instead of a miter they wear a helm;
a shield they bear instead of a stole
73
this becomes the millstone of death
a corselet instead of an alb—
174
this side of Opportunity is bald
a pelt in place of an amice:
all in keeping with the secular rite.
Like warriors they stride

and depart from God.

Like ferocious lions
and like swift hawks, '75
like gnashing boars,
they whet their tusks;
6
tongues like serpents have they,"
who cannot fight at all;
they are all secularly disposed,
and they buy up time,
since evil are the days'””
8
according to imperial law.
The abbots and the princes

and the rest of the bishops
and the remainder of teachers
have dethroned the law,
9
the canons, and the decree.'7
Just as the prophet wrote:
180
they have provoked God’s wrath
181
and blasphemed the Sacred One of Israel.
Yonder are the black monks:'*”

indolent in following the rule are they,
well-hooded and poorly-crowned.
Other monks are dressed in white'®*
and are profane in their thoughts.
Some of them are only brothers
and yet they revere themselves as padres.
They call themselves Norbertines,
not Augustinians.
In their white habits,
they rejoice in having
invented something new.
39a. After the Flesh
O mankind, who as a beggar live

in the domicile of this world,
remember that you are ash
and shall perish in brief time.
After the flesh, ash will you be
as well as confined to death’s domain.
Ash 1s also your origin.
A terror it should be to ye,
when the pneuma stagnates
and returns to the Lord,
Who first gave it ye.
A wretch is he who this truth does not believe.
The vanity of vanities,'**

nothing but vanity
is the animal nature of man'®?
in the house of this world.
All things that lie under the sun'®°
are to a millwheel akin,
for all things in circles whirl about:
some things are at the stage of dissolution
whilst other things are coming to life,
but all things eventually cease to be alive.
But the spiritual man stands
sovereign in the house of God.
39b. At the Foot of the Altar
When you proceed

to the altar, to celebrate mass,
you should prepare yourself
to purge the leaven'*’
from your heart.
Offer the holy mysteries thus:
invoke Christ
and sing this psalm:
“Judge me, O Lord)
and, Israel and Judah,'*” preempt
thy judgment, and expose betimes
the obliquities of thy heart!”
40. More Proverbs
Whatever merit thou hast, grace in anticipation gives thee.

God crowns us with nothing except His own gifts.
When the final harvest for the weary farmers has come,!"
the seeds yield fruit, and mirth wipes grief away.”
Who shows an inexorable mien, attains not the joys of life.
41. The Fall of Rome (ca. 1171/75)

For Zion’s sake I shall not hold my peace,”

but I shall weep o’er the Fall of Rome
until justice rises again for our sake,
and the righteous man
like a blazing torch
shines in the Church. ee
Vile and in muck sits!”

the Prince under tribute placed;'””
what I was wont to say before—
that Rome was completely forsaken,
desolated,'”° and cast down—
I have learned from experience today.
I saw, I beheld the capital

of the world as the sea
and the Sicilian deep’s voracious maw;
there are the two seas of the world,
there Crassus'”” sucks in
the gold and silver of our age.
There roar rapacious Scylla and Charybidis,'”®

who has more capacity for gold than ships;
there are the coursings
of the bootleggers’ ships
and the battles of the pirates—
that is, the cardinals.
The Syrtes'”” belong to this sea

as do the Sirens” who menace
all the world with shipwrecks.
Outside they show a human form,
but in the chamber of their hearts
lurks an demon deformed.
You should consider with reason’s aid

the double ocean that runs through Franco,”
think not of it as trivial:
there boils a double sea,
from which no one can save
but one farthing for himself.
There the billows of the deep collide,

there tattered fabrics are submerged:
linen, scarlet, and purple cloths.
There the world is swallowed whole—
nay, completely entombed
in Franco’s maw.
Franco has compassion for none;

he reverences neither man nor lass,
nor spares he any rank or class.
All bring gifts to this man,
for thither the tribes ascended,
the tribes of the Lord.”
The hounds of Scylla””?

can be called the fiends of truth,
the counselors at the court,
who bark and fashion falsities
and simultaneously overwhelm
and shatter a money-laden boat.
This one purports to be a jurist,

but that one a decretist claims to be,
citing the authority of Gelasius;"™
to try the subject of inquiry,
this other one invokes the action
for definition of boundaries.””
Now let a satire attend this affair:

Here rages in abandon Charybdis,
that is, the papal secretariat,
where no one is welcome for free
nor is the favor of Gratian
granted without gifts.
Lead, which here is given form,

reigns sovereign above
gold and silver’s weight;
the phantom of equity
206
sits above the leaden bulla
with Zacharias as witness.”””
Who are the Syrtes and the Sirens?

Those who with flattering words
208
gently draw in Byzantine coins of gold.
They extend the hope of climatic lenity,
but with a hurricane of parsimony
they hurl the purse on its back.
With a dulcet song they wheedle

like Sirens and issue at first
some verbal sweetnesses:
“Brother, I mean you well;
be assured that I ask nothing of you,
for you come from France.
“Your country has well embraced”

and kindly received us
in a council’s haven.”"”
You are ours, ours! Whose?
Favorite children
of this very sacred throne.
“We forgive sins

and place the absolved
in ethereal realms.~"'
We have the laws of Saint Peter
to bind fast all kings
in fetters of iron.””"”
These are the cardinals’ words;

in this way the carnal gods’
are especially wont to entice all.
Thus they instill dragon’s gall
and at the end of the lection
squeeze the purse with a plow.
The cardinals, as I have said,

sell the patrimony of Him,
Who in a new way is crucified again.
Saint Peter on the outset, Nero deep within,
they are wolves inside, but appear
as the sheep’s lambs.”"*
Men of this sort control Peter’s ship;

men of this sort possess his key:
the power to bind.
These men teach us, but are untaught;
these men teach us, and night imparts
knowledge to night.”"”
In a unique robbery vessel sits

the grievous pestilence of the world,
devouring camels.”'°
Enveloped in a mosquito net,”"”
it devours all in the manner
ofa rapacious, roaring lion.
This is the captain of the pirates,

Spurius by name,7* lying in wait
with a well-padded paunch
of mammoth girth:”””
an immane monster unransomed
from vice’s clutch by virtue’s helm.
Thetis, the mother of Achilles,

Thetis, about whom we often read,
is not the goddess of this sea;
nay, here rules the mother of sterling,
the sacred sister of pockets,
whom we call the Purse.
When she is pregnant,

the captain feasts with pirates
and finds in them his friends,
but if the Purse ceases to swell,
winds surge, the lofty waves rise,
and perishes the ship.”
Then the ship crashes into the crags

until all have been deprived
of their money and their clothes.
Then the wayfarer becomes carefree,
because he is naked, and then sings
in the face of thieves.”
Who are the crags? The doorkeepers”~”

past whom—though they are more savage
than tigers and feral beasts—
the purse fraught with cash enters the Curia;
the penurious, needy man, howbeit,
is removed from the doors.
But if it pleases that the truth be written,

know that there are but two havens there,
only two islands
where one may set anchor
and repair the damage
to a broken skiff.
Namely Pietro da Pavia,”

the bishop-elect of Meaux,
is deservedly called a port.
For when the sea raises its waves,
he alone mollifies the thalassic unrest,
and a sailor over the deep then flees to him.
And yet a greater haven is there,

a fertile field, a blooming garden,
the balsam of mansuetude:
my dear Alexander,’ yes, my dear, I say,
to whom God should vouchsafe
the bridal chamber of paradise.
He cherishes men of letters;

he would uplift, if he could, all,
who are weighted with the burden of sin.
He would be a true servant of God,
unless even here a Gehazi
should stab Elisha in the back.”
But lest it again fall upon my lot

to be wrecked upon this sea,
I shall bring my verse to a close,
because lest I be submerged,
whilst I row free from care,
I have set a watcher on my mouth.
42. The Rebellious Song

I shall wield against vice a rebellious song.

Others set forth honey, hiding beneath it gall;
an iron heart lies beneath a gilded hide;
wee donkeys don the skin of lions.
The rebellious exterior contends with the soul:

honey flows from the lips, but the heart is full of gall.
It is not entirely honey, what its likeness assumes.
The heart’s aspect is different from the sight of the skin.
Vicious in deeds, virtuous in words, they cover

the pitch of their souls with the color of snow.
Because of the head’s sickness each of the limbs also grieves,
and the bough in flavor is consonant with the root.””°
Rome is the head of the world, but contains nothing pure;””’

what hangs from this head is wholly impure,
for the first vice leads unto the second
and what sits beside the dregs reeks of them, too.
Rome collars one after the other and all each man owns.
The Curia of Rome is naught but a marketplace.
There the senators’ decrees are up for sale,
and a wealth of coins decides the suits.
If anyone before this ecclesiastical council should win a suit,

either for himself or another, he would read the following first:
unless he gives money, Rome denies all;
who gives more money, more successfully suborns.
The Romans have in their decrees a paragraph that mandates

that they hearken to claimants who come with full hands.
Give, else nil be given thee; they demand, when you seek.”
The measure with which you sow, you will also reap.”””
A gift and a petition run in step; produce a gift,

if you desire to accomplish anything.
You should not fear Cicero, if he wish to plead your case:
Money delights in its unique, Tullian eloquence.
In this Curia there is not one whose mind does not for money vie.
Pleasing is the cross, the rotunda, and its marble whiteness.
And since it so greatly pleases, the Romans are pleased
wheresoever money has say and all the law stands silent.
If with some lavish gift you feed a hand well,

in vain does another invoke Justinian”?
or the canons of the saints, because as trifles
the judges ignore this chaff and sack the grain.”*!
The Parca”” in Rome is acquainted only with greed;

she spares the giver of gifts, but is not sparing of the poor.
Money is as godhood, the mark”? is as Saint Mark,”*
and the altar is less honored than the almighty coffer.
When you come to the Pope, hold the following as a constant:

a pauper has no place there; he favors only those who give.
And when a gift of considerable value is not displayed,
His Eminence says, “This flute is of little value to me.”””
The Pope, if we examine his substance, secures his name

from his function: whatever others possess, he alone wishes
to consume, or if you wish to apocopate a word of the Gauls:
“Paies! Paies!””*° he says, if you wish to obtain by request.
The door seeks to gain, as do the document and the papal bull.
The Pope and even the cardinals—all there—seek to gain,
and if you should give, if but one thing is wanting,
the entire sea is oversalted, and the whole case is lost.
You give to these, you give to others, and you add gifts to those given;
and when you have given enough, they look beyond sufficiency.
O swelling purses, come ye to Rome:
natural philosophy thrives here when purses are in crowds.
Little by little they plunder each man’s purse,

great, greater, greatest, the loot gradually becomes.
Why do I recount each one? I shall draw them all in sum:
All throttle the purse, and at once it gives up the ghost.
Nevertheless the purse in death Tityos’ liver imitates:”’

Its substance vanishes, only to return; it dies only to be reborn.
In this way Roma plunders the coffer so that the casket may,
when it has given all that it holds, be completely filled again.
They return from the Curia with horns on their heads.”

Jupiter rules the underworld; Pluto holds the sky.”

Rank and dignity befall an irrational beast,
as a jewel comes to dung and a painting to muck.
Rich give unto rich, that they may lay hold of something there;
the gifts avail themselves and thus one another.
That is the celebrated law, which they caused to be written thus:
“if you give unto me, unto thee I will give.”
43. Languishing Rome (ca. 1160?)
O Rome, since you have lost a healthy mind and savor

of a foolish heart, like a dolt you are deporting yourself.
The lamp has no oil and oil’s purchase cannot be,
and when the Groom comes, your salvation in shadow will be;
and the good Lord of the city on high will hear it not,
when outside the voice of the hapless cries aloud for aid.
O apostolic seat, which,

being universal, cannot be concealed,
convert, convert!
Already is the world tired of good works.””°
The law vanishes, the dregs remain,

and the flock drinks this deadly poison.”!
The shepherd withdraws,” the wolf returns; a3
its bite causes very bad wounds.
The Church is lame, deprived of its fathers.

Justice, decapitated, is thrown to the ground.
The prince of darkness“ feels his renown waxing
as the world decays, and caitiffs are eager to follow him.
The machine of the world frolics towards destruction

by way of a certain vile pattern, as nature instructs.
The foundation of the state, the status of the princes,””
the machine of present ills gnaws to bits and pieces.
But if the state solidifies itself again in the root, from which
it drew its might, its throne too will rejoice in its new sprays.
O praiseworthy adornment,
46
commendable for its salvation,”
embrace, embrace!
Already is the world tired of good works.
But since you are full of might,

let the lawsuit settle itself, let all vices be crushed,
let them be banished from the face of the earth, which rejoices now
in the rejection of sorrows and in the law in which it can trust!
Fervid hope has thirsted for far too long;

anemic and feeble, the ages now draw to a close.
The order of princes is of discordant minds;
it rolls in a line made pure without lustration of any kind.
The truth is quelled by a mendacious prophecy,
and no leader who avows his faith was raised in Israel.”“”
44. The Gospel According to Marks
The beginning of the Holy Gospel according to Marks of Silver:

In that time the Pope to the Romans said: “When the son of man cometh
to the seat of our majesty, say ye first to him: ‘Friend, why hast thou
come?’ But if he continueth to knock and give naught to ye, eject him into
the outdoor gloom.” And it so happened that a poor cleric came to the
Curia of the lord Pope and exclaimed: “At least take ye pity on me,
ostiaries of the Pope, because the hand of poverty hath touched me. I am
but needy and indigent, and so I ask that ye come to my aid in my
calamity and wretched state.” But as they listened, they grew indignant
and said: “Friend, let thy poverty be with thee in perdition. Go hence,
Satan, for thou thinkest not on what money doth. Amen, amen, I say to
thee—thou shalt not come into the joy of thy lord, until thou renderest thy
very last mite.” So he left, sold his cloak and tunic and all he owned, and
gave his earnings to the cardinals, ostiaries, and chamberlains. But they
said to him: “What is this thing among such great men?” And they threw
him to the front of the doors. He went out, wept bitterly, and had no
consolation. Afterwards to the Curia came a rich cleric—fattened with
income, plumped up by a sinecure, enlarged by his holdings—who in a
riot had committed homicide. He gave first to the ostiary, then to the
chamberlain, and then to the cardinals. But they thought among
themselves they would receive more. But when the lord Pope heard that
the cardinals and attendants had received a hoard of gifts from the cleric,
he became deathly ill. But the rich cleric gave him an electuary of gold
and silver, and instantly he was cured. Then the lord Pope called the
cardinals and ministers before His Eminence and said: “See to it, brothers,
that no one seduces ye with empty words. A model I offer ye, so that, as I
grab, you will seize, feos
45. The Old Way (ca. 1180)
Rome, not yet sated, you maintain your old way:

you give back unto your giver and spare him, who shares with ye.
But the giftless beggar is damned, since you punish him.
“Receive” “take” “seize” are the Pope’s three favorite words.
“T give naught” “I present nil”—such words cannot help a dejected soul.
An empty-handed envoy is to the Romans of no concern.
If you give mark after mark and fill their safes,
you wilt be loosed from the debt by which you’re bound.

Therefore I know not, although I desire to know,
wherein the distinction between Pope’s and emperor’s rule lies:
the king seizes silver—one hundred thousand marks!
He seizes it exactly as the Curia of Popes has long done.
The king boldly plunders; the lord Pope stealthily purloins.
Thus, they in pillaging what is not theirs shall be condemned
to the same agony, for they emulate Simon’s deeds.
The Curia in Rome cares not for a flock without wool.
Rome gnaws at hands; it hates those men it cannot consume.
[On the Crusaders]
46. To Victory! (before 1149)
Faith fought with idolatry,

whilst grace witnessed all;
with fierce, stormy aspect,
it seeks not the armor of the world,
but trusts in its intrepid heart” °—
a single, rich warrior against an indigent foe.
According to the prophet’s testimony,

wretched daughter of Babylon,
blessed be he who smites
thy young children on the rock.””!
For your earlier crimes, Chaldean Metropolis,
you pay the penalty now.”””
John saw sitting

atop the beast
a woman dressed as a whore,
who personified Babylon.*”*
But the time is now at hand to empty
the chalice of sin all the way to the dregs.”
The prince of princes he is called,

who breaks the infidels’ necks;””°
he will land on the coast of the tetragon,
256
which sits enthroned in a seemingly eternal reign,
and plant rose-red banners
on the monument of Hercules.”>’
Will God position this man

as the headsail of His ship,
to captain His most beautiful
three-cornered sail?””*
The Vision of Peace” rejoices
in the jubilation of the riders!
The city of Bedlam?”

has bewitched ye, O heathendom:
you are buttressing yourself on a reed
that will bring harm unto your hand.”°!
Turn back, turn back!
Consider the Creator’s work!?™
Do they who worship cacodemons

not become similar unto those
who cannot use their sinews,
although they by sinews were carved,
and have neither a voice, nor reason,
nor choice over where they lie???
Blessed are the falchions*™

wielded by the riders of Christ,
sustained by the cross’ shield,
beneath whose strength they rejoice.
Their happy harshness
forces thee down, O heathendom!
From the highways and hedges

and away from the pleasures of the world
we are compelled to enter.
Now, now feast ye,
and always savor in your heart
how sweet the Lord is!”
For the bread of the children

is becoming the kibbles of whelps
beneath the table of the good Lord,
according to the gospel’s words.
Rejoice, O Syrophoenician dame!
Thy daughter now comes!”
The forum in Jerusalem

is situated in liberty’s field,
a forum established by the King of kings.
A clever merchant will be there;
he, who would like to purchase life,
should thither run in haste!?°’
He still should not hasten so,

but first make provision for
his wife and little children’s

daily bread and drink.
Surely if he defaults on this,
I know not then what he gains.
The tomb declared glorious

by the prophets”**
is assailed by dogs,
to whom we shall give nothing sacrosanct;
nor will pearls be cast before swine,
so that they may them deride.”
Unto many everlasting mansions

in the home of the Father?”°
leads the agreement on pay,”
nor does the labor incommode:
the fardel of the day passes away,
and an eternal reward awaits.
Last becomes first,

and first becomes last.
Different surely is the hour
of the call, but equal is the pay,
since the denarius of eternal life
is given to all who toil away.
Here one’s dwelling is not changed,

here the homes are not razed,
here the greater man assails the lesser not,
nor does the pauper attack the wealthy man;
in sum, no man opposes the other,
and here opprobrium has no place.”””
47. The Second Crucifixion (ca. 1187/89)
Let the second cross of the Lord,”

the fresh, new wounds of Christ,
inflict upon all the agony He endured!*“
The healing tree is lost;“”
with raw violence a foreign race
devastates the tomb;
the once populous city now sits alone; 276
Pa)
a ram breaks the covenant of the Lamb;
Zion the bride weeps
over the wedding gifts lost;?”8
Ananias is saine
2
David’s horn is bowe d: 80
the sinless are lashed;
denounced by the wicked

is He, by Whom
all the world
will rightly be judged.
O how seemly are our sorrows!

The King of all men lives in exile
amongst strange men;
the staff of the faithful’*' sustains
the ignominy of the infidels.
The side of universal right”
gives way to heathendom.
Now the land of kings” labors
in mud and brick*™* and weeps
as it marks that Moses has grown weak.”®?
O mankind, have pity for God!
O son, defend thy sire’s law!”*°
Seek something certain
in uncertain times:
earning the guerdon
of the campaign Leader of leaders,
and winning the Light of true light!?°’
Whoever has been slariped

with the mark of faith,”
assert your fealty
through your feats,
crush the roaring offspring of lions,”
and look with compassion and a heavy heart
at the distress of Christ!
Longtime inhabitant of Cedar,”
rise, observe, lest you
be condemned for frivolous faith!
Strive, O martyr, in combat
in anticipation of the reward and crown. °
Abandon Babylon”
and fight for the celestial realm,
the water of life!?”*
Gear up for war
and enter the fight!
47a. Human Ways
One runs to the call

of money or to its din;
for it is the voice that pleases.
We all strive beyond our duty,
as the popular models teach,
for things that are forbidden.”

Learn their custom and folly,
and follow a similar vein!”
Shun nothing in this life—
live thus, not otherwise!
Live by the principle of the cleric,
who metes out a judgment that fits
the size of the bribe.
295
When you cast your net for a haul,
you see that already the harvest is ripe,”
reap, too, at least
through usury’s employ!
If anyone in this host

knows not the art,”
for which all mankind has lived,”
he should, when he has seen all this,
choose this portion,”
else he has nothing discerned.
Dare what you will with tricks and fraud,
and let Thais*”’ have her way;.
Comply with the ways of the world.
Nothing is to be avoided—
truly is this my credo of life.
Let nothing be obliged to the law;
let nothing be to justice devoted!
Let this edict be dedicated
unto thee.
Where virtue is a crime,
there is nothing left to God.
48. The Rise of God
What David in the Holy Spirit

prophesied in song,
now God has shown to us,
and it has thus become known:
The Saracen*”’ defiled the tomb, wherein He lay,
Who for us had been nailed to the Cross.
How greatly did He suffer for us!
How gracious was He unto us,
when He willed to suffer thus on the Cross
a death, which He did not earn!
Refr. | May God rise!
And may He dispel *°° the fiends, whom He gained,

after He ceded to the Saracens the site, where He lay,
for He was gracious unto us, when He willed

to suffer thus death on the Cross,
which He did not deserve!
Not long did the widow of Zarephath*™ possess two logs;
when she lost them,
she was happy no more,
and she will grieve until
she has them again in her charge.
The Shunammite woman*”

shouts for her fallen son,
whom Gehazi*” could not heal.
Unless Elisha comes
and presses his mouth to his,
the child will not rise.
If Elisha comes not now,
if he does not in compassion
take away our sins, the Church will not have the Cross,
which it has long been without.*”
And may He succor in this affliction

those whom He has stamped with the Cross’ seal,
whereon He redeemed us!
Now the time of mercy has come,
when he can save himself,
who has wrongly taken the Cross.
Now let each one see, what he has done,
by what kind of and how many transgressions
he has offended God! But if he sees them
and signs himself, he will be absolved of all.
He has risen! Now we

are bound to raise ourselves
and in haste rush to His aid!
He willed intently Jerusalem’s loss
so that through this meritorious deed
we could thus wash our sins away.
For if He willed, He could dispatch the fiend
forthwith and free His holy land
without our aid, since nothing
can withstand His might.
48a. The Knight of Day (ca. 1170)

by Otto von Botenlauben (The Kraus Songwriters 41.13)
Hearest thou, O gallant, the sentry on the battlement?

Hearest thou what his song proclaimed?
We must now sunder, beloved man,
just as thou only recently didst hence depart,
when the day broke and the night
like a fugitive hastened away from us.
Night offers weal; day renders woe.
Alas, my dearest, I can now
no longer thee veil.
The gloaming robs us of our joy.
O my rider, stand and rise!
49. The Temple of Christ (ca. 1170)
The clear voice of the Gospel thunders in the world:

“Thou who sleepest in dust, rise from the deep!
The Lord shall illuminate thee with His light”
and shall save thy soul from all iniquities.
“Be mindful, O youth, of thy Creator.*"°

May the cross of Christ remind thee in all hours.
Capture in thy mind, think in thy heart about what is to come,
that the ax hath been set at the tree’s root.*"'
“Enfeebled old men, true penitence hath been

offered also to ye, offered in the cross of Christ.
Your day is ended and has declined, for it turns
to the shadow without hope of arresting its demise.
“Behold the kingdom of God with assurance is come.

Seek that first, ye, who are burdened with guilt.
Crucify your flesh, ye, who are varlets thereto,*””
and sing with the psalmists ‘Have mercy on me!’
“O sinful soul, if thou wishest to be whitewashed

and purged fully of all thy crimes,
thou must glory thyself in the cross of the Lord
and in it be wholly liberated from the fiend.
“Scaled is the highest rung of Jacob’s other ladder,’!?

through which the passion of the Christ is unclosed to us.
Proud Tyre meets its end, condemned by its own guilt,°"4
whilst in Judea the rich mount of the Lord is adored.
“O faithful spirit, shout from the depths;*!”

flee from terrestrial and impure affairs!
Navigate on Christ’s cross with propitious sails,
lest a gale suffocates thee on the billows.
“When in fire our Judge cometh—

the Man and Son of God, sparing none, stolid—
then will every man, who weareth the cross of Christ,
be secure and with angels rejoice, candid and pure.
“On the day of judgment, when the sun is eclipsed*'®

and the light of Christ’s cross is given unto the faithful,
then the fiend rules over sinners, but every cross-bearer
then is freed from his grasp.
“Therefore, blessed riders of Christ, eschew

the glory of this world, since already you
are signed with the cross, on which the dying Christ overcame
death and with His blood our sins washed away."
“What shall be, when we stand before the tribunal of Christ?

Baring His wounds, He will say, “What hast thou achieved?
For thee I shouldered the cross; why didst thou not use
this cross as penitence? Begone! Now thou art doomed!’
“Therefore by all who wish to do their penance rightly,

mephitic Lazarus should be followed as a model?"®
319
that they be His temple, in which the power of His sufferance dwells.
Let Him fill and fortify it with His gifts of grace!”
50. A Misfortune Grave (1188)
Alas, with tearful voice I am compelled to relate a crime,

which occurred recently on the sea’s far side,
when Saladin*” was allowed to desolate the land,
which Christ deemed so very worthy of His love.
At the end of June, one thousand one hundred

eighty-seven years after that year, in which the Lord
beheld the world steeped in squalor
and raised the pauper from dust and ordure,”!
The wicked count” of Tripoli, harboring

a criminal mind and ruling Tiberias with great tyranny,
leads into Judea the Turks*”’ by his own deceit,
and occupies first all of Galilee.
Saladin summons to assembly the barbarians of Phrygia,

those from the coast of the Black Sea down to Tyre’s shores,
the people descended from Hagar,’ the Arabs and Syrians,
from the bounds of Egypt all the way unto Epirus.
Coming are the Hircomili*” and the Troglodytes,

the Moors and the Gaetuli, the Barbarians and the Scythians,
the sons of Moab, Ammon, and the Ishmaelites,
and with all these the Amalekites.
He bids the Turks and Massageteans be present,

the Bactrians and Sarmatians are unwilling to be hence,
the Quadi, the Vandals, the Medes, and the Persians hie hither—
from all sides heathens so diverse swarm into one train.
They enter an illustrious land and devastate all;

they capture Christians, old and young,
and like wild, bloodthirsty beasts they strangle
little children and split open pregnant wombs.*”°
Therefore, since Saladin has entered thus, the king?”

and the Templar Knights*”® rush against him and oppose amain
the perverse barbarian through their desire to come
to the oppressed people’s aid.
The Turks fight fiercely, wound Christians

with their arrow shots, slay all who put up a resistance,
and, like wild beasts that gnash their teeth,”
terrify the horses with the blare of their trumpets.
Our men see that they are thus hard-pressed

and surrounded on all sides by wicked pagans;
they draw with their hands their gilt swords
and heroically maim the armed barbarians.
There were more than ten thousand Christians,

but three hundred pagans for each one; when they fought
hand-to-hand with the Bactrians and Hyrcanians,
scarcely did any of ours escape unscathed.
The king is captured and with him the cross, all are mangled,
three hundred captive Templars are beheaded,
none of whose bodies are a burial granted,
but their souls are crowned by Christ in heaven.
After our armies have been thus destroyed,

the cruelest heathens swarm o’er all the land,
capture the city of Acre**° without a fight
and the rest of the cities by force as well as craft.
Only Tyre is liberated by the commander

of the Mediterranean fleet, the most illustrious marquis,*
a true paladin,” of whose strength Greek and Latin alike approve
and which even the fierce Saladin deeply fears.
Saladin, that worst of brigands, that devastator of the land,

through which the Savior by foot did tread,
Who, as Creator of all things, was born of a virgin,
and, the Architect of heaven, was placed in a crib?
Thence with dry feet did He walk o’er the seas

and sate many hungry with but five loaves of bread,
He, Whom John*™ in his prophecy with his finger pointed out,
for Whom the river Jordan, after it touched Him, did recede.
Finally, God, born as man, was nailed to the Cross,

335
and His flank did shoot a stream of water and blood,
through Him and at such a price was the world saved,
which had been damned and devastated by the first man.
Alas, illustrious land, a land truly good,

which alone deserves a crown of blooms,
O land, to which God gave gifts so great,
alas, how blasphemous a belt girds thee now!
Alas, alas, Lord, Glory of upright souls,

Nobility of angels, Salvation of sinners,
behold! Dogs consume the bread of Thy sons,°
and the blood of saints is now like water a
Weep, all nations, weep, and not but a little,

grieve deeply in your souls and raise a bitter lamentation,
effuse ye many streams of tears;
thus rue ye the blight of the sacred cities.
Weep most bitterly, all ye who give ear,

great and small, both brothers and sisters!
Transmute for the better your lives and ways,
for God looks down upon sinners from heaven.
He lashes the godless, punishes transgressors,

and at the right time corrects presumptuous fools;
He glorifies the humble, precipitates the puissant,» *7 and takes up
as His children those who duly performed their penance.
In this way, we read, God once in wrath towards Israel,

adjudicating from the clouds and the height of heaven,
burning with a zealous fire, passed down the Ark
of the Covenant unto the hands of an inhumane folk.
And yet—although they thought this was accomplished by their own

strength, they were forthwith compelled to lament their deeds;
they forced the Israelites to yield the Ark and pay tribute to them,
since their viscera were putrefied from corruption.**®
Therefore let us convert ourselves and repent;

the sins we have committed let us erase with tears;
and let us offer gifts unto God, as is seemly, so that He,
appeased by our tears, will vouchsafe us our prayers!
51. Gaea’s Tears
The world blusters because of the apple,

which the first man consumed.
In the Holy Book it is shown to us
. 339
that we are deprived of our home.
Refr. Woe and alas!

Moses and Aaron,
King David and Solomon,
Jerusalem and Gihon,*””
the world weeps and Zion, too.
Behold our times, a woeful time;

because of the people it has become a dangerous time,
for it is so very ostensible that the people
are observing an evil way.
Refr. Woe and alas!

Moses and Aaron,
Jerusalem and Gihon,
Creation changes for the worse:

it becomes faulty as to its nature.
Why are filings orgulous, when
the lords above care nothing for them?*"!
Refr. Woe and alas!

Moses and Aaron,
The guilty man is taken captive,”

so long as he wanders here in exile;

he does not rejoice as a matter of law,
since he dies after but a brief stay on earth.
Refr. | Woe and alas!

Moses and Aaron,
King David and Salomon,
51a. Valiance in the Holy Realm (ca. 1168/69)
The basileus, the king of the Greeks,*”

spurns the threats of heathendom;
having fetched gold from his treasuries,
he raises an army to conquer them.
Refr. O Holy,
Immortal God,
have pity for us,
O Savior Strong!
O Lord, deliver Thy serfs!*4
The valiant rider Amalric,*”

the king of our shared lot,
broke through the gates of Egypt
and cast down the Turks, who met a terrible end.
Refr. O Holy,
Immortal God,
have pity for us,
O Savior Strong!
O Lord, deliver Thy serfs!
Every Christian therefore should

stretch out his hands to Egypt’s realms!
Unscathed should he there ever be,
but destroyed the heathen king should be!
Refr. | O Holy,
Immortal God,
have pity for us,
O Savior Strong!
O Lord, deliver Thy serfs!
52. A Day of Jubilee (ca. 1130)
From feasts and fests Solignac’”° derives its name.

Therefore all should be festively overjoyed, except

the monk Serracus, who unmanned himself.
That is why we regard him as one by the devil possessed.
He alone, guilt-ridden, should grieve in the home of Aeacus!*"*
Let us exult and let us sing a victorious song Ps

9
and let us shout due praises to our King of glory,
Who saved today from the heathens David’s city!
Refr. A festival is held.

Celebrated is the day,
on which Dagon*” is dashed,
Amalek*”' is subdued,
the son of Hagar™ ? is banished,
Jerusalem is rescued
and to the Christians returned.
Let us therefore celebrate the day!
This most noble city was the first to have a king.’

In this greatest of cities the Lord was pleased.
And in this city was He for mankind willing to be crucified.
And here above the apostles the Holy Spirit thundered.*™*
This remarkable city to which fire comes every single year,”

whereby it is shown that it is loved in every age,
is honored and thronged by kings and the people!

on which Dagon is dashed,
Amalek is subdued,
the son of Hagar is banished,
A city, hallowed by heaven and beloved by beings divine,

tabernacle of the law, temple of the Ark of the Covenant,
shelter of paupers and sanctuary for hapless souls!
Thou shalt fear nothing whilst thou dost in it dwell!
By a light of such splendor the sun and moon are overcome;

by holiness so great this one city conquers all other realms.
Not in vain did Arunah the Jebusite choose a threshing site.*”°

on which Dagon is dashed,
Amalek is subdued,
the son of Hagar is banished,
53. The Schism’s End (1177)
In the year of Christ’s incarnation,

in the year of our salvation—
one thousand one hundred
seventy-seven—
the King of eternal glory,*>’
by the gift of His grace,
dispelled the dark cloud
of the schism*”*
and saved Simon’s
weather-beaten skiff.*””
This chaos had overwhelmed the world—

nay, it had comp ictcly infected it—
for twenty years*” with the rime of schisms.
The spark of charity had grown cold**!
and had already
been turned to ash.
The flower of Saxony rendered

sacred this glorious concord,
362
our blessed Bishop Wichmann,
the architect of all this peace,
a man of miraculous grace,
through whom such resolutions
are passed that are thus
able to reduce this folly
unto the beauty of peace.
The victorious sword of the emperor,

which, in conjunction with Peter’ s sword,
fights in the unity of the old way, oe
successfully stops the violence of the great blunder.*°
Rejoice, triumphant mother Rome! Behold! Now comes

the helmsman of the world’s Church*” from the depths of the sea
with an intact crew, in spite of the storm, and he has approached
the haven of peace, because he grasped piety’s right hand.
Blessed is the acumen of his mind
who with three principles and Ounes bands
of peace cuts through this strife.*°
Now the people of Zion should rejoice

because the rising Lord in compassion
has softened His heart,
for the time has come.”
The mighty works of this year

8
are as the joys of the year of jubilee.*°
The darnel is eradicated;
gold is the field of wheat.
And the chaff is winnowed
on the threshing floor outside the barns.
The voice of the church sings

of this glorious concord!
Zion, the chaste daughter, should
seek again these new festive joys!
53a. The Prudent Hunter (ca. 1177/79)
Those sparrows that fly above the mountains

Alexander II” our wise and faithful lead hunter ensnared.
He captured the fox that destroyed the vines;

he cast down the snake
that a bitter poison spread wide,
which cooled the little fire of faith:
the snake that blinded us all.
54. The Demons’ Ball
Demons of every stock—

be ye blind, lame, or mad—
hearken to my words’ bidding
and summons at hand!
Every nature of ye wicked ghosts,

who strengthen the tortuous,
poisonous serpent’s sway,
who in arrogance drew out
a third part of the stars,
Gordan, Ingordin, and Ingordan:*”
by the Seal of Solomon*’
and Pharaoh’s magicians
I conjure ye all,
I exorcise all ye
by the three magi,
Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar,*”
by King David,
who pacified Saul,*”

when he made music
and routed ye all.
I invoke and call ye to witness

by the mandate of the Lord:
be ye not zealous for the man
whom ye are wont to annoy,
but appear ye
and thereafter depart
and dwell in chaos
with shades void of hope.
I invoke, I call to witness

by the terrible, by the dreadful
day of judgment, of eternal punishment,
a day of misery, of perennial gloom,
that will usher ye into hell,
but will us forever preserve.
By the miraculous and ineffable

Tetragrammaton of God?”*—
to inspire fear and dread in ye!—
I exorcise ye, lemures,
fauns, manes, nymphs,
sirens, dryads,
satyrs, incubi, penates,*””
that ye may swiftly depart,
that ye may in chaos loom,
lest ye defile and corrupt
the vessel of christendom.*”°
O God, may You deign to save us from these fiends!
55. What The Devil Said
Amara tanta tyri pastos sycalos sycaliri

Ellivoli scarra polili posylique lyvarras.*””
HERE END THE MORAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS.

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Che Love Songs
THE LOVE SONGS 67
The songs of jubilation commence.
56. The Dawn of Spring
Janus rounds out the year,

spring heralds the summer,
Phoebus treads on his steeds
upon the bolts of Aries’ pen,
whilst he turns into the Bull’s domain.!
Refr. | Love conquers all;

love bores through things hard as stone.”
May all sorrows be far, far away!

May sweet joys celebrate
love’s communities!
Seemly it is now for those to rejoice,
who perform their service
in Dione’s court.”

love bores through things hard as stone.
When I, a student of Pallas,’

had entered Cytherea’s school,
I saw among many very lovely maids
one who in visage was second
only to Helen
and Venus divine,
a maiden full of elegance
and more modest
than the rest.

love bores through things hard as stone.
I love in a different way

a girl who is different from all.
A new fire in me rages
and burns me
without end.
No girl is more noble,
no girl is more fine,
no girl is more beautiful
or more worthy of love than mine;
a less fickle lass
you will not find,
nor one less inconstant, less cheeky,
or less unfaithful than mine.

Her happy life is my delight.
If Ibe but worthy of her love,
truly blessed will I regard myself.

Love rules all.
Have mercy, boyish god,’ upon a lad!

Be kind, Venus, to a tender youth,
in whom you kindle the fire
and nurture its heat,
lest it be death that I live
and as Daphne was to Apollo® be to me she,
to whom I have given my heart and soul!
Once Athena’s pupil,
I now yield unto your sway!

Love rules all.
57. Phrison’s Song
“Winter, the rival of spring,

now deeply grieves
over the dissolution of her bars.
She bids February
not to let itself be melted away
by the sun’s softening rays.
“Every bond of the elements

feels the alluring law of love;
still Hymen’ arranges
their marital union
and pleases the laws
of the benignant gods.
“But the wrath of the North Wind—

a bandit—opposes the elements,
lest they produce any offspring at all;
still it does not succeed in its attempt.
Hymen launches himself
against the Wind’s hurricane.
Then with their parturition
the elements zealously serve Dione.
“Dione, buttressed by joys,

rejoices in decking her votaries
THE LOVE SONGS 69
with beatifying rewards.

As a favor, she wishes exceedingly
happy lives for them,
who do not refuse to submit
to her yoke of their own accord.
“Thetis® wishes for a quiet,

gentle breeze, so that she may
raise high her head unto the sky
and bring forth her wondrous fruits.
Ceres also runs along the waves of the sea
and solicits the underworld’s lugubrious gods
for Proserpine who was snatched
from her and the upper world.”
“The elements above and below unite.'°

Hence masculine names
were to the former assigned,
and feminine names suitably
were to the latter allotted,
because, as women do,
they assimilate
the seeds of things.
“The sun, because it reigns in Pisces’ house, |!

gives to the fisherman
a bounteous haul
and returns beauty
to stormy Juno.”'
These words sang Phrison”

beside the daughter of the king,
who pretended she was ill,
when she proceeded on her journey to be wed,
but the dwarf noted everything :
and reported them to the groom.
Anon he was decapitated as a slanderous knave.
Thereupon she at last truckled to her betrothed.
58. The Dance of the Birds
Spring now dawns.

The painted earth is redeemed
by the flowers of the spring.
The heart in joy awakens
the concerts of the birds,
and each salutes Jove with its own song.
Beneath them the nightingale
trills ““Tereus” repeatedly

and then treats again
with a plaintive warble
her loss in olden times.“
Whilst she relates
the loss of Itys to the fates,
the blackbird as her aulete
plays to her songs.
While these songs curse

the fateful misfortunes that she met,
the world sways to and fro
in the semblance of a dance.
But our Jupiter is present
at these conventions
with Hera his wife,
as well as Cupid and Dione,
and after these starry Argus
and flowery Narcissus
and Orpheus with lyre in hand
and the horned god Pan."
At these universal festivities,

swaying left and right,
the feathered dancers playfully
and in concert cast their bodies
hither and thither,
now converging,
now diverging
the following winged throng:
The loon,
the noble eagle,
the night-wandering owl,
the swan of the river,
the phoenix living alone,
the lethargic partridge,
the swallow of the home,
the cooing turtle dove,
the helmeted hoopoe,
the wise goose,
the gluttonous vulture,
the colorful parrot,
the encircling kite,
the chattering little lark,
and the beak-clacking stork.
The joys are commensurate

with these birds and their congeners,
THE LOVE SONGS 71
for this polyphonic harmony

lightens everything.
The time is one ofjoy.

In this our time,
flowers bloom
in meadows green.
Phoebus increases
the splendor of his world
within our bounds.
59. In the Shadow of the Linden
Behold! a band of maidens

in the time of spring,
when the fire of the sun
disposes its rays in equal lengths,
when the clouds are far removed,
when the linden’s foliage
is my journey’s pause,
eagerly longing for Cypris!'°
Refr. For Cypris I do long'’

when the linden’s foliage is my journey’s pause—
O for Cypris I do long!
In this blooming vale,

within a lilied hedge,
is a flowering, fragrant
place in purple clad.
When the merle’s treble
sweetly rings,
the nightingale in song
rounds off the melody.
Refr. | For Cypris I do long

An army of maidens
bedecked with blooms—
who could relate such sights
and explain with what allure
the coverts of Venus
unmistakably shine?!
Dido" should present her suicide to a court,
for every judge would acquit her of her crime!

Over a carpet of flowers in the woods

the goddess Fortuna carried me.
Cupid’s bow did a serving maid reveal,
whom among Venus’ cohort I love so:
I languish with lust,
until I see
the helpmeet
of my pleasure.

A question for every girl arises:

who is more handsome
and of greater worth,
the chaste maiden or the lewd whore?
Flora, Phyllis’ playmate,"
rendered the verdict:
“In no way similar to a chaste virgin
is a shamefully beloved girl.”

Juno, Pallas, Dione,

and relentless Cytherea
endorse the arbitrament
that the jurist Flora pronounced:
“In the eyes of a chaste lass
he will more happily glow
in nectar honey-sweet
than in a wench without bounds.”
Refr. For Cypris I do long

The welcome rules do I relate

for the games of maidens:
May chaste lasses in prosperity
thrive in all their future affairs!
Let no salutary delight befall
THE LOVE SONGS 73
the lots of women burnt out

by their lascivious motions and deeds:””
let their hope for flesh be consumed!!
Refr. _ For Cypris I do long

60. The Cage of Love (ca. 11007?)
Held captive by a grievous love

I considered myself the equal of a bird
that is bound to a loathsome cage:
he views the aether only from far away
and still he does not cease to sing.
Pleasing it is for me to depart thence

and to sing, virgin, as I did long ago.
But she stays not always in the same place:
my probing love observes her
and bitterness afflicts me.
That shout, which has sprung hence,

is bile of the most bitter sort,
likened to what the crowfoot” yields.
Alas, because of the temptations
of Venus and her wondrous scion
to enlist me in their employ,
I am unable to uphold my oath!
Behold, O illustrious maiden,

and mark well these my words:
Love instills in me my reason
for wishing to greet you, lass,
but you seem to aggravate
my heavy burden, since
you cudgel me without reason,
bear my biddings as impositions,
treat as slight my objections,
drive me straight into ruin,
pledge your faith to another,
in revolt against Cypris.
Behold my complaint,
which love begot:
an inclination for love
sent me deep into sighs.
All the dances
with other maidens

did I so shun,
because I wanted to join you to me;
I sought only tranquility
and thy grace, but now
you grab at another’s devotion:
anything baser than this I
cannot possibly name.
For my consolation
Glycerium” has no care;
she disdains
and smites me, too,
and considers me a inglorious cad.
Wars I wage
against her,
surely from Cypris’ fault.
Since my heart thinks on you alone

and your reputation discloses misdeeds,
my eyes well up with tears.
Now it is most expedient
for us to speak the truth.
I had loved you before all others,
but you have now forgotten
your loving friend of old;
by the gods above or below do we
accuse your soul of a felony?
Pain, tears, wrath, and dread

have all weighed in unison
upon my trembling,
quivering limbs!
Under the force of pain,
I have changed my ways;
my song has fallen unto silent days.
Nothing remains except to weep.
A horrible fate,
the lyre now hangs;
spurned and abject, it now grieves.
Atropos has ceased to spin her thread.”*
You drown me here,
while you are over there.
Wavering thus,
you will not stay here.
But you rejoice in your pursuit

of slippery contact and touch.
THE LOVE SONGS (5)
A whore has now earned

the gibbet as her desert.
Lo! I pray thee by the gods above:
Love only those who are committed to you,
rebuff your furtive men,
whom being loved does not sustain!
If I judicially prosecute
an unconscious man,
you conduct such a suit
according to all the rules of the art.
And yet I sang of you

in a lyric of soliloquies.
I was acquainted with no one but you,
which I considered a very right deed.
But you will hear nothing of these.
You had devoted yourself to me

and in love had bound together
the paths of a life of lies,”
and have so perverted yourself that I
now purchase back my life.
You would, presumptuous girl,
to triturate my heart,
thoughtlessly and unlawfully give to another your love.
How long am I to suffer you,

whom wooing heavily weighs down?
Why act you so perversely,
O horrible, pretentious girl?
O jealous, two-faced, dishonorable wench,

why are you proud
of your interchanging deceits
and all of your ignominious ways?
When you breach a pact,
O inordinately precipitous girl,
you totally upheave yourself
like a raving bacchanal.”°
IfItimidly, like a stammering fool,

had not dared to say anything at all,
my resistance would be that of a discharged soldier,
whom his kismet here befalls.
O nourishing Cypris, observe

the retainer of your work,
and take away from us

the punishment
we suffer without desert.
Reave the lamia”’ and quell her strife!
60a. Secret Love
Cupid whirls and reels about the heart

and menacingly brandishes his dart;
the West Wind breathes upon the nectar,
with which Venus fills men to the core.
This is a most pleasant state,
which we treasure in gentle women,
whom kindness and simplicity
of the heart sustain.
I wish that at least once

she would offer me her kisses,
she, whom Nature by lot
made lovely from infancy.
If |had made her thus my own,
I would take pleasure in no other girl,
since I would rather spurn amiable lasses
for the sake of you.
Now our fragrant bed tarries in anticipation.

Unbeknownst to you, you are much desired by me,
but, when I call you, you don’t appear,
my most intimate darling dear.
Rejoice, royal issue,

who wield the privileges
of life! Behold!
Venus’ communities
have flourished through you!
If the liberty to choose were granted me now,

to enjoy your kisses and tender limbs
under leisure in the twilight,
there would exist in life
nothing harsh.
You precede the beam of the morning star,
and the lily and rose fade beside your beauty’s sun.
The ivory of your teeth
gleams through your lips,
such that one would believe
Sirius is shining forth from them.
THE LOVE SONGS 77
If oracular Maenalus”®
should give me the sight
to foretell every maiden’s fate,
such would be my prophecy:
“Mount Etna will sink into and suffer
the menaces of the sea, before your honor,
maiden, will cease to be praised.”
Love should be sung

to my unpolished lyre,
that it may by these fruits be fed:
love will be my reward.
When Venus, who strikes hearts,

satisfies a furious desire,
a renewed sting of Venus
is annoying to other men.
But this should bring glory to me
and enable splendid indulgence!
O inviolate of maidens,
look upon me with friendly eyes,
and fulfill now the wishes
of thy suppliant!
61. The Apple of His Eye
If a chorus of Muses has enriched some man,

he should not confine himself to the idle Anacreontics.””
I am akin to Phoebus’ harp
amid the fragrance of spring.
She, whom I obey before all other maids,
can infuse me with life or the weariness of death.
But the latter, her most intimate virtue,
she prefers above all the rest.
The desolation of winter has found an end;

most energetically rejoice
in the rise of the blooms do they
who are acquainted with Cypris and render her praise.
Never was I of higher spirits, O Father Jupiter!
The hope for love’s bliss dominates my thoughts;
fruitful life and nimble hope
continually invigorate my soul.
She, a portrait of a maiden,

rules me with her laugh.
So now the moth of grief
is into exile shooed,

the pain is rent away,
and the shivering is dashed.
She, upon whom great celebrity
and remarkable kindness
and prolific beneficence
always and everywhere
are smiling without fail,
is in fine the one I desire.
Let no one marvel at the sublimity

of a conductress such as she,
who by the extraordinary power of her words
leaves me more learned than before,
when she her rich gifts exudes!
O thou beauty surpassing that

of handsome Absalom”
and not of such a nature
that gives the impression
that thou art of mortal form!*!
Me alone, maiden, do not repulse!
I beg for acquittal, that I may rest
from a desperate struggle.
I wait for thy message: end my grief,

of which thou art very much aware,
thou glorious light that illuminates the world,
thou virginal, maidenly Helen of Troy!
Apollo was wondrously bound,

when nymphal Daphne he beheld.
In this way was my love tinged,
after I cast aside the things of eld.
This wondrously exquisite maiden
is a magnet supreme:
by its perpetual attraction, the grace that beams
from her totally overpowers my soul.
Called to my mind now are all
the awesome deeds of Priam’s son,”
who gloriously performed his military service:
my banquets, however, lie neglected and cold.
Pauperism would not

confound my blooming luck,
but my reason is in greater fear
of how long love’s union will be delayed.
What am I to do?
THE LOVE SONGS 1p
Grace, bring solace to a sick mind,

my treasure, my flower of love
of vivacious disposition!
O lovers’ matter of dispute,
whatever its essence be,
devote thy pleasure to my praise!
Nothing is thy equal,
O lofty home of glowing mirth.
When I first saw thee,

I burned deep within;
thence a perennial sigh began.
Take away with gentle hand
what was with cruelty
on me imposed!
A terrible fate this is;
not even is death more harsh!
Does the lot of my life not adhere
to some prosperous ritual or rite?
She, whom I liken to the sun,
resists her young admirer!
I know that I, glowing within,

am with her intertwined.
If she is willing to change
my situation and accord with my wish,
I find myself in a state of bliss.
I cannot imagine finding a better,

more wonderful girl than she, whom I chose,
if she agrees to submit to my rules.
More so did I love,
more so did I desire
the sweet gifts of her word
as if I by the force of law would possess
the crown of a joyous world.
First to be praised
is her radiant smile,
which heralded unto me
33,
that it is second in rank after Jove’s.
If it does not so happen that she
is ready to give her love to me,
then I kindly ask that she agree
at the very least to be able to tolerate me.
But if you, Discord, seek to rule

our relationship in accord
with your divisive art,

at the outset I shall then my pledge withdraw.
Therefore you, who shine more brightly

than a star, look upon me, if you wish me life!
For it is certain that the flowers are emerging.
Solaced by your bond of love,
give me leave to make sport!
62. Hypnogogic Wonder
When in the evening

Diana’s glassy lamp doth arise’
and when she is succeeded
by her brother’s rosy light,”
the balmy breath of the zephyr sweet
scatters from the ether all the clouds.
In this way the power of the strings
softens hearts and morphs
the faltering mind so that
it becomes capable of love’s securities.
The happy beam of the evening star

sends to the mortal race
the more agreeable moisture
of hypnogogic dew.
O how blissful is the antidote of sleep,

which calms the tempests of solicitudes and grief!
When it creeps into the closed passages of the eyes,
it equals in joy the very sweetness of love.
Morpheus” draws into the mind

the gentle wind that drives in crops ripe,
the murmur of rivers
through stark beds of sand,
the circular gestures of millwheels,
which all steal in sleep the light of the eyes.
After the pleasure of the commerce of love

the substance of the brain is of vigor deprived.
Hence in marvelous novelty do eyes
swimming in the raft of the lids grow dull.
Alas, how happy is the passage from love into sleep,
but sweeter is the return to love!
From the happy womb of love fumes the steam

and bedews the three chambers of the head;*”
THE LOVE SONGS $1
here it fogs the eyes

that are staggering into sleep
and fills the lids with its moisture,
lest the sight roam far away.
In this way the bodily powers*® bind the eyes,
powers more often deemed subservient.
Under the pleasant foliage of a tree”’ as

the nightingale warbles her plaint, sweet
it is to rest, and sweeter it is to play in the
grass with a comely lass.
If various herbs emit their perfumes,
if roses frame a bed,
then takes one, flaccid
after the works of love
the sweet nourishment of sleep,
which into wearied minds drips.
O in how many thoughts

does the mind
of the vacillating lover sway!
Just as a skiff wandering o’er the sea
without an anchor wavers unsteadily
between hope and dread,
so does life in Aphrodite’s garrison.
63. The Amorous Herculean Fall

by Peter of Blois
Whilom the sweat of Hercules

subdued monsters everywhere,
rid the world of pestilence,
and shined brightly far and wide
in the luster of titles of honor;
but at last his fame, once celebrated,
was mewed up in dark gloom,
when Alcides
was ensnared
by the allurements of Tole.”
Refr. Love deflowers

the value of fame,
nor does the lover rue
the loss of time,
but recklessly does he strive to be dissolved
under Venus’ thumb.
The Hydra,” made richer

82. THE CARMINA BURANA
by the loss of a head and fiercer

than every pest known to man,
could not dismay the hero,
whom a maiden did break.
He truckled to Venus’ yoke,
a man, who, greater
than the gods above,
shouldered the mighty heavens
when Atlas was fatigued.

the value of fame,
the loss of time,
A harsh puff of breath and spew of flames

were to Cacus of no avail,
nor did flight assist Nessus,
who assumed two forms.
Hesperian Geryon
and the gate-hound of Styx”—
both of triple form—
affrighted not the man,
whom a girl held captive
with a guileless laugh.

the value of fame,
ihe loss of time,
To the tender yoke he yielded,

who enveloped the sentry
of the rich garden
in fatal slumber
and gave to the goddess of Abundance
the horn from Achelous’ brow,
who distinguished himself
through the conquest of the boar and lion
and filled the mares of Thrace
with the corpse of a sanguinary host.”

the value of fame,
THE LOVE SONGS 83

the loss of time,
He sustained a match
with Antaeus of Libya“
and foiled the tricks
of a sophistic fall”
by precluding his opponent’s
every plunge.
But he who thus disengaged
the perilous clasps of the fight,
was conquered and fettered
when he, the scion of mighty Jove,
slipped into the embraces of Iole.

the value of fame,
the loss of time,
By the great titles conferred

on his labors flowered he,
whom a girl immures
with bewitching bonds.
And whilst she lathers him with kisses,
the nectar of Venus that her lips distill
waters his ever amorous soul.
The man who has abandoned himself
to the leisures of Aphrodite
thinks no longer on his labors
or their consequent glory.

the value of fame,
the loss of time,
But I, stronger than Alcides,

undertake a battle
against Lady Cytherea.
So that I may conquer her, I flee.
For in this type of war
a soldier more valiantly and effectively

fights by fleeing away.
And in this way Venus is subdued:
when he flees, she is put to flight.

the value of fame,
the loss of time,
The sweet bonds of Venus I unlock

and the bars of her alluring prison I break,
when from the rest I spirit me away
and devote my mind to other things.
O Lycoris,”° may you be strong
and vow to me what I have vowed:
I have removed a soul,
harrowed by love,
from its affliction’s source.

the value of fame,
the loss of time,
64. On the Twelve Virtuous Labors of Hercules”

by Ausonius
The first toil he sustained was the Nemean lion’s defeat.”®

For his second he dashed the Lernaean Hydra with firebrand and sword.
For his third feat of strength he slew the Erymanthian boar.
Fourth, he won the golden antlers of the swift-footed stag.
His fifth distinction marked the death of the Stymphalian birds.
For his sixth he stole the Thracian Amazon Queen’s belt.
His seventh labor applied to his toils in the Augean stalls.
The expelled Cretan Bull won him an eighth reward of valor.
His ninth victory was over Diomedes’ carriage and four.
For Geryon’s doom Spain confers upon him his tenth victory palm.
For the eleventh triumph he plucked the apples of the Hesperides.
But Cerberus was the final goal of his last, most arduous task.
65. A Rhythmic Symphony
In whatever way the times are set in motion, I,

THE LOVE SONGS 85
supported by the same happy temperament,” strike the tambourine.
Whether Philogeus™ tarries in the lowest realms

or Erythreus”’ with jwonted vernal seeds marks itself with a red glow,
or flashing Acteon” is filled with estival light,
or radiant Lampas”’ is enriched with the abundance of fall:
always from one godhead™ is salvation to me owed.
Basythea,” but briefly glimpsed, incited Euryale,” for whom I

have so long waited, to smile upon me at last. May Euphrosyne’’ alone,
who can take on any shackling witch, be to me favorably disposed,
a patroness at whom naked Dione, through a certain lady, sweetly smiled!
Another typesetter sang this song, as pledged.”®
May bearded Cypris” rejoice in stealth,

after she has gathered new energies
for the ripe insurrection of sexuality!
Long ago the young lass, giving lies to her names,
assumed the nature of a woman, but it lies not hidden
in a maiden, if she has experienced love.
With a chaste name she cloaks
her libation of Venus’ tonic,
careful not to allow the tidings
of her experience to openly bubble out.
Nevertheless the deflowered maiden was ruffled not,
when she repeated her nature’s struggle.”
Be, O Paris, my great patron

in Venus’ contest in the public games!
Venus, you should enjoy Adonis’ embraces at last!°!
Offering the Indian myrtle-berry,
I shall set on the shrines of Cithaeron™
the foot fetter as a witness to my new condition.”
Freer than Apollo, I am not surmounted
by the throng of immobile gods.
Hope stimulates a flaccid thing,
until I enjoy the noble companion of my bed.
No “perchance” should be admitted,
for behind the bar of the virginal gate have I fought.
I would grow pale, if the maiden, wondrous

in her familiar beauty, did not of me approve.
I would wither, if she did not stir me to love’s pleasure
through her anticipation hidden behind a specious fear.
A glorious affair I have come to know thus:

her loss would be my death, for I have invited her again,
she, to whom I had given in countless numbers
loving, sweet, reciprocal kisses.
Through her I drink the goblets of life,

and this is a fruitful glory to me.
She alone is enough for me,
if I may worship her for every eon and age.
Now I have praised her well

with seasoned art.
Vigorously does the labor close,
when I her in my arms enfold.
May she, who is justly desired

for her graceful felicity,
who has been crowned with manners
and a wondrous physiognomy,
who is distinguished by her florid speech
and a dowry of wit and charm,
nurture me with the tokens
of sweet, sweet love!
Infix this deep within thy heart, that my poetry,”

now lettered, now wanton and pert,”
glorifies thee in a harmony of many forms:
singing in prose, verse, and a mix of both™
and in rhythmic stanzas, a scholastic symphony
rings thy name throughout all the world.
If anyone meditates on the matters I treat,

anyone who loves and is loved, may he,
with the selfsame heart, sue, wish, and pray that my love last.
I, in turn, not a perpetrator of fraud, shall requite this service,
so that through the confidence of such a pact,
this may be the year ofjubilee!°’
66. The Four Steeds of the Chariot of the Sun
Acteon, Lampas, Erythreus, and Philogeus:

the adept can gather from these names
that every day contains only four spaces of time.
The first, Acteon, the Greeks nominate “The Red,”
for the sun, when morning breaks, then holds a purple rise.
After him comes Lampos, whose name means “The Bright,”
for we see then the splendor that flashes from the sun’s eye.
Fiery Erythreus follows, who for this reason is rightly named:
the middle course of each day is fraught with heat.
The last of these, Philogeus then proceeds, called “The Lover of Earth,”
because in the evening he bends his course to her,
THE LOVE SONGS 87
for he wants to draw o’er the lands a setting sure.
67. A Maiden Supreme (ca 1170)

by Peter of Blois
When the lords of the empyrean

drew from the old mass
a distinct shape for all things therein,
and Nature in her sagacity
evolved and weaved
the ordered chain of the world,
since she had already in advance conceived
what she would create.
When she set in motion

the causation of the world’s machine,
she had long before factored our maiden
into her ultimate scheme:
she fashioned her more finely,
furnished her with beauty and charm,
and bestowed on her manufacture
the privilege and price of great labor.
In her more than all other works

does the industry of Nature shine.
So many gifts
of favor did she
bestow on none before,
but she exalted the maiden
above all other things.
And she, who is wont

to covetously allot
to each girl only assets discrete,
sedulously applied to my dame
the gifts of beauty in greater abundance
and thoroughness
than the world had ever seen.
Made lovely in the most charming way

by Nature’s zealous strain,
her snow-white brow,
by no wrinkle distorted,
rivals the lily flower.
Her ingenuous, starry eyes
blaze with a refulgent light.
She draws all the glances of suitors

unto her glorious, angelic sight,

because she promises a remedy:
her bashful,
yet wanton, laugh.
Twin arches separate
her lovely brows.
From the border of both eyes,

at the discretion of a balanced symmetry,
the hillocks of her nose are drawn forth
with a certain temperance
in their projection:
they are neither excessively raised
nor unjustly oppressed.
She entices with sweet words and kisses

and with her mildly
tumescent little lips;
around her rosy mouth rests
the fragrance of nectar.
Evenly sit an ivory succession of teeth
that glow brightly in snowy whiteness.
Her breast, her chin, her neck, her cheeks

vie with the snow and softly gleam,
but, lest they vanish in a pallor
through their exaggerated whiteness,
wiser Nature restrains this whiteness in advance
by wedding the rose to the lily,
so that from this union may be born
a mixture more suitable
and more pleasant in form.
Myself from me Coronis® steals,

favored with the Graces’ florets and gifts.
For Nature, who fuels a sweeter lunacy,
exhibited this girl
to the astonishment
of all the world,
and unharnessed
with her enticing laugh
all of Venus’ hunting nets.”
68. Spring: A Brief Tale
When Mercury shines, Saturn’s livid star”

is routed by Apollo, who uncovered Jove’s smile.’!
With glowing red hair’ spring from exile returns.
THE LOVE SONGS 89
A delightful grove of singing birds

is encircled with a sportive song
and with a garland of foliage crowned;
the thorns are green
with tremulous blooms
and betoken Venus,
since the thorn pricks
and the flower allures.
Mother Venus is delighted to lavish

upon the subjects of love
sweet stipends in most plentiful abundance.
The breeze of the sweet Zephyr

blowing in from the west
favors the star of Jupiter;
more active in spirit,
it condemns the North Wind
to the inertia of a prison
against Aeolus’ willful whim.”
Thus the rest of the icy winds in great haste fly asunder.
Warmth returns to the ether, since the gloom of the clouds
diminishes when the sun reigns in the Bull’s house.”
Thus the anticipation of happiness,

the fragrant breath from her tender little mouth,
when she plants a kiss on me, cleaves the clouds of all my cares;
but she knows not how to tear herself away,
if the clash of the secret war be not resolved.
Happy is the hour of this war, upon whose lot

the mixing of nectar and honey falls!
How blessed a union,
by whose draught of sweetness
the senses and eyes are lulled to sleep!
69. Winter Love
Now the summer

journeys into exile;
the woods are bereft
of the joyous song of birds;
the verdure of the leaves
grows faint and pale;
and deflowered are the fields.
What once flourished has dried away,
because the sinister power of frost
has denuded the woods’ blessed state
and disrupted with silence

the ethereal vault,
when it has banished every bird.
But no force of cold can enfeeble love,

which nourishes the heat,
for love strives to remold the things
that the torpor of winter has marred.
Bitter agonies do I suffer:
from the wound in which I glory
Iam moribund. Woe and alas!
If only she would heal me with but one kiss,
she who rejoices in wounding
with a happy bolt my heart!
Her frisky nature, her coaxing smiles

draw all glances unto her sight.
The lips of Venus, swelling—
but not in unpleasant excess—
cause all too idle wanderings,
when she instills sweetness with her kisses,
like sweet virgin honey, so that I may at last deny
that [am a mere mortal in any wise.
Her pleasant, ever snowy brow,
the golden light of her eyes,
her shimmering red hair,
her hands surpassing lilies
haul me into sighs.
I smile, when I behold her sight:
all so elegant, so regal, so lovely, so sweet.
70. A Lovers’ Exchange
In the flowerful time of summer,

I reposed beneath a shady tree
as the birds were singing in the wood
and the cool evening wind was rustling—
and enjoyed the fine words of my Thisbe”
and a discussion about love’s most blissful union.
Her face, her form, her refinement

outshine all other maidenly sights,
as the sun surpasses the stars.
O, will our discourse bring her
to deem us worthy of the blessing
of her loving company?
Therefore nothing better remains,

THE LOVE SONGS 91
but to reveal the hidden fire

of my soul in greater detail.
Fortune succors the bold in full.”
Let this be the inception of my flames:
“Long have I fed off a fire

concealed deep beneath my breast,”
a fire that with miraculous force
diffuses its powers all through my frame.
Only you alone can extinguish it,
if you care to perceive it at all,
and bind my half-dead self to you
by a compact sublime.”
“Dubious is the hope for love:

it’s either a reality or a fiction.
Constancy of virtue
is a lover’s necessity.
Before all other virtues
is patience love’s valet.
But the fire, too, which rushes through
all the body’s alleys and gates,
is extinguished by yet another flambeau!
My love does not embrace furtive, flighty joys.”
“The fire that afflicts me,

nay, of which I boast,
is a fire unseen by the eye.
If it be not extinguished
by its maiden kindler,
forever will it abide.
It is thus in your hands
whether I live or die.”
“Of what use is it to me to suffer

life’s perils for such a pendulous affair?
There is the father, the mother,
the brother, who four times a day
scold me on your account
and observe us by dispatching old
women to all the little rooms and
to all the watchtowers blokes.
I quake more at hundred-eyed Argus
than at the gallows of forked frame.
Therefore it is just and meet
that a man of kind disposition
shun every token
whence a malignant murmur
courses through the people.”

“You fear in vain!
The whole issue is so mysterious
that I fear not even Vulcan
with his slender steel nets.”
As guileful Stilbon” once performed,
I will overwhelm Argus with sleep
by the persuasion of Lethe’s hypnogogic dew
and shut out the light of his hundred eyes.”
“On the wavering balance of my soul,

two opposites oscillate to and fro:
lascivious love and modest restraint.
But I choose what I see:
I offer my neck to the yoke,
but into a sweet yoke I pass.”
“°Tis wrong that you name

the mystery of love a ‘yoke,’
for nothing is freer than it,
nothing sweeter, nothing better.
O how sweet are these delights!
Pious are the tricks
and crafts of love!
Therefore hie to these gifts!
Belated presents
earn no praise!”
At last exclaims my darling girl,*°

“Sweetest of men, I submit to thee my all!”
71. Love's Deceit
With his golden chariot

Phoebus travels round
the upper air and lights up
his rays in a rosy gleam.
Lovely Cybele,*!
of a visage blossoming,
82
gives a flower to Semele’s son
with Apollo’s blessing.
By the delightful grace

of the breezes sweet
the forest of birds rings
with melodious songs.
THE LOVE SONGS 93
The nightingale indulges

in tuneful plaints over Tereus’ deed
whilst she accords her song
with the treble of the merle.
Now Dione’s happy roundelay

thunders eagerly with their songs.
And now Dione lightens her votaries’ hearts
with jest and sport— and harrows them as well.
She subtracts me also from slumber

and compels me to bestow pains upon love.
Cupid’s golden arrows I bear;
his fire annoys burning hearts.
What is vouchsafed to me I fear;

what is denied me I crave
with a soul steeped in gloom.
Whatever maiden yields to me, against her I guard myself;

and whosoever rejects my suit
I befriend and I am indeed
unhappy whether I perish
or through her am relieved.
I flee her, who is desirous;

she, whom I desire, flees me.
The more I oppose my duty,
the more I am led into the taboo.
The more the cheerless is licensed,
the more pleasing the forbidden becomes.
O ye decrees of Dione,
that must be held in dread!
O ye secret, seductive drugs
that must by all be fled!
Fearsome for her treachery
and full of deceit is she;
schooled in the heat
of lunatic rage to martyr
those, whom she prompts to subject
themselves to the bitterness of love,
she is replete
with scorching malice and ire!
Hence I wade in dread;

hence tears flood my face.
Hence a pallor draws itself over my mouth,
because I am by love deceived.
72. Peter the Conqueror

by Peter of Blois
Thanks I give to Venus,

who by the power
of her favorable smile upon me
vouchsafed me a thankworthy
and desired victory
over my girl.
Long had I soldiered in her troop

and was yet unable
to enjoy her pay;
now I sense that I
am being blessed
and Dione’s face is brightening.
The enjoyment of her visage,

her conversation,
her touch, and her kiss
the maiden had granted.
Yet the last

and highest step
of my love®® failed.
If Ido not cross this goal line,
all the other concessions
are but tinder for my raving desire.
I hasten to the finish line,

but with tender tears
my maiden upsets me,
because the young lass
hesitates to loosen
her pudency’s latch.
When she weeps,
I drink the sweetest drops of brine.
The more I thus fill myself,
the more passion I imbibe.
The more her tear-anointed kisses

savor of brackish dew,
the more they allure the mind
with intimate delights.
Therefore the more I am enthralled,
the more fiercely the force of the flame warms.
THE LOVE SONGS 95
But the pain of Coronis reveals itself

with tumid fits of teary rattles and croaks™
and by solemn prayers
is not subdued.
Prayers upon prayers I heap,

and kisses to kisses I add;
tears in a sea of brine she gushes
and quarrels with insults she compounds.
And she marks my every move
with an eye that’s now jealous
and now almost suppliant.
For now she vies against me in a suit,
and now entreatingly she pleads her case;
and when I comply with her plea,
more deaf than one in prayer she turns.
Too boldly I exert my lustful will.

With razor-sharp nails she assumes a fitful rage,
she plucks my hair and vigorously repulses my forceful advance;
she coils herself up and clasps her knees,
lest the door to her chastity be unsealed.
But at last I let loose all engines of war

and set upon my scheme a triumphant crown.
Through an embrace, I strengthen my clasp;
I bind her arms and plant heavy kisses on her flesh.
In this way Dione’s royal court is unlocked.
The affair pleased us both,

and my darling of gentler nature
already chided me less violently
and gave kisses of honey to me;
and she smiled a little with quivering, half-closed lids,
as if she, with an anxious sigh, were lulled to rest.
73. Vernal Flame
Cronus is confined and spring

sprouts out from the bolted prison,
burst open by the smile of Jove.
She uncovered her face:
With his fiery red strands

the Cynthian® cleanses the sky
and, as the air floats between,
makes fertile the earth.
A meadow of purple flowers,

the spring holds first rank,
born anew from the glistening
face of winter’s silver hoar.
Already has fragrant Flora

dressed Rhea®? in a stately cloak,
and the latter frolics
with a smiling, flowering mien.
In the mildness of spring flourish

the thyme, roses, and lilies.
The swallow, bee-eater, and nightingale*’
with these flowers gambol and cavort.
This spectacle excites the satyrs
and the Dryads’** roundelays,
and, with newly-kindled fires,
rouses the nymphs of the vales.
Cupid is stirred by this, too,

and the game of love is renewed;
harrowed, though, by this am I,
as it purloins myself from me.
I nurse a hidden flame, I love,

though against my decided intent;
I lust after the forbidden,
though against my wish.
What I’ve earned, through uttered vows
with due religious rites, Venus invalidates,
and thrusts straight into ruin me, whom I thought
had long been discharged from her service.
If any lover through loving could deserve to be loved again,

then Cupid could be blessed by giving, if he would fain cure.
So many fruitless complaints I discard without any relief
as I see easy remedies that could be provided for my grief.
The end hangs 0’er my head with a vigorous fury;

death is gripping my skeleton deep within.
My emaciated flesh bears witness to this;
irrecoverably dissolved, it assumes this claim.
When I sense sufferings, the extremest of them—

mortally wounded hearts filled with lunatic whims—
I endeavor to rout the seeds of love.
But Venus employs her damnable arts:

THE LOVE SONGS 97
whilst she cloaks the harsh with seductive charms,

she lures all unto herself with retracted claws.
Mercy, benign Cypris, I concede defeat,
and because we are conquered, lay down your arms,
and to all, for whom you are Venus, be also Dione!®
74. The Glory of Spring
The joyous concert of birds

has returned, and delightful
spring has come forth.
All youths should rejoice,
and with them bring new delights!
Now all things grow green;
Phoebus’ clear light breaks;
smelling of temperateness,
Flora restores her visage
with colorful, new blooms.
By Jove’s smile the torpor

of winter is driven away;
higher and higher climbs
the summer on its course
with the sun’s aid;
gentle warmth takes back the world.
Going by the time of year,
Venus rekindles
the fire of our hearts.
The Dryads avoid the heat

beneath a shady hill;
the Oreads” come forth
in a glorious train;
a gathering of Satyrs
sing to a dance
through the pleasant Vale of Tempe.”
Sporting with them sings the nightingale,
as she recalls
the delights of spring.
The summer from exile returns,

longed for ever so much,
the purple earth smiles
upon her painted lap.
With a gentle murmur
the cricket takes delight
in his wondrous home.
Of this melodious song
and this manifold hum

the enlivened forest is proud.
Let us therefore applaud

the reformation of the world!
Happy is he who is loved
and whose heart’s desire is fulfilled,”
who is beatified by the gift of Venus,
and whose altar is perfumed
with delicate blooms.
On the contrary is he miserable,
who, cheated of his reward,
drudges without any hope at all.
75. The Joys of Youth
Let us neglect our studies—

sweet it is to act as sots—
and harvest the sweetnesses
of our tender youth!
It befits only the old to turn
their attention to earnest pursuits.
Refr. | Swiftly does the time fly by,

when by study it’s detained,
and the tender age of youth
prompts the heart to play.
The spring of life glides away,

and winter hastens along;
our vitality forfeits itself,
and anxiety macerates the form.
The blood dries up, the heart
grows dull, delights are abated,
and senectitude now arrests us
with a household of ills.
Refr. Swiftly does the time fly by,

Let us imitate the gods above!

A worthy determination is it,
as even now nets chase
after tender, enamored lads.
Let us serve our desires!
Such is the way of the gods.
THE LOVE SONGS 99
Let us descend on the streets

and the dances of virgins!
Refr. Swiftly does the time fly by,

There the opportunity to observe

the dancers favorably manifests.”*
There shine the playful
motions of their limbs.”*
Whilst the maidens gyrate, sport,
frolic, and frisk, I stand by and watch,
and, as I espy their capers,
they steal myself from me.
Refr. | Swiftly does the time fly by,

76. Night of the Sacred Venus
When I turned away from the tavern where I had smashed myself
with wine, I saw that next to the Temple of Venus I had caroused
and lodged. Alone I advanced, prosperous as I was,
bedecked in fine clothes, carrying a full purse on my left.
The door of the propitious temple was well-sentineled;

I could not enter, as I wished well to do.
Inside rang the sound of a sweet song;
and I thought it was a Sirens’ throng.
I rested a short while with the guard of the‘door:

a noble lass was she, beautiful and in stature small.
With her I conversed in soft, playful words
and at last fulfilled my desire to enter the fane.
Upon passing through the door, I was invited to sit”

by this beautiful girl and then was asked: “Whence are you,
O youth, directed to this place?” And to her I said,
“Mistress, I was accompanied here by one of your retinue.””°
“Tell me, what is the reason behind your arrival here?

What sort of wind has driven you to these shores?
Did necessity and your young manhood lead you here?”
Quoth I, “I necessarily came, held back from this site.
“Before you I stand wounded inside and out

by Venus’ harsh, captive bolt; since the day of my birth
I have carried a missile in my breast and have not yet healed.
Come have I on a silent march, so that I may be freed.
“Incessantly I ask you, you splendid lass, to relay

as my envoy these my words to Lady Venus.”
She, moved by my prayers and vigorously asked,
heralded these words to Venus, as she was elected to do:
“O divine salvation and keeper of all secrets,

who are the plenipotentiary queen of sweet love,
strive, I pray, to attend to a certain sick youth
with the speedy power of your medicine!”
At her bidding I was led into the chamber of sacred Venus.

When I caught sight of her beauty, I shuddered violently.
At last on bent knees, I greeted her: “Hello,” said I,
“‘llustrious Venus, for whom I have intensely yearned.”
“Who are you, young man,” said she, “who speaks such beautiful words?
Speak! Why have you come and what are you called?
Are you perchance that famous youth: Paris, by name?”
Why so infirm then are you, lad, whose story my lady has me told?”
“Most merciful Venus, blessed creation, I see

that you are acquainted with both the future and past.
I am a most abject man, and soon my life will end.
But you can restore me with your soothing care.”
“Welcome, our beloved young man!” said she,

“most suitable addition to our sect, if you please.
If you render coins of exquisite mintage,
counsel shall be given for your perfect healing.”
“Behold,” said I, “here stands forth a purse full of coins.

By all means, sacred Venus, I shall bestow it all upon you.
If you help me to become sufficiently blithe,
forever will I bow before you and kiss your feet.””®
With speed we both went hand in hand to where

there stood a massive throng of damsels fair.
All were similar in every way: of one nature,
of the same semblance and dress.
They all rose at the approach of the goddess and me.

When we greeted them, they rendered this response:
“Welcome! Please sit down with us!” Then said Venus,
THE LOVE SONGS 101
“We purpose to perform something else.”
She gave them all a sign and bid them to go in haste.

Together we stayed there, and alone we reposed
after we had locked the chamber’s door.”
On a garlanded couch, we discussed very much in polished words.
The mother of Cupid then unclothed herself,

to display her glorious, snow-white form.
I spread her out upon the couch and for almost ten hours
soothed my throbbing fever’s fury.
Thereafter we went for a bath

in a garden pool sacred to Jove.
I felt that Iwas purged, by the water of this pool,
of all languor and fully absolved.
Exhausted beyond measure, enfeebled by the bath,

I stood there bound by a most powerful hunger.
I turned to Venus and said, “Like a beggar I would
like something to eat, if there be any food in the house.”
Partridges and geese were brought to the kitchen,

and an assortment of poultry, cranes, and chickens.
For baking cakes, a peck of cornmeal was brought forth.
When all was ready, I, with greedy haste, ate the meal.
I tarried with her for three months, I believe; carrying

a full purse, I was a man furnished well. Departing
from Venus, I am now lightened of coinage and
clothes; and in this way was I made a pauper.
That which you’ve heard should frighten you, lads!

When you sense the arrow of Venus overpowering you,
be mindful of me and my tale! Whithersoever you wend,
you can be unshackled and free, if you, wanderer, but intend.
77. Love’s Glorious Blossom
If Ishould speak in both angel and human tongues,”

the victory could not be expressed, in any years to come,
by which I am rightly raised above all Christian folk,
despite blasphemous rivals’ envious, high offense.
Sing therefore, O tongue of mine, the causes and the effect!

Nevertheless keep disguised the mistress’ name,
lest it be spread among the people and nations
what is kept secret and concealed from the pagans.
Ina flowery, pleasant bush I stood, whirling

these thoughts in my breast: “What should Ido?
I hesitate to plant seeds in the sand.'°
Loving the flower of all the world, lo!, I now am in despair.
“If Idespair, no one need really wonder why;

for by an old crone my rose is kept from me,
such that she loves no one and is loved by none.
May Pluto deign to steal her away, I do so fiercely pray!”
And while in my heart I spun the aforesaid things,

I wished that a bolt of lightning would strike the old hag;
lo! I looked back upon the fields of grain that I had left behind,
and now hearken to what I saw, as I tarried on yonder height:
I saw a blooming flower, I beheld the flower of flowers, I

looked upon the little rose of May, more beautiful than all
the others and a splendid star, brighter than all the rest,
through which I slipped—and into love passed.
And when I beheld what I had desired all my life,

in my heart I then sprang up in supremely ineffable joy,"
and rising swiftly, | hastened to this noble lady'®
and greeted her in turn on bended knee with these words: '**
“Hail, most beautiful, precious jewel,”

hail, glory of maidens, glorious virgin,
hail, light of lights, hail, rose of the world,
O Blanscheflur'® and Helen, O eminent Venus!
Then the morning star answered and said:

“He, who rules the terrestrial and supernal realms,
who between the grasses lets grow violets and roses amidst thorns,
let him be thy salvation, glory, and cure!”
To her I said, “Sweetest lady! My heart confesses to me,

that my soul is compelled to be saved through thee!
For I learned from a certain man, as it is presented
in the tomes, that he heals it best, who the wound caused.”
“Thou statest it was my missiles that so caused thy wounds?

That I deny, but with the accusation laid aside,
unveil now the wound and its causes, so that I may
afterwards heal thee by means of a simple cure!”
“Why should I expose the wounds, which are already manifest?

The fifth summer has passed, and now the sixth is rushing by
that I first saw thee at a holiday dance;
THE LOVE SONGS
103
thou wert the mirror and window to all!
“When I first caught sight of thee, I was then in wonder

taken up and said: ‘Here is a maiden worthy of my praise!
A maiden without equal, she surpasses all the rest.
She is of clear complexion; she is of incandescent face!’
“The sight of thee was splendid and agreeable to my eyes,

as the luminous air shines brilliantly and clear.
Whereupon I continued my speech: ‘God, my God!
Is she the illustrious Helen or the Venus sublime?’
“Wonderfully hanged her tresses of gold;

white as a mound of snow shimmered her throat;
slender and tender was her breast; she hinted to all
that she smelled sweeter than all aromatic perfumes. '””
“On her lovely visage the stars brightly beamed;

and her teeth could lay claim on ivory’s theme!
Her limbs doubled in beauty more than I can possibly word.
What wonder is it if these assets enthrall all men’s hearts?
“Thy blazing pulchritude then manacled all of me

and metamorphosed my mind, soul, and heart—all three.
My heart instantly hoped to share speech with thee,
but the faculty ne’er strengthened my hope’s lee.
“Therefore it is rightly alleged that my spirit carries wounds.

Behold how life treats me with vehement scorn.
When and where is one tribulated more than he,
who hopes for something and then is cheated of his dream?
“Always have I carried a missile shut up in my breast, '°%

whereupon I have many thousand times sighed, saying:
‘Founder of all things, how have I sinned against You? i
I have carried the weights of all paramours in the world.
“Drink, food, and sleep all flee my sight,

nor can I discover any medicine for this plight.
Christ, do not leave me to die in this way,
but deign most kindly to assist a hapless swain!”
“These losses have I suffered and many more beyond count,

nor does any solace strengthen me in my cares,
unless time after time in the darkness of night
I am with thee in the tableaus of my dreams.
“Rose, seeing now how I have been wounded by thee,

how many and great are the torments IP’ve borne

through thee, say ‘It is decided’ and render me
healed, whole, and revivified through thee!
“Assuredly, if thou dost this, I shall glory in thee.

Like Lebanon’s cedar, I in bloom shall rise to great heights."
But if Iam wrong about thee, which I do not fear I am,
I shall suffer a shipwreck or be exposed to risk.”
Quoth the glowing rose, “Many sorrows hast thou shouldered,

nor hast thou revealed things to me completely unknown.
But what I have suffered for thee, thou hast ne’er seen in thy dreams.
I have borne more sufferings than thou didst recite.
“But I neglect the full and complete list,

wanting more to express an apology to thee
that will bring about joy and healing
and confer a cure sweeter than honey on thee.
“Express then, youth, what thou bearest in thy core!

Dost thou demand silver, to enrich thyself,
or to be with a precious stone adorned?
For if it be possible, I shall give whatever thou dost seek.”
“My desire inclines not toward stones and argent,

but chases after something that furnishes greater support,
that vouchsafes the impossible a pleasant finality,
and grants the disconsolate joy’s splendor.”
“Whatever thou cravest, I cannot foreknow.

But thy orisons I do wish very much to fulfill.
Therefore zealously seek after what I possess,
taking up, if thou canst discover it, whatever thou dost wish.”
What more? I cast my arms around the maiden’s neck,

gave her a thousand kisses and obtained a thousand more,
and repeatedly asseverated to her these words:
“No doubt, no doubt, that is for what I did thirst!”
Who knows not henceforth all that follows?!"

Pain and grievous sighs are driven far away,
the joys of paradise are drawn over us,
and all manner of dishes are served up at once.
Here the joy of an embrace is wondrously centupled.

Here sprouts the wish of me and my mistress.
Here the guerdon of lovers was borne by me.
Here therefore was my name exalted highly.''”
THE LOVE SONGS
1085
Thus should every lover bethink himself of me
and not at once lose faith, even if bitterness is his lot!!?
Some day will assuredly be shown to him, whereupon
he at last will acquire the glory for all his travails.
Verily from bitter things are pleasant ones born.

Not without labors are the greatest things forged:
those who strive after sweet honey are often stung;
let them then hope for better, who are embittered the more!
78. A Loveworthy Maid
The novelty of a new year has returned;

the harshness of winter now withdraws.
Short days are now lengthened,
the elements temper themselves,
as January now upon them steals.
My soul is weak from a variable heat
because of the girl I love.
Smart is she and very shapely, too,

more beautiful than a lily or a rose;
confined by a slender build is she,
more extraordinary than every creation I’ve seen:
she pleases me more than the Queen of France.
But death will soon befall me, unless
I am healed by her, the flower on the sloe.
Venus wounded me with a golden dart,

which pierced through to my heart;
Cupid instilled his torches in me,
Cupid inspired love for a fair, young maid,
for whom I am willing to die.
Let me be joined to no one dearer,
even if pain should be annexed to dole.
Held captive am I by my love for her,

whose flower is hitherto in fresh bloom.
Sweet becomes the toil in this labor,
if my mouth take up a kiss from hers.
Not by the touch of her lips will I be cured,
114
unless one heart be made from two and be of one will.
O flower of all flowers, in this prevail!
79. A Failed Attempt
Beneath the heat of summer,

when all things are in bloom,
I was completely aflame.

Beneath a splendid olive tree
detained was I by pause, wearied
from the heat inside me and out.'”
This tree stood in a meadow

that was embroidered with blooms,
grass, a fountain, and a delightful locale,
but also endowed with shade and a gentle wind.
Plato with his style could not have limned
a more pleasant and more lovely place.
Hidden beneath is a spring of living water,

and the treble of the nightingale is at hand;
present, too, are the songs of the Naiads;:''°
it is almost an earthbound paradise there.
There are no climes of which I’m fully aware
that are more delightful than those which my eyes did bear.
While here it pleases me to be charmed

and charms me into taking delight
and finding relief from the heat,
I see a shepherd girl without equal
and of singular form,
collecting mulberries sweet.
I fall in love at the sight of her;

Venus effected this, I believe.
“Come over here,” I said, “a bandit am not I.
I won’t take from you, nor wound you in any wise.
Myself and mine I give to you,
who Flora’s bloom outshine!”!"”
Tersely did she respond:

“Unaccustomed am I to men’s games of love;
my parents are not of savage line.
My mother, who is advanced in years,
will be furious over this trivial affair!
On the hour now desist!”
80. Earth’s Rebirth
In estival joy
is the earth renewed.
By the zeal of service to love
is Venus aroused.
A band of young lads takes delight,
whilst a populous throng of avians
THE LOVE SONGS 107
twitters and chirps.
Refr. _ How great are the joys,

when one loves and is loved,
when without the stain of gall
a lad is joined to a beloved girl!
Now spring forth again
all our delights and bliss:
eradicated is the winter’s chill.
The meadows are adorned

with flowers of various hues,
the delightfulness of which
becomes an occasion for love’s suits.
A chorus of young lads takes delight,
Refr. | How great are the joys,

In this animated heat

all things are now renewed,
which in the tedium of winter
were listless and laid low.
The earth yields sweet grasses
and is with flowers bejeweled,
and the woods are accoutered
with the livery of leafy trees.

These times smile upon

the ceremonies of love;
lovers’ pacts are reforged
by partnered pairs.
The court of maidens celebrates
Venus’ festive days,

whilst Love waters tender hearts
and mixes draughts bittersweet.

Now spring forth again all our

delights and bliss: eradicated is
the winter’s chill.
81. Dance to the Beat of the Sun
The sun’s beam glistens,

promulgating unto the world
that the time of mirth now
has for us broken forth.
The spring, which has now appeared,
blessing with fertility the earth,
has earned a salutation
through a joyous song.
Refr. | With a measured stamp then

our flock should sing
to an ever sweet and joyous strain!
As the cold of winter

puts all its essence to flight,
the still air above breathes
a more warming sigh.'®
From heaven descend
salutary drops of dew,
and the earth is fertilized
by the moisture it endows.

The sun that had been extinguished

now to brilliancy returns.
An icy chill had prevailed,
but now the clime grows warm.
The snow that had inhumed us
now deliquesces from the heat.
The field that had been dry before
THE LOVE SONGS 109
now bursts into color again.

The nightingale warbles

in the highest tones;
the little lark greets
this time of the flowers;
the old woman, though advanced in years,
is astonishingly engaging in mischievous affairs,
when the frolicsome young lass
thus returns to cheer again.

82. Thyme and Sorrel’s Disputation
The horrific cold is far away;

19
the time of the flowers is at bay.'
From the presence of spring
the earth now bears young
and unseals herself for birth,
as blooming jewels are discerned.
Refr. Oooaiae!!”
O my dearest, there is no balm!
The cleric knows how to love
a maiden better than a knight!
The sun recreates the earth,

lest her offspring die away.
From the temperateness
of the air, the essence
of all things is made,
whence various seeds are born.
Refr. Oooaiae!
The mountain is robed in flowers

and rings with the treble of birds.
In the woods these singers in harmony
chirp and in sweet innocence prate.

Nor does the nightingale cease
to remember her bereft state.
Refr. Oooaiae!
Terra’s visage smiles

through a myriad of colors bright.’”'
Now hearken, ye maidens:
Chevaliers do not rightly love!
The knight has no natural strength
nor excellence of any type!
Retr. Oooaiae!
a maiden better than a soldier!
Thyme and Sorrel!” together

engaged in the following deliberation:
“Because of their appearance
knights are loveable to us.”
“Their imbecilic reason
wavers in giving solace.”
Refr. Oooaiae!
“But knights on their hearts

paint our comely faces,
with silk on their mantles and
colors on their shields.” “What
use are such things to us,
when our physical beauty perishes?”
Refr. Oooaiae!
“The clerics pay attention to us in the winter chill

when they provide us with grain,
with cloths we can wear as robes,
THE LOVE SONGS 111
and finally with a makeup box.”

Anon Cupid’s peroration on every cleric
is rendered: he deserves woman’s love.!”°
Refr. Oooaiae!
83. Peter and His Maid

by Peter of Blois
Violently blow the winds, and completely disappear

the tresses of the trees from the force of the hoar.
Silent are all the sweet sylvan songs;
now benumbed is the animals’ lust
that boils in the spring alone.
Ever a lover, I want not to follow
these new changes of the year
like a ductile ox.
Refr. | How sweet are these stipends

and how blissful are these delights:
these hours spent with our lovely Flora!
I repine not about the long service at all:

I am remunerated with excellent pay.
I take joy in my happy reward.
When Flora greets me
with her eloquent brow,
joys I take up in my heart
that has not for so many room enough,
and then glory in my labor.

A fate not at all harsh yields to my will:

whilst in a secret chamber the game of love is played,
Venus is kind and propitious to me.
The bed warms Flora, who lies there nude:
Her tender flesh glows,
her virginal torso shines,
her breasts rise not too high,
modest in their swelling.


I transcend the mortality of man

and glory in my elevation to the number of the gods,
when I hold in hand her tender bosom
and my blessed hand moves on a vagrant course
and, having wandered through
the districts of her breasts,
descends to her stomach
with a gentler caress.

From her tender little breasts

her soft flanks tauten
in such elegant proportions.
Her flawless body does not give way
to a gentle touch.
Slender about the waistline,
she projects her navel but a little
from her lightly vaulted belly.

Her rosy chalice arouses cravings for

the enticing, soothing remedy it offers up,’
a chalice that scarcely sprouts
in this maiden of tender down.'”
Her delicate legs,
enrobed in a tempered layer of flesh,
with whiteness glowing, are brightened to incandescence
by the hidden junction of her nerves.'7°

O, if Jupiter should by chance catch sight of this girl,

I fear that he would glow with the same passion I do
and revert back to his olden tricks:'7
either he, as a light rain,!”°
would bewitch Danaé’s cave with sweet dew,
or assume the semblance of Europa’s bull,
THE LOVE SONGS 113
or blaze inside Leda again

in the guise of a swan.”

84. Peter’s War

by Peter of Blois
When the summer, now ripened

by winter’s sepulture,
was cultivating
the once bleak shrubs,
I beheld Phyllis
beneath a linden green
and saw everything
smile upon her.
Jealous was I, as I watched these sights.
My eye, a keen hunter of the heart,
captivated by her sight,
thus drives me into the snare
of the virgin’s noose.
Refr. | O heavens, I am dying!

But with this sweetness
a sweeter death it is.
For the lover it spells life
when he so lovingly dies.
With a cheerful mien

she went off into the meadows,
like a daughter of Dione,
like Venus’ messenger.
As I watched her, I was jealous,
and, with hope as my conductress,
hurried to her seat.
I sat down with a smile
and fondled her as she did rest.
But the timid little lass quivered at my caress
like the tremulous leaves of a tree
and behaved like a beginning schoolgirl,
who under the rod’s rule still sat.'*°

1
But with these delights”
The fear of responding to me!**

hauled this girl into tears.
But indiscreet Love,
happy in his rapine,
sent in my hand with haste
towards the girl,
so I could touch
the brink of her shame.
I rushed in and launched an assault,
with a menacing engine of war,
upon her barricaded door.
But overcome her I did not, for with sharp fingernails
she defended the thresholds and barred the entry points.
Refr. O heavens, I am dying!

But this to me is wholly
a sweeter demise.
Not as Tantalus will I let

the incoming drink slip away!'**
But lest that girl still foil
my entire desire and urge
I advance again,
wrap my arms around her neck,
and tear asunder the twisted bulwark of her legs.
To deflower the virgin,
I implant in her all of me.
4
To enclose this frontier within my boundary line,'*
I register this valiant duel in verse and rhyme:'»
and so in this camp I perform
my service to the uniform.

But with this pleasantry'*°
85. Sweet Juliana (ca. 1150)
In the time of sweet spring,

beneath a flowering tree,
stands Juliana and her sister.
Sweet love!
THE LOVE SONGS 115
Refr. Who is without thee in this season

becomes less worthful for his treason.
Behold the verdure of the trees!

The birds are frolicking in song.
And for this reason all the virgins grow warm.
Sweet love!

Lo! The lilies are blooming bright,

and trains of maidens are raising songs
to the highest of the gods.'*’
Sweet love!

If 1were holding her, for whom I pine,

in the woods beneath a canopy sublime,
I would kiss her with supreme joy!
Sweet love!

86. The Pervert’s Song
I touch not the girl,

whom I pursue.
I look at you directly
and on you
fix my sight and
never do I
deflect my eyes.
Refr. | Try, pretty child, my manly gear:

Ever floppy is the equipment of senile men;
only youths’ gadgets are able to stand.
These tools are nimble, dexterous,
slender, tender,
unassuming, moveable,
quick to learn, expert,
fit for sitting upon, re
and whatever suchlike to you occurs. ©
After the raging heat

falls heaven’s dew;

after green leaves
white blossoms follow;
after the white luster
the lilies emit
sweet perfumes.
Refr. Try, pretty child, my manly gear:

Ever floppy is the equipment of senile men;
only youths’ gadgets are able to stand.
These tools are nimble, dexterous,
slender, tender,
unassuming, moveable,
quick to learn, expert,
fit for sitting upon,
and whatever suchlike to you occurs.
87. Ode to Cupid
Cupid rules everything;

Cupid transforms the inmost depths of the heart;
Cupid seeks pathless retreats;
Cupid is sweeter than honey
and more bitter than gall becomes.
Cupid the blind lacks shamefaced restraint.'*°
Cold and hot and tepid,
Cupid is daring and yet full of fear;
loyal is he and treacherous all the same.
The time of year is suited to him,

and Cupid seeks a compatriot:
now the twitter of the birds.
Cupid sways young lads,
Cupid captures virgins’ hearts.
Alas, old age, detriments are your lot!'"'
Avaunt!!** Most charming Theoclea
now binds me fast.'*°
A very foul pestilence, I say, you are.
One who is cold and not hot

should never be a friend to ye!'“
He sleeps more often because he’s in pain
and is frigid in sexual affairs.'*°
Nothing is more useless to thee.'“°
Venus keeps young lads in perennial bliss.
Thus a healthy union (O how I cherish it!)
is forged by your command.
I know of nothing better than this.
THE LOVE SONGS 117
Cupid flies everywhere,

captivated by sensual desire.
Lads and lasses come together,
events that rightly follow his model.
If a maiden has no friend,
she has indeed no glory at all.
She holds the darkest things of night
beneath the most secret prison of her core.'* 7
In this way a most bitter thing is forged.
Cupid is guileless; Cupid has craft;

Cupid is red; Cupid is colorless;
Fierce in all things,
Cupid is easily appeased; constant and
fickle always is he. Cupid is ruled by
the power of his art.
Cupid plays his game in bed;
now in secret, in the still of the night:
Cupid is in a noose ensnared.
88. Cecilia
Cupid rules the gods above:

Juno loves the Thunderer Jove;
Cupid dominates Neptune when
he suppresses the violent winds;'*®
Pluto, the tyrant of the underworld,
is tempered by this god alone.
Refr. | Through Cupid’s solace

9
I play the virgin with a lass.’
I plough without a seed;
I sin without misdeed.
Cupid drags tender lads

with too soft a braid,
but the rigid and austere
he breaks with a harsh twist.
A unicorn is captured
by a maiden’s hug.'””

I play the virgin with a lass.
I am inflamed with passion

for a surpassing lass,
and everyday I grow

in my love for her.
The sun sits in the seat of noon,
and still my flames do not cool.'”!

Exceedingly delightful
is the playfulness
of the girl!”
and her heart is free of all gall.
The kisses she gives by far exceed
honey’s dulcitude.

I am frisking with Cecilia;

nothing should ye fear!
I am like a guardian
of her fragile age,
lest the lilies
of her chastity decay.

A flower she is; and violating a flower

is not a secure affair.
I allow the grape to grow,
until it is ripe and mature.
Hope keeps me alive,
happy in the event to come.
Refr. |Through Cupid’s solace

A virgin among virgins,

I shy away from spoiled gals;
THE LOVE SONGS
ug
and together with the harlots
I despise married girls;
for among such lasses as these
sensual pleasure is vile and base.

Whatever the rest may do,

maiden, let us do, too,
so that we may play a game
that is fitting to be played;
we both are tender youths;
let us tenderly each other amuse!

I wish only to disport, that is, to gaze

into your eyes, discourse face-to-face,
touch your flaxen hair, and finally
plant kisses on your lips;
the fifth thing there is to do,
do not deem, my dear, suspect!

88a. Born Beneath the Same Reach of Sky (ca. 1130)
When Jove and Mercury stood in the house of the Twins

and celestial Venus drove Mars off the Libra’s scale,
our maiden was born, as the Bull lay hid.!°?
Together with her was I born underneath the same astral signs;
I was joined to my equal by fate’s ever propitious laws.
Like fires were given light through the same stars.
I alone love only her; thus she alone loves only me.
There is no one who may mingle with this any deceit.
Not in vain do our signs change the firmament’s design.
Objection: “By another man”—perhaps—“‘is she loved,”

such that my assertion “I alone” is disproved.
But so that my words do stand, it is thus, as above, ruled.
89. The Two Good Shepherds (ca. 1100/1150)
“We are two good lads'™*

under a hideous mist.
Set thy tones
to a meter swift
155
In the time ofthe sun
stand the sheep back.”!”°
The tender little grass

is crowned with blooms.
The young rose
is marked with red.
And a girl is decked
with a robe of black.'””
Her expansive tunic
is upheld by a belt.
A red band is wrapped
around her head.
Beneath a lofty cap
she stands in a stoop.
Hardship has changed

the face of the girl
and has fully altered
her mien;
through its macerations’” 8
trial has discolored her face.
The girl guides

a very small flock:
a she-goat
and a little old buck,
and to a she-ass
she binds a calf.
The empyrean is covered

by a lowery cloud;
anon the maiden does
speedily come forth.
She speaks to us
in an insouciant tone:
THE LOVE SONGS 121
“Behold the reckless

shepherds yonder,
the hired hands
of the herd,'?
the fabulists
of idle talk!
“They detest
labor of the hands,
follow after profits,
love leisure dearly,
and think not on
the sheep’s care.
“The throng of calves

is prodigal of its food:
for its abundance of milk,
not its moral degree,
with goods gathered together,
it stands as a cheap marketplace.
“Nothing prospers; no place is safe:

their wool falls into muck
ruffled by thorns.
Without disguise,
approach the wolves
because the watchdog is dumb.”'™
After she with harsh words

treated of the active life—
fanatically and with
an exceedingly arrogant air—
the churlish lass ended her rant
with a bitter countenance.
“T would that you knew

the shepherds’ songs!
Since you, woman, have not
the energies of man,
never should you breathe
upon the pillars of them!
“Your purview is
the feminine craft:
attend only’!
to the work of a wench
and measure, lass,
the thread in a web!
“Conduct yourself, girl,

as the sheep and goats:
When the she-ass 1s sick,
the tender foals are struck aghast,
the sheep flock
side-by-side.
“The faintheartedness'” of your kind

is but a diversion to lads such as us.
With blather you ridicule
the lecturer’s position and rank.
From behind!” you screech
against something invaluable.
“Eminent shepherds
are we, keepers
of the royal herd,
We alone are
the singers
of the soliloquy!”
90. The Scholar and the Shepherdess
At daybreak came forth

a country lass with a flock,
carrying a staff,
together with virgin wool.
There were in the little herd

a sheep and a small she-ass,
a cow-calf and young bull,
a buck and a she-goat.
Sitting 1n a grassy field,

a student she then espied.
“What are you doing, mister?
Come with me and frisk!”
91. On Priests
Priests, be mindful of this: Nothing

is greater than a priest, who
enriched with a sacred dowry,
lacks the wrinkle of all disgrace.
Remember from the teachings many and great,

what is disagreeable to the Thunderer above,
Who is to virtue urging us on,
THE LOVE SONGS 123
when He says: “Be sacrosanct!!™
“IT am sacred; you thirst for something pure,

if you desire to be fashioned after Me,
Who am the True Vine,'™ Who am pious,
and Who am kindly disposed!”
Obey the Greatest Teacher,

O consecrated priests!
Be ordained according to this,
O subjects to the sacred altars!
You wield the body of Christ.

But if you should rightly do it—
ye, who are not of purity destitute—
by offering freely a mouth and heart to God,
with chosen, blessed beings,
in the sight of majesty,
know that you would rule!
O how strong is the armor,

with which your pastorate is clothed;
but if by chance you commit deeds against the laws,
from you it will straightway fall!
The words of the Scripture are known to you:

“When you offer frankincense to God,
if your spirit be not pure,
its oblation will not please Him at all.”"°
If you be despisers of the wretched,

contrary to the ecclesiastical order’s ways,
or merchants on high altars,
then not shepherds, but thieves, are you.
O thou priest, respond here and now,

whose hands are besmirched
and who often and with pleasure sleep with a wench:
how have you the nerve, when you wake
in the morn, to read the mass
and consecrate the body of the Christ,
after receiving the embraces of a whore,
who herself is less sinful than you yourself are?!
Would I knew the reason

why you forthwith to the altar come,
to bring thither a sacrosanct offering,
you, who deserve to be cudgeled with sticks.
Worthy of a flogging with switches are you,

when you take in hand so lofty a pledge of Godly love,
though you are a crow and certainly not a swan,
no longer an heir, but merely a stepson.
Deserving death, deserving punishments,

you come to the altar of Christ
with a stench and offensive thoughts,
nee 7 ; 168
giving kisses to invented checks.
Full of filth, full of blunders,

you stretch your hands to the Creator Supreme,
Whom you contemn, Whom you offend,
when you mount a whore.
Not with the spirit of charity imbued,

but sullied in your heart and on your skin,
you sing the mass for the salvation ofsouls,
o thou maculated ass!
With what kind of heart or what kind of mouth

do you handle the body of Christ with gory hands,
you, who rise from noisome foulness,
who are worthy of buffets and a hangman?
With what countenance, with what brow—

not compelled, nay, of your own free will—
with what mouth, what heart, what criminal tongue
do you drink from so sacred a font?
I wonder, I marvel completely

that under that bread hides
the body of Christ that those hands
profane in the morning do touch.
I marvel, if you should not marvel at all,

that you are not swallowed by the earth’s maw,
since you are not afraid to repeat
what you are repeatedly forbidden to do.
Perchance you think that your hands are clean,

since you do frequently decant holy waters?
Though very often you may them pour,
you do not cleanse such mephitic hands.
Wash your hands; pour the waters:

though they are clear, though they are clean,
though they aboundingly have been teemed,
THE LOVE SONGS 125
never do they purge your hands.
You wish to hear of a means of purification?

If you desire to end your impeached state,
anon the divine wrath ceases,
and nothing can impede you.
If a rent heart you have, if a pounded heart you bear,

and, together with religious observance,
you beseech a serious expiation chosen just for you,
never will it have been sought in vain.
But you speciously rue your criminal ways

and strive to undergo at a later time
what you have known must be repented anon—
more gravely then you dishonor God.
This kind of lamentation has no effect,

nor has your guiltiness been dismissed,
but it has been augmented the more,
and God has been further incensed.
92. The Song of Phyllis and Flora
In the year’s time of the blooms, when the welkin was especially clear,
when the lap of the earth was painted with a plethora of hues,
when Aurora’s herald'® put the stars to flight,
sleep abandoned the eyes of Phyllis and Flora.
It pleased the maidens to. promenade,

for their wounded hearts repudiated sleep;
so side-by-side they proceeded into the meadow,
so that the setting would make their game delightful.
Both maidens, both queens, they thither advanced,

Flora with her free-flowing hair, Phyllis’ tied back.
They were not of maidenly form, but of form divine,
and their visages were akin to the morning light.
Not mean in stock nor complexion nor dress,

they had both the years and spirits of youths;
but betwixt the twain was a small inequality and enmity,
for one loved a cleric and the other a knight.
Not distant at all in body or face,

sharing all qualities within and without,
they were of one nature and one way of life;
the only difference was their mode of love.
The seasonable wind whispered but a little,

the festive locale sported verdant grass,
and through that very grass a rivulet flowed,
animated and petulant, with a garrulous splash.
To the growth of the beauty and diminution of the heat,

there was a mighty pine along the running stream.
Beautified by a leafy mantle, it spread its boughs wide,"
and no foreign heat could enter its realm.
There the maidens rested; the grass furnished them a seat.

Phyllis sat beside the brook; Flora sat further away.
And whilst both reposed, and each occupied herself,
love wounded their hearts and injured them both.
Love, lurking and concealed deep within their breasts,

elicited from their hearts unequivocal sighs wetted with tears;
wanness marked their cheeks; their expressions shifted about,
but in bashfulness did they suppress their feeling of fury.
Phyllis caught Flora in a deep sigh,

but Flora accused her of the same crime.
They bandied charges back and forth, until they
finally uncovered the malady and revealed the wound.
These reciprocal words extended a great length

and surely became a whole treatise on love’s theme.
Full of love were both their hearts and their mouths.
So Phyllis began and laughed at Flora:
“O illustrious knight,” said she, “my darling, Paris!'7'

Where art thou serving, and where tarriest?
O thou singular life of the valiant rider,
alone thou meritest the joy of Dione’s court!”
Whilst the girl reflected on her knightly friend,

Flora, laughing, cast her eyes askance,
and with a smile voiced these hostile words:
“Thou couldst also have said, ‘I love a mendicant.’
“But how fares Alcibiades,'”” my darling love,

a being more refined than all other creatures,
whom Nature hath blessed with all her graces?
O blessed are only the powers of the clerics!”
Phyllis scolded Flora for her harsh remark

and spoke to her in words that would her ire bestir:
For she said, “Behold the little maid, pure of heart,
THE LOVE SONGS
127
whose noble breast is a slave to Epicurus’ flock!
“Rise, rise, wretched girl, from thy foul infatuation!

I believe that the cleric is nothing but a bon vivant!
No tasteful propriety do I concede to the cleric,
whose flanks are filled with shapeless bulk and fat.
“Far from Cupid’s camp his heart doth dwell,

whose desires lean towards sleep, food, and swills.
O eminent girl, it is known to all, that the knight’s
desires are from the cleric’s pangs quite far.
“The knight is content with only the necessities;

he lives not intent on sleep, vittles, and draughts.
Love forbids him from feeling somnolent,
and love and youth are his pabulum and drink.
“Who would tie our friends with the same line?

Would the law, would Nature allow such a bind?
Mine knows how to frolic and jest, and thine to feast.
‘Tis the mark of mine ever to give, but thine only to receive.”
Flora’s face drew blood in shame, but appeared prettier

in the jest that followed, when she at last revealed,
in eloquent words, what she had conceived
in her soul that in great learning abounded:
“Quite impertinently didst thou speak,” quoth she,

“and very swift and cunning art thou in speech,
but thou didst not effectively present the truth,
such that through thee hemlock over a lily prevails.
“Thou spakest that the cleric indulges himself

and named him a slave to sleep, drink, and food.
Thus by an envier is probity wont to be described.
Now then, have a little patience: I shall to thee rejoin.
“So many and great things, I confess, my friend holds,

that he never thinks on another’s worldly goods.
Cellars of honey, olive oil, cereals, and wines,
and gold, gems, and goblets all wait upon his eyes.
“In that ever so sweet abundance of the cleric’s life,

such that cannot be painted by any voice, even sublime,'”*
Cupid flies and claps with both his wings,
Cupid Everlasting, Cupid Immortal.
“He feels the darts of Venus and Cupid’s blows,

but still the cleric is not meager or afflicted at all,

for he is not forsaken by any share in the pleasure.
To him the unfeigned passion of his mistress responds.
“Lean and pale is thy chosen lad—a pauper is he,

clad with a threadbare mantle devoid of any felt;
his limbs are not strong nor his breast robust,
for where the cause fails there is no effect.
‘Foul is the penury that overhangs thy lover’s head.

What could a knight proffer a girl when she asks?
But the cleric grants many things from a limitless supply:
so great are his riches; so great are his receipts.”
Phyllis objected to Flora: “Very shrewd art thou

in both classes’ pursuits and ways of life;
very laudably and beautifully didst thou lie,
but this altercation 1s not settled thereby.
“When the hour of the festal light gladdens the world,

then the cleric appears in a most unsightly costume
with his tonsure on his head and in a habit black,
carrying the proof of his woeful bent.
“There is not anyone so fatuous and blind,

that the glorious sight of the knight would not pierce her eyes.
Thine resembles in his leisure an irrational beast;
with mine is the helm occupied; mine is carried by a steed.
“Mine with his weapons demolishes enemy castles,

and if by chance he enters a footfight alone,
when his Ganymede holds the steed Bucephala,'“
he thinks on me even amidst that very red carnage.
“When the enemy is routed and the fighting is done,

he returns, casts off his helm, and oft his attention to me turns.
For these and other reasons it is right
that the life of the knight does my praise indite.”
Flora marked Phyllis’ ire and puffing chest and sent

a fusillade of bullets back her way: “In vain,” she said,
“dost thou speak with thy mouth to the sky,
and thou strivest to thread a camel through a needle’s eye.'””
“Honey for gall dost thou desert and for falsehood truth,!”°
when thou judgest the knight by censuring the clerk.
Doth love make a knight restive and savage?
Nay, rather his poverty and want of goods.
THE LOVE SONGS
a9
“Beautiful Phyllis, if only thou didst wisely love
and not exclaim anymore against my truthful assertions.
Both thirst and hunger subdue thy knight, whereby
the crossway of death and the underworld is sought.
“Very depressing is thy knight’s wretched state:

his lot is adverse and is set in dire straits,
and his life is cast in suspension and doubt,
so that he may hold but life’s basic essentials.
“If thou knewest their significance, thou wouldst not call

ignominious the cleric’s black robe and shorn scalp:
the cleric wears these as a show of his consummate majesty,
to demonstrate that he is greater than all else.
“Tt is well established that all things bow themselves to him

and that in his crown of hair the sign of his supremacy he wears.
He rules o’er the knights and bestows gifts upon them.'””
He who commands is greater than he who serves.
“Thou dost decree that the cleric is always at leisure:

servile and strenuous toils I confess he spurns,
but when his spirit flies forth to his official duties,
he divides the paths of heaven and the natures of the world.
“Mine is clothed in a garment of purple, thine in a cuirass;

thine fights in battle; mine sits on a travelling sedan,
whereupon he is engrossed in the deeds of the princes of eld
and all he writes, seeks, and thinks revolves around his girl.
“Of what Dione and the god of love are capable

the first cleric knew and my cleric has taught.
Through the cleric the knight became a Cytherean rider.
By these and other reasons thy sermon is impeached.”
Flora ended her speech and at the same time the dispute
and demanded that an examination be administered by Cupid.
Phyllis first raised objections, but then acquiesced,
and, when they agreed on the judge, they returned to the grass.
The entire case lay in Cupid’s hands.

They called their judge veracious and adept,
because he was versed in the ways of both lives.
They then prepared for their journey to hear his verdict.
Maidens of congruent comeliness and shame,

both fought with the same intent and cast of diction.
Phyllis sported a white dress, Flora a two-colored one;
Phyllis was conveyed by a mule and Flora a horse.
Phyllis’ mule was truly one of a kind, a mule

whom Neptune had created, raised, and tamed.
After the boar’s wrath and Adonis’ obsequies,
he sent him as a gift to Venus as a solace for her loss.'”®
Finally, Venus offered him to the beautiful mother

of Phyllis and virtuous queen of Spain, whereupon
she devoted herself to the goddess’ works.
Then, in a happy end, Phyllis took possession of him.
The beast suited the virgin most excellently:

it was beautiful, nimble, and of magnificent physique;
these qualities befit such an animal, whom to Dione
Nereus'” had dispatched from a region so far away.
Whoever asks now about the blanket, saddle, and bit—

as for the latter, the mule’s teeth wore away all its silver—
should know that all these items were of such a sort
that befit a gift from Neptune, a god.
So at that hour Phyllis was not without splendor,

but appeared more wealthy and decorous;
nor was Flora wanting either of these twain,
since she steered a richly-bridled steed with her reins.
That illustrious horse was trained on Pegasus’ very straps,

possessed a wealth of beauty and grandeur,
and his body was a tableau of contrasting hues,
for on it was mixed the color of a swan with black.
He was of seemly form and in the first epoch of life

and glanced a trifle timidly, but never savagely glared.
His neck was lofty, his mane lightly dispersed,
his ears small, his chest prominent, and stocky his caput.
Under his curved back, as a seat for the young lass,

lay his spine, which sensed not any weight from above.
With his hollow hooves, even bones, and massive thighs,
the steed was the handiwork of all of Nature’s diligence.
The saddle atop the steed beseemed him so very much:

the middle was of ivory enclosed in a ring of gold,
and, although the saddle had four pommels in all,
a gem adorned each one of them that glistened like a star.
Many histories passed and things unknown

THE LOVE SONGS
131
were into that saddle most wonderfully carved:
the wedding of Mercury'*’ attended by all the gods,
the compact, the ceremony, and the great dowry in all.
No place thereupon was empty or without relief;

it held more images than the human mind could store;
Vulcan alone had sculpted them; at the sight of the product he
could not believe it was the work of his very own hands.
He had laid the shield of Achilles'®' aside and worked

on the saddle’s bosses, dedicating himself to them entirely.
He forged shoes for the hooves, a bit for the jaws,
and added to the reins the tresses of his spouse.’
He spread o’er the saddle a purple manta underlaid

with byssus,'*? which Minerva, neglecting her other labors,
had woven from acanthus leaves and narcissus petals'**
and on all sides had trimmed with a fringed border.
Together the two mistresses flew on their steeds:

their faces were coquettish; tender were their checks.
Thus emerge lilies; thus new roses debouch;
thus two stars race together on their heavenly trail.
They intended to ride to Cupid’s Eden.

A sweet thrill changed the glances of both.
Phyllis raised Flora’s laugh and Flora raised hers;
Phyllis carried in her hand a falcon, Flora a sparrowhawk.
After a brief interval, the sacred grove was found.

At the entrance of the wood murmured a brook,
the wind blowing thence smelled of myrrh and herbs,
and one hundred drums and harps were heard.
Whatever can be grasped by the senses of man,

there it all suddenly assailed the maidens’ ears.
There they learned the invention of polyphonic movements:
the forest sounded the fourth and then rang out the fifth.
The drum, the psaltery, the lyre, and the hurdy-gurdy

all resounded and clapped in miraculous harmony;
thuribles jangled with ever so pious voices,
and the boxwood flute produced a multimodal song.
All the voices of the birds rang with treble full:

discerned were the sweet, melodious warbles
of the merle, crested lark, jackdaw, and nightingale,
who never ceases to bewail her olden dole.
The musical instruments, the dulcet twitters,

then the majestic sight of various flowers,
then the overflowing grace of their outdoor perfumes—
all this augured the presence of boyish Cupid’s inner room.
The maidens entered with a moderate share of fear,

and the closer they came to him, the more their love grew.
Each of the birds chirped its own unique notes and by
this polyphonic strain the maidens’ hearts were inflamed.
Any mortal man there would surely immortal become.

Every tree there delighted in its plenitude of fruits;
the paths were perfumed with myrrh, cinnamon, and balsam.
The proprietor could be surmised from the aspect of the home.
They saw bands of tender lads and lasses;

the body of each beamed like a star.
The hearts of the maidens were suddenly enraptured
by the great miracle of the novelty of all.
They placed their equines together and from them alighted;

amid the tune of the dance they almost forgot the purport of their visit.
The threnodies of the nightingale were heard again,
and forthwith their virgin veins grew warm.
In the midst of the wood lay a secluded place,

where the cult of the god was in most lively bloom.
Fauns, nymphs, satyrs—a massive cortege—
sang to crashing timbrels before the face of the god.
They carried wine in their hands and chaplets of flowers.

Bacchus instructed the nymphs and choruses of fauns.
They paid attention to the beat of their feet and instruments.
But Silenus'® tottered, reeled, and disrupted the song.
Being older, he sank into sleep, carried forth on an ass,'*°

and elicited from the god’s heart laughter immense.
“Wine!” he shouted, and yet the shout remained incomplete:
His tonic and senectitude congested his words’ streets.
Amidst these festivities the son of Cytherea was seen.

Starry was his visage; alary was his crown.
In his left hand he held a bow and arrows on his hip.
He could be regarded as exceedingly mighty and tall.
The boy rested upon a scepter entangled in blooms;

from his combed hair dripped the fragrance of nectar.
The Three Graces, with fingers entwined, formed his convoy,
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133
and held the chalice of love on bended knees.
The maidens cautiously approached and prayed

to the god, who was girt by an august cast of youth.
They gloried in the mighty powers of the deity;
looking upon them, the god came forth with a greeting.
He asked the cause of their journey; they made the reason clear.
Both were commended for having ventured so great a toil.
He then addressed the two: “Now a moment’s pause
until this tortuous issue is by a ruling unwound.”
He was the god; the maidens knew it was so.

It was not necessary that each point be examined anew.
They left their horses behind and, wearied, sought repose.
Cupid bid his entourage to render a clear verdict.
Cupid had judges; Cupid had laws.

Custom and Nature were Cupid’s arbiters.
The court’s entire decision was dependent on them,
since these chancellors knew both past and future affairs.
They went to work and fanned the force of justice.

They cashiered the once-wielded severity of the court:
in accordance with jurisprudence and consuetudinary law,
they decreed that the cleric’s love is the seemlier.
The court assented to the ruling of the magistrates

and even decided to be bound by it in future disputes.
All too little then do maidens seek to avert injurious affairs,
who pursue the knight and maintain that he is of a higher class.
93. The Virgin Isle
There is a virgin isle that has a virginal garden.

I entered it and chose for myself, inflamed
by the prospect of a maid, one to be my boon companion.
Happy therefore was I in my confederate of elegant form,

who was not deficient in praise nor rich in anything enorm,
and with her I combined my ingenuous heart.
Nothing in the nature of things is sweeter than love

and nothing is more bitter than its harsh condition:
artifice and jealousy mark the rending of love.
93a. To Capture a Unicorn
When Fortuna decided to bless my life, 1° she made me, 2

because of my form and good ways, one held in high regard
and an occupant of lofty seats with a laurel wreath atop my crown.
But now the flower of my youth has passed,

and old age draws all calamities unto itself.
Thus I am in the service of my final salvation.
The unicorn is wont to show itself to maids.'*”

But only a lass whose virginity is truly undefiled
can hold this beast in her very lap.
Therefore a maiden who associates with a lad

and has spurned my ancient self is rightly cozened,
so that the unicorn may allow itself to be captured by her.
On the threshing floor of maidens the chaff is due

to an older man and to the younger grain as his reward.
Therefore, old man, leave to a successor the threshing floor!
94. Venus’ Knights
Be merry and enjoy yourselves

and all together dance!
Young lads are charming;
old fools are decrepit!
Refr. Hearken, my beautiful lass,

to a thousand modes of love
from (ay!) the Cytherean knighthood!'”°
Let us ride in Venus’ service,

we, who are young!
The tent of Venus is
a matter of love!
Refr. | Hearken, my beautiful lass,

from (ay!) the Cytherean knighthood!
The lads are worthy of love!

They are comparable to fire!
The old men are a horror;
they are similar to ice!
Refr. | Hearken, my beautiful lass,

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135
from (ay!) the Cytherean knighthood!
95. 1Am Not a Catamite!
Why does my mistress hold me in suspicion?

Why do her eyes at me so wildly glare?
I swear by heaven and the supernal gods
that of the offenses she fears I have no guilty ken!
Refr. | My mistress is wrong, as far as I’m concerned!"”!
The firmament will glow white with harvest fields,

the air will carry vine-covered elms,
and the sea will give beasts to huntsmen
before I would join Sodom’s denizens!!””
Refr. | My mistress is wrong, as far as I’m concerned!
Even if a tyrant promised me many gifts

and oppressive poverty pressed me to go,
I still am not one who finds more pleasure
in advantage than in propriety’s will.
Refr. My mistress is wrong, as far as ’m concerned!
Content with natural sexual union,

I have not learned passive play—only the active part.
I would rather live inviolate and poor
than lead life, defiled and with wealth adorned.
Refr. | My mistress is wrong, as far as I’m concerned!
Free from this infamy

our England always was.
I would rather die than see through me
my fatherland take up the beginnings of this filth!
Refr. My mistress is wrong, as far as I’m concerned!
96. To The Suit of Maidens!
Beloved young lads,

embrace the virgins.
A concert of birds
arouses these games!
Refr. Let it green,

let it blossom,
let it rejoice:
youth in this time of spring!
Young masters, rise ye!

Seek young mistresses fair!
A concert of birds
arouses these games!
Refr. Let it green,

let it blossom,
let it rejoice:
youth in this time of spring!
When I look upon hert....

3
97. Apollonius, Prince of Tyre’
“O Antiochus, why trick you me

and spurn me as if I were a slave?
What should I do? What should I fashion?
Because of your deceit
I mourn, I weep.
The grief rises from my pain,
the tears from your malice.
O, I am perishing!
“Ay, wretched me,

alas, my shipwrecked self!
Into Astrages’ hospitality am I received.
I see her, I teach her the lyre,
I touch her, I love her.
My love is the flower of flowers,

the lyre is one of glory.
Happy I am!
“After the sorrow joys will follow;

after joy there will be dole.”
These apothegms that confess
such plights hold true.
Words of truth,
words of clarity
are treasured quite.
“Tam taken up by Astrages’ bed

and forsaken by her on the waves of the sea.
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137
Tharsia is born,
but her beautiful mother is cast
down with grief! Tharsia is
suckled by a flower.
“With grains the hunger is allayed.

To Stranguilio and Dionysias the flower of flowers
is commended. O, I grieve in pain!”
In this place Ligoridis dies;

here a statue of bronze is displayed.
Out of jealousy
one hands over Tharsia,
the flower of love, to a slave.
Sailors free her
and with swords
put the slave to flight.
The daughter of Apollonius is sold

and purchased by Leno.
A price is proposed:
sixty coins.
Everyday she obtained the price,
but still remained a virgin
by dint of her prayers.
As Apollonius searches for his daughter,

he sees Dionysias bewailing and weeping.
A sepulcher is shown,
such that it seems
that his daughter is dead.
“Why do my eyes not shed tears?
Is Tharsia my daughter
sull alive?”
Ships are approaching the shore.

The truth is discovered that Tharsia is
playing the lyre before the Tyrian Prince.
At first disdained,
she is afterwards agnized.
After myriad adversities,
the daughter to her father
was restored.
Through a heavenly voice, on the island of John,'”4

the king espies his beloved Astrages again.
Astrages is recognized;
Tharsia is wed
to her savior Arfaxus the prince.

Leno is annihilated,
and slain by the mob
is the wicked Stranguilio.
5
98. The Marriage of Aeneas"
After the destruction of Troy

the leader Aeneas sought
Latium on his fated odyssey.
But he wandered with blessings,
since he thus found a reception
in the realm of Queen Dido:
perhaps there is a guest more hapful than he,
but still a more munificent hostess than she
can scarcely be perceived.
Tyrian Dido took in the Trojans,

who were driven across the sea,
and to men who had suffered so many wrecks
she extended generous hospitalities.
And when she beheld Aeneas,
she was stunned that the face
of a suppliant so mirthfully shined
196
and marveled o’er his bounty of auburn curls.
Anon she hastened to her sister
and revealed to her her hidden thoughts:
“Anna, my light, who that leader is

keeps me in suspense.
What nobility, what color
rests on his face,
I scarcely understand.
But I tow—I fear—
that this man asks us for our hand.
Truly my dreams portend this event.
“Behold how valiant is his breast,

how his aspect resembles Cupid’s very own.
Alas, what lot hauled him
through Scylla’s engulfing perils!
“If I were not dishonoring the sealed bond

of marriage to Sychaeus my groom,
if Iwere not coercing him, if Iwere not infringing his rights,
then to this one temptation I could perhaps myself submit.
But may Jupiter slay me ignominiously
by casting his bolt my way,
THE LOVE SONGS 139
ejected
from Carthage’s lofty throne,
before Queen Dido subjects
herself to new lords.”
Anna rejoined:
“Cease this, my sister,
and resist not alluring love!
If that man be joined to thee
and elevate thee with his heroic feats,
Carthage’s might will surely grow.”
By these words Phoenician Elissa'”’

was fired into an amorous fury:
beneath the mask of a hunt
and the effusion of a whirling cloud,
she hid in a cave with the prince
and made herself his own.
The prince voiced three propositions

and a conclusion by syllogism was reached.
With opposite motives
she tried to vie with him:
although she employed
compelling arguments,
she in brief time was nevertheless
greatly disappointed by them.
And so when both were joined,

the ethereal territory in happiness gleamed.
For upon the joys of love
all things smile and beam.
99. The Death of A Sidonian Queen
The frivolous judgment of orgulous Paris'”®

and Helen’s all too admired mien
became the fall of Troy, the toppler of Ilium’s heights.
Thence woeful Aeneas took to scattered flight,

boarded the perilous toils of an oceanic odyssey,
and came at last to Carthage, the seat of Dido’s majesty.
Dido of Sidon received him in her realm,

and beyond obligation, smitten by love,
she suffered no delay in the nuptial rite.
O nefarious Cupid, you so conquer all things,

thus by your powers effeminacies are rendered,

and on the threshold of death your delights stand!
Aeneas therefore was severely reproved

and bidden to set his course for Italy’s shores.
Love-struck Dido, hearing of this, was deeply alarmed:
“Lord Aeneas, what is this that I hear?

You wish to send wretched Dido to death?
How cruel is the reward for the kindness I showed you!
“T took you in naked, destitute of all,

but the gods have taken umbrage at our union!
What I should do, I know not. Death shall be my counsel.
“Anna, most beloved sister, what do I hear?

Already fly the sails away on the nearby strand.
Shatter this wretched light by a most bitter death!”
Noble Dido was forsaken in scorn,

and the bridechamber of Lavinia was sought;
Anna, to fetch a sorceress, was quickly sent off.
“O perfidious sword, take away my sighs

in your brave passage through my core!”
O wretched lovers, be fearful of these blights!
99a. The Folly of Paris
Love arms Paris: Helen he desires and rapes. The deed lies open;
the enemy moves in; a fight ensues; the walls cave in.
99b. Death’s Cause
Aeneas supplied a reason for death and the sword.

Illustrious Dido fell lifeless by her own hand’s work.
100. Dido’s Lament
“O glory, O sovereignty of Libya, O Carthaginian state!

O fraternal treasures riven by fate, |”? woe, thou Punic realm!
“O Phrygian leaders,”
O sweet new arrivals,
whom then for so long,
because of Juno’s wrath,
the seventh winter had tossed
and scattered o’er the sea,
THE LOVE SONGS
41
whom Scylla’s fury, the Cyclops’ slaver,
and most vicious Celaeno””’
had dragged to the soil
of Dido the Queen!
“They plague me now

with cruel offences,
I, who had received
these ruined men
in the realm of arid Libya
after Troy’s collapse!
Ay, wretched me!
What have I done, who have submitted
my Sidonians and Tyrians to my foes,
to unknown peoples and to a barbarian race?!
“Alas, may they suffer!

Woe, may they grieve!
The sails already fly in the wind!
Already Dido has no hope!
Woe to the Tyrian settlers!
Lament, O Sidonians, I that have perished
on the hilt of the sword out of my love
for a plunderer from Phrygia!
“Aeneas, Phrygian guest,

and Iarbas, Tyre’s fiend,
bring many evils upon me,
but in different ways,
for now thirsty Libya’s Queen
is spurned and abandoned,
and Lavinia’s bridechamber
pursues our Trojan guest!
What is my wretched self to do?
Another Dido”” will be his queen!
Alas, I have lived for far too long!
Now may death take care of what remains!
“This land, a thirsting desert,

surrounds me with heavy wars,
my brother’s truculence and the cruelty of the Numidians
together terrorize my soul.
They revile me with these words:
‘Dido has made herself a Helen:
our queen has warmed in her lap
a ragged Trojan transient!’
Insufferable condition,
furious irrationality
that I should suffer ills

for charitable deeds!
“Anna, do you see what the trustworthiness

of this perfidious deceiver is?
Under well-contrived subterfuge,
after abandoning me, he flees this Punic realm!
Sole sister, all that remains now
for your sister is death!
“Scylla roars, nor set they sail

upon a tranquil sea!
The Phrygian releases his ships,
but fears not the gales.
Sweet sister, why do I delay,
or why does my falchion idle its attack?
“The star of Orion blazes,

the blasts of the North Wind rage,
and Scylla reigns over all the deep.
In tempestuous climes, Palinurus,””°
you unsafely release
your fleet from the shore!
“The Trojan prince cuts the hawser.

Our hand then should unsheathe the sword
and let flow the blood!
Farewell, flower of Carthage!
Bear, Aeneas, this as a trophy that you are
the cause of so great an offence!
“O sweet soul, sole hope for life!

Anon may you see
Phlegethon’s and Acheron’s*™*
shadow kingdom of horrors,
and may the circle of fire-hoofed Pyrois””
not detain you in any way!
“Follow after Aeneas,

and do not cease
to ensnare him with
the sweet
allurements of love,
nor lose the sweet fetters
of the consummation thereof,
but, privy to my grief,
be to him my messenger 17?
THE LOVE SONGS 143
101. Hecuba’s Tears
I want to weep for Troy, which fell to the Greeks only by the will of fate,
that was captured only by deceit and razed to the ground.
Sing from Helicon, you who rule over Helicon’s heights,"”

and give me the ability to bring forth sweet, mellifluous verse!
Paris is nonpareil; he seeks, he sees, he dares to love.

He boldly hazards larcenies, their concomitant perils, and the sea.
He rushes and advances; secretly he plunders and withdraws.

The sailor sets sail, takes flight, and as robber returns home.
The man’s lechery in safety offers frankincense to the altars of lust;

but the citizens know not that Paris has started a war.
On Helen’s trail, from Larissa and Mycenae, race a thousand ships

replete with valiant soldiers and not even one senescent man.
The cuckolded lord is intent on vanquishing his wife’s thief;

robbed of his nuptial pact, he allies his hip with his sword.
Pain forbids the Greek leader to entertain any fears

of living or dying for the consort of his bed.
The Greek pitches tents in front of Olympian Troy;

the adulterer is attacked, and a horse is framed.
Pregnant with a wicked seed, the massive engine births a fiend,

and, through chicaneries, a densely-populated city is destroyed.
The Greeks deliver all unto death and, blind

with a lust for booty, harden their breasts already closed to prayers.
On this side the houses burn, and with various strokes

Diomedes””’ lops off arms, legs, and feet.
Paris the plunderer is by Diomedes punished with death,

but Leda’s daughter returns to her nuptial torch.””*
This woman, who deserves death, is loved anew with the love of before
and returned to the victor and the delights of the bed.
O hellcat, why go you free? Unbetrayed, you betray all the rest!
Why do you, the culprit of the fall, fall not also dead?
Even if you are laved, if your whole life after this is free of ill,
you will still not be unknown nor without the mark of disgrace.
Only just bent to Paris’ will, only just, and Theseus’ long ago,
would you agree to avoid a relapse into the same vice anew?
The tale of old shall cause the future to be feared:

the same iniquities of yesterday can befall the world tomorrow.
That a drunken woman, subdued by wine, will stick to truth

I neither anticipate will happen nor will I be the guarantor.
The slaughter wrought, Hecuba is superadded to the loot;

cruelly handled is she and compelled to go on foot.
Before the eyes of the Greeks, her glorious tresses rent,

she follows on a rein through the forum that becomes her stage.
She lives, but unwillingly, because it is a penurious life.

She begins to wail and lays down her plaint in these very words:
“Juno, what are you perpetrating now? After the obsequies

for so great a heap, do you think you can add to so many injuries?
“Will you then slay these again, whom Atrides has killed?
Will you then fell again those you see dead upon the ground?
“You find now no one, no one!, nor feel you any pity at all,
but rather persecute the remnants of the grievous ash!
“No one is revolting, and yet Juno still fights,

and her sword, sated with blood, pursues more war.
“Me, me, Juno, smite! You can show compassion by slaying me!
With a swift exit let my old body be ground to decimated meat!
“Hitherto I have only bewept these misfortunes and concealed

the injuries. What life remains, snatch up for a swift end!
“The rage of the god has persisted in sending all unto death;
I marvel that he has made no mention of me.
“No one remembers me; the falchion that finished the others,
has entered into a pact with me: it lets me unwillingly survive.
“Dread rattles my bones, and restless my spirit becomes,

whilst my old solicitude conjures up new tears.
“The once-exalted city that abounded in capital treasures

THE LOVE SONGS 145
becomes one of the smallest and is reduced to absolute nil.
“This once-populous city, until the die ended the game, behold!
is now bare soil and will be soon but fodder for the cattle!
“Woe, Troy, fallen are you! Already you seem not Troy to me.
Now you will be a bovine pasture and the haunt of wild beasts.
“O happy city, if you could conquer fate,

or if fates could be more slowly fulfilled!
“O most blessed kingdom, city of the highest nobility,

rich in distinguished gifts and givers!
“O most prosperous kingdom, until the spoil of pleasure

and an inauspicious ship injured your blessed state!
“O noble city, full of good, both outside and in, endowed

with denizens, farmers, and a patron gifted with a throne!
“O realm full of might, most illustrious, and worthy of report,

and most blessed in your prince, citizenry, and circumstance!
“The court was rich in varlets, the city in burghers,

the fields in farmers, the earth in her gifts, and the silos in wares.
“Tf I should mention what I am wont to commend:

supreme agriculture, fields, farms, water, and woods.
“Drinks, vineyards, and food did the joyous countryside give;

goods, gold pieces, and ships the great ocean deigned to yield.”
The old, renowned city, so very prosperous, so good,

so rare, so fortunate, so dear, becomes a cattle stall.
Rich from time immemorial, until it was brought to a sinister fate;

before long it perished and became nothing from pith.
A destructive harlot was the cause of such an affair—

a femme fatale, a woman so richly dressed in ills.
102. The Trojan Prince’s Victory
Paris burns with love; he lays votives upon the altars of Troy.
Unbeknownst to his brothers, the waves of the sea are cut.
He tempts Tyndareus’ daughter; she favors him, and leaves Atrides.”

Ready to follow Paris, she lets her faith pass away.
The thief plows the sea and holds with ignoble desire what his lust
had eyed. The affair declares itself, and Greece wages war.
This event sets Diomedes against Paris, Dardan’s fruit;

5 10 ;
Pallas rouses Aeacus’ issue” to the very same animus, too.
Argos is exposed, its fleet assembles, the ocean’s swell is threatening,

a victim’!' is immolated, and a gentle wind blows.
The anchor suffers the roar of the sea and seizes the Phrygian coast.
Hector,” roused to arms, obstructs the entry points.
Ilion takes up arms; Helen is sought by her Grecian home.

Deceit unseals the gates, and enemy by enemy is undone.
Under the crew of the Danaans and a terrifying cloud of spears

Hecuba’s city roars, and war’s trumpets resound and blare.
Soldiers snort at their weapons, and deceit steals Hector’s life.

The fight overwhelms the city; Troy trembles beneath its foe.
If craft were not enriching the Greeks and a divinity were not
at their side, the wall would still stand, which now lacks a king.
Art is sought, a horse is made, inside its bowels lurk the Greeks;
Priam grows blind, and the animal is led inside.
Sinon begs through tears, Odysseus toils in the feint,

flames consume the city, and the machine pierces the fort.
Credulous Troy, subjected to a treacherous, voracious blaze,

submitted to Odysseus’ intrigues, becomes the torch’s food.
A ruse hands over the city, the city rushes into doom,
a ravenous fire sweeps Pergama, and Troy woefully falls.
The treasures of the mangled city gave nourishment to the flames;

the walls, the locks, the bolts all truckled to the blaze.
Ilion, an anathema to Argives, lies in ruin—a city once merry,

celebrated, handsome—now a bramble bush, once a rose.
He was lifted from the fire and escaped, prepared to endure all ills,
trusting in his steady fleet, your issue Aeneas, O Cytherea.
The destined country is sought on naval wings; the wrath

of the sea thwarts them with death, madness, and suffering.
THE LOVE SONGS 147
The ocean hatches up banes; the waves begin to rise

to great heights, foam raids the decks, and a gale howls and cries.
The raving South Wind blasts, an unholy cyclone forms,

and the Trojan sailor parlays the skill of his hands.
The wrath of the deep then erupts as if in a delirium;

a dreadful death awaits nearby; the lyre stands far away.
All possessions are lost, as the fates run in proper form,

he employs his seafaring skills in pursuit of the desired realm.
He seeks out peace, but a terrible strife wearies his soul;

madness incites it, and him a brand new war surrounds.
In battle he plunders, against Turnus”'’ he rages and prevails;

his blood-soaked sword then explores Turnus’ entrails.
Atoning for your iniquities, you confess, Turnus, your defeat.

Overwhelmed by steel you die, now booty and food for beasts.
The victory goes to Aeneas, and the battle then retreats.

Glory follows after it, and peace to the Italian realm returns.
Under a bond of trust and after his glorious deed of victory,

Aeneas wed the king’s daughter”“ with the blessing of god.
103. Alack, Love Is Burning Me!
Alack, the pain!

I am now consoled
like the white swan close to death.
Downcast, I grieve; disdained, I die;
disowned, I waste away.
A love burns me down to the core

which neither the Rhine
nor the mightiest Euphrates can douse.
It alone can deliver
or all of me destroy.
Why, O leaden Envy, child of the Stygian night,

do you confound my delights,
babbling with a dastardly tongue,
closing with a bolt the doors that were once open to me,
denying one brown little flower to one tender lad,
a flower that pales not
nor possesses even a mark,
arival of the chaste blossom

and heaven’s dew, a golden vessel,
and a fragrant little bouquet?
O maiden, Helen’s equal, favor your Paris!

O rose of a flowering meadow, resist not the Cyprian!,”””
full of turbid grief as you are
from the bite of a jealous maw.
Venus burns and Cupid raves, in their usual way,
and takes possession of
a servant devoted to you.
To you I yield, to you I give
the bendings of my knees.
Spare a suppliant!
As doctor,
heal my burns,
mitigate my guilt,
release a man bound
by twofold chains!
The Muse rejoices

in refreshing herself
with the jokes of a rhythmic song.
Hoarse, she beseeches
that the poet be restored
to his beloved Eurydice’s form!
O glory of the world!

An adulterer at heart,
blinded by the ray of your sun
and beaming face,
I burn with fever for you,
singed deep within,
not at all unlike a dying man.
Cease to cast
your missiles at me!
Then in the heavens
I shall wield the sway ofJove,
I, more lettered than Plato,
stronger than Samson,
and richer than mighty Augustus!
O maiden, Helen’s equal, favor your Paris!

O rose of a flowering meadow, resist not the Cyprian!,
full of turbid grief as you are
from the bite of a jealous maw!
THE LOVE SONGS 149
Venus burns and Cupid raves, in their usual way,

and takes possession of
a servant devoted to you.
To you I yield, to you I give
the bendings of my knees.
When the wound is cleansed

through your aid
my life would begin anew,
the fires would rest,
which inveigle us now
to be unbridled in lust!
Versed in the game of love,

seal with me a pact
and purify this my wound,
and, O jocular lass,
put me not up for sale
under the weight of death.
The power of love molests me inside and out

with the stings of its insanity.
O golden-tressed Venus!
An ungentle goddess are you!
For with a firebrand you scorch me!
Why do you rage?
Why have you wounded
me with rough bolts?
I am undone by fire.
Death seems better to me than a longer life!
Without end I burn, bound with a flaming cord.

With all my effort I strive to drink from her well
a draught of love, and yet I don’t prevail.
Corinna, worthy of Jove, 5
has fettered me with her bridle
and tamed me with her reins.
She, who bound me and laced me
into narrower restraints,
should quickly relax the heat
of the flames even but a little.
My wounded head,
my bruised chest
burst open inflamed,
and, shattered, tremble
in their longing for you.
Why am I beset?
Why am I wrenched?
Come to the aid of a suppliant,
spare one who sends you prayers,
who for so long has wept
inside your prison of despair!
104. Venus the Cruel
Wearily do I bear the fact that I am ill!

For Venus completely thwarts my wishes,
whilst she wounds my soul,
and she forbids,
whilst she afflicts me,
my girl’s submission to me.
In Venus may I die!
Recently my old self grew young again,

my old years faded away, and I did not curb
the stir of emotions brewing inside of me.
For when my brothers castigate me,
they but goad me the more
and drive me into a fit of mad love!
In Venus may I die!
I am burned by a consumptive fire;

already I am not alive.
I am tortured by a recurring disease:
whilst I live, I die.
He is injured the more, who is unwillingly
pressed beneath a load.
In Venus may I die!
My love grew old with decay,

until that little spark of Venus—
revived as a new flicker from a fresh flame
by an exceedingly beloved being—
purloined myself from me.
In this fire I die, as I
am delightfully singed.
My fault is carved away
by the beauty of the crime,
as her loveliness supports
my searing passion for the maid.
I would that Flora would feel

the burden together with me
and be a servant to me, her slave!
THE LOVE SONGS 151
For it is the greatest palliative

for every type of pain
that allies itself with
a companion in suffering.
Twice is he stung, who strives
to resist the sting.
Thus I rightly suffer and am tortured
a thousand times and many more
up to death’s brink.
Spare me, Venus, spare!
Our fire rages violently
in the citadel of a king!
104a. A Little Advice
Not an honor, but an onus, is a beauty that injures its bearers!

If you, girl, wish to be married happily, wed a man equal to ye!
Ovid, The Heroines 9.31-32
105. Cupid Forlorn
Whilst I was nourishing the things in my care

and yielding my limbs to sleep,
and my spirit’s sway was growing faint
as the lordship of my bodily power
was intensifying its might,”’°
behold! in a dream
Cupid appeared to me with his quiver,
of his hair-band and necklace stripped,
with terribly disheveled wings,
and a sorrowful visage I had never seen.
As I gazed upon his confounded state

and his accoutrement so disarrayed,
a great numbness overwhelmed my limbs.
As it withdrew little by little
from my body and its organs,
I inquired of the cause of his lugubrious face
and his so unkempt, disfigured semblance,
why his wings were ragged and not
smoothly disposed, as is meet,
and the reason for his coming to me.
When Cupid, once sweet in visage,

now burdened with heavy grief,
saw me questioning him
and awaiting a response,
he laid down the reason, point-by-point:
“To sorrow Cupid’s instrument turns, his song

is stolen by the wormwood of grief, his former vigor has
withdrawn, and now his energy has vanished away. Power
has forsaken me; the bows of Cupid have perished!
“The art of love is no longer taught as Ovid

once transmitted, but now is all in all perverted.
For if anyone use it in the manner of today,
he, inured to such behavior, shamefully abuses it.
“Ovid, happily versed in my arts and held aloof

from the pleasures and consuetudes of this world,
labored to recall the world from its folly, and showed one
who knew himself how wisely to love.
“The mysteries of Venus today are not concealed

in sacred chests, but laid forth and presented to all.
Alas, is it seemly to be coupled in the public’s eyes?
Cytherea principally bids her rites be silent kept.
“Of Cupid’s disgrace our contemporaries are proud;

anxiously they pursue boasting without experience,
vaunting Venus’ sacraments with bodies untouched;
alas, we impose heroic titles on their nocturnal acts!
“Venus’ secret, which should be held only through virtuous deeds

and gained through paramount services and exemplary conduct,
is now set out for sale in a brothel and reduced to a pact;
my law has become the people’s great detriment!”
106. Venus’ Bonds
Bound, I sustain
Venus’ bonds.
May her darts vanish,
by which I thus perish!
A golden shaft is lodged in my breast,
while one of lead is fixed"
in the heart of ablooming lass,
from whom a little spark leaps,
as if from a tindery haulm,
which sets all of me aflame.
Flora, now you will know

that I am in distress!
The hope for your gift spells
the end of my life.
For I have been devoted to you
THE LOVE SONGS
153
and have completely ruined myself.
Too tender for rough times
and blinder than all others,
I am terrified by the glare
of your starry eyes.
Venus embraces
both black and white lads
and is often taken as wife
by less than suitable mates.
Now her conduct is golden;
now her behavior is iron.
When a lover is chicaned,
love is turned upside down.
Rightly is love called
a metamorphosis.
May mercurial love

dry up and wilt!
May veracious and seemly love
blossom and thrive!
The lover should thus grow pale
when he with yearning strives:
all the more worthy of love is he.
Therefore let him be similar
to an ever watchful mind:
may he possess this token sublime!
107. The Tortures of Love
By Cupid’s fearsome power I am brayed;

I am carried along, broken on Venus’ wheel,
and suffocated by the searing blaze!
Be gracious and end my pain!
You, the spark of a living flame,

run through me to the banners of my heart;
lying upon a massive fire,
I have closed you in the seal of my heart.
Now the heart grieves that did rejoice

on the day that it recognized you,
nonpareil and chaste,
and made you my sweet girl.
I bring forth the sighs of my breast

and the confusion of my sorrow,
for the force of my love for you
bears down on me and to it I am bound.
O virginal lily,
furnish your aid!
One sent into exile
seeks counsel from you.
He knows not at all what to do; he is dying.

218
Out of love for you he is broken on the wheel;
by Venus’ missile he 1s slain,
unless you come to his aid.
You are outside Venus’ jurisdiction,

your chastity has been restored,
you are with a seemly face adorned,
and you are draped with wisdom’s dress.
To you alone I sing,

do not despise your former mate;
Let yourself, I pray, be adored by me,
you, who shine as heaven’s star!
108. The Lusting Scholar

by Peter of Blois
In the oscillation
of its swaying scale,
my suspended heart wavers
to and fro, into and out of
solicitous tumult,
whilst it turns
and divides
into Opposing motions.
Refr. O, Lam wasting away!

I see the cause of it,
but take no heed:
living and knowing, I die.
Reason wishes that

I be void of zeal.
But since Cupid
desires another task,
I am drawn in two directions:
because Reason vies
with Dione,
I am racked with dole.
THE LOVE SONGS 155
Refr. O, Lam wasting away!

but take no heed:
Like a trembling leaf sitting in a tree,

or a frivolous little skiff
o’er the expanse of the sea
that, because it lacks an anchor’s aid,
is shaken by adverse winds
as it helplessly floats:
just so Cupid on this side,
Reason on that,
disquiet me and with
a fluctuating storm vex.
Refr. O, 1am wasting away!

but take no heed:
Upon the scale I weigh

what is better and, still irresolute,
deliberate deeply with myself.
I hold before my eyes
the pleasures of love:
the sweet kisses
my Florula gives me,
her smile, her lips,
her visage, her forehead,
her nose, and her hair.
Refr. O, 1am wasting away!

but take no heed:
Cupid feasts on these

and inflames me
with his allurements.
But Reason lures
and stirs me
to other pursuits.
Refr. O, Iam wasting away!

but take no heed:
Cupid drives me
from scholarly exile
unto the pleasing
comforts of love.
But you, Reason, go far away!
You are conquered
under Venus’ sway!
Refr. O, lam wasting away!

but take no heed:
109. A Faithless Girl
Since a multiform spark of Venus ignites me,

I wander with a dissipated heart,
and the merciless Scylla of my cares
sucks me into the deep.
For as far as my intentions are concerned,
Dione’s desire,
which I hoped would be better,
opposes my every purpose.
Refr. | Sol love, and so I am dragged

unstably to and fro.
When Apollo glowed,

asked for her hand,
and gasped at her sight, Daphne refused him,
repulsed him, and found shame in his embrace.
She endeavors to resist me,
she, whom I pursue.
My hopes are subverted,
because Cytherea,
the culprit of my marred peace,
thwarts my every move.
Refr. So I love, and so I am dragged

Why should I sweat over Venus?

Why should I spare invectives and the lash?
She, who encumbers me thus,
now smiles upon another lad.
I die! I die! I die!
Already she wants to listen to him;
already she learns the role of libertine;
THE LOVE SONGS 157
already she is about to consent to him.

I die! I die! I die!
She towards whom I am proud to gravitate
reciprocates to me no love.
Why does Venus allow
a maiden who is loved
to assume a contrary stand?
Refr. So I love, and so I am dragged

110. Enticed by Love
What madness there is in love!

She compels me to become
another in heart and in words.
The pain of my heart takes the helm,
and I seem to be changing
into a ductile wave, subject
to Venus’ nod and whim,
and I sense that my heart,
once secure nor with cares imbrued,
is being agitated under Venus’ will.
I came to the Dryads and then with a kind face

began to observe that each is of pleasant grace.
But I found one who was beautiful beyond compare.
Suddenly I rolled
into a new storm,
and then my eye,
the tracking hound
of my heart,
began to trace
the trail of this girl.
111. Harsh Distance from a Comely Girl
O pain, companion of love,

whose agonies I fail to assuage—
or perhaps you have a remedy?—
grief, not wonderment, presses upon me,
whom, lo!, dreadful exile calls
away from a most beloved girl,
whose praise is nonpareil,
in whose place Paris would not
have taken Helen as his consort.
But why do I complain

that I am from her removed,

who loathes me, her devoted man,
she, whose name is so reverenced
that I must not presume
to give voice to such sacred tones?
For this transgression of mine
she frequently glares at me with such a mien
that effectively reduces me to absolute nothing.
Therefore I alone love only her,

by whose hook I am ensnared;
nor does she reciprocate in turn.
A certain valley sustains her,
a valley I believe to be Paradise,
in which the Gracious Creator
situates this lovely creature—
bright in visage, pure in spirit,
whom my heart invokes by name.
Rejoice, O glorious valley,

valley of roses wreathed round,
valley, flower of valleys,
singular valley among valleys,
celebrated by the sun and moon
and the sweet songs of the birds!
The nightingale praises you,
sweet and pleasant vale,
who give solace to hearts set in gloom!
112. Rescue Me, O Lass!
Long ago had I vowed

to be rational in my ways
and, Cupid, to shun
your amorous works,
and what I had spurned
I now recklessly pursue
and lead a life of perversity.
But I had promised
to savor of reason.
My tender heart
languishes again
with its old disease:
devoting itself to Venus.
It shames a free man
to become a slave. The
harsh yoke compels me
THE LOVE SONGS 159
to bemoan my
wretched state.
But now I ask
that you yield,
O maiden so beloved
by all the world,
who art comparable to
the refulgent eye of the sun,
who, visible to all,
serve as a mirror
to mankind!
112a. Burned by a Maiden
Her, who inspires my song,

I must only venture to praise.
My spirit is sad.
Alas, lady, when will you
be kind to me?
I stretch out my hands to you
and you burn me, even without s flame.
O my love, cease your dismissive ways!
113. To Joys!
Snow and ice melt away

as Favonius”’” comes to life;
the face of the earth shines
in the dawn of various blooms.
The love I feel
is my fuel.
To joys!
Refr. The jollity of the time

urges us on.
I recognize again
the traces of an old flame:
the laments and sighs,
the tokens of a new love.
Ah, what sorrows await lovers
more than all other men!
To joys!

urges us on.
She, for whom my heart, heavier than

it is wont to be, suffers the pain of love,

is harsher than is meet and just,
nor has she any compassion for me.
The lover—and I do not lie—
neither lives nor dies.
To joys!

urges us On.
On this side is love, on that side hate:

I know not which I should choose.
In this way I am driven into doubt.
But when I look upon her,
she robs me of all awareness
and I am fully devoid of sense.
To joys!

urges us On.
This is not the end of my pleas,

although I am concluding my song:
with the gods smiling upon my designs,
I shall serve this maiden still,
whereby under the joyous din of plaudits
I shall receive the things for which I yearn!
To joys!

urges us on.
113a. A Maiden’s Complaint

by Dietmar von Aist (The Spring of the Courtly Lovesong 32.1)
“What helps against the yearning that a woman has for a beloved man?
How fain would my heart find it out, since it is so very by it overwhelmed.”
So uttered a beautiful maid.
“IT would probably know the solution,
if the watchdogs were not there.
But my heart will forever think on him.”
114. On the Threshold of Death
The time of the flowers does approach;

now the winter precipitously retreats.
Everything that once was dry
now wishes to sprout and fruit its seed.
THE LOVE SONGS
161
So long as you are still alive, rejoice always, lad,
since you know not when you will be dead!
All the meadows now with gaiety laugh,
and the pleasure of picking flowers returns.
But the night casts dreams over those who wish
always to frolic and play.
Alas, alas, what am wretched I to do?
Venus, come to my aid! I now worship your grace!
My heart beats miserably,

because it solace lacks.
If you were willing, you could,
as I sense, well recognize that.
O you most seraphic maid, if you do not
give ear to my woe, a harshest death will visit me!
Sweet you appear to all others’ eyes,

but you are the sweetest in mine;
You before all other maidens
as the most chaste do stride.
O gentle one, give thought to this,
since over you I have heaved groans and sighs!
114a. Love’s Holiday
He who rules over all the world, should give

a happy day to love, which has solaced me so well.
Through its sweet kindness
it has freed me from all grief.
It has protected me from inconstancy,
and thus her favor I have attained.
115:,5.038.
Noble lass, take pity on me, I pray!

Your face is a sword, by which I am slain,
for my heart loves you to its very core:
send me your aid!
Refr. | Ruthless Cupid conquers all!?”°

Send to me your aid!
Your tresses summon up my tears

and fan unremitting flames through my heart;
my spirit is dull, and my strength withdraws:
send me your aid!
Refr. | Ruthless Cupid conquers all!

A rosy fragrance rises from your lips;

you are more beauteous than all other girls,
sweeter than honey, prettier than lilies.
Send me your aid!

Your beauty outshines the splendor of heaven.

I am presented to Venus the commandress’ tent.
Behold, I will die, if you help me not!
Send me your aid!

115a. Dangerous Beauty
My noble lady, I beg of thee,

show thou mercy unto me!
Thy enchanting semblance
drives me straight into the ground.
O my sweetness, be kind to me!
I cannot resist thy alluring form!
Refr. All my efforts belong to thee!

Lovely girl, have pity, lest I die away!
116. Spiritual Turmoil
I assuage my fate with a song,

as does a swan on the brink of death.
A seductive grief sits fast in my heart,
and from my face flees all the red.
My solicitude waxes,
my anguish thrives;
my vigor wanes,
an abject man I die.
So ruthlessly does love punish my breast!
Alas, I’m dying, alack, I die, woe to me, I pass,
when I am coerced to love and yet am not loved back!
I shall conquer Jupiter with my felicity,

if she, whom I desire, deems me worthy;
if |acquaint myself but once with her lips,
if Isleep with her but one night,
THE LOVE SONGS
163
I could at once
submit to death,
with pleasure die,
and end my life,
if |don’t annul such great joys!
Yes, I could, yea, I could, aye, I could,
if of these principal delights I lay hold!
117. I’m Not He!
The mendacious, deceitful tongue,

venomous and bold,
deserves to be lopped
and consumed in a fire,
because it claims that I am a fraud
and a faithless paramour,
and maintains that I have forsaken my girl
and shifted my gaze to another!
May God know, may the gods perceive,

that I am not the perpetrator of this crime!
May the gods know, may God perceive,
that I am innocent of this wicked deed!
Hence I swear by the Muses nine

and, better yet, by Jove in the sky,
who donned the guise of gold for Danaé
and the form of a buli before Europa’s eyes.
I swear by Phoebus, I swear by Mars,
who both are versed in the art of love;
Cupid, by you as well, I swear,
of whose bow I shake with fear.
I swear by the bow and all its bolts,
which frequently at me you launch:
without artifice and without deceit,
I wish to preserve this covenant sweet!
I wish to hold fast to this bond,

and on top of this I shall sing why:
among the bands of maidens
I saw nothing so remarkable at all.
Among them you appear thus
like a pearl in a setting of gold.
Your shoulders, breasts, and body beyond
are so gracefully formed.
Her brow and throat, her lips and chin

fuel the fires of love.
Her tresses I so deeply adored

for they emitted rays of gold.
Therefore until night is day,
until toil becomes rest,
until water is as fire,
and until the forest trees lacks,
until the sea is without sails,
until the Parthian™! wants for missiles,
always will you be my dear.
If Ibe not chicaned, you will not be deceived!
118. O Let Me Leave!
I grieve that in exile

I suffer too much!
May this study fade away!
I must be gone,
if she grants me not the joy,
for which I yearn so desperately!
Your beautiful semblance

inspires a thousand tears;
a sheet of ice rules your breast,
as far as conveying comfort goes.
Quickly would I spring to life
through but one sweet kiss!
Alack, alas! What should I do?

Why must I acquaint myself with France?
Am I losing the friendship
of a lovely lass?
A wretch at heart,
am I to flee this land?
When I wend to my homeland,

she will probably have taken another lad.
She says only, “Leave me ever in peace!”
Ay, unlucky me!
Through her love I suffer
the agony of death!
Day, night, and in general all

conspire against poor me!
Maidenly prattle
makes me cry;
often I hear her sigh,
which but sets my fears high.
THE LOVE SONGS
165
O cronies mine, yourselves enjoy;
you who know yourselves, speak ye;
but spare this lad, hapless in peace:
I experience great pain!
But consult me
for your honor’s sake!
O lady mine, for your honor’s sake

I suffer, I sigh, and I weep.
Throughout my body I bear great dole,
which originates from bitter love.
Now I flee; 0 comrades mine,
let me leave, laissez-moi partir!
119. Awakened to Love
The sweet soil of my native land,

the home of jest, the chamber of grace,
I shall leave you either tomorrow or today,
half-dead from the madness of love.
Farewell, sweet land; comrades, adieu,

whom I with such kind favor tilled,
and grieve for me, the consort
of your sweet studies, who perished for you!
By a new fire of love my heart is singed,

which formerly knew not of such things,
but now confesses these apothegms:
“Where there is love, misery lurks.”
As many bees as there are in Hybla’s vales,

> 222
as many leaves that adorn Dodona’s grove,
and as many fish swim in the seas—
in so many sorrows does love abound.
119a. Temperance
To observe a measure in all things always does it avail; ©

thus without measure regal power will not prevail.
120. Has She Become A Whore?
A fatal rumor repeatedly wounds me

and heaps sorrows upon my ills.
Talk of your indiscretion aggrieves me heavily,
gossip that now reverberates
in the farthest corners of the world.
The jealous goddess Fama treats you harshly;

love cautiously, lest the tryst be unveiled!
Whatever you do, in darkness do it far from Fama’s ken!
Love makes merry in hidden retreats
with sweet charms and lures
and bantering whispers.
No shameful tale has branded you,

when the knot of love has bound us two.
But our passion has begun to chill,
and you are sullied with a fatal charge.
Fama, who delights in new nuptial affairs,
cannot be recalled and rushes through the streets.
Now as a bordello lies open to all
what once was a palace of decency,
for the virginal lily shrivels,
when it in shameful commerce
is touched by sordid fellows.
Now I weep over the flower of a tender age

that shined more brightly than Venus’ star,
then the dovelike sweetness of her whole being
that now smacks of the bitterness of a snake.
You repulse those, who ask with hostile words,
and in your bed you pamper those who bring you gifts.
You direct those to leave,
from whom you nothing receive.
The blind and lame you take in,
and you cheat illustrious men
with an envenomed honey.
120a. Cupid Rules All
Cupid conquers every man, but never is himself subdued.
121. My New Girl
Strum, fellow, the cithern with a merrier hand,

and let us sing together with a treble more clear!
Divorced from my former paramour,
I burn now for another, much better lass!
A nail is blunted by a second;
love is expelled by another love.
Already now is my bygone lover scorned,
because a new maiden is now adored;
therefore with happy right my song is played and sung.
The first was fierce and haughty; the second is a humble lass.
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167
The last was shameless and impudent, the new girl venerably shy.
The former was a filthy whore whose legs lay open to all;
the present girl loves only me and is a chaste soul.
The quondam lass was more a social climber,
more rapacious, more wily in her designs;
the girl who is now mine is more mannerly,
more finely crafted, more noble, more jovial,
and more preferable in every regard.
This maiden whom I cherish now is worthy of the love of all;

no lady among our countrywomen is even comparable to her.
She would be unanimously lauded by all, but she
shuns my touch, and for this deserves a reprimand!
I shall send her to the riding rings,
I shall flog her with little wands,
and I shall smite her with spurs,
as I do with untamed stallions,
and I shall fasten her to a tether, if you counsel me so.
In my opinion, it will not be a labor of such force here,

for when I frolicked with her in her chamber recently,
she said, “You handle a tender maiden far too roughly;
desist, or with more mansuetude employ a soft caress!”
She went straightway out of the bath
and then covered that in which I take delight.
With a spur not of iron, but of flesh
she must be goaded into my arms.
And so comes my wish: may you fare better than I!
121a. The Invention of God
Love is not a crime, for, if loving were a sin,

God would not also bind divinities through it.
3
122. Dirge toa King”
When the primal tinder

of probity expires,
glory expires, too,
since it lacks its adoptive head.
The splendor of an exemplary life,
the flower of knighthood
droops and to ruin turns,
when the light of humanity,
the king of virtues, pays its dues
to the fate of fearsome death.
Through his death Mors deprives

the royal emblem of its head,

and by it the untouched strength
of English virtue degenerates and dims;
the light of the world dies off,
destitute of such a beacon—
of so great a Norman leader.
A blackened cloud of sorrow
then shadows our clime,
forsaken by its sun.
Weep for your king, England!

You are bare of your defense!
Gaul, you, too, have lost your brace.
Virtue, your home has evanesced.
Integrity, your herald will not be touched again.
Knightage, your leader has ridden off.
Prosperity, your dative case
has been given to a heavenly throng.
Princes, you have lost a friend;
paupers, your vocative was summoned off 1
Lament, heave groans,

redouble your sighs,
purchasing, o rider, via plaints
consolation for the death
of such a paramount king,
by whose passing the host
of knights, ever loyal to him,
by right of Mors pay heavy sighs
to the rueful loss
of so capital a captain.
O blind Mors, who depress us

with your articles of blindness,
you ventured to derogate
the noble title of all excellence,
and deprived the world
of amodel for all dignitaries,
and of the spark of every charity.
O cruel stepmother of life,

worthy of death, jealous of praise,
O alas! with a perfidious hand
you snatch away a remarkable king
with a fierce and deadly strain!
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122a. Fragile Joys
by Marbod of Rennes
If Icompare the joys of this life to the winds,

no one should rebuke me, since neither ever lasts!
123. Walter’s Threnody

Walter’s cithern has turned to woe,

not because it laments
that he as an outcast
must leave behind
the clerical fellowship
or because it rues the vileness
of his abject disease,”
but because it ponders
that quickly and unexpectedly
the world is rushing to its end.
Refr. | One needs only to observe

the leaders of the Church,
who are more depraved today
than were their yestern ways.
When we see shadows

covering our vales,
we must take into account
the swift incursion of the night.
But when you see the mountains
and the hills and all the remaining things
descending into the depths of darkness,
then you deceive neither yourself nor another,
if then you assert that the night
is assuming dominion over the world.

Mark throughout the valleys

the lawless members of the laity,
the princes and kings stamped
with the stigma of infamy,
whom, with impartial judgment,
lechery and ambition
blacken like the night,
whom divine vengeance

with a twice-sharpened sword
hastens to completely destroy.

It remains for you to represent

figuratively through the mountains
Scriptural understanding’s springs.
The priests of Christ
are allegorically called hills,
because they, situated
on the peak of Zion, serve
the world as its mirror,
if they desire not to abuse
the oracle of God’s law.

Our hills command

that hay be given to all
and that spoiled youths be preferred
to the moral purity of the old.
The sanctuary of God
becomes hereditable,
and over the dowries of Christ today
they are appointed the command—
void of knowledge of any sort,
the nephews of the bishops.
Refr. _ If you carefully observe the affair,

then you see that their earthen relatives
are their successors in profligacy
and in sinecure.
O Jesus, O good God,

let the year of jubilation
in brief time come,
the herald of this era’s end.
Let me die, lest I see
the Antichrist’s blade,
whose harbingers of false doctrine
THE LOVE SONGS 171
now stand atop

the Mountain of Anointing,”
as overseers of wealth!
Refr._ If you carefully observe the affair,

=) then you see that their earthen relatives
are their successors in profligacy
and in sinecure.
123a. Message from A Bard
Divine power plays its games in human affairs; and hardly

does the present hour hold a definite promise of the next.
Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea 4.3.49-50
124. Tears for Philip”
When Philip died

by the sword of the Count Palatine,
virtue was thereupon annihilated
by this iniquitous misdeed.
Amiable manner was interred

under the flood of deceit;
alas, how far and wide
the breach of faith did proceed!
A bitter law was read aloud,
when the law lacked an author;
honey was converted to gall,
and reason did not survive.
125. Repent!
Before the face of God no shameful act starids unpunished.

Blessed are the eyes that espy the joys of heaven!
A great crime must be overtopped with a great endeavor.
126. The Swell of Sin
Unlucky am I! Hitherto had I

concealed the affair so well,
and shrewdly did I love.
My affair at last is exposed,
for my belly has swelled up with life,
and an enceinte lass’ parturition now draws nigh.
For this my mother lashes me,

for this my father scolds me:

both treat me with harshness.
I sit alone at home;

I dare not venture outdoors,
nor openly with others play.
When I do step outside,

I am looked upon by all,
as if 1am some kind of monster.
When they see this paunch,

they nudge one another;
then silently they wait, until I pass.
They always poke with their elbows

and with a finger point me out,
as if I had performed a miracle.
They indicate me with nods,

they deem me worthy of the stake,
because I committed a single sin.
Why should I list every detail?

I am the focal point of gossip
and sit on the tongues of all.
This heavily aggrieves me:

already am I dying from pain,
and always am I in tears.
This overloads my grief, that

my lover is in exile because
of this trifling deed.
Because of my father’s wild fury,

my swain has withdrawn to France
from these far-off bounds.
I am in sorrow
over his absence
and in a heap of dole.
127. Be Anything But A Monk!
Father God, help me,

for death is drawing near!
Post in haste Your aid!
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173
Already it wants to invade me!
Give me, Father, reprieve,

give to me Your advice!
I shall make myself a monk,
if You vouchsafe me the morrow!
“O my most beloved brother,

what do you wish now to do?
Think it over otherwise,
and do not leave me behind!”
Your love, brother,

moves me to tears,
for you will be orphaned,
after I become a monk.
“Then tarry but a moment,

at least for the next three days!
Perhaps this impending peril
will bring no death upon you.”
So great is the distress

that pervades my flesh,
that I am doubtful as to whether
I tomorrow will still be alive.
“Know you not then

the rule of monks?
Everyday they fast
and constantly keep awake.”
Who keeps watch for God,

desires to be crowned.
Who hungers for God,
satiety procures.
“Harsh foods do they serve:

beans and vegetables,
after which banquet follows
a middling sip of water.”
Of what avail are festive feasts,

or carousels brimming with wine,
when the body, stuffed with food,
is given as slop to the worms?
“At least the sighs of your parents

should move you deep within,

who weep that you are a monk,
almost as if you are dead!”
Who loves his parents

and yet neglects God,
will thence be a guilty soul,
when the Arbiter comes.
“Never will you see him again,

whom you so dearly love:
that cleric from Parma,
most beautiful Guido.”
Him I would never leave behind,

if Idid not believe that I shall die.
But since death comes at a time unknown,
let us postpone everything and all.
“O art of disputation, ne’er

would you have been known,
who turn so many clerics
into exiles and wrecks!”
Alas my wretched state!

What I should do, I know not.
In lengthy banishment I am
without any advice!
Spare, brother, your tears!

Perhaps it is better this way.
Already my heart has changed:
a monk I will not yet be.
128. The Lost Navigator
A shipwrecked sailor once rowed

and a haven could not find.
The sea was driven along by
the North Wind’s rise. Whilst
the ship for so long was being
battered by the sea, no one
was on the shore,
who had any compassion at all.
At last two boys signaled

the location of a harbor to him
and restored to life
THE LOVE SONGS 175
the exhausted wretch.
The youths’ shrewdness
showed him the way to the port;
whatever is distorted
to this direct path yields.
129. The Hapless Clerk
I, acleric far from home, was to ill luck born;

I am harrowed beyond count, extradited to pauperdom.
I would labor over the pursuit of erudition,

if poverty did not compel me to stop.
This my mantle is too thin;

bereft of warmth, I often suffer the cold.
I cannot take part in the lauds, Mass,

nor Vespers, until the singing ends.
Since ye are the noted jewel of the city N.,

I now entreat with all reverence your aid.
Therefore assume Saint Martin’s disposition,

and bedeck with vesture this foreigner’s frame,
So that God may raise you to His heavenly realms.

There may He confer upon you the meed of the saints.
130. The Swan Song
Once did I inhabit the lakes,

once was | a beautiful sight,
when I was a swan of white.
Wretched me! Wretched me!
Refr. | Now black am I

and thoroughly burned!
I was whiter than the snow

and more comely than any bird.
Now I am blacker than the crow.

A fire scorched me irreparably to the core;

fore and aft the scullion hovered round my hull.

The table servant then rushed to me.

I would rather live in the waters,

always beneath a bare vault of sky,
than be drowned in this sauce of peppers.

Now ona salver dead I lie, and

never again can I fly. Gnashing
teeth are my last sight. Wretched
me! Wretched me!

131. Where Is Love?

Speak, truth of Christ,

speak, rarity dear,
speak, love so rare,
where do you now abide?
In the Valley of Vision?”?
or on Pharaoh’s throne?
or on the ruling seat beside Nero?
or in a cave with Theon?”
or in a small basket of rushes
with the wailing baby Moses?>”
or in the home of Romulus
with a flashing Bulla?***
Love responds:
“Mankind, why are you in doubt?
Why do you pester me so?
| am not where you keep silent,
neither in the East nor in the South,
nor in the forum nor in the cloister,
nor in fine linen nor in the habits of monks,
nor in battle nor in the papal bull.
I come from the city of Jericho,
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and I weep with the wounded man,

whom two Levites passin
did not assist with a bed.”?*4
O prophetic voice,
O Nathan,”? loudly declare:
the crime of David**°
is Clearly not slight at all!
Nathan speaks: “I shall not shout,
nor make David the object of lament,”
because the robe of Christ is rent
si?
and against the Christ one anointed is a witnes
Woe, woe to you, hypocrites,
who strain at a gnat!
Render to Caesar what is his,”””
so that you may Christ serve!
131a. The Court of Injustice

When the bulla shines bright,

as a judge thunders his decree,
when the accused appeals,
because a false verdict weighs upon him,
Truth is suppressed,
pulled asunder, and sold,
and Justice has prostituted Its very self.
One comes and goes
to the Curia, but not before
he reaches his goal of ridding
himself of his very last quarter.
The doorkeepers of the Pope

are more unlistening than Cerberus.
You would wail in misguided hope,
for, even if you should bore through
as Orpheus once did, Orpheus to whom
the Tartarean god Pluto gave his ear,
you would not persuade those within,
unless a hammer of silver
should strike at the doors,
where Proteus”” changes
into a thousand colors.
If on a quest for prebends you are,

in vain you evidence your way of life;
do not allege your decency as your cause,
lest you give umbrage to the judge!
In vain do you invoke

your learning and letters:
you will be stalled for many months;
finally you will wait for a future date
that others will receive instead,
unless you stake a wager in the race
with a bribe of equal weight.
When Jupiter pleads for Danaé,

his toil is in vain.
But he still deflowers her,
when he dons a golden rain:
nothing is mightier than gold,
nothing is more welcome—
not even more cogent is Cicero himself.
But it more fiercely burns those,
whom it more amply adorns.
Nothing is more just than that,
since Crassus devours it hot!
132. Voices of Spring
Already in this time of spring

the earth is green with fresh shoots,
and the sun with a new light glows.
The woods put forth myriad leaves,
the lilies radiate a plethora of hues,
and all things else are in bloom.
The empyrean is clear,

the air is sweet,
and the zephyrs calmly blow.
Temperateness abounds,
and refulgent is the day,
and all together the birds raise songs.
The blackbird warbles,

the throstle chimes,
the fieldfare sobs, the
starling babbles, the
turtle dove sighs, the
wood pigeon coos, the
partridge chatters,
the goose gabbles,
the swan sounds a shrill ring,
the peacock shrieks,
the hen cackles,
the stork clacks,
THE LOVE SONGS 179
the magpie mocks,

the swallow twitters,
the bees hum,
and the bee-eater knocks.
The horned owl hoots,
the cuckoo toots,
the sparrow chirps,
the raven caws,
the vulture screeches,
the hawk peeps,
the barn owl snores,
the crow blathers,
the eagle calls out,
the kite whistles in,
the duck quacks,
the jackdaw crows,
the bat beeps,
the bittern strums,
the crane trills,
the cicada saws.
The wild ass brays,

the tiger grumbles,
the stag bells,
the pig grunts,
the lion roars,
the leopard purrs,
the panther snarls,
the elephant trumpets,
the lynx spits,
the wild boar gnashes,
the ram lows,
the sheep bleats,
the bull bellows,
and the horse whinnies.
The hare squalls,

the fox yelps,
the bear growls,
the wolf howls,
the dog barks,
the puppy whimpers,
the frog croaks,
the serpent hisses,
the grasshopper chirps,
the shrew squeaks,
the mouse screaks,
the weasel whines,
the sow snorts,

and the donkey heehaws.
These are the voices of the birds

and of the quadrupeds as well.
But the melodies of all of these
the matchless phoenix overpowers.
Now the frightful North Wind

yields to the gentle Western Breeze,
when our terrene home basks
in the sultry summer sun.
The sweet sounding reed whispers.
The vines in full bloom
now stand wrapped in tendrils;
the fragrant grasses,
enlivened, rise tall,
and the farmer rejoices.
The snakes of the leaping rivers

now spring forth and abound.
A most salubrious rain
completely soaks the earth;
Olympus its floodgates unseals.
Cinnamon and balsam
exude their perfumes.
The violet, rose, and sage
all fragrantly bloom.
The animals form amorous leagues.
133. The Names of the Birds
In this song I shall faithfully relate the birds of the sky:

the hawk, the sparrow-hawk, the capon and the stork, the woodpecker,
the magpie, the bee-eater, the buzzard and the harrier, the ibis,
the heron and turtle dove, the horned owl, the jackdaw, and the vulture.
With these should consort the eagle, the wren, and the peregrine falcon.
Stand you here, wood pigeon and dove, perfect matches in your natures;
you, gluttonous raven, crow, hoopoe, fig-pecker, partridge,
owl, finch, night raven, yellowhammer,
kite, and on the other side assemble ye, chickadee, bittern, goose, and jay,
swan, whooper swan, starling, loon, throstle, fieldfare,
quail and merle, pheasant and landrail,
crane and pelican, peacock and duck, golden eagle,
kingfisher, red-breasted robin, wagtail, and warbler.
The jackdaw should not be away; let here reside the hornero,
black grouse and hazel hen, wild goose and ostrich,
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likewise the cuckoo, the coot, the parrot, and the cricket.
You, bat and also swallow, I shall not conceal.
You, swift blackbird, catch for me the dulcet nightingale!
Let no lark or kestrel escape your abducting force!
Here seize also the little thrush nightingale and the wagtail!
Let no sparrow elude you, though a copse may cover him.
But the goldfinch cannot stand in verse and flies off then.
134. On the Names of Beasts
The names of a few beasts are to be associated in this song.

But let the lion be first, who is the king of all.
The panther and tiger with leopards should accompany him.
The fierce rhinoceros and the camel are captured here as well.
I join to these, too, robust elephants and aurochs;
the bison, the elk, the panther, the all too fast dromedary,
the bear, the boar, the stag are eagerly taken up as food,
along with the young mule and roe, the ibex, the ape, the vervet,
the lynx, the wolf and the hare, the fox, the vixen, the badger,
the marten, the ermine, the otter, the beaver and the sable,
the mouse, the weasel, the shrew, the dormouse, the hyena, and the bug;
I add to these the squirrel— of the remaining beasts I offer you none.
135. Winter’s Defeat
Winter, your severity concedes defeat.

Withdraw do the chill, rigor, and ice,
the truculence of winter and its fury,
numbness and inordinate sluggishness,
wanness and ire, pain and meagerness.
The vibrant radiance of spring has broken.

The clear day shines without a cloud.
Through the night the cluster of Pleiades gleams.”
Now a pleasant warmth is conceded
and the most wonderful tenderness of this time.
Undefiled is the surface of the world,

the plains are redolent of fresh grass,
the silver fir dresses itself in leaves,
a painted train of birds joyously sings,
and bloom the meadows, the respite of youths.
Now, golden Cupid, you will come

and bow to you the untamed lot.
I extend my hand—what will you for me do?
I pray that you incline to me the girl, whom you had granted me,
and I will sacrifice a feisty ram to you!
135a. Joy Without End

by Walther von der Vogelweide
The powerful winter has left us behind,

and lovely is the summertime;
now I eye the woods and moors,
leaves and flowers, and a pretty clover;
thence I want our joy never to melt away.
136. April Renewed
The sun tempers all things, spotless and keen,

the face of April uncloses new things to the scene;
the master’s heart hastens to love,
and the puerile god rules over the blithe.
So great is the renewal of the world in the festivals of the spring,

and the vernal might bids us to rejoice and take delight.
It offers wonted interchanges, and in this truly safe haven
it is the mark of fidelity and probity to retain your dear friend.
Love me faithfully! Mark my loyalty:

with all my heart and soul I am utterly crazy for thee,
even when I am away. Whoever loves in a different wise
merits a breaking on the wheel.
136a. The Maiden of His Ideal
I should live to see the day that I can conjure up a girl,

who would grant me joys, if she but chose!
My heart moons over her. I would possess her affection,
I would in ecstasy swim, I would have no more grief.
137. The Return of Spring
The much desiderated spring with jubilance returns,

wondrously spangled with purple blooms.
How sweetly the birds proclaim their songs!
The woods grow green again, and the fields
evoke delight, as far as the eye can observe.
So they may pick flowers and refresh their souls

with their perfumes, lads should in happy eagerness
take up young maidens and together wend
through the grasslands
painted with blooms!
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183
137a. Wondrous May
We now want to dance a roundelay, my lady fair,

and delight in the May, for it comes to reveal itself.
The winter that harrowed the moor,
with unsatisfied desire, now has passed.
It now dons a delightful brocade of bright red flowers.
138. Beneath the Summer Sun
The blissful face of spring is propitious to the world;

the battle line of winter, now conquered, is put to flight.
In a multicolored gown Flora now holds sway
and is celebrated in song by the sweet music of the woods.
Phoebus, draped on Flora’s lap, smiles at her in a new way,

as jewels in bloom now environ her in a dazzling palette of hues.
Zephyrus in his course exhales the essence of nectar everywhere.
In contest let us run for the reward in love!
The graceful maidens convoke cultured, lettered lads,

and the laity’s bestial mind execrates them to hell.
Cupid stirs all to action, the universal divinity.
All have a share in Venus under the summer’s beam.
The sweet nightingale harps her tender song.

In a colored array of blossoms, the cheerful meadows now laugh.
A flock of birds bounds through the pleasant haunts of the woods.
Now a dance of maidens summons up a thousand joys.
138a. The Crown of May
In a bright array of colors the woodlands tower high,

the voices of the birds again lift trebles to the sky,
pleasure and bliss have become now manifold;
the virtue of May crowns love’s longing of old.
Who would feel like aged pawns,
since a season so beautiful dawns?
Lordly May, upon you is the guerdon conferred!
May the winter be reviled and to exile spurred!
139. Followers of Lord Cupid
The frightful time of year passes, winter’s gripping chill,

and the time of summer, ever pleasing, now returns to our hills.
Since Cupid lays his claim upon this capital time,
he, who cherishes Cupid, should to him his welcome chime!
The climate has changed and the earth yields blooms,

and to her flowered tableau she applies various hues.
So diverse in their colors, the meadows emit perfumes,
and the nightingale in song stirs up the suits of love.
Whoever loves should rejoice at the mere vision of this time,

in which he is obligated to maintain his joy!
And when Cupid triumphs who bids all of us to take mirth,
he should not now be present, who dares to grieve among us!
Forsooth I ask only that one girl be given to me,

by whose tender kiss death can assuredly be escaped.
By this fetter of love I wish to be bound;
sweet it is to be wounded willingly by this shaft.
If Ismile after the blow is dealt, then sweet is the consequent pain;
if Iweep after I smile, then such is nature’s way.
But when the harsh time of senectitude comes,
may it lament what I have done vis-a-vis the sentence to come.
But because I love her, a marvelous affair is seems.

A burden is my shackle, and scarcely is it sustained.
One thing about me I conclude holds truth:
I die, if she I choose is not granted to me.
139a. Invigorated by Spring
Gone is the cold winter

that bore down on me.
In verdure stands the wood,
which fills my heart with glee.
In this time no one at all can feel old!
I hold manifold joys
from a lovely girl!
140. Vernal Powers
In vernal tenderness the earth now opens her lap,

which the harsh frost with fierce storms had sealed.
With a sweet rustle come the Zephyr and the spring;
the North Wind ceases to smite us with cruel blasts.
Whom does this so welcome novelty of all allow rest?
Thus the birds now sing;

now youths unsheathe their songs;
now harder than iron is he whom Venus does not make soft.
and colder than stone is he who is not full of fire.
Away with the clouds of the soul, whilst the air is so serene!
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Behold, all things stand green, and fruitfulness is revived,

since the injurious cold’s banishment by the temperate clime.
The fertile earth births the sublime glory of her womb:
fragrant flowers and a myriad of resplendent hues.
Such sights would change Cato’s stoic ways!
The forest is dressed in leaves; now the nightingale sings;

with a panoply of colors now pleasant are the heaths.
Sweet it is to saunter through the coverts of the woods;
sweeter it is to pick now a lily and a rose;
sweetest it is to frolic with a prepossessing girl!
But, when I recount these delights in my soul,

I feel my heart with tense anxiety grow.
If frigid she be, for whom I burn, and unwilling to warm to me,
how then can the birdsong and the presence of spring
be in force? Truly it will then be a winter to me!
140a. Fest on the Heath
Now let us all indulge in mirth;

honor the season with songs!
We espy the flowers’ rise; the heath is wonderfully adorned!
Let us dance and leap in a roundel gay
and with sublime elation carols lay.
This delights fine youths, as it should; now to a game of ball!
My lady is full of sheer virtues! I know this pleases you all!
141. A Rigid Girl
“All the trees now blossom bright;

birds chirp sweet songs in delight.
The shrubs at last grow green again,
so let us rejoice, all young men!
“The gloom of sorrow now departs,

the warmth of love now builds its marts!
More swiftly does it overcome
who does not sooner its lyre strum!
“O you most beautiful lassie,

though you are not the most severe,
you give me words most sassy,
as if you be of murkiest mere.
“All too feeble in my powers,

I am struck by Cupid’s glowers,
myriad wounds now suffer I,
Cure me not, and I shall die.”
“At what do you grab, youthful mind?

You seek what you will never find!
You seek to play with me in fun—
but I would bind myself with none;
the phoenix as my ally one,
I want to lead my life undone.”
“But Cupid is harsh,

Cupid is fierce, Cupid is strong.
He, who subdues us men,
should also conquer maidens,
who are immeasurably stern!”
“From your words I realize now

what you wish, what you are,
that you are well versed in the loving art,
that you see I am fit for being loved,
and already hotly burn within.”
14la. A New Beginning
Verdant are the forest and the moor,

O majestic maidens, be not coy!
The birds are whistling arrays of songs,
and gone is the winter cold.
142. A Lone Vixen
The flowering season is at hand, for now rise the vernal blooms;
and soon transformed are the manners in all!
This, which the frost once had marred, the warmth now repairs.
We see this happening everywhere by the panoply of hues!
Stand now the meadows full of gems, where we may cavort!

Let us, virgins and students, together advance
and play through our love for Lady Venus
and then to the other maidens this report!
“O beloved mistress, why do you thus distance yourself?

Or know you not, O dearest lass, that you are so truly loved?
If you were Helen, I would I were Paris!
Such can our love still become!”
142a. A Maiden Met By Chance
One morning did I wend over a grassland wide.

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There saw I a maiden stand, who greeted me in a friendly voice.

“Whither go you, lover?” said she. “May I accompany you?”
Down to her feet I bowed myself and thanked her for her offer.
143. Venus’ Bidding
Behold the welcome and long-desired spring

restores to us Our joys:
in purple dyes the meadow blooms;
the sun brightens all.
Now, now, let sorrows be far away!
The summer returns, and now withdraws
the wrath of the winter.
Now melt away and disappear

hail, snow, and the rest.
Winter flees, and now drinks the earth
from the breasts of spring.
Wretched is his heart
who comes not to life nor gambols about
under summer’s sway!
They glory and find delight

in honey sweetness,
who endeavor to make use
of Cupid’s reward.
Let us, as Cypris commands,
proud and blithe,
be the equals of Paris!
143a. The Damsel’s Pact

by Reinmar von Hagenau (The Spring of the Courtly Lovesong 203.10)
“T live in proud anticipation

of a new joy,”
quoth a comely lass.
“A knight fulfills my every wish.
Forever I will love him more
than any of my kin and kith.
I will show to him the sheen of uxorious devotion.”
144. Green Meadows
Now, now the meadows are green; now, now the maidens
amuse themselves; and smiles now the face of the earth.
The summer has now appeared, and gaily shines
its wondrous dress of blooms.
Green again is the wood, and the bushes bear leaves;

savage winter has withdrawn;
merry lads, rejoice at these flowers!
Cupid now beckons you to the virgins.
Therefore let us serve together in Venus’ troop

and, tender as we are, avoid all melancholy affairs:
Let visitations and talks and hope
and love lead us unto blisses beyond count!
144a. A Pleasant Sight
I have seen something that pleasantly strikes me in my heart:

the fresh green foliage puts me in a happy mood,
the fields present a wonderful sight—
I rejoice that there bloom so very many flowers.
145. Terra and The Muse
The Muse comes with a song;

in a sweet melody let us together sing!
Behold! All things are green:
the meadow, field, and grove.
In the morning lilts the lark,

and also caws the crow;
at nature’s bidding the nightingale
repines about her olden loss.
The swallow now chirrups,

the swan a sweet treble sings,
heralding his ineluctable fate,
and the cuckoo “koo-koos” through the blossomed woods.
Beautifully sing the birds.

The face of Terra shines
with a plethora of hues,
and in birth emits her progeny of perfumes.
Far and wide spreads the linden

its twigs, boughs, and leaves.
Under it sits the thyme and the grass green,
whereupon a dance is stamped to a beat.
Right through the grass runs

a river with a joyous roar;
truly festive is the place.
The wind of spring softly whispers.
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145a. IfOnly!
If all this world were truly mine
from the wide sea to the Rhine,
I would relinquish it all without alarms,
if the Queen of England would lie in my arms.
146. A Heavenly Maid
The earth is decked in various blooms

and spring’s enlivening presence is perceived.
The nightingale is heard modulating her sweet song;
thus the fury of winter is gone.
Ruddy cheeks and parted hair that frames

a lightly-inclined brow, and a smile across
the entire face—happy and blessed is she,
who is adorned with such virtues innate!
Slender is she about the waist in a seemly way,

and her fragrance overpowers balsam’s smell.
Happy is he, who enjoys sweet rest with this fair maid!
Such a distinction makes him the equal of the gods.
When she laughs, her brows part a graceful

and equidistant space. Her mouth invites a kiss
from him who pleads for such kisses, too.
I am falling, milady; prithee come to my aid!
Wounded, I cannot be healed,

no hope of survival can be given me,
unless you be willing to console me before the rest,
you, who conquer all with your beauty nonpareil.
146a. Send Her My Surety!
Nightingale, sing a daedal song

for my cheerful queen!
Tell her my unwavering sentiment and my heart
burn for her sweet body and love!
147. Half
of His Former Self
If Icould lead a happy life,

honorable and with propriety,
and read not the book
of sorrow or of pain,
I would salute the grasses,
renew myself, and give the world

a new train of songs.
Still I sing, but about

Venus’ delusive state,
to which I, a Paris
and a bookish boy,
with the rest belong,
who know how to craft various songs
and to sing to the spring its joys.
My skin is parched because it lacks

a happy, bonny breast.
Anxious, I have many cares;
of the future I am in fear;
with such people I cannot sit,
nor under such rivals
can I persist.
147a. The Man of High Heart

“Pray tell—and I will always give you thanks:

Have you seen the much beloved man?
Is it really true that he leads his life so well
as the people say and as I hear you tell?”
“Mistress, I have seen him, and joyful is he;
his heart, if you command, will always high be.”
148. Prayer for Venus’ Aid
The earth with blossoms is bejeweled

and of so many dazzling colors and hues,
and greenly, too, springs the grass.
Let us lads look after our sweethearts dear

with good manners in deed
and with various comforts!
May Venus help all

who for her aid call,
may she assist together with Cupid her son!
May she now be among lads,

who her succor do pray
that kind to them be their mistresses!
May Venus, who always is and was,

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191
steer her missiles
at loving girls’ hearts!
She, who gifts upon lovers bestows,

should not annihilate young men
nor destroy fair damsels!
148a. Venus Shuts Us Out!
Now let us be courtly and proud, now

let us be refined and unbowed, now
let us be polite and high-browed.
Venus shuts her bolts!

149. Who Will Love Me Now?
The noble forest blooms—

flowers and leaves sit all around.
Where is now
my olden friend?
He has ridden off!
Alas! Who will love me now?
Refr. | The forest blossoms everywhere;

no, my friends, I feel only woe!
Green again stands the wondrous holt.

Where is now my longtime friend?
He has ridden far from here.
Alas! Who will love me now?
150. The Happy Throng
The flowers are revived and earth blooms gay,

which for so long was feeble with decay,
and the sun in the heat of spring shines bright
after the expulsion of winter’s blight.
Now the nightingale sweetly delights
our hearts with dulcet symphonies.
Now the tide of spring engulfs

the arboreal bareness with tender leaves.
A band of maidens now exults
in beholding the dazzling, sylvan blooms.
Let now march behind a laddish troop in joy—
the sum ofthis: a sweet and happy throng!
Therefore let us all mirthfully aspire

to the pleasant temper of the world
and let us all assume delight,
giving thanks to Venus’ charms
and to Cupid’s golden shafts!
Let the heart be swift in the care of virgins!
150a. A King Uncrowned

By Heinrich von Morungen (The Spring of the Courtly Lovesong 142.19)
I am a king without a crown or land:

so feel I in my heart.
Never did my mood take such cheer.
Happy be her love, which is so good to me!
All this is the working of a noble lady, whom I will
for all eternity serve. Never saw I a lass of such noble will!
151. The Pearl Set in Gold
The grasslands stand animate and green,

since the winter’s fury has been wiped away.
The gifts of flowers to the world
smile with a pleasant mien.
Wakened by the rays of the sun,

they shine, shimmer, and glow red and white,
and by their multicolored rising attest
to the rightful dominion of spring.
The garrulous birds pour forth

a mellifluous melody sweet.
On every path, with gentle voice,
they busily flitter about;
leaves, flowers, and fragrances
in the forest abound;
in this time inflamed
with passion are the youths.
The horde of young lads gathers

and in numbers is ever increased;
and the circle of maidens
unites and dances to a united beat.
And beneath the linden
in Venus’ roundelays
leaps the mother and her daughter
in the same festive ring.
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One girl rests, whom I revere—
Fortune gave her to me!—
a shining, auspicious moon,
on whose account I am wounded
and heave heavy sighs.
She, most choice, ingenuous, just,
is carried always in my heart,
transmuting into joy all sorrows.
When I set my eyes on her, I believe

I draw my power from a heavenly well.
I spurn all things, until I lay
her down alone on Venus’ sheets.
Would that she were enwrapped
in my arms and beneath me tied
in a blissful, hidden place,
if luck does me betide!
151a. The Flowers and the Clovers

Happy be you, May, since you now

peacefully dispose all things in several ways!
How beautifully you dress the trees
and ameliorate the moors
(which are more colorful still).
“You are shorter! I am longer!”
So squabble in this way
the flowers and clovers.
152. A Singular Summer
Never was there in the ages past a summer so very bright;

the meadows are bedizened with the jewels of blooms.
Refr. | The winged troubadours now sing in the woods,

and their song is sweet warbling and chirps.
Juno conquers Jove with conjugal love.

Mars is captured by Vulcan in a crafted, cunning net.

As examples of Venus’ bustles, these myths are proposed:

Apollo chases Daphne, Europa is tricked by the shape of a bull.
Refr. The winged troubadours now sing in the woods,

Cupid seeks young lads for games of love with young maids.
Venus disdains old men, who are filled with aches and pains.

152a. A Summer Serene
I never before saw a summer that seemed so beautiful to me.

With many fine blooms was the meadow adorned.
The woods are so full of song;
this season is a boon for little birds.
153. My One Girl
Passes now the season of hoar; renewed now is the world;

returns the spring of flowers; beauty is given to all.
A bird now twitters a song,
whose notes uplift his soul.
The empyrean, clearer and gentler now,
already sets itself alight;
the forest, already blooming, already covered with leaves,
is thickened with a foliar crown.
Beautiful damsels now cavort over the fresh, green grass;

new pastorales brightly ring from their pleasing lips.
The musical birds nod in goodwill,
and the earth, embroidered with blooms,
shows favor to the maidens
with her sweet perfumes.
The heart thus is wreathed
and struck with love,
when the maidens and the birds raise
such jubilant songs.
Now the quivered boy god stretches out his nets,

Cupid, to whom the court of gods offers its services
and whose dominion
it extends so very wide;
this god has triumphed over me
and dealt me many blows:
against him had I fought
and at first had resisted him,
but again through this boy
I was bowed to Venus.
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195
Injured by his bolt, I loved but one lass,
whom, through a solid pact, I had coupled to myself.
The fidelity I swore
never violate did I;
I devoted my whole self
to so delightful an enterprise.
How sweet are the kisses of the girl;
already I have savored them!
Neither cinnamon nor balsam
could be so honeysweet as these!
153a. Torture by Reservation
Mistress, I am a tributary to you!

Let me enjoy something as my due!
I serve you, lady, as best I can, but it seems only a vexation to ye.
Now you wish to entomb my passions through your cruel decree.
But I would like now to feast
on the many sweet pleasures of your love.
O lady so perfect and so fine,
your gorgeous body desires to shoot me until I die!
At your bidding I never come,
though all other ladies invite the labor’s sum!
154. The Steps of Love
Cupid is a frivolous lad, winged and with arrows equipped!

His puerile age demonstrates his lack of reason and sense.
His quiver betokens his buffets, his wings his inconstancy.
He is depicted as nude, because he is held by nothing.
Unwise is he and fickle, too; he stains red his reckless bolts.
He sends off from his whistling string his arrows of five points,
because there are five modes by which we in love are joined:
sight, dialogue, touch, the even mixing of the reciprocal nectar
of the lips—the stepwise preparation for the ultimate goal:
in bed the fifth transaction Venus tacitly does express.
155. Deep Longing
How brightly shines the beautiful face of her,

who tugs at the inmost strings of my heart!
She is a lady, for whose pulchritude
every lover heaves myriad sighs
through a flood of tears.
She descends from a royal line.
Many blissful delights
she gives and takes away.
She is a lass, who is flawless

in every way. For this reason
Cupid cast his poisoned shafts
straight into my heart’s caves.
On this account I pine away,
for what I am ashamed to say.
Thus I boil deep within,
and in her fire I burn.
I thirst, for I bear

fiery griefs; if Ido not
with diligence the gods entreat—
The Thunderer and Hercules,
Juno and Athena,
Helen and Cytherea—
then surmounting her will not
favorably fall upon my lot.
155a. Most Beautiful of All
She is comelier than Queen Dido was;

she is more beautiful than Mistress Helena;
she is more attractive than Lady Minerva;
she is more handsome than Madam Hecuba;
she is dearer than Regal Isabel
and more mirthful than Gaudile;
the clover of my heart
is a virtue richer than Baldine.””
156. Alla Primavera
Greetings, desiderated spring,

ever welcome guest to lovers,
flambeau of joys, augmentation
of many, many flowers!
Myriad of blossoms,
lord of colors,
be you well and be
our amusements’ increase!
A sweet orchestra of birds rings its notes;
may the youth take up sweet, sweet mirth!
Winter’s blasts have passed away, for a gentle wind blows.
The earth is mantled

with purple jewels,
the meadows are all green-hued,
the shadows wax, and the forest is wreathed.
Nature is full of lust for life,
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and a joyous mien

every creature dights.
In bright apparel Cupid is clothed.
Venus tickles her subjects,
as nature’s nectar drips down.
Thus her passion in lovers glows.
O what a happy hour,

when so wondrous a lass
assumed a life so refined,
delightful, and merry!
O how golden is her hair!
I know that nothing vulgar
would ever rest on her!
In lovingness I know she is second to none.
Her forehead truly wears a crown,
and black are her lofty brows
that, as Iris’, are at the ends upturned.
Snow white and rosy red are her cheeks;

among a thousand
her equal is not found.
Her lips are round
and the deepest red,
her teeth are niveous
and dazzlingly flash;
reserved is she in speech.
Her hands are slender, her hips are high,
her throat and entire semblance were crafted
by the industry of the gods divine.
A spark of passion flies down from her,

whom I love more than all girls known;
it has set my heart aflame,
which will turn to ash,
if this maid of Venus
does not tend to it:
for the heat will endure,
then will he die, who is yet alive.
Therefore allow me, good Phyllis,
to delight myself in placidity and peace,
when mouth to mouth and breast to breasts are joined!
157. The Maiden and the Sheep
When the star of light dawned,

a virgin emerged in haste
of a sublimely vernal face,
and, as bidden, shepherded the sheep

with a pastoral staff.
The sun poured forth its rays

and yielded a surfeit of heat.
The ever so beautiful maiden
shunned the singeing beams
beneath a leafy tree.
When I proceeded but a little,

I unsealed the bond of my tongue:
“Hello, maiden worthy of a king!
Hearken, I pray, to your knave
and be gracious unto me!”
“Why greet you thus a maiden young,

who has known no men
from the day of her birth?
By Jove, I have never found anyone
roaming through these fields!”
By chance a wolf came along,

whom his greedy maw’s hunger
had driven to the woolen throng.
It snatched a sheep and hied away,
desiring to cloy itself with its meat.
When the maiden observed

that she had thus lost the sheep,
she a full mouth loudly teemed:
“If anyone returns this sheep,
may he rejoice in me as his wife!”
As soon as I heard her voice,

I unsheathed my sword
and slew the wolf,
and carried back the sheep
rescued from doom.
158. Crime Beside a Grove
In the sweet half-point of spring,

not in May, but an inch before,
when the sun was glowing bright,
a virgin of elegant mien stood
beneath a fresh, green leaf
and made music on her flute.
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199
Thither I came by dint of fate.
No nymph ever possessed such a form,
nor could match the grace of her sole!
When she saw me coming in haste,
she fled with her bleating flock,
beside herself with fear.
Shouting, she made for the sheepfold;

pursuing her, I prayed: “Be still!
You need fear nothing inimical!”
She spurned my orisons,
and the necklace I showed her
she reviled in these words:
“You gift,” quoth she, “I do not want,

because you are with treachery fraught!”
Albeit she defended herself with her staff,
I seized and threw her to the ground.
A fairer body beneath a shabby dress
was never beneath the heavens shown!
It was considerably grievous for her,

but pleasurable and sweet for me.
“What have you done?” she cried. “Wicked soul,
woe, woe to ye! And nevertheless God save you!
Take care to reveal this to none,
lest harm or ill befall me at home!
“If my father suspects this misdeed

or my older brother Martin,
a black day will it be for me;
or if my mother should learn of it,
since she is four times nastier than a snake,
I would be given to the switch!”
159. Repetition Is The Mother of Memory I
[This poem is, word-for-word, the same as poem 85 of the Codex Buranus. |
160. Lady Pain
When summer begins

in the time of pleasantry,
and Phoebus holds sway
after the expulsion of the freeze,
the love for one maid
wounds me deeply
and causes manifold pain,
by which I am exhausted.
161. Flowered Earth
From summer’s threshold

Cupid greets us; and earth,
now bloom-spangled,
her visage transmutes.
Flowers, love’s awakeners,
now smile upon the season.
Without Venus the blossom
of tender youth fades.
The beginning of all things

is the day of spring,
when the world celebrates
the day of her birth.
All the days of this season
are the festivals of Venus.
May all the realms of Jove above
observe these celebrations!
16la. Summer’s Prime
All the world rejoices

at summer’s prime:
one now hears far and wide
choirs of birds raising hymns;
there, too, have the meadows
more flowers and clovers than ever;
and green stands the beauteous holt;
therefore we should be freshly bold!
162. The Lettered Circle
O comrades mine,
how seems it to you?”
Which business
should we undertake?
Joyous Venus will come to our home soon,
and a chorus of Dryads will be her retinue.
O compatriots mine,
the time is full of wonder;
the days of leisure at last
are returning to the world;
therefore make you merry and greet
the happy throng and the lovely age!
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Venus, renouncing
Neptune, her kin,
comes and grafts herself
to Bacchus, who suits her whims;
the goddess embraces him before all,
for he shuns the sourpuss and teetotaler.
These divinities I desire to serve!

It is the duty of all,
who wish to be blessed!
They gift the noble, scholarly throng
so that members may love
and cause themselves to be loved in turn.
Thus may this lettered circle

pursue and serve
under Venus’ banners!
But let the layman be driven away
like a dumb beast! For he
is a deaf-mute to the art!
162a. Tireless In Love
My mistress sweet,
let me have advantage of it,
for you are the light of my eyes.
Venus aims her darts at me!
Now let me, queen, enjoy your love!
Forsooth I could never grow weary thereof!
163. Heavy Sighs
A protracted, uncertain hope,

thoroughly mixed with fear,
is the reason that my soul
with painful sighs cuts the air.
It has long remained
grievously lorn of love.
And still I oust not this rueful dole.
Alas, a great space of curative time,

scarcely vouchsafed to my care,
and my sojourns abroad were
made very rare— respite,
which a heartfelt love
treasures more than all else!
All generous men detest a miser.
A knot without a knot

is firmly tied in this strap,
nor is any moderation
in this measure taken up,
but he, who never looses himself,
is only more tightly bound.
Lodircundeia! Lodircundeia!”*
I love this girl more than all others,

whom not even the roses surpass;
you could ne’er delineate with success,
in either mellifluous verse or prose,
or with a sweet voice or a cogent pen,
how beautiful this girl is.
The flowers, enamored of her, sigh a sweet perfume.
Smitten by an unexpected palsy,

I stand at a loss in an abyss of despair.
Apprehensive, I am enfeebled
by the foolish lunacy of my heart;
insensibly enamored, I am by love
trammeled up the more.
And still I oust not this rueful dole.
163a. Lured Into Harm
A wondrous place
did he reveal to me:
where the flowers and grass with
fresh sap stood green. Thither I
came, as he had bidden. And in
that spot harm befell me.
Lodircundeie! Lodircundeie!”*
164. Bedroom Grammar
Against love’s affliction

I administer a doctor’s remedy
that will effectively cure a lover.
My heart boils deep within,
listless is my once undefiled mind,
and, on the outside, I am afflicted
because nature claims her rights.
If I desire to be healed
or for my life to be prolonged,
I should hie at a steady pace
into Corinna’s company,
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203
from whom hope can be received,
and sue for her esteem:
in this way I seek to be restored.
She is sweet in love

and is full of grace;
her blush shames the rose,
and she wholly overwhelms
with her scent the lily of the vales.
From her sweet mouth she furnishes
extraordinary virgin honey sweet.
Her visage is without a flaw;

the ring of her voice is praised;
her entire mien is one dazzling smile.
But there is something more delightful than these:
a place that is covered by her frock;
in this place better declines
not the bent case, but the straight.*”
If Icould rest there, I would go

through the entire declension
and would every case explore;
neither present nor past tense
would I consider at all,
but with greater velocity accelerate
to the labor’s reward!
164a. Her Loving Slave
I would gladly sing,

and bring joy to the world,
if only I could have success with her,
whom I serve my every living day.
Her love wishes to overpower me.
In my heart I carry it;
for this hope I still live.
165. Sick With Love
Cupid, you are the weapon of extraordinary Venus.

You reel about the inclinations
of the reckless heart—the lovers’ torment—
lure out the cardiac fibers, and then grind them into dust.
To you, who in the serenity of your visage
outshine every other soul, I bow:
protect me from the enveloping storm that whirls behind
the heart’s hidden bolt in a sweet girl!
Her mouth’s perfume, which is of lilies sweet,

arouses the first symptom of love:
for in the man, who exacts a kiss from her,
her breath causes no aversion at all.
Graceful are her forehead’s brows,
like a tender floweret shines her mouth,
and nowhere is her equal found;
blessed is he, who her honeyed kisses receives.
Wheel you round and round and a harmony raise high!

Match one foot to the other, merrily in time,
rejoicing all as one in a lively pastorale,
resounding together with the claps of hands!
I alone venerate only her with these praises,
when the clouds of my soul are dispelled;
for when I behold the totality of her chastity,
I occupy a singular joy and wish she were my girl!
165a. As Lovely As Can Be
With pain in my heart, to me came a maid,

of whose perfect virtue I oft have heard.
Therefore my heart loves her so.
Her beautiful body has given me manifold joys.
I could still, as is my wish, live for the time
when I may beside her lie!
166. Soldier of Love
Already for a long time had I shown

myself to be a devout soldier of Love,
at whose bidding I committed myself
to foolish, daring deeds headlong,
loving in the perilous battles but one,
who never cast a kind eye on me.
If Ishould now bring all to a close,

I would perchance be well-advised,
but the battle’s din routs me not,
unless I were departing from manly pluck.
Let it be, as I will! Intrepid, I offer
my life to fortune’s vicissitudes.
May she know that I magnanimous am

and mightier than my corporeal form,
that I am one who scales the loftiest bough
to pick from the tree its fruit, as I declare:
in a lover, who knows nothing of fear,
THE LOVE SONGS — 205
x
there is, woe!, no room for a daedal veer!7"°
166a. Grief Without End

Must I forever experience grief,

whilst all other folks are merry?
I wish to afford myself good relief
and the highest spirits carry,
just as a truly fortunate swain!
They tell me all that rue and dole fit not at all my strain!
167. The Ripe Maiden
Labor’s cure,
an outcast’s joy—
the thought of my girl
mitigates my exiled fate.
My one true solace
is her grace.
I burn for her, who is absent from me,

for Venus binds my heart
with a golden snare. When
I am woeful about my
distance from her form, I
rejoice nevertheless
that she is present, when gone.
Without a saucy imposition

I loved her tenderly,
whom I knew was standing
in a tender stage of life; so I ventured
to exact naught but her soul’s amity.
Now her age has prevailed;

now her passion has grown hot;
already has the maid matured:
already swell her breasts,
already has she loved in vain,
unless something further occurs.
Therefore, since our hearts are one,

let us join our bodies twain!
Let us enjoy honey-sweet embraces
in an alliance with blissful joy!
Flower surpassing all other blooms,
let us now contend in earnest!
Pressing a sweet grape,

sucking honey from a comb:
I wish, virgin, to explain
what these are to you.
Not in words, but in deeds
let the demonstration hap!
167a. Land of No Lads
Those are all maidens,

who spin here in the dance,
lasses who wish to go
the whole summer without men!
168. The Anniversary
May my lady of one year

be happy and overjoyed!
May she smile, for to her
this chorus grafts itself,
which I now repeat
and make the precentor:
“No one in the world is more beautiful and endearing than she!”
This my girl is a blazing fire,

but sweetness and goodness
shine from her!
They call me forth
to such delights,
and I am sad and in sighs
under Venus’ strife.
My hostess,
white and red,
how lovely is she!
Venus, goddess of love,
I, in need of thy aid,
subject myself to thee.
For now I burn and perish for her sake!
Praise my maiden, all of ye,

who is chaste, delectable,
worthy of love’s lee!
I love her fervidly.
Through her I thrive,
when I am sad, and do rejoice:
I love her foremost and worship her as a being divine.
THE LOVE SONGS
207
168a. Loveless In Spring
by Neidhart von Reuental
Now the heath greens again;

with fresh leaves stands the holt:
the winter cold had dealt
violent buffets to both.
The season has transmuted itself.
The agony of yearning reminds me of the good lass,
from whom I loathly divorce myself.
169. Far Away from My Girl
Dimly twinkle the stars of my happy eyes

because of the clouds in my soul;
lukewarm grows the smile on my face,
for I lack my jubilant song. Rightly
do I grieve: for concealed is my
intimate darling from me. The
verve of my heart beats in her, and
on her with all fibers I hang.
In Cupid’s roundel
she outshines all;
her light shines back
from Phoebus’ torch,
and serves the world as its only glass.
I worship her and want to be
at her beck alone
for all my life.
Now I complain of the span

of my solitude in the day,
while nightly by dint
of opportunity I steal
kisses from her mouth,
from which cinnamon trickles
and sweet perfumes of the cassia
infiltrate the heart’s home.
Nevertheless she is wasting away

and lacks any hope for solace;
her flower of youth is wilting in decay.
This so long a recess
should be annulled,
so that this separation may
beget and bestow unassailable
possessory laws!
169a. Cease to be Uncouth!

Red mouth, O how you enfeeble yourself!

Let your laughter remain!
Shame on you, whenever you laugh
at my detriment and pain!
This is not a good thing at all.
Alas, it is so wasted an hour,
when from an enchanting mouth
such unkindness issues out!
170. The Peak of Creation
Every living creature is inflamed by the joys of love;

the love for a striking lass took hold of my soul,
a maiden in whose manufacture
Divinity and Mother Nature greatly toiled.
Niveous is her face, miraculous is her form,

and her lips are infused with the red of the rose.
Her semblance is similar to the rising sun,
like a refreshing downpour of dew in the morn.
She is void of all decay; the lamps of her eyes zealously contend
with the dazzling cabochon. Like the flower of flowers,
the rose, she stands out in the maidenly throng
and ignites all the little sparklets of love.
170a. The Maids of Venus
My Lady Venus is so kind; she can fill with true delight

those who fulfill her will: that their hearts smile bright.
She has maidens in her care, whom she lets not fall into disgrace.
Every man eagerly espies, who targets these maids with aims set high.
171. Venus’ Furnace
By her promise
my spirit has
risen so very high
and lives for the prospect set,
fired by hope’s reward.
Nevertheless I am uncertain
whether my hope will turn out to be
false and suddenly pass from me.
I am good to one maid,

THE LOVE SONGS
209
to wit, one singular star,
whose kisses distill
the oil of the rose
and the honey of the comb.
In her eyes I smile;
in her will,
I blaze and glow.
Love beyond measure

inspires great fear;
distressing fear
stirs up passion
hotter than before.
Wavering thus,
I feel much pain—
‘tis more certain than certain can be.
In Venus’ furnace
I am burned
to the core;
sated by Ceres’ gifts,
I excel all the rest
who are filled with wine
and with the gods above
enjoy nectar divine!™”
171a. Milady, My Clover
Noble lady, be mirthful!

Trust in the summertime!
It comes for you as well:
roses, lilies it gives to you.
Be mirthful then, milady!
How is it possible
that now you are so sad?
The clover that shoots so high into the air!
172. Magicians of Love
Play you! All creatures should play! Play ye!

In your jesting now hearken, you, whom
the sweet joys of the present life caress and fondle:
as the showman with his dice cozens and dupes,
the student by his embraces should women delude!
Cupid must not be sung in melodies sweet;

he should tarry not in the detention of homilies grave!
The little lass, who flowers like a rose,
should pledge her tender hand,

softened by affectionate words!
Readily should she say, “Yes!” and not deny, when asked,
nor should the noted girl inquire of the swain’s name!
She should do what is asked;
what is neglected in bidding or prayer
the much-lauded damsel should furnish yare!
172a. May Summer Come!
I suffer the torment of yearning, which hurts me so.

It creates for me a cold winter and also white snow.
Summertime would come for me,
so I wanted to festoon my form
for the sake of a very beautiful girl.
173. The Sweetest Pain
Greens again
and freshly blooms
my heart by dint ofjoy.
Of her, whom I
did never forsake,
I with a happy soul beg
that she swiftly and with all her heart
give to me her grace,
if her grace I be worthy to receive.
When the nightingale

flutters through
the pleasant haunts of the wood
in triumph and in song,
I forthwith feel exalted,
all because of you.
Have pity, for truly
in this sweetest pain
I am approaching death’s grim door!
173a. Her Eternal Servant
Happy be the inamorata, who leads

a life as perfect as my lovely maid’s!
She wears forsooth a crown of glory.
In her service wish I to be—
that is final: no other possibility.
By him, who seeks
to change this will,
THE LOVE SONGS
211
never should noble love
be swilled!
174. Come to Me!
Come, come, come to me,

lest you bear my death’s blame!
Hyria, hyrie,
nazaza trillirivos!”*
Your beautiful visage,

the sheen of your eyes,
the plaiting of your tresses—
O how brilliant is your sight!
Redder than the rose,

whiter than the lily,
comelier than all,
always are you my pride!
174a. Come You Now!
Come, come, helpmeet mine,

I wait for you so long!
I wait for you so long,
come, come, helpmeet mine!
Sweet, rose-colored mouth,

come and make me sound!
Come and make me sound,
sweet, rose-colored mouth!
175. Heart of Ash
Because Cupid hates me,

I am wounded by his shaft,
the sweet remedy of my heart.
I suffer a shipwreck; and battered are my sail and raft.
O gentle breeze of grace,

O maiden of handsome face
that beams a graceful glow of red: upon me, your admirer,
cast both your eyes without delay of any kind!
The infection of love

delivers me to death;
its spark is burning my heart,
if you do not extinguish it, my heart will turn to ash.
Your visage takes my breath away,

your glance binds me, a hapless swain,
over and over again
your love burns me without end.
Since you, most beloved virgin,

are a most wondrously fashioned lass,
rescue me from this raging typhoon,
a beggar in a chamber as yet!
175a. What Is Best
Discreet love—this is good.

It can bestow spirits high.
One should cultivate it eagerly!
Any man, who is unfaithful in love, deserves a sharp rebuke!
176. A Healing Hand and a Pleasant Voice
“Tt is not always through a doctor that a sick man is healed;

sometimes a hand is more powerful than a physician’s skill.”
Ovid, Letters from the Black Sea 1.3.17-18
“Eloquence gives persuasiveness to the clever mind,

when the linguistic art of a pleasant voice resounds.”
177. There Stood A Maiden
There stood a maiden

in a tunic of red;
if anyone touched it,
rustle it did.
Eia!
There stood a maiden

like a little rose:
her visage glittered,
and her lips bloomed.
Eia!
There stood a maiden beneath a tree;

she wrote her love upon a leaf.
Then Venus approached her at once;
Mighty adoration,
lofty, courtly love
she gave to her manly lord.
THE LOVE SONGS 213
178. Mightier than Father Zeus
I wish to live manfully as a man.

I shall love, if Ibe loved the same.
To me, love should be so, not any other way.
On this point I am stronger than Jove—
I know not to demand anything
from the common, unilateral trade:
first I want to be loved, then perhaps I will love the same.
Upon the arrogance of the female mind

I shall look down with brows raised high;
I shall not subject the superordinate to the hyponym
nor place the plow in charge of the oxen.
This custom, widespread among desperate men,
displeases my soul to no end.
I would rather disport with a clap than, derided, lament.
The maid, who wishes to please me so, I would please in turn;

she should show her inclination first so that I may mine reveal.
We shall play this game in no other way,
lest she reckon me the chaff and herself the grain.
In accordance with equal market rights,
I shall serve only love, lest I
impudently prostrate myself to womanly shame.
A free lad, I boast of my liberty sweet,

almost as did Hippolytus the chaste;?””
no woman so quickly subdues me,
who would lure me with glances and waves,
but should instead say that I please her
and then love me ingenuously.
This pertness in a lady is very pleasing to me.
Behold! It displeases me what I have sung,

and I find myself in contradiction to my verse.
I have wronged your sweetness, mistress,
and your exquisiteness I did not bear in mind.
Because I have thus erred,
I deserve a punishment most severe;
flog this penitent, if you please, in your lovely bower!
178a. Welcome, Summer Fair!
I want to greet the summer, as best I can.

The winter of this year had treated me bad,
therefore I wish to exclaim under a lady’s spell:
“T see the heath again sprouting up with green!
Thither we should all hasten

to welcome summer’s age!
Let me begin the dance, if you be not loath to that!
179. Slain by Love
The time is delightful, O maidens fair!

Rejoice you now, young fellows and lads!
Oh! Oh!
I am fully in bloom!
Refr. Now I burn all over in my love for a lass;

it is anew, new love by which I pass!
The nightingale warbles so sweetly, and her scales

are drunk in by my ears; I am glowing deep within.
Oh! Oh!
Refr. Now I burn all over in my love for a lass;

She, whom I love, is the damsels’ flower

and the rose of roses by whom I’ m inflamed!
Oh! Oh!
Refr. | Now I burn all over in my love for a lass;

Your troth, o darling, strengthens me;

your denial, lady, banishes my soul from me.
Oh! Oh!

Your maidenhood trifles with me;

your innocence drives me to despair.
Oh! Oh!

Nightingale, be silent but for a while!

Rise, O ditty, from my breast!
THE LOVE SONGS 215
Oh! Oh!

In the winter man suffers in self-control;

in the vernal mood he cannot restrain his soul.
Oh! Oh!
Refr. | Now] burn all over in my love for a lass;

Come, damsel fair, come with joy!

Come, come, beauty! I am almost dead!
Oh! Oh!

179a. Letter to a Lass
I sent a missive
to a noble maid,
who is the reason
[ in this country remain.
Secretly I have notified her.
In case she has read the letter:
in it all my heart’s yearning was written.
The perfect girl is under strict supervision.
Refr. O lady, epitome of all bliss,

O maid, quintessence of sweetness,
you well inspire a lofty mood!
Wondrous is the time of year.
Who lies next to you
feels nothing but zest!
180. Have You Read My Letter?
O my most beloved jewel!

Are you with most cheerful mien
and attentive heart reading
what my missive conveys?
Refr. O canzonet! O canzonet!

My squire does not come!
“Who is this little lass

so very fair,” I said,
in whose face shines
pearl white and ruby red?”
Refr. | Ocanzonet! O canzonet!

Your visage is proof

of your nobility high,
which mixes in your bosom
sweet milk with blood.

Who is that sweet,

most lovely lass?
I smolder with love for her
so much that I can scarcely perdure.”

Around my heart
rise many sighs,
which your beauty fuels,
sighs that me so miserably wound.

Your eyes blaze and stun

like the rays of the sun
and a thunderbolt’s white light
that illumes the black of night.

May God and the gods willingly grant

what I have proposed in my mind:
that I may unlock
her sweet virgin bonds!

THE LOVE SONGS 217
180a. O Squire Mine
I yearn to let the sorrow pass;

we should hasten to the moor,
0 virgin playmate mine!
There let us the glint of blooms behold!
Refr. To thee I say, to thee I say,

come with me, O squire mine!
Sweetheart dear, darling pure,

weave for me a chaplet fine!
A garland should a proud man wear,
who can well serve mistresses fair!
Refr. To thee I say, to thee I say,

come with me, O squire mine!
181. Return to Me!
You, whom Nature with wondrous art

graces more than all the human lot,
who are the spring of my old lament,
with what praise earned can I see you again?
Refr. Come you back, come back now,

so that we may behold the lovely you!
Come! For straight to Venus am I

being urged by Mars’ awesome works;
If you came, why would I sigh,
healed as Iam by Martha’s care?”

Throttle not with a grip tight the

hope for my sweet delight, though
every single side do crown the first,
first fruits of your renown!

But, in repayment for the favor of the laud,

which you now have gained through me,
allow that I may know you only as mine

without having to fear another’s suit!

18la. The Wearied Moor
The winter reveals its power

to the flowers and the heath;
all their energy have they lost—
the moor repines this to us.
Refr. Ail you do the rime and snow,

whereby the green clover is pale!
The birds are silent in this season’s face,

They live in great distress because
the hoarfrost freezes up their chords.
Therefore they lie hidden away.
Refr. Ail you do the rime and snow,

whereby the green clover is pale!
182. Love or Take My Life!
The sun in the starry firmament

dims the vicinal lamps with its rays;
thus unique is the maiden of my eye,
who pleases both me and all the world.
Refr. Therefore, you, compatriots mine,

should now enlist in Venus’ line!
Whoever she 1s, whom I love,

whom I prefer over all other girls,
and who is always in my thoughts,
she suits me according to my deserts.

The vision of her is the sight of lilies,

her cheeks are the roses’ congeners,
sweet is her mouth, slender her flanks
which are of perfectly moderate length.
Refr. | Therefore, you, compatriots mine,

THE LOVE SONGS 219
O! If l were Mercury,
I, eager for Philology sweet,
would join to her myself a scholar,
even ifit were in chains.”

How come, you ask? I can explain:

You know what I intend to sue,
so swiftly rupture your hesitation,
and take my life or raise my soul!”

182a. Summer’s Largess
The refulgent summer is coming to us:

the moorland is clad in a doublet of green,
and gifts us with grass, flowers, clover, and leaf,
all of which grow in a vibrant, bucolic strife.
Refr. He, who wants to win delights,

should be of warm heart and very wise.
183. Chamber Sport
If it should happen that a lad

and lass in a chamber tarry—
Refr. | O blissful union, when the passion

is growing and by the same cure
all loathing is driven far away!
An ineffable game commences

that is fit for limbs entwined!
Refr. | O blissful union, when the passion

is growing and by the same cure
all loathing is driven far away!
183a. Depart In Stealth!
I see the morning star breaking.

Now, hero, don’t purposely let yourself be seen!
That is my advice to you, O inamorato mine.

When one carries on a secret affair, how noble it is,
where the guardian is love!
184. Chainsong
A noble maiden
went into the forest to gather brush
and whilst she bound her sheaf,
Refr. Heia, heia, how she sang!

Cicha, cicha, how she rang!
The shackles, the shackles, the shackles she tore.
A young man came along,

handsome and fit for love,
who took away her honor.
Refr. | Heia, heia, how she sang!

He took her by her tender, white hand

and carried her off into the song of the birds.

The wild North Wind then came,

which carried her far away into a coppice,
which carried her far away into the woods.

185. Dishonor In the Wood
I was a beautiful child, when I was in

the flower of my virginity; then my
praise was sung everywhere; I was
pleasing to everyone’s eyes.
Refr. Alas and woe!

Cursed be the linden trees
that stand beside the road!
THE LOVE SONGS
221
I wanted to wend across the meadow
to pick a fresh bouquet of blooms,
and there a villainous cad designed
to take away my flower.
Refr. Alas and woe!

He took me by my soft white hand,

though not in an unseemly way,
and conducted me across the moor,
with naught but fraud in mind.
Refr. Alas and woe!

He clawed at my white garments

in a highly indecent way.
He hauled me off by my hand
with furious violence.
Refr. Alas and woe!

“Lady, let’s go on,” said he,

“there is a secluded wood.”
This path, it should be damned!
And all the while I cried.
Refr. Alas and woe!

“By a linden imposing and fair,

not too from far the road,
there I left my harp behind,
my tambourine and fiddle.”
Refr. Alas and woe!

When he to the linden came,

“Let us sit down,” he said
desire pressed him very hard—
“Jet us play a game!”
Refr. Alas and woe!

He palpated my white body,

though not without some fear,
“T will make a woman of you,” quoth he,
“you’re sweet and your mouth is, too!”
Refr. Alas and woe!

He pulled up my kirtle
and exposed my naked form;
he breached my little castle
with a spear upturned.
Refr. Alas and woe!

He took the quiver and the bow,

and he hunted with great skill!
But the same lad did me deceive,
so that his game could be fulfilled!
Refr. Alas and woe!

186. Flowers, Flowers!
Take, O flower, a bloom, since it betokens love!

By love beyond measure this sweet flower seizes my very soul.
O sweetest Flora, always this wondrous blossom perfume!
For, radiating like Aurora, your beauty will ever be!
See the flower, Flora, and when you do, smile on me, too!
Speak kindly to her; your voice is the song of the nightingale!
Kiss the flower! The flower befits your sweet, rosy mouth.
A flower in a portrait is not a flower—nay, it is a shade;

he, who paints a flower, its fragrance does not portray.
THE LOVE SONGS = 223
HERE END THE LOVE SONGS.

> a
Liber Certius:
The Drinking Songs
THE DRINKING SONGS 227
NOW BEGIN THE DRINKING SONGS.
187. The Secular Court
O the solicitudes of men

of whom the court takes care!
O ye, whose pursuits have no end!
If Pylades adopted
the fidelity of such men,
he would abandon Orestes, !
his ever faithful friend;
for Theseus would then contemn
the more beloved half of himself,”
where Proteus reigns
and the die of Fate plays its game.
From the palace of the prince,

if nothing you possess,
it behooves you to go far away.
An empty hope do you conceive
if paltry fortune be to your name.
To make a profit in every possible wise
they, of one mind, concur.
From whom nothing is gained,
he wastes his labor and pains,
because they follow to the letter
“it shall be given to him who has.””
Mild censure becomes pernicious to its speaker;

the flexion of a strict law
is awarded to pelf’s giver.
You interpret the decrees
at your own pleasure,
if money with ajingle
has sounded its presence.
With sacks full of money
the punishment of the transgressor is dissolved.
If asked whence the word “position” derives,
answer that it comes from pockets and safes.
Lacking the titles of office,

ambition with friendliness feigned
extends a kiss of love
to every individual it meets.
But it stands out in eminence,
when it secures a shepherd’s staff.
It freely manifests
its true character, which
the cunning mind had hidden deep within:

what once was hidden comes forth
through words and works.
Courtiers inveigle men with words

who don’t deserve to be lured to them;
deceitfully do they seduce
all moneyed men.
These men upon whom they rush,
through fine nets try to flee.
The gift of the Holy Spirit
thus comes now
to Simon the Sorcerer’s men.
Skillfully shaped it is,
if faith is to be offered to dogs.
188. Rich and Loved
Loved and worshipped is he, whom the lot of riches adorns;

scorned and oppressed is he, who seems to have naught at all.
If you are rich, the praise of many will you enjoy;

but neglected will you be, if no abundance of money is in your employ.
189. When In Rome...

‘Aristippus,’ albeit late,

to enjoy your counsel
I stull should like.
What am I to do in Rome?
I am not an expert at lies.
Flattery earns one the favor
of plenipotentiary lords.
if I should refer to an unpleasant truth,
to the likes of Verres” I shall never be dear.
An actor deserves
a reward for his pluck,
when he pays court to vice
with sweet untruth.”
“Diogenes,° explain first and foremost

what it is you intend—
is it office you want
or prebends?
They rule the church—
these men, whom
you displease, unless
you join in their vices and faults.

Treasured you will be, if you praise
the stains in the lives of the prelates.
Our holy bishops love before all others
the accomplices in their crimes,
the abettors of their sins.”
“T have neither learned how to applaud

the vices of powerful men
nor to speak with duplicitous heart’
to win the favor of them.
I am always accustomed
to employ the utmost simple truth;
I grieve that fame is given to whomever
well beyond their own deserts,
nor do I make fat with oil
the heads of any sinners.”
“Therefore, you should be banished

far away hence, if you hesitate to lie!
In sooth the simple truth
has made exiles of many men!
Worship our patrons
with gentle blandishments!
And do not exasperate these men
with insults to their vice,
if you desire to enjoy
their favor and their aid.”
“Therefore, according to your advice,

it is best that I be tacit
or with flatteries please
the delicate little ears
of powerful men whom you
want me to placate in this way.
To adulate or to be silent—
you set nothing between the two,
and I should, as if I promote it,
become an accomplice
to another person’s guilt.”
“You should not be afraid to sully yourself

by sharing another’s blame.
If you wish to enjoy thoroughly
the favor of mighty lords,
you should in vice take part.
When those in their coterie are fashioned in their image,
by sharing living quarters, they—
confederates of Gehazi, men like Proteus in faith,

and followers of Orpheus*S—
rejoice in their success,
the princes of the priests.”
“Go back, Satan, erase your tales!

For whatever counsel
you should give—
organs of falsehood,
adulatory choirs’ songs—
I wholly execrate;
nor do I encourage anyone’s vice
through coaxing or gushing at all.
But I have always been on guard
against a sycophant’s fame,
and his art of deceit I have always shunned.”
“Then you should live modestly

and be content with little,
for the Cynic has no need.
If you desire to be a Cynic,
you should say farewell
to the courts and leave,
nor should you allow yourself
to give applause to misdeeds.
Among the corrupt, corrupted will you be,
if you seek to be the welcome houseguest
of men of plenipotentiary state.”
190. On Detractors
Worse than open enemies are detractors.

They, slandering one behind his back and flattering in his sight,
are more inimical, because their perfidy is not manifest.
The tale-bearer’s tongue is far worse than the dragon’s gall.
191. The Wanderer’s Confession

by The Archpoet
Boiling deep inside with passionate ire,

I speak in bitterness to my heart.”
Forged from the essence of a light element,
I am similar to a leaf, with which the winds sport.
Since indeed it is characteristic of a wise man

to place the seat of his foundation upon a bedrock,
I, a fool, compare myself to a gliding stream,
above which the air never remains the same.
I am carried like a ship without a sailor,

like a wandering bird through the paths of the air; no
bonds detain me, nor does a latch: I seek out people
of my kind and align myself with venal chaps.
Gravity of the heart seems to me like a very heavy weight;

a joke is lovable and sweeter than honey.
Whatever Venus enjoins, the toil to me is sweet;
never dwells the goddess in idle hearts and minds.
I walk along a broad path in the custom of a youth;

I, forgetting virtue, entangle myself in vice.
I am more eager for pleasure than salvation from sin;
dead in spirit, [ much devotion to my flesh bear.
Wisest prince of the church, I pray for your mercy:

I am dying a beatific death; in a sweet wise am I being killed.
The beauty of maidens wounds my breast, and when I
cannot sleep with them, I whore at least in my mind.
To conquer one’s nature is a most arduous task:

in the sight of a maiden, the mind is not pure.
We youths cannot follow an obdurate law
and must have a care for soft, beautiful forms.
Who set in fire is not by it burned?

Who staying in Pavia’ could be considered chaste,
where Venus with her finger hunts youths,
ensnares them with her eyes, and robs them with her face?
If you should place Hippolytus'' in Pavia today,

he will not be Hippolytus on the subsequent day.
All paths lead to Venus’ bower,
nor in so many turrets is Truth’s tower.
Secondly, I am also of gambling accused,

but when a game sends me home without any clothes,
I, though cold outside, sweat from the heat of my soul;
then I forge better verses and greater songs.
In the third chapter I make mention of the pub:

at no time have I spurned nor will I ever spurn it at all,
until I espy sacred angels coming en masse
and singing “Eternal Rest” for the departed dead.
My intention is to die in the tavern,

so that wines may be near my lips as I pass;

then choirs of angels will joyously sing:
“May God be gracious to this imbiber of spirits.”
The lamp of my soul is kindled by drafts;

my heart, filled with nectar, flies to heavenly heights.
The wine from the alehouse tastes sweeter to me
than what the bishop’s butler mixes with water.
Certain poets avoid public places and select secluded

haunts as their retreats; they are eager, importunate,
never asleep, and always toiling away—
all to produce no magnificent work in the end.
The whole throng of poets fast and in abstinence live,

avoid political quarrel and the marketplace’s bustle,
and, to produce a great work that will never fade away,
they die from their alacrity as slaves to their task.
Nature vouchsafes every man a special gift:

I have never been able to write while parched;
a boy could outdo me in verse, if I’m sober.
I detest thirst and hunger as I do death.
On each man Nature bestows a singular gift:

I, whilst composing verse, am quaffing good wine
that is even purer that what the casks of innkeepers contain.
Such wine generates a tremendous stream of words.
The character of my verses is the quality of my wine;

I can create nothing, unless I have had a bite of food.
My parlance, when I write sober, is not cogent at all;
when I sit behind brimming cups I precede Ovid in song.
The spirit of poesy is never granted to me,

unless my stomach has first been filled well;
when Bacchus rules in the citadel of my brain,
Phoebus rushes into it and heralds miraculous things.
Lo! I was the betrayer of my own perversity,

of which your knaves at this time do now accuse me.
But none of them is his own accuser, though they
wish to trifle and enjoy their age.
Then now in the presence of a wealthy bishop,

following the model of God’s commandment,
he should cast stones at me and not spare the poet,
whose mind and soul are not conscious of any guilt.
THE DRINKING SONGS
233
I have accused myself of all my faults of which I’m aware,
I have expelled the poison, which I have nurtured for so long.
The old lifestyle is displeasing, but my new ways are not;
people only see the facade, but to Jove lies open the heart.
Now I value virtues and am nettled by vice;

with a renewed mindset, I am reborn in spirit.
As if cut from a new mold, I subsist on milk;
lest my heart be an ark of worldly vanity.
Chosen Bishop of KG6In, spare a penitent soul,

show compassion and mercy to a supplicant,
and offer penance to a confessor of his crimes.
I will willingly perform whatever you bid.
Even the lion, the king of beasts, spares his subjects,

and is unmindful of his rage against those very souls;
do you the same, princes of the lands:
what is void of sweetness is exceedingly bitter in taste.
191a. Will Verse for Food
Since your manifold fame has been spread far and wide,
all things brought forth should be consonant with truth;
foolish it is to color things that are already so well-hued,
nor does it befit anyone to plant what is already sown.
I, enraptured by the splendor of the renown that is running ahead of you,

have not come to cast words unrestrainedly at the winds,
but so that I—as the Lord has enjoined—may acquire
the dew of grace from the depth of a giving heart.
Consider whether it would please you to keep me in your court:

I am certain to provide capital service as a scrivener,
and, if perhaps a great poetic work should impend,
I could doubtlessly fill the shoes of your royal bard.
If you refuse this, hearken to what you should consider now:

you should kindly condescend to one, burdened with poverty,
and bestow care to some degree on a gift to him,
to drive away the tribulations of this poor man.
My father, I have captured so much in so few words,

because this parlance beseems sagacious men,
and to completely deflect the reproach of applause,
I have decided not in further speeches to indulge.
192. ] Serve the Good
If one should displease the vicious, he need not be distressed;

who is not perverse himself cannot win their favor.
I wish to please the good; I despise being esteemed by the bad;

for they are wont to view good folks with very hateful eyes.
193. On Water’s Quarrel with Wine

by Peter
Under the constraint of naked truth

and in succinctness of the briefest sort,
I, with many reasons, do affirm
that two oppugnant things
must not ever be mixed,
but completely divorced.
When they are poured into a goblet,

water is mixed with wine;
but such a conjunction is not good
nor ought it receive any praise,
but is, in fact, better called
a confounding of things.
Wine feels water lying beside it.

Injured and in pain, it exclaims:
“Who has dared to couple you with me?
Out of my bed! Rise! Go off into the night!
Not in the same place should you
live together with me!
“Atop the marl you should be trodden

and should mingle yourself with the dirt,
so that you may cross over into muck.
Worthless and undignified,
you seek fissures, so that you may
penetrate the foul quarters of the earth.
“A table is not honored by you;

no One in your presence speaks.
But who was jocular before,
who laughed and whose speech
easily flowed, through you
a word no longer speaks.
“When one by chance partakes of you,

if he be healthy, he then grows ill;
THE DRINKING SONGS
235
you derange that poor man’s bowels!
His stomach thunders, his winds surge,
which, if imprisoned and not paroled,
cause much suffering and distress.
“When the belly is inflated, then it

trumpets various blasts through both
orifices afore and back, and, when
the wind thus settles,
the air is disturbed
by a rotten gift.”
Water then against wine protests:

“Your life in ignominy lies low
together with great wretchedness.
Those, who are your imbibers,
ruin their lives, lose their manners,
and sink into deeds of vice.
“You know how to tangle tongues;

wont is he to stagger and reel,
who takes in your kisses.
He no longer knows what he says;
he thinks there are one hundred lights,
when he sees but two.
“And who are your enthusiasts?

The murderer, the prostitute,
Davus, Geta, Byrria!'?
Such curs serve you,
such mongrels boast of you
in your court, which is but an inn.
“Because of your depravity,

you possess no freedom at all,
and you inhabit but paltry homes.
A mighty station I hold in the world:
when I am unleashed, I pour
through every mite of land.
“T give refection to a thirsty soul,

and I am indispensable
to one seeking salvation,
because I transport pilgrims
from distant zones and vicinal frontiers
to the palace of temples, holy Jerusalem.”
Wine retorts: “By your self-laudation

you demonstrate your fraud.

It is true that you welcome ships; but
soon after you begin to swell. Until
they are shivered, you rest not,
and in this way you play a delusive host.
“He who cannot quaff your brine

nor dry up your vast stretch,
travels atop you unto doom.
Trusting you, he unsafely strays.
And so he wanders forever
through your watery ways.
“T am a god—Ovid attests to that! es

and through me wisdom
is infused in the hearts of all.
When teachers don’t drink me,
they lack every spark of soul,
and no students ever throng their schools.
“One cannot separate truth from fraud

unless he endeavors to imbibe
my spirit, pure and unmixed.
A lame man runs, a blind man sees,
a sick man rises; a woeful man smiles,
and a mute man speaks through me.
“Through me the dotard grows young;

through you the playfulness of young men
tumbles and decays.
Through me is the world reborn;
never through you is a son
or daughter conceived.”
Water counters: “You are a god,

through whom a good man becomes
guilty, bad, worse, and the worst.
You inspire one to stammer out
words that are only half-full:
with a flask wise Didymus"* becomes a babbling fool.
“Such a divinity should be cursed—

a sharp file of skullduggery,
the font, the source of iniquity
that abuses even good men
and withdraws from all lands
when the rushing river comes.
“T am the voice of truth;

I give fertility to the earth;
through me all things spring:
when there is no rain,
the herbs and fruits dry up,
and flowers and leaves decay.
“Your tortuous mother

never rises with fruit,
but is wholly sterile
and denuded of her hair;
when parched, she crawls atop the soil,
and becomes pithless and brittle.
“Famine attends all the lands,

when I withdraw, and all people
wail and are fitfully discomposed.
The Christian petitions Christ for me;
the Jew and the heathen continuously
shed prayers in hope for my return.”
Wine responds: “You sing your praise;

through rhetoric, you extol yourself,
but I see you in another light.
Since you are known in all places
as vile and wholly unclean, do you believe
that I don’t know what you truly are?
“You, the brine and the sewer of things,

swallow what descends from the latrine;
I will say nothing of the rest.
Foulness, dregs, many poisons,
and things which I cannot name
you snatch up like an thief without rein.”
Water rises, defends itself

and reprehends wine
with a reviling rebuttal:
“The identity and nature of the god you are
is not hidden, but, nay, is manifest to all ears
from the prophecy that you laid forth.
“Your words harm me not,

but your vile argument sits
not well in the mouth of a god.
I will not endure filth
for more than nine paces,
but fling it away from myself.”
Wine then says: “Florid words

were wasted on inattentive ears.
Still you drive not out your vice thereby.
Many have witnessed your carrying refuse
which remains in you
throughout all the day!”
Upon hearing this, water is stupefied

and loses its faculty of speech;
through its tears, it heaves heavy sighs.
Wine exclaims: “Why are you silent?
It is patent that you lie conquered
and know nothing of reasoned debate.”
I am Peter the disputer

and terminator of this case,
and I declare to every race:
that mixing these is an execrable affair
and should be dissevered
from Christ for all eternity. Amen.
194. Unnatural Unions

by Hugo Primas
In myjug Thetis is joined with Lyaeus.'”

The goddess is bound to the god, but she is greater than he.
l 9)
Neither has power, unless the two divorce.
Thus let the god be without the goddess.
If two different things come together in an unnatural way,

though each may be good by itself, they each other destroy.
Remember ye not that at the banquets of the Toastmaster
water is not the consort of wine in the goblets of the Lord?
195. The Wonders of Booze and Dice
If you are one whose wealth rests in the service of dice

and you rejoice at being in the fellowship of vagabonds,
then never should you disdain wine,
and you should the taverns love.
The infusion of Bacchus, to wit, the spirit,

lures people to the study of drinking.
It dispels the irksomeness of solicitudes
and fills every breast with bliss.
Our community should observe no end and should drink

7
to the bottoms of the tankards with unwavering trust in Decius.'
THE DRINKING SONGS
239
For we know that he carries
the shield of Fortune.
Be you with zeal concerned about constant study—

use your fingers well! You will be a vying people
in the deceitful game of dice
under the hope for profit.
Who loses his mantle

knows that Decius
heralds thereby
that Fortune favors him not,
when he recklessly plays,
wanting to drink for free.
The gamesters’ exertions

are not without deceit.
The anger of the loser
is a delight to him,
who has won his cloak
through the vice of fraud.
Such a man, whom the two-one!®

has denuded, should not wonder why;
for just as Fortune compels him to make
amends to the dice, she has also allotted
Jove success in his ill-begotten deeds.
Him, whom Fortune strips bare,

the hope for profit exhorts
to continue to play the game;
but if the witnesses rip
the clothes from his corpse,
he receives no help at all.
In the tavern
eternal deceit
is always in play.
Who loves it
often exclaims
sitting with a naked back:
“Woe to your gifts, Decius,

you are full of fraud and perfidy!
You create a throng of rueful men;
you produce the grating of teeth.
“Indeed the pursuits of players

are chicanery and rapine,

which deal me a deathblow
submerged in ruin’s tide.
“The earlier goodwill of Fortune

has been inverted; she has completely
turned away from me and treats me
harshly like an unwanted stepson.
“On a dessert dish she stands

with a proud head of hair;
she now has the ears of a viper
and a hairless back of head.”
“Schuch,” says the naked man in the cold,

in whose chest the chill frost congeals;
tremors throughout his body torment him—
he wishes he were sitting beneath a tree,
bathed in the heat of summer.
By Decius the sentence

is handed down
to his reverencers,
whom cruel winter
harrows always
with its foul storms.
Beneath busy fingers

lurks fraud
and deceit.
Hence arise often,
during a game,
discord and disputes.
In the custom of a fast cheat,

Fortune chicanes players
with slow rolls and heavy hands;
but let comrades be aware,
during the game,
of the trickery of Decius the King of Games.
In their favorite occupation,

fraud and skullduggery
are co-rulers with King Dice;
not on the basis of fair laws
have we observed their penalties,
but in tightly-fastened nets.
If anyone practices the game

with all the devotion of his heart, Otto,
the witness of this undertaking, whose
life thread Clotho”” holds in hand,
can testify to him that he often loses his clothes.
Because of the game

my comrades
are very often nude;
and when I vouch for them,
they cast lots
over my clothes.
Alas, a sack often serves

as clothing to one who is nude
on the game’s account!
But then our patron Bacchus
lets us forget the pain
and the power of death.
Then they greet the mugs

and praise the host;
the denarius is excluded from here,
and on all sides these words resound:
“Greetings, monsieur, bring hither wine!”

Thereupon let us kiss its purple lips.
We don’t deem us high atop the Rhine,
but we serve Bacchus, our patron saint.
Then the tumblers fall as dew from above;

the tankards rain upon us unfermented wine.
Who has only just drunk the elixir,
should imbibe it past his thirst.
Then they request the numbered cubes

and cast them for the next drink’s round,
and not a soul wastes a single thought
on the truculent Wind of the North.
196. In the Tavern
When we are in the tavern

we care about nothing mundane,
but we hasten to the game,
over which we always sweat.
What one does in the tavern,
where money is the builer,
it behooves one to discover himself,

but let what I say be heard.
Some men gamble, some men drink,

some live on discretion’s brink!
But some of those who tarry
are denuded in the game:
some there come into clothes;
some are accoutered with sacks.
No one there has a fear of death,
but they draw lots for wine.
First, they wassail to him who pays the bill,

then they all toast to whomever they will.
They drink once to the men in chains;
after this, thrice to all living remains;
four times to all Christian souls;
five times to all the faithful departed;
six times to the inglorious sisters;
seven times to the sylvan riders.
Eight times to the brothers perverse;

nine times to the monks dispersed;
ten times to the wayfarers of the sea;
eleven times to the squabblers of the world;
twelve times to all who bear repentant souls;
thirteen times to those who lie on the street.
Each drinks to the pope and to the king
as much as his own desire doth ring.
The mistress and the master together swill;

the rider and cleric around the wine mill;
that man drinks; that lady, too;
the slave together with the maid;
the swift man and he of a lazy trade;
the white man and the black man, too;
the steadfast man and he of inconstant hue;
and the rube and man of alchemical ado.
Drink the pauper and invalid as well;

the exile and he of foreign dell;
drink the boy and he at life’s last beacon;
drinks the bishop, drinks the deacon;
drinks the sister, drinks the brother;
drinks the old woman, and drinks the mother;
that lassie drinks, and that fellow imbibes;
drink one hundred, drink a thousand tribes.
Six gold pieces go not very far,

when all drink without bridles
and without a goal line,
though with ever happy minds.
For this reason all the world slanders us,
and we shall be always penurious.
May our detractors be ruined and damned
and ne’er in the book of the just be scanned.
197. The Boozers’ Throne
When one sees the house of stone in the marketplace’s midst

and the eyes are inveigled by a brother’s rosy light,
the comrades then say,
“Here stands a bar of pleasantry.
Bacchus should uplift our hearts,
Venus should lighten our spirits,
by her sachet’s tender powers,
and thereafter transform
our raiment into securities
and accept them as currency.
“To eating tasty foods and being fattened

and amplified by their richest fare
let us devote our souls
and eagerly raise drinks to our lips!”
Ah! How happy is the life of the drunkard,

who slakes his storms of worries and grief,
when the auroral wine in the red glass breaks!
Boozers swallow flagons of wine,

wine infused with honeysweet perfumes,
and spiced wine that savors of nectar’s dew.
They empty mug after mug on their majestic thrones,
whereupon the poor cast off
the yokes of pauperdom.
All then shout: “Onward, let us hence!

Our bellies bid us to enjoy a small meal!
The stomach, long lacking food, recuses all drinks,
and ‘twill be but half a pleasure, if the paunch has no fill.”
With swayward steps, the winos roar out of the house,

and tumble flat onto the cress beside the road.
Naked are the cronies, for they have not their woolen coats.
Leaning towards the earth on bended knees
and lying in muck, they yell: “Let us pray!”
Behind their backs resounds a voice:

“Rise ye! Your orisons are already heard,
because Bacchus has your faithful compunction observed!”
198. Godfrey’s Counsel

by Godfrey of Winchester
Honey, a sweet fare, is oft injurious to many:

riches, though sweet, Allius, oppress many.
Simple food indeed makes one healthy and strong;

but many foods have ruined even men of sound minds.
199. Unmixed Wine
It is the fault of unmixed wine

that beckons me to the forbidden;
festival goblets
are not destructive.
I worship Bacchus
without deceit,
because I wish my mouth
to be furnished with drink.
Here at this flat table let

a bustling respite be permitted!
Our comrades, the dice,
valiantly strive in war!
Certainly because of it
I have long been
without a shirt on my back,
as have my gaming fellows and chaps.
He will never be a seemly lad,

who stays fixed to one place,
and fails to gallivant with a heart of mirth
all around the world—
both hastening hither
and speeding thither away
and crisscrossing
the globe every which way.
Simon came to Alsace

to visit his fatherland.
He came to his confreres
to visit every part
where our brothers
drink wine,
both white
and red.
200. Hymn to Bacchus
Welcome, O pleasant, long-awaited Bacchus,

through whom our spirits become laden with joy!
Refr. That wine, a good wine, a noble wine,

makes a man courtly, virtuous, and brave!
Bacchus mightily overpowers the hearts of men

and awakens in them their lust for life!

Bacchus often seeks the female sex

and makes them subjects to you, O Venus.

Bacchus courses through veins with his hot liquor

and sets them aflame with the heat of Venus.

Gentle Bacchus softens our solicitudes and dole

and confers upon us banter, joy, laughter, and love.

Bacchus is wont to calm a woman’s fitful mind

and drive her more swiftly into bending to man’s will.

Bacchus is accustomed to take by storm a girl with ease

from whom intercourse is not directly by request obtained.

Godly Bacchus beatifies every man

and renders him both sagacious and eloquent.
Refr. | That wine, a good wine, a noble wine,

Bacchus, O illustrious god, all standing here

happily bring you as offerings your gifts.

We all sing to you the greatest hymns of praise,

lauding you, as you deserve, for all our days.
201. Words to the Wine
“You, Bacchus, confer eloquence, curb the chatterbox’s mouth,

you enrich, you make poor, and you turn sorrows to mirth.
You conciliate hostiles, you breach treaties of peace,
and to those, who know naught, you omniscience vouchsafe.
Sealed by many bolts, the skinflint’s coffer opens itself to you.
You give, so that it may be given; you make giving impossible.
You grant vision to the blind and leaping limbs to the lame.
You are believed to be a god, because you do all these things.”
“Therefore let us drink, lest we suffer thirst, and let us replenish

our goblets and our cups! No one should worry about his family before
or his to come, since in death inevitable all estates will be lost.”
“Set down wine and dice; may he perish, who cares about the morrow.”
Appendix Vergiliana, The Barmaid”’
“Bacchus was captured and in strong shackles bound;

but the god did not will to be a prisoner of a dungeon’s bars.
And so in his chamber he broke the chains with his might,
burst through the gates, and emerged from the bolted cage.”
202. Imbibe Without Bound!
O exquisite boozehounds,
thirsting, when slaked, is allowed,
so, ho!, you should unrestrainedly drink
and ne’er be unmindful of your mugs!
The goblets repeatedly brimmed
should never come to rest,
and strange new speeches
should rear up their heads!
Ye, who cannot imbibe,

be far off from these fetes!
Get you hence! Why are you here?
This is no place for holding back!
Among exuberant revelers
the savage custom of moderation
is indolence’s indicator
and undisputed witness.
If anyone by chance lurks among us,

who hazards to refuse our wine,
let the doors be shown to him!
Let him depart from this company!
To us it would be more disagreeable
than death, if he remain!
Thus he should divorce his wife,
so that he does not ever return.
Who enjoys not unmixed wines

should live wretchedly and in distress.
A harsh lot in life is by true wine assuaged;
thus may the mixed cocktail be far from hence!
For it is a great transgression
against nature’s laws,
when this creation of a god
is tainted and marred.
Let not the goddess be joined to the god!”

Let the god spurn her advance!
For he who is called “Free” _
glories in his liberty.
His virtue is annulled
in the chalice and is enfeebled
to the point of death
through their copulation.
Since she is a queen in the sea,

a goddess can she be called;
still is she unworthy of so mighty a spouse,
on whom she would presume to plant her lips.
Never did Bacchus want to be
brought to drink on water,
nor was he willing to uphold
the very christening.
I purely pursue the purity

of creations so very pure,
because it is certain that every rarity
is more precious than rareness itself.

As the power of water
is of no use in wine,
so, too, is a little wine
in water of no avail.
Bacchus in benignant custom releases hearts

from their apprehension of death.
When a rather good wine is quaffed,
a sweet flavor sits in the mouth;
gaiety firmly stands
atop the taste of wine,
and with love grows warm
the once distempered mind.
203. Winter Games
In the time of winter,

when the meadows droop with frost
and the waters congeal,
around the hearth huddle they,
who rule with King Dice;
afterwards they warm themselves
and each companion ensnares another in a game.
Who came dressed is later found nude.
Alas, riches shake in consternation,
when poverty ever freely serves.
We, comrades, all drinkers,

pay the tavern a visit
when our mouths are dry.
Let us drink with alacrity!
Let the mugs be perpetually filled!
Let us in our custom gamble!
Clear the table! Out with the dice!
For coins and cups, clothes are exchanged.
Alas that now one should appear,
whom dice or Fortune favors more!
Soon he leaves the heated room,

he is received by a Chaldean,”
a comrade of his.
His jaws begin to chatter,
and, nude, he exclaims, “Woe, woe, woe!”
His teeth clatter in the wager.
“O child so unlucky, why come you from the warmth,
singing “The King the Martyr’ with a reverent mouth?”
Alas, this is the rule of our order whereby
our skin will assume a sickly hue and cast.
203a. The Song of Ecke
Helfrich of Lotharingia sings to us

how two praiseworthy heroes
came to blows with each other:
Ecke and Lord Dietrich.
They both were terribly strong;
therefore they both came to damage.
Quite dark was the forest where they met.
Through the unknown wood Lord Dietrich rode
with undaunted virility to him. Ecke came thither on foot.
He left at home his many steeds; this was not a prudent deed.
204. O Trier
Greetings, royal city,

Trier, city of cities,”
through which cheer
and joy return!
You blossom, fatherland,
through the flower of your burghers.
Blessings to you!
Refr. Now, lord host, bring hither the wine;

we desire to sit among it happy and blithe!
Trier, metropolis,
city of loveliest grace,
honorer of Bacchus the Great,
burg most grateful unto him,
give to thy inhabitants
the most powerful wines!
To your health!

The art of dialectics proves

nothing to be truer than this:
the Teutonic nation
drinks nothing better
and there is no city more generous
that more bountifully pours forth its gifts.
Cheers to you!

Before the throne of Jupiter

and the eyes of the gods,
it was concluded
by Venus’ judgment
that the rose should be given
to the rose gardener before all others.
Prosit for all eternity!

What is more delightful

than an extraordinary face?
The rose gardener today
honors the rose,
for which rings more joyfully
the clarion voice of bliss!
May you forever be blessed!

205. A Home Away from Home
The host is praised

if itis generously poured,
so that one may drink substantially—
and swiftly, too.
Refr. God’s grace, O goblet, be with ye!

Drink now, brothers,
and serve up the dice!
General amusement
abounds where
a draft is for sale,
which an affable lady vends.
Refr. | God’s grace, O goblet, be with ye!

The wine-waiter then takes joy.

Plentifully decanted
are drafts of the best
and the mildest wine—
THE DRINKING SONGS
251
and swiftly poured at that.

Bacchus spurs on to love

the young lad, who
is steadier in mind—
and swiftly spurs, too.

Here is the location

of the funfair and Christmas,
where this liberal statue’
actually applies.

Thus when we greet

the wine, we then sing,
“Mighty God, you we praise!”
and swiftly do we ring.

We, who pour

and provide the wine,
should not drink sooner
before we exclaim:

“Bacchus is sweet,
but still often severe
to those who imbibe rashly
and without bound.


“Therefore it should not be forborne,

but should more amply be drunk!
Now a worthy opponent should be produced—
and swiftly should he come!”

Then let us play,

let us cast the dice!
Merrily let us drink—
and swiftly swallow down!

206. The Effects of Wine
When a buck drinks, it says things unmeet; when with drafts

it is generously supplied, it says things that none beseem.
When I brim with booze, then with verse I totally overflow.

When I thirst, | am dry and have no heart for this, these or that.
207. Cursed Be the Die!
O casting cube, you coaxed me, when I had property to vend;

O perfidious, hollow die, wicked thing, gargantuan block!
The die is the substance whence every kind of perdition springs;

the die deposes the man of the highest reason.
The players of the game are mendacities, quarrels, naked sots,

breaches of faith, larcenies, hunger, and mutilated stocks.
Behold these three dogs—slow, swift, and of emptiness full—

are my hope, for they make me a profit and multiply my dough.
For pledges and coins, spoils and castles supreme they hunt.
They pillage you, but me in this way serve.
208. Alea’s Riddle
Two times two letters or three syllables shape me.

THE DRINKING SONGS
253
If my head were subtracted, from the rest is born a beast.
If my abdomen were removed, I will be gracefully with wings decked.
If inverted, I will be nothing to the layman or the priest.
209. To the Board!
Rook, pawns, queen, bishop, knight, and above all ye, king: a scheduled
conflict calls ye to the buffets of war! A voice in Rama cries, “Move fast,
goat, blare into battle, and raise a war cry!” Defeated by his opponent, one
may sigh, when the call is made, “Check with the rook and with it mate!”
210. The Rules of Chess
Who desires to acquaint himself with the noble game of chess

should give ear to what I have collected in this song at my best.
In a few verses I shall explain to him the rules of the strife.
Eight times the color on the board changes and shifts.
The first field is white, and red is the color of the second—
it can also be painted black or dark blue or simply red.
In the first field the rook threatens to storm into the fray.
In the second stands the knight—amusing is his moving way!
Third in line, the bishop is considered the king’s bodyguard.
The king poises in the fourth; in the fifth, a queen is enthroned.
After them the row of officers repeats itself again.
Afore advances a horde of very fleet infantry.
The pawn stands and captures from the right and left side,
when he spots an opponent diagonally opposed to himself.
And if ever he reaches the summit of the game-board,
he snatches up the queen’s customary functions.
Rendered into a dame, he as a fierce avenger sticks to the king,
commands and rules, spoils here and gives way over there.
The foot-soldiers are first to initiate the battle and first to fall;
by their capture, they leave to the others a precarious path.
The rook may move about the entire playing field
whithersoever it wants, if nothing stands in its way.
Mightier, it seizes the greater and, ere they slip, the lesser men.
Occasionally, it is lured by its lowest compeers into a trap.
Remarkably valiant, prudent, swift, and suited to arms,
the knight briskly dashes whither a narrow opening sits.
He chicanes his harmless mates, and the guileless he terrorizes
and pursues—he captures here and is captured over there.
The bishop sits at the crossroads, inspires awe with his miter,
and snatches frontwards and backwards the unwatchful suite.
The serfs are captured by their lords, the lords by their serfs.
So the noble cortege and hoard of pawns indiscriminately fall.
The king remains when his queen is wrested from him and he
alone is uncaptured. When she is lost, he tarries on the board.
Quite often is he in check, when he is by a swarm of servants
hedged in, and suffers checkmate, if no path for him is clear.
211. A New God
Epicurus loudly shouts to all who hear:

“A well-filled belly is free from care.
My stomach will be my god.
Such a god the weasand seeks,
whose temple is the kitchen,
where divine scents circulate.”
Behold! An advantageous god:

never is he hungry or wasting away;
before his breakfast, he, already drunk,
belches up his wine;
his altar and his chalice
betoken a truly blessed state.
His skin is always taut,

like a hose and a flask;
he combines a late breakfast with lunch,
whereby his cheeks are rosy and fat,
and if ever swells his vein,
it is stronger than a chain.
And so the cult of this religion

stirs up tumults in the paunch:
the belly rumbles in contest;
wine contends with mead.
O blessed life of leisure,
active only around the maw!
The stomach says, “I care

for nothing except myself;
thus I ensure that I,
pleasantly treating myself
to wondrous food and drink,
may sleep and repose in holy peace.”
211a. The Song of Palestine

Only now in the end do I live a life of worth,

since my sinful eyes do behold
the beautiful land and the earth,
which is paid high honor and extolled.
Now has happened what I had prayed:
I have come to the place where God,
THE DRINKING SONGS
255
in human form, His footprints laid.
212. Words On Moderation
I do not bid anyone to ruin the joys of life in this way,

such that through gluttony he should pass away.
Take up food in moderation; nature’s law is upheld thereby.

Refresh the body thus, lest the fasting soul be distressed.
213. The Players’ Commandments
. Eschew profit, for insalubrious avarice twists the mind.

. Dignified men, avoid deceit; dolts, cede to the wise.
. Who wish to gamble must pledge both their coins and pluck.
. Anger at losing pleases not at all, greatest brother mine.
. Play with insouciance, if ye always have money in the chest.
. If one comes with coins, he will leave with empty hands.
. A bitter end always threatens a greedy player.
. To the virtuous, peace is holy; from your anger in defeat desist.
. No one can play everywhere with a lucky hand.
NABWN
OMNIA
10. I unhand the Furies; I am added to them as the fourth.
11. Tame your wild passions, so that you can sensibly play!
12. Pray, lay aside the strife betimes, and cease your ire anon.
214. Whilst the Father Is Away

by Marbod of Rennes
If any reverence for my teachings still sits in you, then forbear,

my son, nonsense, whilst [ sojourn in the country for the harvest.
I shall set for you the boundary stakes, which your age demands.
If you transgress these, you do not deserve a guide such as me.
When you first awaken in the morning, rise from your bed
and occupy yourself with reading until the fourth hour.
At the fifth, have a meal, drink your wine, but moderately, and
when you have lunched, sleep briefly or play but a little. After
you have slept, make meditation your custom. Delay not
in entrusting the fruits of your reflections to your writing tablets.
I hope to see someday what you have committed to the wax.
Send me certain ones on occasion so that I may believe the rest.
After this, set about to read again; when you have read, then sup.
After your meal, if the hour does advise, then hasten to repose.
If there still be time, it is best to play a game after a meal.
In this order your daily regimen should run its course.
215. The Gamblers’ Mass
Now begins the Gamblers’ High Mass.

<Introit:>
Let us all mourn in Decius that we beweep this black day
for the sake of all the players’ pain: the dice rejoice ;
at their nakedness and together praise Bacchus’ son."
Verse: : : - n : : : s 5 25
May they curse Decius for all time; his deceit will sit ever on my lips.
Fraud be with you! ;

And with you, you gluttonous, fawning freak!”°
Orison:””
Let us spiff up! O god, who let us celebrate the evils of three dice,
let us grieve in the eternal unbliss of their confederacy. By...
Lection:
Lection from the Acts of the Fools. In those days, the players’ throng had
one heart and no shirt, and it was winter, and they cast their togs before
the feet of the lender called Landrus. But Landrus was full of wealth and
usury and dealt great damage to each man’s purse, whilst he lent to each
as much as his clothes were worth.”*
Gradual:
Cast your thoughts at Decius, and he will destroy you.”
Verse:
When I called for Decius, he heard my voice
and snatched my vest from the cheaters’ hands.*° Hallelujah.
Verse:
Wondrous is his life, and wholly unworthy of praise.*!
Sequence:
To the new victim should the Decians consecrate the five-six.”
The clothes, the steed, the cape, and the pelt

the six-five took away—
from their former proprietor
they were speedily by the roll snatched.
Death and misfortune fought
a truly outlandish duel;
finally, three dice
conquered the gambling soul.
Now he shouts: “O Fortuna,

what have you, wicked girl, done?
You swiftly stripped me of my clothes
and made a mendicant of a wealthy lord.
Through these three false witnesses

my raiment you have purloined.
May six and five, my only hope, now at last rise!
With celerity may they march onto the gaming table!”
More credence should be given

to the veridical six-five-four
than to the three-two-one in one ruinous toss.
We know that they have verily abstracted
from the players their clothes.
You, victor six, have mercy on us!
Gospel:*?
The sequence of the false gospel according to a mark of silver. Fraud be
with you, Decius!** When in the evening there was a gamblers’ flock,
Decius came into their midst and said: “Fraud be with you! Do not stop
your game. For your sorrow’s sake I was sent to you.” But Primas,” called
the Paltriest, was not among them, when Decius came. And the other
disciples said: “We have seen Decius.” Primas said to them: “Unless I set
my mouth on the glass’ rim, to imbibe, I will not believe.” But Primas,
called the Paltriest, cast a ten, another an eleven, and a third a
five. And the roller of the five exhausted his purse, and, since he was
nude, hid himself from the rest.
Offertory:
Bring salvation, Decius, to an insignificant purse
and gouge out the gamblers’ eyes, O Decius our Lord.”
:
Kneel down, greedy souls, to receive your curse! 37
Orison:
Let us wager! Pour, lord, your fury o’er the niggards and skinflints,
who carry a moneybag on their caboose*® and lock up their every penny,
so that it may propagate itself and spawn one hundred more. To hell with
him! He is the brother of depravity, iniquity’s son, the hexer of the stool,
of the race of ignorance, who pitifully pules when he fears he must hand
over a single coin. To the devil with him! May He deign to send His curse
to them, He, Who blessed Zacchaeus”’ and denied the rich miser a drop of
water. Amen!
And may God the Almighty Father’s curse fall upon them!"°
Communion:
All marveled inter se that Decius had reft the togs from every man."|
215a. A Malicious Prayer
Almighty, Eternal God, Who between the rustics and the clerics sowed
great discord, grant us our prayers to live by their labors,

to serve their wives, and to forever rejoice in their demise.
216. The Merry Fete
This is the time of mirth;

today is a festal day!
All should make music
and let their songs ring
from hearts brimming with love
and with a thrilling motion of the form—
young scholars especially,
who know best how to fest.
Yea, the stylus and blackboards

are festive centerpieces of a feast
along with the poems of Ovid
and the pages of other bards.
Whatever the others may do, we youths should love
and with a massive throng celebrate a merry ball!
217. Wassail to the Worthy
Friends, let us make merry,

adherents of leisure we!
Let our mouths raise
sonorous songs, SO we
may praise those worthy of laud,
virtuous and void of fraud!
Refr. |O and o with a

jubilant song
our throng should praise
all generous souls!
To the glory of the host,

whose fest you celebrate,
generously raise high
notes of praise condign!
Let us repudiate every dole
and, with a loud cheer, all intone:
Refr. O and o with a jubilant song

all generous souls!
“May the weight of death

crush jealous hypocrites all!
May they all perish,
fraudsters and liars!

May renegers on promised gifts
fall in punishment into hell!”
Refr. | O and 0 with ajubilant song

all generous souls!
218. A Warning to Penny-Pinchers
Let them, who can hear, hearken well:

disgrace wafts through all the lands
in search of worthless pinchpennies.
It has boldly decided
to bring under its control
wicked men, as always wonted to do,
in order to destroy them in Dothan.”
It should be so, it should be so.
O ye generous clerics,
consider now how things stand:
give, it shall be given you,”
let open your doors stand
to vagrants and those in need,
then you gain a house in heaven
and a seat in perennial bliss—
in so doing, in this way.
In the way that wheat is winnowed™*

I intend to deal with men: whilst
I sift out the munificent, the
wicked fall into the straw, and
the base are simply weeds— the
Devil fetches them all,
so they may for all eternity be lost.
Fie, fie, avaunt, avaunt!
The churlish village priests

are starvelings for life.
They promise and praise a lot
and yet bump straight into disgrace.
Each one practices and loves
what his nature has taught him;
nature does not force itself.
Hence! Begone! Hence! Begone!
219. The Order of Vagrants
When “Go forth unto all the world” is sung,

the priests set out, the monks hurry on,
and the deacons now rise from their gospel,
to join our denomination, which is life’s salvation.
In our sect there is a law: “Examine all!”

Look very carefully at our way of life,
persevere against depraved clerics,
who give not generously to you as charity demands!
Margraves, Bavarians, Saxons, Austrians—

all ye who are nobles, I pray ye as friends,
drink in with keen ears the new decrees:
damned be the misers who all liberality lack.
We are now the authors of Christian mercy

because we take in both great and lesser men;
we receive both the rich and the poor,
whom the pious monks cast out of their doors.
We take in monks with shorn crowns of hair,

even if a presbyter with his frau should come,
a teacher with his pupils, a man with his girlfriend,
and, most of all, the scholar who is finely dressed.
Our community receives the just and unjust,

the lame, the decrepit, those consumed by old age,
the belligerent, the pacific, the mellow and insane,
Bohemians, Germans, Slavs, and Romans,
those of average stature, giants, and dwarves,
those of humble dispositions and the vain.
Our order is rightly called a community of faith,

because such a variety of peoples come to partake;
thus “Der,” “Die,” “Das” should be set before our name,
since the many people who lodge here are of every species and race.
I shall explain to you the rules of the Order of Vagrants:

their way of living is noble; their disposition is kind;
arich roast forsooth delights their palettes
more than barley bread’s paltry slice.
Our order strictly forbids attendance of the matins.

There are wicked spirits that wander about in the morn,
ghosts through which empty visions come unto us.
If anyone rises at that time, he is not of sound mind.
Our order always forbids the attendance of the matins,

but immediately upon rising we seek out the taverns;
thither we have wine and chicken ferried to us;
here we fear nothing save the threats of the hashard.*”
Our order prohibits the wearing of two sets of clothes;

who receives a tunic, so he may go about respectably,
anon divests himself of his mantle. Under Decius’ aegis
the game doubtlessly takes his belt from him away.
What is said of the body’s upper half should apply to the lower, too.
Who enjoys a shirt should not trousers wear,
and if a shoe follows, a sock he should not bear.
Yea, whoever transgresses this edict is excommunicated.”
Under no circumstances should one leave the lodge hungry,

and he should always ask for a gift, if he is poor.
Often but one coin receives an increase in itself,
when a dexterous player sits at the gaming table.
No one should, whilst on his way, march against the winds

nor, because of his penury, assume a face of grief,
but should always don the hope of a faithful man.
For, after a great misfortune, follows a blessed lot.
You should say to those, to whom you come,

why you desire to reproach the conventions of each:
“T have come to reject the false and exalt the good
and to separate the virtuous from reprobate curs!”
220. The Pauper-Poet

by The Archpoet
Often to the learned I complain in my verses |

of the wretchedness of my pauperdom;
the lay cannot fathom what is born of a bard
and give nothing to me—this is very well known.
I, a poet poorer than all other bards,

possess nothing at all except what you see,
which is why I often grieve when you laugh at me;
you wouldn’t believe I am poor through the fault of me.
I ought not till fields because a scholar am I,

sprung from knights, who were experts at war;
but because warfare and soldiering terrified me,
I preferred to turn to Vergil rather than, Paris,” to thee.
I am ashamed to beg; I am unwilling to entreat.

Brigands possess more than I, but only through deceit.
What then am I to do, who neither cultivate fields
nor am willing to become a mendicant or a thief?
220a. The Miser Tailors
No one is so stingy that he does not buy for Christmas

a cap, a mantle, a pelt, or something of the sort;
still he does not circulate it at once or fail to keep it safe:
he wears it on some holiday, but only once a year.
The niggard hangs up his fur and envelopes it in cloths;

by donning it so rarely, he preserves it for many years
from tearing, staining, marking, and damage
by fire, smoke, dust, wine, and even water.
Recently I saw a gathering of wealthy men,

glorying in the gestures of their festive wear,
although they had cloaks of such wondrous age
that a returning Odysseus could recognize them.
The color and the shape of the mantles often shifted:

it was a color formed when a red is made from a green,
or when what sits within is turned inside-out,
or when a color 1s by the dyers restored.
It was a shape forged when the raiment of the rich

is fashioned into multicolored forms with alternating hues.
“My mind is bent to tell””! of old apparel transformed
into new forms—or, rather, just renewed.
I saw a certain cleric of considerably bright fame

changing shapes into manifold works of cloth,
tailoring, against the chill of winter, a cloak,
draping a capuchin around himself at the dawn of spring.
When this used article was repeatedly revamped

and started to tear from being hemmed again and again,
he was unwilling to discard it at once, nor did he toss it at all,
but tailored for himself a heavy coat that spared his tunic.
He transformed its shape in the manner of a Gorgon’—

nay, the miraculous artist forged a hermaphroditic frame;
he masculinized a woman, he feminized a man,
and, surpassing Teiresias, executed a threefold change of sex.>*
It would not have seemed enough to him to turn into a capuchin the coat,
THE DRINKING SONGS
263
and, conversely, to turn back into a coat the capuchin,
and change a rendered coat back again into a jacket,
if he could not in the end use the jacket as a shoe.
Primas had enacted the decree in Rheims™

that ye should not blanch old gray coats,
and prohibited their restoration with lime or chalk.
That decree has become worthless, as you now see.
We, too, as devout successors of this decree

excommunicate these and coat-to-cowl converters
and all the old-cowl-to-coat alterers of this sort.
May they all be anathema, until they change their ways!
221. Drink In His Name!
“Since I am aware,” Cato begins,”

net
who could accuse me of committing a sin
We sing to the glory and praise of our host,
whose heart is good and in the right place.
Therefore, dearest brothers, understand

and direct the goblets to your lips!
And if anyone of you cannot hold his liquor in,
let him be sundered from us and here.
If anyone should spend his coat on booze,

he should afterwards gamble away his shirt.
And if you know anything more about this affair,
he should be stripped from his sole to his crown of hair.
Then you will be companions of the apostles,
because “their sound penetrated every land
and their words the world’s every frontier.”””
That noble fellowship

disported itself with these feasts
and took joy in hearts pure
and should give back condign praise
to the Son of the Highest Father
and to our most munificent host
of such a name hitherto unknown—
may he live long!
222. The Abbot of Cockaigne
Iam the abbot of Cockaigne

and my counselors are all bacchanals,
and my love belongs to the Order of Decius,
and he, who seeks me in the tavern in the morn,

after the vespers, will leave there naked
and, thus divested of his clothes, will shout:
“To arms, to arms!
Most wicked Luck, what have you done!
All the joys of our life
you have robbed!”
223. Words of the Wise
For a gift we are wont to make a return, as we do words for words.
In lieu of sheer words we use mountainous herbs;

in lieu of valuable things, we collect pigments and spices.
224. Detest Not the Poor
May the Artist, Who created the human race from loam
and coated the eyes of the blind man with sacred sputum,
efface our sins and save our souls:
“Peace be with you all,” is my greeting to you.»
O noble prelates, O lettered men,

legates of the Highest King,
O blessed priests,
O chosen race
that comforts me
through your virtue’s acts,
I who am dejected and by all despised:
it is So very obvious—
my poverty is a testament to this—
that for lack of clothing I come in
rather tattered and in rags.
If you wish to lend me your ears:
I attest that I am acquainted
with men of wondrous grace.
Who practice virtue, noble I call,

but the avaricious who contemn me, I expurgate
from the book of life and thrust back into hell,
so that they may remain there within Pluto’s cell.
225. On Priests—Yet Another Song!
O all ye deacons and priests,

hearken to me now!
You should take in my words
without dispute or quarrelsome remarks.
O ye teachers, who are consecrated

and with virtues adorned,
no one else should be your kin,
except those, who are learned
and morally beyond reproach.
We should be counted among these men.
Your hearts should not be hardened

in wrath against me, who am so
denuded and stripped of all means.
Therefore kind lords, make brotherly love

a matter of the heart and solace my truly needy self,
so that I may be blessed with your liberality,
for I know you are friends of Charity.
No pious man should

for the sake of one shilling
be altered such that he is of another mind
and different from his former self.
226. On the State of the World
The world has changed often in various ways

and has been demoted from its olden rank:
the order of the world is completely disturbed;
it still stands in name, but has on its stomach been turned.
The vintage have passed; the old ways are no more;

a more vile and iniquitous custom has evolved.
No one is a friend; each loves only himself.
Saturn holds no sway now; nay, Ludwig wields it all.”
We once hoped that hitherto someone would remain,

who would bear up the world’s plunge through magnanimous giving,
furnish gifts from a full horn ofplenty, and have a reputation
for generosity and—more importantly—a record thereof.
Not yet have I been able to glimpse this rare bird:

it is rarer than the phoenix, truly a mythical wonder deer.”
So often have I sought it; O man of luck, seek it now!
Meanwhile we shall give it the name of Chimera.”'
Thus the world is sinking, and no one is lifting it up;

it runs, falls, and shatters—who is holding it back?
No one any longer treads generosity’s paths;
no one at all performs great feats of munificence.
Nevertheless one form of liberality I behold,

which you especially, O clerics, do pour out:
I shall describe it more unclad, if you remain silent
and if you with patience endure my words.
One then will say, “Explain! What is this of which you speak?”
I then shall respond, “Thais feels your copious flow of gifts,
that Thais who is known in bathhouses, Cumae, and Baiae,
that pestilence of Troy and juggernaut of the Greeks!
When she gives her nude body to a naked man, with this end in view,
she, with her hand, tongue, and lips, strokes, licks, and wets his nude
form; but Venus grates, tickles, and stings him to his very core;
thus Thais doubly cheats Pamphilus.”
Sull there is one, who loathes Thais as one does a corpse,
who guards himself from her as one would against a beast;
but whilst he fornicates with a young Ganymede-like lad,
his lustfulness gnaws with the same teeth at his money bags.”™
In this case there is no middle: every single cleric,

who is not generous to Glycerium, lavishes gifts on Sporus.™
Though there are many contemporaries who are ambidextrous in this way,
I nevertheless prefer death to the derisible antics of both.”
Hitherto there remains yet another type of generosity,

but it wholly pertains to the paunch, and in it Venus has no stake.
HERE END THE DRINKING SONGS.

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THE MAJOR PLAYS 269
HERE BEGIN THE MAJOR PLAYS.
227. The Birth of Christ
First a seat for Saint Augustine should be set in front of the church.
On his right should be Isaiah and Daniel and other prophets, and on
his left should be the head of the synagogue and his Jewish assembly.
Afterwards Isaiah should rise and deliver his prophecy:
Behold, a virgin will give birth without the seed of man,
whereby she will cleanse the world of the crime of sin.
Judea should rejoice in the coming of God,
and, hitherto blind, it will the threshold of error shun.
Afterwards:
Behold the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son,
and His name will be voiced as Emmanuel.
Again he should sing:

The Lord shall give Him the throne of His father David,
and He will forever rule.
Afterwards Daniel should issue his prophecy, expressing:

O hapless Judea! Thy anointing will lose its significance,
when the King of kings comes from His heavenly throne,
when the virgin with the lily flower of chastity still intact
and beatified by such a birth, brings the King into the world.
O hapless Judea, sitting in darkness,

free thyself of the stain of thy deadly sins,
rejoice in the joy of this so celebrated a birth
and do not cede to the allure of heretical belief!
Afterwards he should sing:

I beheld in a vision of the night: lo! in the clouds of the firmament
the Son of man came, and He received dominion and glory;
all the people, all the tribes, and all the tongues will serve Him.
Verse:
Behold, the ruling Lord with virtue will come.
Third in line, the Sibyl, gesticulating, should come forth and, looking
into the stars, with animated gestures, sing:
The uncanny nature of this star brings new tidings,
that a virgin, knowing nothing of union with a man
and remaining a virgin after the birth,
will beget a Son Who is the Savior of the world.
Dressed in different garb, a new Son

from the empyrean glides down to the mother’s breasts

and blesses the body of the woman,
deemed worthy to purge us of our sins.
A new Flower is preparing to enter into her lap,

when the virgin, still intact, births a Son,
Who will cast out threats to the hateful enemy
and as the new King usher in a new age.
From the sky will come a King of mighty name

Who will forge a pact between God and man,
and, drinking from the breasts of the mother and virgin,
wash away the guilt of the crimes of the world.
And she should sing these lines:

A sign ofjustice: the earth grows moist with sweat.
From the sky the future King will arrive at our age,
presenting Himself incarnate, to judge the world.
Hence the incredulous and the faithful will know
God on high and the saints at the end of days.
Aaron, the fourth prophet, should emerge with a staff that he took
from the altar and which alone amongst twelve dry staffs bloomed.
The chorus should lead out this actor with this responsorium:
Health to you, noble staff of Jesse;' health to you, Mary,
flower of the field, whence came forth the Lily of the vales.
Verse:
Thy fragrance is more sublime than all precious salves, dripping
honeycomb is thy lips, and honey and milk lie under thy tongue.
Then this prophecy should he pronounce:

Lo! In a new way our leafy almond tree is putting forth its sprays!
The fruit is Christ, but the blessed virgin is the bough.
And he should say:

Just as this spray has flowered without nutriment of any kind,
thus the virgin will give birth without damage to her flesh.
Though this bough has grown verdant not from nature’s effect,
but to give form to the mysteries within the virgin,
thus the virgin’s gates of modesty will be shut,
when she delivers the Child by the Holy Spirit’s power.
Fifth, Balaam’” should advance, sitting on an ass, and sing:

I shall go, I shall proceed, to curse the people in this ring.
An angel should rush at him with sword unsheathed and say:
Beware, beware of uttering aught other than what I have said!
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And the ass Balaam is riding should retreat in terror. Then the angel
should depart and Balaam should sing this responsorium:
A Star shall spring from Jacob’s house, and a Man from Israel shall rise
and dash all the foreign rulers and all the world will be His own.
Verse:
All kings will adore Him; all nations will serve Him. And it shall be so.
The synagogue leader, with his Jewish assembly, should vehemently

cry out against the prophecies they have heard, shove his associate,
move his head and entire body, and strike the earth with his foot and
mimic in every way with his staff the gestures of a Jew, and,
displeased at his associates, say:
Tell me what this whitewashed wall foretells!
Tell me what the decay of truth affirms!
Tell me what it was that oftentimes I heard!
Would that I knew the succession of things!
So much do I hear flowing into these words: that a virgin,
without having lain with a man, should give birth.
O what great naivety besots these men,
who predict that a camel from a cow will descend!
After the Jews’ protest and heresy has been heard, the Boy Bishop*
should say:
Meaningless and devoid of sense are the words of these men,
whom madness agitates and the disinhibiting power of wine,
but it remains for us to consult the judgment of Augustine,
through whom this discussion may be brought to an end.
Quickly the prophets should go before Augustine and say:

In great opposition to us is the vicious tongue of the Jews,
to whom the dregs of old heresies still adhere.
When we speak of Christ, they laugh and present
to us the arguments of their base of beliefs.
Augustine should respond:

Let the benighted people, disposed to folly, step forth
before us from the darkness and offer themselves to us,
so that, by the exposition of the error, it may grow lame
and the closed path of scripture may open itself unto them.
The leader of the synagogue should come, roaring with his people,
to whom Augustine should say:
Now open your ears, hapless Judea!
The King of kings will come in different dress;
when He drinks from the virgin mother’s breasts,
He will forge a pact between God and man!
The leader of the synagogue should derisively respond:

O Augustine,
from the profoundest depths of your insight
do you proclaim these prophecies that reason denies!
For if a virgin give birth, without commerce with a man,
Nature blushes and chaos ensues.
Why do you, infected with the old plague, oppose

and disregard what must by law have come to pass?
For if a virgin give birth, as these boys do foretell,
Nature can bewail an intrusion upon its rights.
When a virgin gives birth, then, Xanthus, thy current reverse!“

The wolf will flee the lamb; things rough will become smooth.
If you gather things contemporary and attend to relics of old,
then a contradictio in adjecto” is set: “A virgin bears a child.”
If a virgin give birth or by chance already has, a virgin,

who has not experienced the union of flesh before her throes,
as this garrulous prophet continuously asserts, then the law®
teaches and reveals that it will be but a fiendish ghost.
To believe that a child should thus spring from a virgin

of unbroken womb is folly’s pinnacle, not wisdom’s peak.
Either let my opponent expostulate with me
or let him, the bearer of folly and shame, flee!
Augustine with a sober, deliberate tone should respond:

In this prosperous event of such a singular case,
arguments and sophisticated methods of analysis fail.
For reason teaches us that Nature is not rejected,
if but once you see something that transcends custom.
You may say, “‘A dead man’ is a contradiction in itself,

which is expressed to youths in Aristotle’s works.”
But this your rule then suffers repulse,
when talk of the virgin mother from us rises forth.
Augustine should say:

Call it not a devil’s spook that a virgin will conceive,
that she will give birth, without having opened the gate of her shame—
to us a myriad of witnesses from Judea will come,
who will testify against you and for us.
As the sun’s beam enters a solid pane of glass

and the unhindered passage devoutly open to it stands,
so the Son of the Highest Father will assuredly glide
into the palace of the virgin and yet harmlessly betide.
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Afterwards Augustine should begin to sing:

Let the chorus of the faithful leap up in joy. Hallelujah!
First, a refrain and, second, the prophets:

The bridechamber of the intact virgin has birthed the King of kings!
What a wondrous affair!
The leader of the synagogue with his followers should say:

An impossible affair!
Again Augustine with his supporters should say:

A wondrous affair!
The leader of the synagogue with his followers:

An impossible affair!
This exchange should happen several times.

Augustine should begin:
An Angel of wisdom,
of a virgin born,
a Sun sprung forth from a star.
The prophets should respond:

A Sun that knows no decline,
a Star that always redly shines,
a Star that is forever bright.
Augustine should say:

Let the lofty cedar of Lebanon
fashion itself after the hyssop®
in our vale.
The prophets should say:

The Word, being of the highest,
submitted to bodily pain,
after It took up the flesh of man.
Afterwards Augustine should say:

Isaiah sang the prophecy—
the synagogue remembers it,
but still never ceases
to persevere in its blindness.
The prophets should respond:

If it trusts not its own prophets,
it should at least trust
these heathen prophecies
in the Sibylline verse.
Afterwards Augustine with all the prophets should say:

O unhappy race, hasten, trust at least
in the prophecies of olden days!
Why do you desire to damn yourselves, wretched clan?
Give the Son your regard,
Whom scripture does pronounce:
the mother has given birth to Him.
Afterwards Augustine alone should sing:

The Jews should now learn how they, in accord with us concerning Christ,
must embrace this new joy over this miraculous birth, the Hope of a new
salvation for all who are awaiting Him. Now they should believe
in His coming and await His incipient birth and say with us:
the new King will be the salvation to our world.
Between these prophecies and songs, the synagogue leader will

clamor against it, shake his body and head, and deride the
predictions. Afterwards, the prophets should either withdraw
or take their seats, so as not to thwart the play.
Then an angel should appear to Mary, as she occupies herself

in womanly handiwork, and say:
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee!
And again:
Lo! Thou wilt conceive and birth a Son and christen Him Jesus.
Stupefied, she should say:

How will that be, for I am acquainted with no man?
The angel responds:

The Holy Spirit will come upon thee
and virtue of the highest will shade thee.
Verse:
And so a Holy Being born of thee will be called the Son of God.
Mary responds:
Behold the handmaiden of the Lord!
May it befall me according to your word.
Then Mary should casually depart and, not knowing that old
Elizabeth was pregnant with John,’ should greet her, and Elizabeth
should say:
How have I merited a visitation from the mother of my Lord?
And she should sing:

As soon as the voice of your salutation resounded in my ears,
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with joy sprang the infant in my womb. Hallelujah!
She then should say:

Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
You will bring peace to men and honor to the angels.'°
Mary responds:
My soul praises the Lord.
Then Elizabeth should depart, for she has no other part. Then Mary,
who has already conceived through the Holy Spirit, should go to her
bed and birth her Son. Beside her should sit Joseph in noble dress
and with a long beard. When the Boy is born, a star should appear,
and the chorus should sing this antiphon:
Today Christ is born; today the Savior appeared. Today the angels sing on
earth, and the archangels rejoice. Today the just should exult and say:
Glory to God in the highest. Hallelujah.
Afterwards a star should appear. Three kings see it and from different parts
of the world should come and marvel at the appearance of such a star.
The first should say:
Often am I dragged through the crossroads of despair,
suffering a shipwreck of my reason and soul,
when I see this star carrying an indication that
novel as itself are the tidings it carries forth.
I have studied the courses and natures of stars,

and their numbers I know I have explored,
but when I look upon this star, I marvel anew,
for it has no reference in any of authors of eld.
When the moon is eclipsed and the sun’s light fails,

which effect, Stilbon, the companion of Venus, holds,
at which elevation, you, Mars, are said to be most injurious,
which the teachers of the old school to me made known.
But the radiance of this star makes me speechless.

What it portends I do not know, but through careful examination
this one thing I infer: that a Child has been born,
Whom the world shall obey and for all time awe.
The first should say this, always looking up at the star, and should
dispute over it. The second should say:
Sweet joy now clothes my heart;
a considerable shortcut has been forged for my path:
I have found a companion who exhibits uncertainty in that,
which remains unclear to me, and who my questions shares.
When I gaze at the planets with watchful mind,

my reason perceives the power of each one:
of Mars, of Venus, of the Sun and Mercury,
the clemency of Jupiter, and Saturn’s old age.
But in this, which you behold and with your finger indicate,
I, though recognizing its nature, waver in mind over its effect.
But what I sense from it, you should experience with me,
so we together may delight in the question that has been posed.
That splendor you behold that emits beams over distances great
and causes the other planets to turn pale proclaims
the birth of a King, mightier than Whom none will come,
yielding to Whose nod, the whole world shall serve.
The third should speak, pointing at and disputing the star:

The whole web ofquestions that one man knew how to untie,
he, from whom I learned that when the ray of the comet
draws itself out, the planets then will grow sluggish
and the end of certain princes will present itself.
We know what a fixed star is and what a planet is, too.

This is neither of these things, but since it’s a comet,
let us join in joy, let our hearts be happy,
for it is the true prophet of a Mighty King!
See how greatly the radiance of the star is increased,

whilst the brilliance of each planet is diminished!
It is perfectly fitted to the Being, Who was born!
Through Him every human power is in shadows placed!
Therefore let us proceed together with gifts,

and let us direct our steps whither the star has led,
so that, when we have seen Who we hope has been born,
we kings may offer our gifts unto the Lord!
Now the kings should proceed into the land of Herod, asking about
the child and singing:
Where is He Who was born the King of the Jews?
For we have seen His star in the east and have come to adore Him.
Messengers of Herod should accost them, saying:

Ye, who wear the habits and insignia of kings,
make known to us, why you thus advance,
or, if you know of some marvel that should be revealed,
speak what you seek to bring to our king’s ears.
We are servants of Herod and are his delegates;

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to him messengers from various parts often wend.

No secrets of the palace are closed to us; therefore
we demand information about the nature of your enterprise.
The kings should respond:

We do not wish to conceal what it is we seek;
the star that we discerned reveals our design.
We seek the newly-born King, Whose dominion
extends without end, as the star in the welkin doth declare.
The messengers should respond:

These tidings will be welcome to Herod,
and he will fain hearken to this news about a king.
So that we may be the first through whom he takes up joy,
in our footsteps follow us straightway to him.
Afterwards the messengers should hie to Herod, saying:

King Herod, receive a wonderful secret
to be revealed now by three kings to you:
These men aver that a venerable King has been born
to Whom they have no doubt the whole world will bow.
Herod should respond with great indignation:

Why do you dare to present such news to a king?
Do not, I advise, fabricate mendacities!
For I am Herod, with the power to subjugate
anything the world contains: sky, land, and sea.
After this, Herod, most indignant, should cause the synagogue leader
to be summoned with his Jews, saying:
Come hither, Judea, fruitful in counsel,
to discuss this affair with us. But I shall order
your punishment, if examination confirms
that you are deviating from truth!
Now the synagogue leader should come with great arrogance

and his Jewish assembly, and Herod should say to him:
I turn to you, master, and the others should take heed!
Unfortunate tidings harrow my soul!
Three wise men come hither, authorities on stars,
who hasten to the birth of an Omnipotent Son.
The synagogue leader with great wisdom and rhetoric rejoins:

Do not whirl yourself in the crossroads of solicitude!
Three kings should come here, asking about the child;
you will dispose them to yourself with great zeal,
and speak to them thus under the pretense of love:
“Kings you are, I see, as your clothing indicates.

To me it is a pleasure that your journey has brought you to us.
But as to what has brought you here, reveal the true reason:
for the king in all things will show himself propitious unto you.”
The kings should respond:

A new star radiates as the harbinger of His birth,
Whom all the world will obey, and Who will rule over all,
and nothing without His favor will be able to perdure,
and we, bearing these gifts, are travelling to Him.
Herod should respond:

I will not impede you on the journey you’ve proposed,
so go, and afterwards hasten to us your return,
so that I, too, may come and bring to Him the gift I owe,
to Whom I have no doubt the whole world will bow.
The three wise men should depart from Herod for a spell, looking at
the star and debating about it. Meanwhile an angel should appear to
some shepherds and say:
Great joy do I announce to you, O shepherds of the flock.
God in a cloak of flesh has enveloped Himself;
the mother did not birth Him through the union of the flesh,
but remains a virgin through the power of her Son.
The Devil should speak to the shepherds on their way:

Do not believe in such nonsense, O foolish-minded shepherds!
You should know that what truth demonstrates not is frivolous.
That a divinity has thus been laid in a crib
is a falsehood laid wide open before your eyes.
The angel again should speak to the shepherds, as they return to their
business:
Ye shepherds, seek out the Child in the manger
and present your felicitations to the mother and her Son!
Let no delay infiltrate your resolve,
but let the devoutness of your heart guide you thither.
As they continue, the devil should whisper in their ears:

O foolish company, behold the nature of his cunning,
who thus fashions things that the truth contravene;
see how his mendacity adorns nonsense with trappings
and he sets in harmonic verses everything he affirms.
The shepherds should marvel and say to one another:

Do you gather, brother, what I am hearing?
A certain voice is telling us of aSon, Who was born,
but from another I am hearing contrary words,
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that what we heard rests on a lie.
Again the angel should say to the shepherds:

Why do you not open your ears to this courier of truth?
Who is that chicaner who is leading you off the road?
Let no error befall you on the adversary’s account;
go, for as I do declare, the manger will be shown!
The Devil again should say to them on their way:

O thou simple-minded clan, wounded in sense!
Bring hay and fodder, not unwelcome to oxen,
so that the Divinity may eat whilst lying in His crib!
Like maenads you rave, when you think such things by truth are ratified!
Again the shepherds should say amongst themselves:

Listen again, brother, to such contradictions!
Thence I hear one thing, hence its opposite!
My simple spirit and bemused mind see not clearly which
of these statements is the better to adopt!
Afterwards angels simultaneously should convene and sing:

Glory in the highest to God, and peace on earth to men of goodwill.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Having heard this, one shepherd says to his confederates:

At the sound of this voice I heave a sigh,
and from it I feel deep within a jubilating joy.
Let us therefore proceed together to the crib
and on bent knees let us adore the Son!
Then the shepherds should proceed to the crib, singing this antiphon:
There entered with the angel a great heavenly throng
singing in praise: glory in the highest to God
and peace on earth to men of goodwill. Hallelujah!
Then they should laud the child and return to their business.
The three magi should run into them on the way and mu
Shepherds, speak of what you have seen
and proclaim the nativity of the Christ!
The shepherds should respond:

We have seen an Infant wrapped in swaddling-clothes
and choruses of angels exalting the Savior!
Afterwards the kings should approach the crib, first praise the Child,
and afterwards offer Him their gifts: first gold, then frankincense,
then myrrh. Thence they should walk a small distance and then sleep.
An angel should appear in their dreams and say:
Do not return to Herod, for he strives after the Child’s blood.
Seeing that they are not returning, Herod should say:

The race of Judea should hasten to hearken to Herod’s words,
and should offer counsel in this affair, which me deeply wounds.
King Herod is anxious and knows not what he should do,
since he sees himself by three kings mocked and ridiculed.
The synagogue leader should come with his men, and Herod should
say to him:
You, master, open the scriptures of the prophets,
and see if the seers transmitted anything about the Boy!
For when you have faithfully explained this event to me,
my heart’s cloistered intentions shall evince themselves!
The synagogue leader should respond:

You Bethlehem, land of Judah, will not be the least:
for out of you a Leader will arise, Who will lead My people Israel.!!
Then a incensed Herod should address his soldiers:

Go, go together with hand joined to sword,
His tender age hitherto must not spare the Boy!
Rather every mother should beweep her empty lap, so that
vengeance may be permitted me through the newborn son!
The soldiers should depart and kill the boys, whose mothers
should grieve and weep:
Alas, alas, alas!
Why does Herod’s bestial mind
lead against our offspring
so cruel an attack?
Woe, woe, woe!

What crimes has this tender age,
drinking from our breasts,
perpetrated as yet?
Alas, alas, alas!

This strangling grief,
when the ruthless sword
pierces innocent pates!
Woe, woe, woe!

Tender offspring until now,
through you your hapless mother
will descend into the netherworld!
Alas, alas, alas!

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281
Joy of life to me, son,
now a punishment,
you will be my gateway to death!
Afterwards Herod should be consumed by worms and, departing his

throne, be taken by rejoicing devils. Herod’s crown should be placed
on Archelaus his son. In his reign, an angel should appear to Joseph
in the night and say:
Take the wife and Child and to Egypt go.
Mary leading an ass should say:

To endure all trials, to avoid danger to my Son, I am ready as a mother;
Already am I on the way; You shall my companion be!
228. The Antichrist of Babylon
The King of Egypt with his retinue should be lead to his place with
this song:
In estival joy
is the earth renewed;
by the zeal of service to love
is Venus aroused.
Refr. How great are the joys,

eradicated is the winter’s chill.!
The meadows are adorned

with flowers of various hues,
the delightfulness of which
becomes an occasion for love’s suits.

From summer’s threshold

Cupid greets us; and earth,
now bloom-spangled,
her visage transmutes.
Flowers, love’s awakeners,
now smile upon the season.
Without Venus the blossom
of tender youth fades.
The beginning ofall things

is the day of the spring,
when the world celebrates
the day of her birth.
All the days of this season
are the festivals of Venus.
May all the realms of Jove above
observe these celebrations!”
And so this suite, like that of the king, should repeatedly sing:
Run, thirsty ones, to Philosophy’s spring
and drink of the seven rivers of tripartite flavor’?
that proceed from one font, but run ye not to the same spot!
Pythagoras explored it and invoked it for natural philosophy’s sake;

thence Socrates and Plato with Ethics adorned it,
and Aristotle betrothed it to loquacious Logic.
From these men different schools in Athens received their

subjects and watered all of Greece with this liquor, which,
superabounding without end, flowed into Hesperia.
These new joys

are to be revered.
These present festive days
are to be glorified.
Refr. Sweet are the rivers

of Babylon;
enticing are
perdition’s seeds.
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
These frivolities
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283
of passionate desire
the idols in the land
of captivity give.
Refr. | Sweet are the rivers

of Babylon;
enticing are
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
Flesh created
for pleasure rejoices;
hereby the soul
is by debaucheries defiled.

of Babylon;
enticing are
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
The tumult aroused

by the passions takes
civilization away
from virtue’s pate.

of Babylon;
enticing are
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
These are the things that lead

away from felicity’s path:
the effeminizing
leisures of lust.

of Babylon;
enticing are
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
These activities are

replete with evils
and the hot desire
for opprobrious deeds.

of Babylon;
enticing are
Concupiscence
of mixed flavor
induces dreams
of gentle love.
And they should repeat multiple times:

All are obliged to praise the immortal gods
and everywhere their plurality must be feared.
Foolish and truly fatuous are they, who say there is but one god
and who wantonly speak against the cult of antiquity.
At the entrance of Mary and Joseph with Jesus all the idols of Egypt
should fall to the ground. The ministers should repeatedly raise them
up and burn the incense and sing:
This is the godhead to salute,
onto whose altar all the people
should pour forth their prayers.
By her nod, spring back to life,
if ever they are languishing away,
the hand, the foot, or the eye.
Honor be to Jove and Neptune!

Pallas, Venus, Vesta, Juno
are of wonderful grace!
Mars, Apollo, Pluto, Phoebus
heal all that are wounded
by their inherent might.
Since this works not, a valet should go to the king and sing:
Hearken, king of the Egyptians,
the strength of the idols has passed away,
the enfeebled power of the gods
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lies dead in misery.

The shrines have already fallen;
the images have sunk to the ground;
the routed gods have taken flight,
alas, in ignominy.
The king with a gesture of astonishment should respond:

I wish to know this affair’s cause and how the very gods
can be appeased. Wise men therefore should be called!
A shield-bearer should call the sages before the king and sing:
A royal mandate summons you; go to the king in haste!
The king should then say to the sages:

I wish to know this affair’s cause and how the gods
themselves can be appeased. Render us your counsel!
The sages should answer:

Our advice is to honor the gods, altars,
temples, tripods; to renew the sacred groves;
to burn the incense, storax,'° balsam, and myrrh;
and to pour human blood as a libation to the gods.
For in such a wise through the power of the ministers
and pious prayers will the wrath of the gods be allayed.
Then the king should prepare a human sacrifice and sing:

This is the godhead to salute,
onto whose altar all the people
should pour forth their prayers.
By her nod, spring back to life,
if ever they are languishing away,
the hand, the foot, or the eye.
Honor be to Jove and Neptune!

Pallas, Venus, Vesta, Juno
are of wonderful grace!
Mars, Apollo, Pluto, Phoebus
heal all that are wounded
by their inherent might.
The retinue should answer:

Foolish and truly fatuous are they, who say there is but one god,
Then, after the idols are raised, the king to his seat should return,
and the idols again should fall. Hearing this, the wise men should be
bidden again, and the king should say:
Tell me what this astonishing sight of ill portends
for us and for Egypt, for a prodigy it assuredly is!
The wise men should say to him:

The King and Lord of kings, the God of the Hebrews,
the God of gods is plenipotentiary in His glory,
in Whose presence, like that of the dead,
the power of the idols sinks and perishes.
Then the king should sing:

Behold! Let Egypt venerate the new God and His mother!
And all the idols should be thrown away.

Here ends the role of Egypt’s King.
Then Babylon’s King should rise. His suite should oft repeat:
And this verse:

Avaricious 1s the god rightly esteemed, who wishes
the others to be spurned and himself alone to be praised.
In the debate among Paganism, Synagogue and Church,

Paganism should against them sing:

Paganism:
If we in fact believe there is one, who presides over all,
we concede that he is ruled by contradictions of many kinds.

Paganism:
Enviousness fashioned this monism,
so that man might worship one divinity.

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287
Babylon’s King, too, should speak against the hypocrites:

I am compelled to make trial of your cunning deceit
through which your depravity is wont to chicane.
Under virtue’s semblance, it was considered truth;
but falsehood makes apparent that the appearance prevaricates.
After he fails, he should sing in the Antichrist’s presence:

I solemnly grant to you imperial glory;
for my service to you, I demand regal might.

We confess that you are the sole ruler of all,
you with utmost fealty will we always serve.
Egypt is the capital and ornament of all realms;

the power of Jerusalem’s King will trample it underfoot.
Woe to you, Jerusalem, woe to the tyrant insane!

The power of the gods will subvert you this year.
The noble prince of Egypt shall be worshipped as a god!

But odious Herod like a fool will be spurned and condemned.
Hearken, we prophesy to you, how paltry in the future you shall be,
when you, consumed by worms, perish by decay!
Thankless and perfidious race, when you suffered dearth,

you were subject to Egypt, so that you might fill your paunch!
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THE SUPPLEMENT 291
HERE BEGINS THE SUPPLEMENT.
1*/229. Saint Erasmus'
O Saint ERASMUS, precious martyr of our Lord, who on the Day of

Resurrection, when you were presented for martyrdom, sustained your joy
in the face of it, receive this my prayer, which I piously proffer you for
my soul. I ask, most merciful father, that you grant unto me sustenance
and vesture according to your will and my need. Remember that God
promised that all who invoked your name would be heard. Thus I
commend myself to your gracious fidelity, so that, as Christ did you, you
will protect me until my life’s end, lest I fall into the hands of my
enemies, visible and unseen.
2*/230. Anything For Her
In praise I exalt my beloved mistress

above all other women sublime,
I wish to be her faithful servant
and always her servant remain.
She is like a crystal glass,
a diamond of virtue supreme,
and so full of beautiful ways—
that maiden, for whose sake I suffer grief.
Her red, rose-colored mouth,

leaves me always pining away;
her eyes shine brightly everyday,
as stars coruscate through the clouds.
Her hand, without cords in its employ,
has wrapped the life of my heart in bonds.
My eyes never beheld a more beautiful maid:
angelic is the sight of her form.
My life is subject to her dominion,

a fact she should consider well;
when she lets my spirits soar,
I want never to leave her side.
It’s her wish that I be happy,
and for that reason I serve her always, as I should.
If she commands it, dead I lie.
So utter privation always suffer I.
3*/231. Winter-Worn
by Marner
The time of summer

has long since passed.
Winter’s ferocity now

in gloominess has come.
Hail, snow, and rain
thus render indolent all hearts,
so that all is desolate and forsaken.
Verily silent are the little birds

who were wont in the woods
to bring forth songs
and beget delight.
The earth has no grass;
with an idle ray gleams the sun,
and in haste the days rush on.
In submission to Venus
all the strength of my soul wanes;
passion is absent from my chest;
heat now truckles to cold.
Let them curse the winter,
who were wont to enjoy
the loveliness of spring.
In every suitable place

the delight of conversation
with the feminine sex
has wholly evanesced.
May there glory
and gratitude forever be
to the faded time.
For the passing of the sweet breeze

and the onset of the truculent storm
we, with afflicted spirit,
are in a dejected mood.
Spring, refresh us by your return,
we, whom you for a very long time
in lament do leave behind.
4*/232. Through Mary’s Eyes
Weep, faithful souls,

weep, best of sisters,
that so innumerable are
the lamentations and tears:
the proofs of our grief.
Let maternal hearts beweep
Mother Mary’s wounds:
then as a mother grieve I,
THE SUPPLEMENT
293
who am accustomed to be called
happy and blessed in motherhood.
The sad spectacle

of the cross and spear
deeply wounds
the closed seal
of my virgin soul.
This is what
the old soothsayer
had prophesied and told,
this is that sword
that transfixes my soul.”
As I on my knees
with bloody fingers
look up at His head,
stooping towards the earth
and crowned with thorns,
and the wounds to His hands—
beneath this torment
I lose all sense,
whilst from the wound in His flank,
from its site, away drains His blood.
Why then, Dear Son,

do You hang so, since You are life,
living before all?
O Celestial King, for the wicked
You suffer others’ agony,
my Lamb without stain.
O sinless Flesh, precious to heaven

and to earth,’ why are You withering
on the cross’ altar as a payment for crime?
Why languish You on the altar of the cross,
a body that lacks any trace of guilt,
a body that knows nothing of fault?
O perfidious minds
and duplicitous tongues,
O deceitful witnesses
and judges false,
old together with young!
Those condemned
of graver offenses
are wont to suffer
the gallows
as payment
for their transgressions.
By the damned
an innocent is condemned,
fulfilling what He foretold,
teaching what is meet.
The authors of crimes
and men of bloody hands
rage against the Lord
of salvation
in the zeal of villainy
under
virtue’s guise.
O my Johannes,’ grieve,
rue with me, my new son,
son by the new compact
between mother and aunt.
‘Tis the time for lamentation;
let us offer up in sacrifice
our inmost griefs and tears
to the dying Christ.
Jesus, our Salvation—captured,

dragged, bound, and slain,
and abused by parasites,
the satraps from Hell—
the Progenitor of true light,
Day shut up in night,
Life submits to death,
death upon the cross.
In this life do I unwillingly remain;

amid this evil I prefer to die,
my Son, since the shock
to my grieving soul
cannot be subdued
or expressed,”
amid such great, yet willful, sufferings
of an extraordinary Man.
This crime on earth

terrifies the sky;
an earthquake affrights
their unholy efforts,
who dash execrable swords
against the sons of saints
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295
and slay Your body,
our Sacred Christ.
5*/233. The Bride of Christ
In madness have they tried You,

against Your will,
with a mix of vinegar and of gall;
they, whom You nourish with the milk
and honey of Your mouth and love,
as a Child born of a girl,
a star of the sea,
with an unbroken womb.
Joyful are they—whom the snake’s bite

threw to the ground,
whom Your blood did heal
and whom You gave to drink
Your clear, clean water.
Your living, divine bread revived them,
O Christ, Benignant One,
and to You hymns and chants are due.
They thirst for peace: “may He

kiss me with the kiss of His mouth,°
so that I, His beautiful bride,
who was black with guilt,
may be beloved and perfect,
virtuous and sincere,
through Your gifts,
which please You sor?
6*/234. The Provost of Maria Saal®

by Marner
Praise, voice of the nightingale,

the noble provost of Maria Saal,
who rejoices in giving
and is free of the weed of vice.
He is pleasant, mirthful, and courteous,
unwavering in his promises,
circumspect, sagacious, and honorable.
With the feastmaster”

I could come before him and say:
“You have saved the end
for superior wine and feasts,
and after the first wine, a lesser is not received;
so truly do I speak truth when I say:

‘Good,’ then one still better is poured!
“To the steps of virtue you hasten,

as the sun does to its midcourse.”
Sensing poverty’s nod,
you will seek its very face.
Why, glassy Fortune, do you fail so,
why do you not arrange swiftly
that he assume the bishop’s throne?
But if he be not prince,

to wit, in the episcopate,
then the clergy in turn should recall
the following, when the election occurs:
in stature, he dwarfs the rest;
in features, he is more fine;
in habits, he is more honorable than all.
Greater than my praise is he

and more distinguished, too—
the paragon of an upright man;
nevertheless, without design, I sing the glory of his name.
Thejustification is furnished by the grace of God’s word,
it is not born of canine fawning.
Warm praise truly beseems this man.
I know of no equal to him

in and around all of Carinthia.
If 1should walk through Saxony,
Franconia, Bavaria, Swabia,
Rhineland, and fertile Alsace,
there I would my journey end.
The clergy has no such grace as him.
7*/235. The Witness of the Light

John 1:1-14
In the beginning was a Word, the Word was with God, God was the Word,
and It was in the beginning with God. By Him all things were created;
without Him, nothing was made. All that was created with Him is eternal
life. Eternal life is a light for mankind. The Light, which glows in the
darkness, the darkness cannot comprehend. By God a man was sent,
whose name was John. He came to attest that he was a witness of the
Light. He was not the Light, but he would offer testimony about the Light.
The true Light is that which illumes every man coming into this world. He
came into the world; but the world did not recognize Him. He came into
His own country; His people did not receive Him. But to those who took
THE SUPPLEMENT 297
Him in, He gave the power to become the children of God, and they
believed in His name, who were not born of the lust of the blood or of the
flesh, but solely of God. The Word became flesh and lives in us; we have
seen His glory, glory like that of His only-begotten Son, as His Father
exalts Him with an abundance of grace and truth. Through this lesson of
the Holy Gospel may our Lord forgive all our misdeeds. Amen.
8*/236. Repetition Is the Mother of Memory II
[This poem is word-for-word the same as CB 111.]
9*/237. The Order of Hypocrites

by Marner
The world, hastening to the end, leans towards its decline;

all the spiritual fathers turn their faces away.
The heavenly sanctuary threatens its own fall
as if it has been abraded from its base by a razor.'°
The pain compounds itself like the pangs of birth;

the anguish and agony of death rages in the Church.
There is no one who pays attention to the tears of one in grief,
but the hand of the missile-thrower has grown in strength.
The Antichrist has dispatched myriad harbingers,

but has divided his lines against the warriors of Christ,
lines to which he has commended many weapons of war,
desiring to restore what the demon lost.'!
The ways of the monastic fathers originally flourished,

who had no care for flesh and blood,
who without the world always strove to live,
and thereby earned their place in the eternal realm.
The Rule of Benedict was the first,

which pleased more than the others, because it breathed a godly air.
At first, most constant—but now in decline—
it stood compositive and above the rest.
From this was derived the Order of the Grey Monks,”

which gives alms and brings together the throngs.
It sweats and bends in the zeal of its labors,
whereby it hopes to become the consort of the angels.
Father Augustine’? accoutered the rule of

the priests with ritual, binding dress;
afterwards, Norbert established his order.“
Who follows these rules, comes closer to God, never less.
Alas, in these our times emerges a deceitful innovation:

celebrated, it glimmers ruddily on all sides.
The copious throng follows that ignoble clan,
hoping to enjoy ample indulgence.
These, whom I call the “new ones,” are the lesser brothers, °
but they are greedy for greater sums of money and office.
God, what a novelty and abomination of morals!
Now even the sisters are coming upon ite
The sisters—trust me, it is so—are Magdalenites;'’

from their works the brothers are called Indolentites,
but I believe they are more rightly called the sons of Ishmael.
From this vine no sweet artemisia is ever, ever picked.
In the beginning, they subsisted as if they had nothing;

now they live as if they possess the sum of the world.
Rarely are they in their little cells; always are they on the run.
Though they have a great many things, they are in need still.
Castles are they wont to seek, the cloister wont to shun.

They seek out the homes of the rich, and they know exactly why:
they want to feed on their fats and drink of their wine,
for they despise eating greens among monastic eyes.
Hearken, most beloved men, to this detriment great—

I believe this sin was wrongly discovered by the Franciscans:
for one lunch they give indulgence for well-nigh one hundred days,
and for each of these they gather the recipient’s gold and silver.
They receive the wealthy in confession,

are prejudicial to priests without legal ground,
and rage at and strike one another with eerie contortions.'”
God, if itis Your will, judge them with Your vengeance!
To woo the praise of the people, they preach

in the forum and are rarely in chorus with priests.
And each marital union sealed by the Lord these men aggress.” 0
Swiftly may they be ruined! That is my solemn prayer.
10*/238. The Penalty for Greed

by Marner (?)
God, munificent in His Nature,

vouchsafed all creatures the right
to forge their own laws:
fire, air, earth, sea were wont
to give us their everlasting gifts
THE SUPPLEMENT
299
and to practice unceasing liberality.
Let the pinchpenny’s coffer be broken,

whose hand was tightly closed,
because he did not wish to give aught at all.
May his purse be dashed to pieces
and in fire be consumed,
for he was of service to none.
Declared miserly for his parsimony is he,

because he spares only by warding off the needy;
thus he is lost together with his possessions.
You spare your possessions, O niggard foul,
but the Fates do not spare ye!
For the skinflint swiftly dies away.
O you monstrous thing, you miser man,

you should know what not giving is:
an execrable thing worthy of a curse!
A hideous thing you assuredly are;
I do swear this unto you by this faith,
which I assumed, when baptized I was.
As Paul attested,
avarice is called
service unto idols.
This cupidinous man is condemned
and never in the heavens is placed,
for he is wholly corrupt and stained.”|
11*/239. Mary’s Ode
Hail, noble, venerable Mary, affable, suitable

companion on the path of life, raise our minds:
and direct our course through these pathless ways;
improve our modes; by thy oarage, O light on high,
guide us through these seas.
After the Lord, thou art the mistress of the armies of the sky,
O virgin of virgins, minister of the light of lights,
heart illuminating and turning outdoors all old things,
inebriating fount, celestial body beaming above all the other stars,
open the stronghold of heaven to us.
Queen of beautiful visage and of heaven’s glory, vouchsafe

us today the draught of grace! Puissant one, vanquish the force
of all the infidels! Cleanse the people, who believe in Christ,
O light celebrated by our world, treasured by our world,
thou commandress of our world!
Mother, here we kneel and in humility pray to thee:

we wish to go, but we cannot go without thee.
Thou alone satifiest us if thou but castest on us thy gaze.
In this crossroads stand now with us, clerics and our lay,
and be the protectress of the mass that is bowed to thee.
O anchor strong, set in harmony our times,

and our hearts and bodies compose.
May all our solace be in thee, O virgin!
O vessel of grace, extirpate our vices,
be our defense in our turning point, amen!
12*/240. Catherine of Alexandria™
Catherine, bride of Christ,

maiden, martyr, and queen,
blossoming rose, fragrant lily,
thousands of angels together praise thee!
Refr. | Rejoice, maiden, daughter of Costus the King,

the wondrous standards are made through thee!
She bested orators in debate, and the

many stubborn rhetors, appointed by
Maxentius against her,
to be baptized with Porphyrius”> she persuaded.

From her very grave a river flows,

which restores the feeble and weary;
olive oil exudes from her tomb,
through which health is granted to all.

13*/241. The Passion of Christ
The brief play about the Passion should thus begin. When the Lord
wishes to proceed with his disciples to the destined place, whither
they were mandated to go, as they wend, the apostles should ask Him:
Where do You wish us to prepare to eat our Passover meal?
And the Lord should respond:

THE SUPPLEMENT
301
Go to the city, to a certain man and say: “The Master sayeth,
‘My time is near; at your house I shall with my disciples make a meal.’”
And at the destined place, they should prepare a table with a

tablecloth, bread, and wine. And the Lord should sit with His twelve
apostles, and the Lord should say to them as they eat:
Amen I say to you, for one of you will betray Me on this night.
Each one should respond in his own defense:

Is it I, Lord?
And the Lord should respond:

He who dips his hand with Mine in the dessert shall betray Me.
The Son of man will in sooth pass, as the writings prophesied;
but woe to that man, through whom the Son of man will be betrayed.
A blessing to him it would have been, if he had not been born.
Judas should respond:

Is it I, Rabbi?
And the Lord should say:

Truth thou hast spoken.
Then meanwhile Judas should go to the high-priests and to the Jews

and say:
What will you give me, when I hand Him over to ye?
And they should propose to him:

Thirty pieces of silver.
And at that hour, the Lord should receive the bread, break it, give the
benediction, and say:
Receive this and consume it, for this is My body.
Likewise the chalice. After they have eaten, He should say:

Rise. Let us hence. Lo! He, My betrayer, will approach us now.
And Judas, as he approaches Jesus, should shout:

Hail, Rabbi!
And he should rush at Him with a kiss; then the Lord should say:
Friend, why hast thou come?
The Jews and soldiers should accost the Lord, cast their hands upon
Him, arrest Him, and then lead Him to Pilate. Then all the disciples
should abandon Christ and flee. And then they should accuse Him in
His presence of three crimes and say:
He said, “I can destroy the temple of God and rebuild it after three days.”
The Second Offense:

We found Him subverting our people, debarring the tribute to Caesar,
and saying that He is Christ the King.
The Third Offense:

He has disquieted all the people through His teachings throughout all of
Judea, from Galilee all the way to here.
Then Pilate should respond:

But what crime has He committed?
The Jews should say:

If He weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have passed Him to ye.
Pilate says:
Take this Man and judge Him according to your law ! I find no cause
in this Man. Do you wish me to send Him to the King of the Jews?
The Jews should say with a shout:

No! He should rather be crucified!
And with a greater shout they should say:

Crucify Him, crucify Him!
Pilate should say:

You take Him and crucify Him!

No! We have a law, and according to it, He must die,
because He has made Himself the Son of God.
Pilate should respond:

Am I to crucify your King?
Then the high priests should say:

We have no king except Caesar.
Then Pilate should take up the water and say:

I am innocent of this Just Man’s blood—bear you witness to this!
And He should bear His cross and be led unto His crucifixion.
Then one of the soldiers should come and pierce His side with a spear.
Then the Lord on the cross should loudly exclaim:
Ely, Ely, lama sabactani: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Then Mary, mother of the Lord, should come along with the two
other Marys” and John. And Mary should raise a lament as best she
can. And one of the Jews should say:
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If you be the Son of God, descend now from the cross!
Another Jew:
He confides in God. If He wills, He should free Him now!
Likewise a third:
He has saved others, but cannot save Himself.
And the Lord should say:

It is completed.
And:
Into Your Hands I commend My Spirit.
And with head cast down, He should emit His soul. Joseph of
Arimathea should come and ask for Jesus’ body. And Pilate should
permit his request. And Joseph should honorably bury Him.
And with this begins the play about the Resurrection.
High Priests:
O Lord, we remember well...
14*/242. Tears of the Virgin

by Godfrey, Subprior of St. Victor
I who knew no sorrow before,

now am wearied by a troubling grief
and tortured by great dolor.
Judea bereaves the world of its Light
and me of my Son,
my Sweetness and Delight.
Son, Sweetness unique,

Joy one of a kind,
look back upon Thy weeping mother
and bestow Thy solace on her.
Thy wounds do torment

my mind, heart, and eyes.
What mother, what woman
is so blessed and so poor?!
Flower of flowers, Leader of virtue,

Spring of clemency,
how grave is Thy pain
in Thy wounds upon the nails.
O, the grief! All the color of

Thy mouth flees away;

from Thee rushes and flows
a wave of gore!
O how late wert Thou delivered to me,

O how swiftly dost Thou forsake me.
O how becomingly wert Thou conceived,
O how abjectly dost Thou pass away.
O what love made for Thee

the carnal body’s shell;
O how sweet, O how bitter
are the rewards of Thy pledge.”
O the pious grace

in sucha death,”°
O the envy, O the evil
of this jealous clan!
O Propitious Beast of him,

who fixes Thee to the cross,
O gentle in its agony is the soul
of the suffering Christ.
O! true was the augury

of Simeon the Just!”
I feel the sword of pain,
which he prophesied.
The groans, the sighs,

and tears without
are proofs
of the wounds within.
Spare posterity, Death,

but do not spare me,
then you alone will be
a cure for lonely me.
Let me by death, Beatified One,

be separated from Thee,
so long as Thou, my Son,
art not racked with the cross’ pain.
What a crime, what iniquities

hath the truculent tribe committed:
bonds, switches, wounds,
spittle, thorns, and the rest
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305
suffers He, Who no guilt hath.
Spare my Son, I pray:

His mother crucify instead,
or affix us both
to the cross’ stake!
Alone He wrongfully dies.
Return His most afflicted,

lifeless frame, so that it,
diminished and crucified,
may be strengthened again
by our kisses and embrace!
Would that I pained thus,

so that Imay perish from the pain,
for it is a graver dole to die
without death
than to perish amain.
Why are you stunned, wretched race,

that the earth is quaking now,
that the stars are obscured
and the feeble mourn?
If you deprive the sun of its light,

how would it ever shine?
If you rob a sick man of his medicine,
whereby would he convalesce?
You free a murderer, but subject

Jesus to the agony of death.
Poorly do you sustain peace,
for sedition will arise.
By the weight of famine, slaughter, and pestilence,

you will know the very things
that Jesus taught you in death
and Barabbas in life.
Blind, lamentable race, repent

your sins and crimes, whilst
Jesus is willing to grant His
mercy and pardon to you.
May the streams from the springs

that you have caused avail you,
for they slake the thirst of all
and wash away all faults.
Weep, daughters of Zion, -

for the Son of such dear grace,”
the distress of this Youth
becomes a delight to Him
for the sake of your sins.
Rush into His loving clasp,

while He hangs on the stake;
with mutual embraces
He prepares Himself for
loving, outstretched arms.”
On this ground do I rejoice,

for I suffer for the sake of ye.
Now repay me for the pain, I pray,
and lament this mother’s loss!
15*/243. The Return of Christ
A play, nay, a portrait of the Lord’s Resurrection begins.
After the Easter Matins, all the actors should be arranged for the
play in a specific place, each according to his role, and should proceed
to the tomb’s site. First Pilate and his wife should come with many
great luminaries—soldiers preceding them and aids following them—
then the high priests and the Jews, then the angels, the two Marys,”
and the apostles.
Pilate entered the palace with Jesus, then said to Him, “You are the King
of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king.” Jesus then
exited the palace, carrying the crown and purple robe, and when He had
donned the robe, all cried, “He should be crucified, for He has made
Himself the Son of God.”
Verse:
Then Pilate said to them, “Am I to crucify your King?” The priests
responded, “We have no king except Caesar.”
The high priests first should sing:

O Lord, we remember well—
we often heard it from the crowd—
what the Seducer was wont to tell:
‘after three days I will rise anew.’
Pilate:
My discernment and empirical knowledge
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307
and your artful inquiry tell me that you wish
me to charge Jesus with a crime, Whose
execution You have already accomplished.
High Priests:
Your virtue and sapience
are very indispensable to our cause;
for the disciples of the Seducer
are machinating the people’s harm.
Pilate’s Wife:
The cunning of these men should not succeed
in making the governor the guardian of a tomb.
For your glory should consider what portents great
I have suffered in my dreams of late.
Assessors:
You should give orders to the soldiers
to stay vigilant throughout the night,
lest the disciples surreptitiously remove Him
and declare to the rabble, “He is risen from the shades.”
The Jews should stand before Pilate and say:

Hearken, governor, to our prayers,
lest you seem lax; you must place
these soldiers in front of the tomb,
so that the dead, if risen,
may by them be espied,
lest He be raised by His disciples’ lies.

Lo! You have an abundance of guards.
Maintain your watch of the night,
lest the disciples purloin Him and
the people declare that He is alive.
The Jews should turn themselves slightly to the soldiers:

We give money to the soldiers, :
so they may always keep watch
for the Seducer, Who presumptuously said,
“After three days I will rise anew.”
The soldiers should ask for money:

What guerdon for this shall we have,
if we remain your guards,
lest the disciples remove Him
and the people believe that He lives?
The Jews should show them the money:

O brave men, we shall give you a reward. Guard His tomb!
Then they should count out denarii to each one:

All should receive one hundred coins or a talent,
so that he will not in skullduggery take part,
but guardians of the tomb remain,
lest the disciples steal His Body in stealth.
At last, they are without money:

Money has abundantly been passed to the soldiers,
lest the perfidious Seducer be furtively stolen away.
Then the soldiers, now paid, should unsheathe their swords and wend
to the tomb and methodically surround it whilst singing together:
‘Defenders’; then each soldier alone takes up his watch, if he wishes.
Defenders of the tomb we shall be

lest the disciples steal Him away
and through deceit declare among all:
“Christ is risen from the shades.”
First Soldier:
We do not believe that Jesus will rise,
but lest someone His body remove,
maintain we a nocturne, with eyes over tomb.
Be on your guard for tricks and fraud!
Second Soldier:
We do not believe that anything will come to pass,
but lest someone steal His body away,
we keep our nocturnal watch.
Third Soldier:
Be on your guard and look around!
Lest thieves come in secret and furtively steal
the body of Christ, we keep our watch of night.
Fourth Soldier:
It runs contrary to the reason of men
that a living man can rise from the dead.
O what great cunning seducers possess.
Fifth Soldier:
If a dead man could rise again to life,
THE SUPPLEMENT 309
he would surely have been able to stay so.

Wherefore did He endure such mortal agony?
Then two angels should come, one bearing a flaming sword and a red
robe and the other a white robe and a cross. The angel with the sword
smites one of the soldiers at the helm and in the middle of it all
roaring thunders boom, and the soldiers fall as if they are dead. And
the angels standing before the tomb announce in song that Christ has
risen:
Hallelujah!
Victorious, He is risen from the deep,
the Shepherd bearing on His shoulders the sheep.
Hallelujah!
Nevertheless His Divine Power is
not consumed by the substance of flesh.
Hallelujah!
He Who turned round the evil of eld
has championed the cause of mankind.
Hallelujah!
The two Marys then should come, asking for spice in song:
We seek spices for a price,
to anoint the body of Christ.
The fragrant spices serve
as a memory of Christ’s sepulture.
The apothecary, hearing this, should call to them:

Nearer hither approach, weeping ones,
and purchase ointments, if some you want!
Else you will carry off nothing at all.
In sooth, how great is your dole!
Likewise the Marys say:

Speak to us, young merchant,
if you sell this ointment, name the price
for which you will cede it to us.
Alas! how great is our dole!
Apothecary:
I shall give you the best unguents and salves,
so you may anoint the Savior’s wounds
in remembrance of His burial
and to the glory of His name.
The apothecary’s wife should raise a small box and sing:

If you wish to buy this ointment from me,
give me a talent of gold,
otherwise you will have nothing.

In sooth, how great is your dole!
And so they should purchase the spices.

The apothecary should show them the way to the tomb:
This is the true path,
which will lead you
directly to the garden
without a detour.
When you arrive there,
you will see Whom you seek,
Jesus, your Savior.
The Marys take the path to the sepulcher and sing:

Let us go and to His tomb let us move with haste.
If we loved Him in life, let us love Him in death.
The Marys in grief should sing and go around the tomb:

Alas! How great the sorrows that beat our souls deep within
for our Consoler, of Whom we wretches are bereft,
Whom the cruel nation of Jews put to death!
Likewise they should sing:

As hapless sheep wander astray when the shepherd is slain,
so the disciples are now confused, when their Master departs,
and pain too strong grips our throng, since He now is gone.

Now, now, lo! Let us hie now to His tomb and His most Holy body salve!
One Mary should sing alone:

O God!
The other should sing alone:

O God!
The other should sing alone:

O God!
Then together they should sing:

Who will turn aside for us the stone from the monument’s mouth?
Meanwhile the soldiers, high priests, and Jews should return to

Pilate, and announce what they have seen and heard:
We have witnessed a grievous sight,
formidable youths have we seen,
and by the earthquake, which we felt,
we knew that rising was the Crucified.
THE SUPPLEMENT 311

A celestial messenger came to us,
as we were standing guard over the tomb
and maintaining our nocturnal watch,
and the messenger said: “Risen is the Lord.”
Then the terrified priests should seduce the soldiers with gifts, to buy
their silence:
Suppress the words that you report!
Take up this gift in exchange!
And may your fidelity see to it that
rumor among the crowd does not circulate.
(The Klosterneuberg Easter Play):”

Maintain the act for us among the crowd;
say that the body was purloined in stealth:
“When a heavy sleep overcame us,
a thief stole Him under cover of night.”
The soldiers with money in hand, should sing to the crowd:

Our sleeplessness had weighed upon us all,
and they espied us sleeping dispersedly.
To the tomb the thieves did rush,
to carry their Master to another place.
Therefore to the ruin of the people,

the disciples have stolen ithe Christ.
To succeed in the seduction of the mass,
they mendaciously state that the Teacher is alive.
Then the Marys should return to the disciples and sing:

Lo! We have seen the sight of the angel
and we have heard his response:
he attests that the Lord is yet alive;
thus it behooves you, Simon, to believe.
The Apostles should sing:

These rantings are pure absurdities
and are not persuasive to the minds of men.
Then Peter and John should hasten to the monument, and John,
running ahead and finding a handkerchief, should sing:
I have discovered a cenotaph,
nor in it do I see a dead man.
I marvel indeed at whether He rose
or someone stole Him away.
Afterwards Peter should come, raising the cloth of linen. They should
return to the apostles and sing:

A vacant tomb have we seen
and in it no dead man at all!
But we know not whether He did rise
or someone stole Him off.
Then Mary Magdalene, who had followed Peter and John’s footprints
to the tomb, there alone, as Peter and John have returned, should sing:
When I had come to anoint the dead Lord,
I came upon an empty tomb.
Alas! I know not how rightly to discern
where I can the Master procure.
Behold! The stone forsooth is displaced,

the stone that had been placed on the seal;
with soldiers they had garrisoned the site,
but all are absent and the place is void.
The pain increases and my heart quakes

o’er my Pious Teacher’s absence,
Who saved me when I was fraught with vice,
by casting seven demons out of me.
Alas! For what purpose did Israel’s Redemption suffer death?!
Then Jesus, in the guise of a gardener, should sing:

Lady, why do you cry?
And Mary:
Because they’
ve taken my Lord, and I know not where they’ve Him laid.
To her Jesus again should sing:

Why do you cry, lady? Whom do you seek?
Likewise Mary:
Lord, if you have taken Him, tell me where you have placed Him, and I
shall fetch Him there.
Jesus in the form of Christ:

Mary!
Mary should respond:

Rabbi!
She wishing to grasp His feet now, Jesus should sing:

Don’t touch me! For not yet have I ascended to My Father.
But go to My brothers and tell them: “I am ascending
to My Father and your Father, My God and your God.”
THE SUPPLEMENT
313
Two angels, preceding Jesus to the underworld, should sing:
Hallelujah! Christ is risen and has given light
to His people, whom He with His blood redeemed.
Jesus, at and finding the gates of Hell closed, should sing:

Raze your doors, princes, and raise yourself, eternal gates,
and the King of glory shall enter!
Then the Devil should say:

Who is this King of glory?
Jesus:
The brave and mighty Lord; a Lord puissant in war.
Thrice repeated, then Jesus amain should break down Hell’s doors at last.
And the netherfolk in wonder should sing to his face:
You have come, Desired One, Whom we long awaited in the gloom,
to lead out on this night the shackled from their bars.
Our sighs did call for You; Your catapults large did we seek;
You have become to the hapless a hope, a great comfort in torments great.
Then Mary Magdalene, finding the other two Marys, should sing:
Verily have I seen the Lord alive;
He forbade me to touch His feet;
the disciples must trust that He wishes now
to ascend up to His Father in the sky.
Then the three, now certain of the resurrection of the Lord, should
report it to the apostles in song:
You all shall go to Galilee;
there you shall see the living Christ,
Whom after death we did not see alive,
though we believe in that place you will Him espy.
The apostles without pause should murmur a hymn, grieving

over the Lord:
Jesus, our Redemption,
Love, and Desire,
God, Creator of all,
Man in the end of time,
what clemency conquered You,
that You bore all of our crimes,
suffering cruel, torturous death,
so that You might raise us from it?
Bursting through the gates of hell,

redeeming the captive men, who belonged to You,
sitting a Victor in noble triumph
at the right hand of the Father,

let compassion itself impel You,
to vanquish our sins by sparing us,
and to satiate us with Your visage,
all participants in prayer.
Be You our joy,

Who will be our reward;
may our glory forever be in You,
throughout all the ages evermore.
Glory to You, Lord,

Who climbs above the stars,
with the Father and Holy Spirit,
in ages everlasting.
Likewise should the apostles, seeing her, break with lighter voices
into song:
Tell us, Mary,
what did you see on the road?

I saw the tomb of the living Christ
and the glory of the risen Lord, and
angelic witnesses, handkerchiefs
and many fine robes.
Christ is risen, my Hope; He will lead
His friends’ way straight to Galilee.
Then all the apostles should say:

Veracious Mary must be given more
credence than the fallacious Jewish throng.
We know forsooth that Christ has risen from death.
Take pity on us, Victor Rex.
Then all the apostles and the women should come to show
the handkerchief to the people. They should sing:
See, comrades and behold the linen cloth and handkerchief,
see that the body of Christ was not found in the tomb.
After this display, the entire chorus should sing:

After the passion of the Lord, a covenant was formed that His body was
not found in the tomb; a stone sustained perpetual life, the tomb rendered
a supernal pearl. Hallelujah. Two ran together, and that other disciple ran
ahead faster than Peter and ere him arrived at the tomb. Hallelujah.
And all the people, certain of the Lord, should lay down this song:
Christ has risen
THE SUPPLEMENT = 315
from all manner of ordeals;

wherefore we all should be happy
and Christ should be our Comfort.
Kyrie eleison.
16*/244. The Passion of Christ II
[This play is an alternate version ofthe play in CB 13*/24] with significantly

more dialogue and exploration of the events leading up to the Passion.]
Pilate first and his wife should be brought forth with a coterie of
soldiers to their place, then Herod with his soldiers, then the high
priests, then the merchant and his wife, then Mary Magdalene.
Pilate entered his palace with Jesus and said to Him: “Are you the King of the
Jews?” He responded: “You say that I am a king.” Jesus exited the palace with the
crown and purple robe, and when He donned them, they all exclaimed: “He should
be crucified, for He has made Himself the Son of God.”
Verse:
Then Pilate said unto them: “Am I to crucify your King?”
The high priests responded, “We have no king except Caesar.”
Afterwards the actor playing the Lord should go alone to the seashore
to call upon Peter and Andrew, find them fishing, and say to them:
Follow after Me; I shall make fishers of men.
They should say:

My Lord, whatever You wish, we shall perform
and we shall forthwith fulfill Your will.
Jesus should go to Zacchaeus and meet a blind man en route:

Lord Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me.
Jesus should respond:

What do you wish Me to do for thee?
Blind Man:
Lord, so great would it be that I should see.
Jesus should say:

Look about, for thy faith has restored thee.
After this He should go to Zacchaeus and call him from a tree:

Zacchaeus, descend with haste, because today in thy house must I stay.
Zacchaeus should say:

My Lord, if Ihave cheated anyone, I return it fourfold.

Today salvation shall befall this house, for thou art also Abraham’s son.
Jesus comes.
As the Lord approached Jerusalem, He sent ahead two of His disciples thus: “Go
to the place, which lies before you, and you will find an ass’ foal bound,
whereupon no man has sat. Release it and bring it to Me. If anyone questions you,
say, ‘The Lord has need for it.’” They released it, brought it to Jesus, bedecked it
with their clothes, and He sat upon it. Some were spreading out their clothes upon
the road and others were strewing boughs from the trees, and those who followed
Him, shouted:‘‘Hoshana!*> A blessed man be He, Who came in the Lord’s name,
blessed be the kingdom of our father David. Hoshana in the loftiest! Pity us, O
Son of David.
And:
When the people heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they gathered palm
branches and went out to meet Him. The boys shouted: “Here He is, Who will
come to the people’s rescue. He is our Salvation and Israel’s Redemption. How
strong is He, Whom thrones and dominions serve. Fear not, daughter of Zion, and
see! To you your King upon an ass’ foal is come, as it was written. Hail, King,
Maker of the world, Who are come to redeem us.”
And the boys strewing fronds and vestments before Him:

The children of the Hebrews, raising olive trees’ boughs,
met the Lord, shouted, and said: “Hoshana in the highest!”
Likewise:
The Hebrews’ children strewed togs on the road before Him and shouted:
“Hoshana to David’s Son. Blessed be He, Who came in the Lord’s Name!”
Likewise:
Glory, laud, and honor be to You, Christ the King, Redeemer,
to Whom splendid youths offer holy, hallowed Hoshana!
Then a Pharisee should come and invite Jesus to a meal:

Rabbi, that is, Teacher, I pray that You be willing to dine with me today.
Jesus should answer:

It shall be done, as thou hast prayed.
The Pharisee should say to his servant:

Go quickly, and prepare our seats
at the meal table and arrange it
such that it will please our Guest.
Mary Magdalene should sing:

The pleasure of the world is sweet and delightful;
its intercourse is alluring and bejeweled.
THE SUPPLEMENT 317
The world contains joys, for which I lustfully burn,

voluptuousness, which I dare not eschew.
For worldly pleasures, I shall end my life;

I want to serve as soldieress all secular wares.
Caring nothing about the rest, I shall put my body in my care;
with various cosmetics I shall embellish it and bedeck.
Now Mary should come with boys to a merchant and sing:

Merchant, bring to me the spices I wish to buy
for money’s high sum—I will pay you now—
and any other perfumes you have in your store,
for I wish to anoint this my glorious form.
The merchant should sing:

Behold my best merchandise! Look at these splendid goods!
These items harmonize with the beauty of your face!
Fragrant are these, and if you test them,
the scent of your body will earn you nonpareil praise.”
Mary Magdalene:
Merchant, give me the maquillage.
It should redden my soft cheeks,
so that I may inveigle young men,
whether willing or not, into love.
Likewise:
Look at me, young men,
and take pleasure in my form.
Likewise:
Ye splendid fellows,
give to fair lasses your love!
Love makes you proud and gay
and augments your prestige in the eyes of the world.
Refr. Look at me, young men,

Likewise:
Praised be you, world, because
you offer a bounty of delights.
I want to serve you always steadfastly,
so I may receive your goodwill.

Afterwards she should sleep, and an angel should sing:

O Mary Magdalene,
I report these tidings to thee:
Invited by Simon, that Jesus of Nazareth
sits here feasting
with His wonderworking grace,
full of virtue, forgiving
all the people’s sins.
The throngs affirm that He
is the Savior of this age.
The angel should withdraw and Mary should rise in song:


Then a lover should approach, whom Mary should salute, and when
they speak for a bit, she should sing to the girls:
Up then, ye sweet girls,
we will seek the merchant out. There
we will purchase maquillage, which
will make us lovely and soigné.
Whoever comes to me for love
should lose all his concerns.
Again she should sing:

Merchant, give me the maquillage.
It should redden my soft cheeks,
so that I may inveigle young men,
whether willing or not, into love.

The merchant should answer:

I shall give you an excellent makeup,
which one can really recommend;
it will endow you with a brilliant pulchritude
and will make you simply irresistible to men.
Accept it and pack it up,
for it is nonpareil.
THE SUPPLEMENT 319
With the salve received, she should go to sleep.

An angel should sing:
O Mary Magdalene,
sits here feasting
Again he should vanish. Then Mary should rise and sing:


And again afterwards she should go to sleep.

Then an angel should come singing to her as she sleeps:
O Mary Magdalene,
sits here feasting
And again he should vanish.

Mary Magdalene:
Alas my past life, a life replete with sin,
a surfeit of infamy, a destructive fount, alas!,
what is a wretch like me to do, full of sin,
who, defiled, grows pale from vice’s filth!
The angel should say to himself:

I say to thee: a joy it is to the angels of God on high
to see one sinner doing penitence for her crimes.
Mary:
Hence, worldly jewels! Avaunt, brilliant dress!
Fly far from me, base customers!

Did I desire to be born only for this,
to be defiled and be marked with a panoply of sins?!
She should lay aside her worldly togs and don a black cloak and both
the lover and devil should withdraw. She should go to the merchant:
Tell us, young merchant,
if you are selling this salve,
name the price and how much in exchange you will give.
Alas, how great is our grief!
The merchant should respond:

If you really desire this unguent,
give me a talent of gold,
otherwise you will leave with nothing at all.
It is the very best.
And the chorus should sing:

The sinner woman approached Jesus’ feet.
Having received the salve, she should go the Lord and sing in tears:
I now shall go to a doctor, to request medicine, sick as I am
from my vile past. What remains is to offer a vow
of my tears and smites to my chest to Him,
Who heals all sinners, as the angels have said.
Likewise:
Jesus, the Solace of my soul,
let me be commended to Ye,
and divest me of my malefactions,
in which the world has trammeled me.
Likewise:
I shall soak first Your feet,
when You rid me of my sins
and free me from my great misdeeds,
in which the world has trammeled me.
The Pharisee should say to himself:

If He were a prophet, He would surely know who
and of what character she was, who touches Him, for she is a sinner.
And Judas should say:

Why this ruin? Sooth it could be sold for much and given to the poor.
Jesus should sing:

Why harrow ye this woman? A good deed she has done Me.
THE SUPPLEMENT 321
Forthwith he should continue:

Simon, I have something to tell thee.
Simon Peter:
Master, speak.
Jesus should say:

A certain creditor had two debtors, to whom
he had given credit in the hope for a profit’s turn.
One owed five hundred denarii; the other owed fifty.
A crisis had left them both in penury.
When they could not pay back the loan, he released them
from their debt—which of them loved him the more for it?
Simon:
I trow the former loved him more, to whom he had more lent.
Jesus should say:

Thy opinion has thus correctly judged.
Then Jesus should sing to Mary:

Woman, thou art forgiven thy sins. Thy faith hath protected thee.
Go in peace.
Then Mary should rise and go off singing in lamentation:

Woe is me, woe is me, that I was born at all!
I have earned the wrath of God,
Who had given me a body and a soul.
Woe to me, ill-fated woman.
Woe is me, woe is me, that I was born at all,
when once the wrath of God calls me to His court.
Wake up, noble men and women sublime!
God will hold court on your body and soul.
Meanwhile the disciples should sing:

That Pharisee assayed to obstruct the fountain of pity.
Jesus should go to resurrect Lazarus and there Mary Magdalene and

Martha, ruing Lazarus, should meet Him there. Jesus should sing:
Lazarus, our friend, is asleep. Let us go and raise him from his dream.
Then Mary Magdalene and Martha should sing and weep:

Lord, if You had been here, our brother would not have died.
And when they grow silent, the cleric should say:

When the Lord saw the sisters of Lazarus weeping at the tomb,
He wept in the presence of the Jews and shouted:

Jesus should sing:

Lazarus, come forth into the open!
And the cleric should sing:

And he came forth with hands and feet bound,
who had died four days before.
Meanwhile Judas should come in haste and seek

the opportunity to betray Christ in these words:
O priests, men of wisdom great, I wish to hand Jesus over to you.
The high priests should respond to him:

O Judas, if you hand Jesus over to us now,
we shall give you thirty pieces of silver.
Judas should respond:

I will betray Jesus, believe me;
but keep your promise to me;
send a crowd together with me,
and lead Jesus away without a scene.
The high priests should sing:

You should hand over Jesus in haste;
take this throng with you and proceed
with courage and intrepidity.
Hand over Jesus swiftly!
Judas then should signal the Jews, singing:

Whomever I should kiss is He; arrest Him!
Then the throng of Jews should follow Judas with swords and lamps
until they reach Jesus. Then Jesus should hold Communion; then He
should take four disciples and say to the others He is leaving behind:
Sleep now and rest.
He then begins to pray and should say to the four disciples:

My soul is sad all the way to the point of death.
Stay here and pray that you don’t enter into temptation.
He should then ascend the Mount of Olives and,

looking up to the sky on bent knees, pray:
Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass away from Me.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. May Your will be done!
After this, He should return to the four disciples and, finding them
asleep, should say to Simon Peter:
Simon, art thou asleep? Wert thou unable to stay awake
for one hour with Me? Stay here, until I come and pray.
THE SUPPLEMENT
323
Afterwards He should begin to pray again as before:
Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass away from Me.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. May Your will be done!
Then, once again, He should come to the disciples and find them
sleeping and should say to them:
Stay here!
And again He should say:

Father, if it be not possible for this chalice to pass away
from Me, unless I drink from it, may Your will be done!
He should then return to the disciples and sing:

You were not able to stay awake for but one hour with Me, ye,
who urged Me to die for My own sake? Or see you not Judas,
how he does not sleep, but hies to betray Me to the Jews? Rise, let us go!
Lo! He, who is about to betray Me, doth approach.
Judas should come to Jesus with a crowd of Jews.

Jesus should say to them:
Whom do you seek?
They should respond:

Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus should say:

I am He.
The crowd should recede.

Likewise Jesus should say:
Whom do you seek?
The Jews:
Jesus of Nazareth.

I told you that I am He.
Likewise:
If it is I you seek, allow these men to leave.
The apostles should then take to flight, except Simon Peter.

And Judas should say:
Greetings, Rabbi!
Jesus should respond to him:

O Judas, why hast thou come?
Thou hast committed a great sin.
Thou hast handed Me over to the Jews

and leadest Me to the gibbet
to be crucified.
And Jesus should say:

You emerge with swords and clubs to arrest Me, as if you are after a thief.
Everyday among you have I sat, teaching in the temple, and you did not
seize Me then.
And Jesus should be brought before the high priests.

And the chorus should sing:
The high priests and the Pharisees held a council and said:
The high priests should sing and ponder what to do:

What should we do with that Man Who works many miracles?
If we send Him off, all will believe in Him.
And Caiphas should sing:

It is better that one man die for the people than for an entire race to perish.
A clergyman should sing:

From that day on they plotted His death, saying: lest the Romans
by chance come and destroy our city and race.
Afterwards Jesus is brought to Pilate. The Jews should say:

He said: “Destroy this temple and after three days I will rebuild it.”

What accusation do you bring against this Man?
The Jews should respond:

If He weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have given Him to you!
Pilate:
Take Him and judge Him according to your law.
Jews:
We are not permitted to kill anyone.
Afterwards Jesus should be led to Herod, who should say:

Are You the Galilean?
But Jesus remained silent. And Herod again says:

What do You purport to be?
Jesus should not respond to one word. Then Jesus should be draped
in a robe of white and led back to Pilate. Then Pilate and Herod meet
and kiss each other in turn. And Jesus should come to Pilate,
THE SUPPLEMENT 325
whereupon Pilate should say:

I find no cause to put this Man to death.

He is deserving of death.
Then Pilate should say to Jesus:

Are You the King of the Jews?

You say that I am a king.
Pilate should say:

Your people and high priests have handed You over to me.
Jesus should say after a pause:

My kingdom is not of this world.
Pilate then should say:

Then what do You purport to be?
Jesus should be silent. And Pilate should say to the high priests:
What should I do with Jesus of Nazareth?
The Jews:
He should be crucified.
Pilate:
Then I will punish Him and send Him off!
Jesus is sent off to be flagellated. Afterwards Jesus should

be dressed in a purple robe and a crown of thorns.
Then the Jews should say to Jesus blasphemously:

Hail, King of the Jews.
Then they should deal him blows to the cheek:

Prophesy! Who is it who has smitten You?
And they should bring him to Pilate. Pilate should say to them:
Behold the Man!

Crucify Him, crucify Him!
Pilate: abe as
You take Him and crucify Him. I find no cause in this Man.
The Jews:
If you let Him go, you are not a friend to Caesar.
Likewise:
Every man who makes himself king is a foe to Caesar.
Pilate:
Whence come You?
Jesus is silent. Pilate:

Speak You not to me?
Pilate:
Do You not know that I have the power to crucify You
and the power to set You free?

You would not have any power over Me,
if ithad not been given to you from above.
Pilate to the Jews:

Am I to crucify your King?
The Jews should respond:

He should be crucified, for He has made Himself the Son of God.
Pilate, laving his hands with water, should say to the Jews:
I am innocent of this Man’s blood. Bear witness to that!
Then Jesus should be lead to His crucifixion, and Judas should go

to the high priests and, rejecting their denarii, in tears sing:
It aggrieves me deeply that for this silver I have sold the Christ.
Likewise:
Take back your silver—take it back! I wish to die, not to live.
I wish to kill myself by the agony of the noose.
High priests:
What is that to us, Judas Iscariot? See to it yourself!
Forthwith the Devil should come and lead Judas to the gallows; he is
hanged. Then the women should come from far off, weeping for
Jesus. Jesus should say to them:
Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but for yourselves.
Then Jesus should be fixed on the cross; a sign above should read:
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
THE SUPPLEMENT 327
The Jews should respond to Pilate in song:

We have no king, except Caesar.
Pilate:
What I have written, I have written.
Jesus’ mother should come in grief with John the Evangelist and,
approaching the cross, look up at her crucified Son:
Woe, woe, woe is me, today and for all eternity!
Alas! How I now behold
the most beloved Child
Whom ever a woman in this world has born.
Alas the beautiful body of my Son!
Likewise:
I look at Him, full of agony
Have pity for Him, O women and men!
Let your eyes rest on Him
and into His agony plunge.
Likewise:
What place ever would have given a martyrization
so agonizing and heart-rending?
Now look at His suffering, His mortal anguish
and His body streaming with blood.
Likewise:
Let me live with my darling Child,
and kill me, his mother Mary,
who so hapless and miserable is.
What care have I for my life and body?
Then the Lord’s mother raising under tears many plaints

should shout to the weeping women and stoutly declaim:
Weep, faithful souls,
weep, best of sisters,
that so innumerable are
the lamentations and tears:
the proofs of our grief.
Let maternal hearts beweep
Mother Mary’s wounds:
then as a mother grieve I,
who am accustomed to be called
happy and blessed in motherhood.
The sad spectacle

of the cross and spear
deeply wounds
the closed seal

of my virgin soul.
This is what
the old soothsayer
had prophesied and told,
this is that sword
that transfixes my soul.
As I on my knees
with bloody fingers
look up at His head,
stooping towards the earth
and crowned with thorns,
and the wounds to His hands—
beneath this torment
I lose all sense, whilst
from the wound in His flank,
from its site, away drains His blood.
Then Mary should embrace John and, holding him in her arms, sing
to him:
O my Johannes, grieve,
Let us offer up in sacrifice
For an hour she should sit and rest, and then rise and sing:
I, who knew no sorrow before,
now am wearied by a troubling grief
and tortured by great dolor.
Judea bereaves the world of its Light
and me of my Son,
my Sweetness and Delight.
Son, Sweetness unique,

Joy one of a kind,
look back upon Thy weeping mother
and bestow Thy solace on her.
Thy wounds do torment

my mind, heart, and eyes.
What mother, what woman
is so blessed and so poor?
THE SUPPLEMENT 329
Flower of flowers, Leader of virtue,

Spring of clemency,
how grave is Thy pain
in Thy wounds upon the nails.
O, the grief! All the color

of Thy mouth flees away.
From Thee rushes and flows
a wave of gore!
O how late wert Thou delivered to me,

O how swiftly dost Thou forsake me.
O how becomingly wert Thou conceived,
O how abjectly dost Thou pass away.
O what love made for Thee

the carnal body’s shell;
O how sweet, O how bitter
are the rewards of Thy pledge.
O the pious grace

in such a death,
O the envy, O the evil
of this jealous clan!
O Propitious Beast of him,

who fixes Thee to the cross,
O gentle in its agony 1s the soul
of the suffering Christ.
O! true was the augury

of Simeon the Just!
I feel the sword of pain,
which he prophesied.
The groans, the sighs,

and tears without
are proofs
of the wounds within.
Spare posterity, Death,

but do not spare me,
then you alone will be
a cure for lonely me.
Let me by death, Beatified One,

be separated from Thee,
so long as Thou, my Son,
art not racked with the cross’ pain.
What a crime, what iniquities

hath the truculent tribe committed:
bonds, switches, wounds,
spittle, thorns, and the rest
suffers He, Who no guilt hath.
Spare my Son, I pray:

his mother crucify instead,
or affix us both
to the cross’ stake!
Alone He wrongfully dies.
Return His most afflicted,

lifeless frame, so that it,
diminished and crucified,
may be strengthened again
by our kisses and embrace!
Would that I pained thus,

that I may perish from the pain,
for it is a graver dole to die
without death
than to perish amain.
Why are you stunned, wretched race,

that the earth is quaking now,
that the stars are obscured
and the feeble mourn?
If you deprive the sun ofits light,

how would it ever shine?
If you rob a sick man of his medicine,
whereby would he convalesce?
You free a murderer, but subject

Jesus to the agony of death.
Poorly do you sustain peace,
for sedition will arise.
By the weight of famine, slaughter, and pestilence,

you will know the very things
that Jesus taught you in death
and Barabbas in life.
Blind, lamentable race, repent

your sins and crimes, whilst
THE SUPPLEMENT
331
Jesus is willing to grant His
mercy and pardon to you.
May the streams from the springs

that you have caused avail you,
for they slake the thirst of all
and wash away all faults.
Weep, daughters of Zion,

for the Son of such dear grace,
the distress of this Youth
becomes a delight to Him
for the sake of your sins.
Rush into His loving clasp,

while He hangs upon the stake;
with mutual embraces
He prepares Himself for
loving, outstretched arms.
On this ground do I rejoice,

for I suffer for the sake of ye.
Now repay me for the pain, I pray,
and lament this mother’s loss!
Then again she should embrace John and sing:

O my Johannes, grieve,
Let us offer up in sacrifice
John to her:
O Mary, grieve not
so boundlessly for thy Son!
Allow me now to weep for thee,
who desirest to leave this life.
And John should hold Mary under his shoulders.

And Jesus should say to her:
Woman, behold your son!
Then he should say to John:

Behold thy mother.
Afterwards Mary and John should go up to the cross.

And Jesus should say:
I thirst.
Forthwith the Jews should come offering a sponge soaked in vinegar.

And Jesus should drink:
It is completed.
Then Longinus should come with a spear and pierce Jesus’ side and
say openly:
I will pierce His heart,
to end His agony.
Jesus, seeing His end, shouts:

Eli, Eli, lama sabactani? That is: My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?
And with upturned head, He should send up His soul.

Longinus:
In sooth that Man was the Son of God.
Likewise:
He is the Son of the true God.
Likewise:
He has performed a miracle on me:
through Him I have my sight regained.”
And one of the Jews should say to the Jews:

He calls to Elijah. Let’s go and see if Elijah is coming to free Him or not.
Another Jew:
If you be the Son of God, come down from the cross!
Likewise another:
Others did He bless; Himself He cannot save.
17*/245. Freidank’s Pearls

by Freidank
The gnat must tire itself out greatly,

if it wishes to drown out the ox.
If adog should go to church one thousand times a day,

it nevertheless a dog does stay.
Many a dog acts friendly

and still attacks the folk.
THE SUPPLEMENT
333
I consider him less than wise, who thinks
he can open his gullet wider than an oven’s door.
If Iknow that a wolf’s tooth is lurking somewhere nearby,

I will in that place take care of my hands,
so that it won’t give me any wounds.
Its bite causes deep ulcers.
The lion surely will not lie in wait anymore,

if already hunting him are the hares.
When high summer has arrived,

the fly is the boldest bird I know.
The high time for the horsefly is over,

when August comes to an end.
The beetles fly wildly with indiscretion,

for which reason many fall into the muck.
The frogs inflict injury on themselves,

when they invite the stork for a meal.
The wise will surely fathom this
what I, a fool, have spoken.
The lion has no fear of a person,

unless it hears him, but sees him not.
The beetle deceives itself, .

when it flies too high.
The nightingale oft thinks it bothersome,

when a donkey or an ox bellows.
The dog has gnawed at leather, when one

wants to give nothing for the service it performed.
The yard dog and the wind bell

are seldom good friends.
Who learns in his youth to be a trickster

hardly ever displays steadfast virtue.
A rich house will hardly ever

be exempt from thieves and mice.
It rightly falls back on him, when one

gives another a pernicious bit of advice.
The donkey and the nightingale

do not sing the same tune.
When an ass is crowned,

it spells disgrace for all the land.
Love, property, and profit change

the mind of a righteous man.
These days one loves property more

than God, life, soul, and honor.
Nobody has a woman so truly beloved

that he does not fear a misdeed on her part.
Separation divorces intimate love;

opportunity creates many thieves.
Who has a sweetheart is hardly ever free

from the dread that she unfaithful be.
Have an affair do many men

because they need a diversion again.
18*/246. The Prayer Wheel”
1. My soul magnifies the Lord...
2. When afflicted, I cried out to the Lord and He gave me heed.
3. Requite Your servant, restore me, and I will observe Your words.
4. Because the Lord overturned Zion’s captivity, we were all consoled.
5. In Your sight should come my prayer for pardon, Lord.

Give me insight, according to Your word.
6. Rejoice always, Virgin Mary, who were granted the privilege to carry
Christ, the Creator of heaven and earth, for from your womb you brought
forth the Savior of the world.
7. Hail, our hope, intact mother of God. Hail, you who receive that “hail”
from an angel. Hail, Blessed One, Who the Father’s Splendor conceived.
Hail, chaste, most sacred virgin, every creature exalts you as the sole,
unwed mother of the Light. Hallelujah, hallelujah!
8. Mary, sprung from a royal line, shines; by her prayers for us we pray
with heart and soul for aid.
THE SUPPLEMENT
335
9. Mother through your Son, O virgin in birth, rejoice and be mirthful,
virgin, mother of the Lord.
10. Hail, mistress of the world, hail, queen of heaven, hail, virgin of
virgins, through you came our great Redemption! You, most beauteous of
women, blessed among and before all, placed above the angels’ choruses
next to your Son, we beg you, beseech for us that we may see you in our
eternal rest and rejoice with you without end.
11. After birth, you remained inviolate; O mother of God, for us

intercede.
12. Pray for us, blessed mother.
13. Rise, Lord, and give us aid.
14. Most sacrosanct, glorious, and pious Mother Mary! I, an unworthy

sinner, commend to you my being, power, life, my strength and my soul.
19*/247. Catherine’s Glory
Let us exalt the remarkable virtues

of Catherine of Alexandria,
let us present to her the devotion
of our hearts and mouths,
in the hope that we may bring back from her
praise’s commensurate rewards.
Catherine, sustained by her faith,

does not fear Maxentius the judge.
Divine law strengthens
her eloquence such
that she silences the teachers of the gentiles
with her erudite words.
Outwitted, they confess to Christ

and leave behind their heretical ways.
The judge bids that they be burned;
neither hair nor clothes does the fire harm,
and though they are surrounded by flames,
their bodies catch no burns.
Following this, the king works

at seducing the virgin with flatteries,
but she is not mollified by promises
nor terrified by the lash.
She is shackled and confined
and locked in a dungeon of dread.
Lest the light of the prisoner remain shut up,

in Porphyrius it does shine,
who allies himself with the queen
by the union of faith.
Their example of faith does follow
the two hundred person throng.
Let us therefore, in accord

with the steadfastness of this crowd,
defeat the onslaught of earthly suffering
with equal patience,
so that we may rejoice together
in glory with the just and good.
20*/248. The Great Martyress
Sing, tongue, of the martyrdom

of the glorious virgin maid.
Let the splendor of that precious gem
descend into our midst,
so that it may illume the home
of our shadowed souls!
21*/249. The Woman Christ Loved
The present day should be devoted

to the celebration of her,
whose virtue is amplified
in her exalters’ mouths,
if the beginning and end
of her deeds are known.
Strengthened by the word of life,

Porphyrius leaps forth;
decapitated with two hundred others,
he dies a companion of her victory’s palm.
Maxentius then hastens
the execution of Catherine.
With her passion impending,

the virgin sows these words:
“O benignant Jesus, let whoever in the throes
of death is mindful of mine own
receive everything that
he besought of You.”
With these words,

her head is lopped off,
THE SUPPLEMENT
337
milk flows together with blood.
Her body by a throng of angels
is lifted off the ground
and placed on Sinai’s pinnacle.
This bespeaks, this makes clear

the worth of the virgin dear;
for from her tomb drips
olive oil without end,
oil whose effect heals
the sting of every pain.
Just as this salve diminishes

the force of corporeal pain,
so the infusion of this spiritual liquor
should cleanse us amain,
so temporal dole may truckle
to an eternity of bliss.
Glory and honor be

always to the highest God—
to the Father and Son together
with the illustrious protector—
whose praise and power
are eternal and without end.
22*/250. The Woman Who Broke the Wheel
On this day, pious souls should unite

the clapping and dancing
to the harmony of heavenly heights.
On this day, Catherine,
Christ’s bride, ascends to heaven
after a victory sublime.
The virgin, bewailing the subjection

of Christians to martyrdom
as heretics by heretics themselves,
professes her faith in Jesus openly
nor fears that her belief
is by Maxentius opposed.
Defeated by her written testimony

and cornered by her arguments,
he searches for assistance.
He seeks the Greek orators
and the best amongst them;
from here rises the dispute.
Rhetoric is called forth

to the contest, given a place,
disputed, and then finally sinks.
The virgin rejoices; the king is incensed.
The throngs of orators believe her
and suffer martyrdom for this offense.
“Virgin, maidenly glory,

virgin, issue of kings,
conquering in beauty and in grace
all sovereign lands,
regal power should stand
beneath your very sway—
only do not refuse to give
oblations to the gods.”
In response the virgin says:

“What, Maxentius, what did you say,
O beast? A true God cannot
in the plural be declined.
When you give
your gods plural forms,
you pass from divine
to demonic norms.
Recover, recover yourself

straightway from these your gods,
and with Christ reconcile yourself!
Blindly do you venerate that which is blind,
falsely to falsities do you pray for pardon,
from like to like.”
The king is confounded at these things:

he rages, he gnashes his teeth, he fumes,
he barks, he is a human being no more.
He orders that a wheel be forged;
whilst it is being turned, over it rolls
and crushes the heathen throng.
“Hence, hence, the witch should be snatched;

hence should this conjurer be haled
to the squalor of our jail!”
The executioners appear anon,
then the henchmen, then the torturers,
who villainous biddings carry out.
The prison is purified by light:

the comfort of the angels
THE SUPPLEMENT
339
is to the virgin vouchsafed.
She is visited by the queen,
who is given the knowledge of Christ;
then she is subjected to martyrdom.
The virgin offers her head and her breasts;

a remarkable portent
accompanies her torture:
her breast now yields blood
and her head exudes drops of milk,
a reversal of their natural qualities.
Perennial glory and supremacy

be forever to You, Christ;
vouchsafe us a fellowship
with Catherine the Saint!
23*/251. Joseph’s Song
Joseph of Arimathia sings:

Jesus of godly substance,
a Man without any sin,
Who undeservedly suffered torment—
if one should see Him any longer
hanging on nails from the cross,
it would befit not the honor due a king.
Therefore you should allow
me to bury Him, O governor!
Pilate:
When someone desires a noble thing,
then it is wholly appropriate
that his enterprise find ears.
You ask that [ let you
bury Jesus Christ.
I receive this request amicably.
Since He is very much in your heart,
take Him according to your design.
24*/252. Lord, Have Mercy on Us
Kyrie.” With ajubilant song, let us call out to Virgin Mary.

Kyrie. On this day let us give praise to the Virgin Mary.
Kyrie. Joyful, let us sing a song for Mary.
Christe. God, born a Man not from seed,

Christe. watch over us by the intercession of Mary,
Christe. Son of the Virgin Mary.
Kyrie. Listen, most benignant God, hear our pleas,

Kyrie. Protect us according to Mary’s prayers.
Kyrie. Save and shelter us always, as we pray,
guide us, defend us, protect us, Lord, triune God,
for the sake of Mary’s merits, eleison.
25*/253. The Last Hours of Christ
Mark. At the time of the compline the Lord was betrayed. Thence: fe
You will draw Me out of the gin that they have secretly set for Me.
In the morning He was captured. Thence: Behold! a

They have captured My soul; the strong have descended upon Me!”
At the time He was charged with the first offense. Thence:

For foes have risen against Me!”
At the third hour He was flagellated. Thence:

The cords of sinners have embraced Me."!
At the sixth hour He was crucified. Thence:

. a 5 A Dy
I have become like a wineskin in the hoarfrost.”
At the ninth hour, He passed away. Thence:

I opened My mouth, because I longed for Your commandments.”
In the evening, He was buried. Thence:

Draw My soul from the confines of My body.“
26*/254. The Lord Appears”
Here begins a play about the Lord’s coming before His disciples, near the
stronghold of Emmaus, where he appeared to them in a pilgrim’s form,
silently observing their acts and words.
Disciples:
Christ has risen and given light to His people,
whom He redeemed with His blood. Hallelujah.
Jesus, hearing this, molds Himself into a palmer and rejoins:

What are these words that you are exchanging as you walk with sad
hearts? Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Disciples:
Are you but a foreigner in Jerusalem, who knows not
what has happened here in these past few days? Hallelujah.
THE SUPPLEMENT 341
Jesus should respond to them:

What?
Disciples:
We speak of Jesus of Nazareth, Who was a prophet, mighty in His acts
and words before the eyes of all men and God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

Foolish and lazy at heart are ye to believe
in the things the prophets have said. Hallelujah.
Jesus likewise:
Was it not ordained that Christ suffer and enter into His glory? Hallelujah.
Cleric:
And they pressed Him and said:
The disciples invited him:

Stay with us, Lord, since twilight is coming on and the day has drawn to a
close. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
He should go with the disciples and speak about the prophets, seek a meal,
and be recognized by them in the breaking of bread. Jesus should vanish
from their sight. The disciples should sing:
Was the heart in us not burning for Jesus, whilst He
was speaking to us on the road? Hallelujah.
Then Jesus should appear to them with a banner and sing:

Peace be with you, I am He. Hallelujah. Fear not! Hallelujah.
The cleric should sing:

Thomas, called Didymus, was not with them, when Jesus came.
The other disciples said: “We have seen the Lord.” Hallelujah.
Then Jesus should show His hands and feet and sing:
Behold My hands and My feet, for I am He.
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Then again Jesus should disappear and the disciples sing:

Christ, rerisen from the shades, is dead no more. Death has no further
power over Him. But He lives His life for God. Hallelujah.
The apostles, talking together on Jesus, should say to Thomas:

We have seen the Lord. Hallelujah.
Thomas responds to them:

Unless I cast my fingers into the pits of the nails
and my hands into His side, I will not believe.
Then Jesus should appear again and say to the disciples:

Peace be with you, I am here. Hallelujah. Fear not! Hallelujah.
And the cleric should sing:

After eight days the Lord entered through closed doors and said to them:
He should appear a third time:

Peace be with you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Then He should say to Thomas:

Put out your hand and recognize the nails’ sites. Hallelujah.
And do not be incredulous, but have faith. Hallelujah.
And Thomas, falling at the feet of the Lord, should sing:

My Lord and my God. Hallelujah.
Jesus should say:

Because thou hast seen Me, Thomas, thou didst believe.
Blessed are those who have not seen, but still believed. Hallelujah.
Then the apostles together should sing a hymn:

Jesus, our Redemption,
Love, and Desire, God,
Creator of all, Man in
the end of time,
What clemency conquered You

that You bore all of our crimes,
suffering cruel, torturous death,
so that You might raise us from it?
Bursting through the gates of hell,

redeeming the captive men, who belonged to You,
sitting a Victor in noble triumph
at the right hand of the Father,
Let compassion itself impel You,

to vanquish our sins by sparing us,
and to satiate us with Your visage,
all participants in prayer.
Be You our joy,

Who will be our reward;
may our glory forever be in You,
throughout all the ages evermore.
Glory to You, Lord,

Who climbs above the stars,
THE SUPPLEMENT 343
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

in ages everlasting.
26a*/254a. The Bride of Solomon’s Song
Then the Lord’s mother should appear and with her two angels
carrying scepters in hand, and Mary Jacobi and Mary Salome.
Come out and see, daughters of Zion, King Solomon in the crown,
with which his mother crowned him on the day of his marriage
and the day of the joy of his heart. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Lord:
The dove’s voice has been heard in the towers of Jerusalem.
Come, My friend. Rise, North Wind, and, South Wind, come;
blow through My garden and its pleasant aroma will spring.

May my beloved come into His garden, to consume the fruits of His fruit
trees.
Lord:
I have eaten the honeycomb together with My honey;
I have drunk My milk with My wine.
Mary:
Such is my beloved, He is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.
Lord:
Wholly fair art thou, My friend, and there is no stain upon thee.
Honeydew is thy lips; honey and milk sit under thy tongue;
the scent of thy salves overpowers every spice’s perfume.
For now the winter hath passed, the rain hath departed and withdrawn,
the flowers have appeared, the blossoming vineyards sweet odors exude,
and the dove’s voice has been heard in our land. Rise, hasten, My friend,
come down from Lebanon, come, to receive thy crown!
HERE ENDS THE SUPPLEMENT.

HERE END THE SONGS FROM BENEDIKTBEUERN.
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CRITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTARY = 347
N.B. Biblical references that end with “Vulgate” in parentheses may not match the
chapter and/or verse of any translated versions of the Bible, as they refer to the
Latin Vulgate whose number scheme varies from those of translated editions,
especially in the Book of Psalms.
Book I: The Moral and Satirical Songs (Poems 1 - 55)
1. Cf. Jeremiah 31:3, ideo adtraxi te miserans” (“therefore I have drawn thee,
taking pity on thee’).
2. Cf. Matthew 25:12, “at [Dominus] respondens ait amen dico vobis nescio vos”
(“but [the Lord] responding said, ‘Amen I say to you, I know you not’”).
3. An indigent poet in Juvenal’s Satirae 3.203, Codrus in Medieval Latin became

synonymous with the phrase “poor devil.”
4. Grammatical terms were often transferred in the Middle Ages to living

conditions (viz. J.A. Alford’s The Grammatical Metaphor, Speculum 57 (1982),
pp. 728-760). The ablative is the case of “taking away,” the sullying of which the
disenfranchisement of the poor effects; the dative is the case of “giving,” through
which the genitive, the case of “possession,” an allusion to the tools of generation,
is aroused: basically the giving of money arouses the generation of rulings that
favor the highest bidder.
5. Cf. Ezekiel 26:16, “principes...adtoniti super repentino casu [Tyri]

admirabuntur’ (“and in astonishment shall the princes wonder at [Tyre’s] sudden
fall’).
6. Cf. Psalm 136:1 (Vulgate), “super flumina Babylonis ibi sedimus et flevimus
cum recordaremur Sion” (“there upon the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept,
when we remembered Zion’).
7. Cf. Matthew 24:12, “et quoniam abundabit iniquitas refrigescet caritas

multorum’” (“and because iniquity shall abound, the charity of many shall grow
cold.)
8. The false god of avarice and wealth described in Luke 16:13 and Matthew 6:24.
9. Scurra can mean either dandy or droll. It can also refer to a social parasite (viz.
L&S II(1)), which I have rendered as “popinjay,” a vain man prone to meaningless
chatter. This line complements the previous line parasitus tonat (“the [social]
parasite thunders”) and demonstrates that this social parasite, the popinjay, not
only speaks in loud tones, but is actually given ear and commands all. In other
words, the age of vanity is upon us.
10. Probably the name of an obscure, though beloved, bishop or abbot

(Schumann).
11. Cf. Regula Benedicti 58.16 (“Rule of Saint Benedict”), “collum excutere desub
iugo regulae” (“it is no longer permitted him] to wrest his neck from the yoke of
the Rule”).
12. Cf. Matthew 15:14, “sinite illos caeci sunt duces caecorum caecus autem si
caeco ducatum praestet ambo in foveam cadunt’ (“Let them alone: they are blind
leaders of the blind and if the blind lead the blind both fall into the pit”).
13. Burnellus, or Brunellus, is the protagonist of Nigel de Longchamps’ 11th

century Speculum Stultorum (Mirror of Fools), in which the donkey, Brunellus,
goes on a quest to lengthen his tail. He is thus the personification of foolishness.
14. Pope Gregory I (540-604 AD), who became the patron saint of musicians,
singers, students, and teachers, was widely known for his liturgical reforms,
Biblical commentaries and ecclesiastical writings.
15. Saint Jerome (347-420 AD), the father of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of
the Bible.
16. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD).
17. Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-547 AD) was the founder of the Order of St
Benedict and thus Western Monasticism. This line is an allusion to Regula
Benedicti 40.6, “Licet legamus vinum omnino monachorum non esse...saltem vel
hoc consentiamus, ut non usque ad satietatem bibamus, sed parcius” (“Although
we read that wine is not proper for all monks...let us at least agree that we drink
not to satiety, but sparingly”).
18. Saint Mary of Bethany and Saint Martha of Bethany, respectively. They are
described in Luke 10:39, “et huic erat soror nomine Maria quae etiam sedens
secus pedes Domini audiebat verbum illius. Martha autem satagebat circa
frequens ministerium quae stetit et ait Domine non est tibi curae quod soror mea
reliquit me solam ministrare dic ergo illi ut me adiuvet” (“And she had a sister
hight Mary, who, even sitting at the Lord’s feet, heard His word. Martha, however,
was busy serving. She stood and said, “Lord, carest thou not that my sister hath
left me here alone to serve? Tell her therefore to help me”). Their inclinations in
this backward age have been reversed.
19. Leah and her sister Rachel were two of the wives of Jacob, one of the Biblical
Patriarchs. Leah had weak eyes, and Rachel was infertile (viz. Genesis 29).
20. The Roman statesman Cato the Elder, or Cato “the Censor,” was widely
known for his abstemiousness.
21. Lucretia, a legendary figure in the history of the Roman Republic, was the
personification of chastity. Her rape by Sextus Tarquinius, the son of Lucius
Tarquinius Superbus, the last king of Rome, and consequent suicide on the altar of
her own virtue prompted the establishment of the Roman Republic (viz. Livy Ab
Urbe Condita (“From the Foundation of the City”) Book I, sections 57-60,
Dionysius of Halicarnassus ‘Popoik) ApyatoAoyia (“Roman Antiquities”) Book
IV, sections 64-85).
22. Cf. Matthew 7:21, “non omnis qui dicit mihi Domine Domine intrabit in
regnum caelorum sed qui facit voluntatem Patris mei qui in caelis est ipse intrabit
in regnum caelorum” (“Not every one who saith to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter
the kingdom of heaven, but he who doth the will of my Father who is in heaven
shall enter the kingdom of heaven.’’)
23. Cf. Juvenal, Satirae 8.20, “nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus” (“the sole,
unparalleled nobility is virtue”) (Schumann).
24. Cf. Horace, Ars Poetica 303, “ergo fungar vice cotis” (therefore I shall play
the role of whetstone’).
25. Cf. Luke 23:28, “filiae Hierusalem nolite flere super me sed super vos ipsas
flete et super filios vestros” (“weep not for me, daughters of Jerusalem, but weep
for yourselves and your children”).
26. Simon Magus, or Simon the Sorcerer, was a Samaritan magician, who appears
in Acts of the Apostles 8:9-24. He seduced with his magic the people into believing
he had the power of God. He was converted to Christianity by Philip the
Evangelist and witnessed many of his miracles. When he saw Philip give people
the Holy Ghost with his hands, he offered to pay him for this power. Philip warned
him of the punishment for those who try to purchase the gift of God, whereupon
Simon prayed for absolution. In the Medieval mind he was an embodiment of the
great seducer.
27. Gehazi, mentioned in 2 Kings 4:12-36, 5:20-27, and 6:1-8, was the Prophet
Elisha’s servant, who solicited from Naaman the Syrian a talent of silver and two
changes of togs in the prophet’s name, whereupon Elisha cursed Gehazi and his
descendants with leprosy. He personifies avarice.
28. Ephesians 5:23-24 identifies the Church as Christ’s bride: “quoniam vir caput
est mulieris sicut Christus caput est ecclesiae ipse salvator corporis sed ut
ecclesia subiecta est Christo ita et mulieres viris suis in omnibus” (“since the
husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church. He is the
savior of the body. So as the church is subject to Christ, let wives be subject to
their husbands in all affairs”).
29. An allusion to Gehazi. The Syrian is Naaman.
30. Cf. Ephesians 5:5, “avarus quod est idolorum servitus non habet hereditatem
in regno Christi et Dei” (‘a man of avarice, which is a service of idols, has no
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God”).
31. Cf. Proverbs 30:15, “sanguisugae duae sunt filiae dicentes adfer adfer tria
sunt insaturabilia et quartum quod numquam dicit sufficit” (“there are two
daughters of the horseleech that say, ‘Bring, bring!’ There are three insatiable
things and the fourth never saith, ‘It is enough’”). In this poem the first daughter is
simony and the second is avarice.
32. Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:1, “memento creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae
antequam veniat tempus afflictionis et appropinquent anni de quibus dicas non
mihi placent” (“remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the time of
affliction come and the years approach about which thou wilt say, “They please me
not’”).
33. The Latin here is unclear. While the heirs of Simon are clearly the corrupt
prelates, it is unclear whether heredes is the subject or object of fovent, and the
sentence can thus be rendered in two ways: (1) “But the heirs of Simon caress
them with their allurements”; or (2) “But they foster the heirs of Simon with their
flatteries.” I have opted for the former, since the prelates, though many hate Simon
himself, beguile money out of the mass by the threats and enticements they deliver
in their sermons.
34. Ephron was a Hittite whom Abraham persuaded to sell land for a tomb for
Sarah; Ephron was willing to give him the site for free, but Abraham insisted on
paying him (viz. Genesis 23:10-16). St. Jerome in Hebraicae Quaesitiones in
Genesim 23.16 explains the meanings of the two names: Ephron means “perfect,
complete” and Ephran means “imperfect, defective.” The poet is therefore stating
that since he took Abraham’s money, Ephron “‘the Perfect” deserves the name
Ephran “the Incomplete” (Bernt).
35. Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3, and John 1:23, “vox clamantis in deserto” (“the
voice of one shouting in the wilderness’).
36. Cf. Ephesians 5:1, “estote ergo imitatores Dei” (“be ye therefore followers of
God’).
37.Cf. Luke 14:27, “et qui non baiulat crucem suam et venit post me non potest
esse meus discipulus” (“and whosoever doth not carry his own cross and come
after me cannot be my disciple”).
38. Cf. Romans 5:14, “sed regnavit mors ab Adam usque ad Mosen etiam in eos
qui non peccaverunt in similitudinem praevaricationis Adae qui est forma futuri”
(“but death reigned from Adam unto Moses and even over those who had not
sinned, in the likeness of Adam’s transgression, who is a figure of him who was to
come’).
39. The nard is a wild flowering plant with medicinal and aromatic properties. It is
mentioned in Song of Solomon 1:12 and 4:13, John 12:1-10, Matthew 20:2 and
26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9).
40. Cf. Daniel 11:5, “et confortabitur rex austri et de principibus eius praevalebit
super eum et dominabitur dicione” (“and the king of the south shall be
strengthened and one of his princes shall prevail over him and he shall rule with
great might’).
41. The black priors refer to the Benedictine and Cluniac Orders (Bernt).
42. This is an example of the rich man’s victory in every suit, even when he
refuses to distort the facts in his favor (Bernt).
43. Cf. Juvenal, Satirae 11.208, “voluptates commendat rarior usus” (“rarer use
commends pleasures’’).
44. 13.3-4 literally reads, “No greater torment than envy did Sicilian tyrants ever
invent.” To emphasize “invidia” as Horace did, I have rendered it in the
nominative, though it is in fact in the ablative. English syntax does not allow for
such emphasis if the line is translated too literally.
45. Cf. Juvenal, Satirae 7.197, “si Fortuna volet, fies de rhetore consul” (“If
Fortune wishes, you will, rhetorician, become a consul’).
46. I have taken opera as a noun of agent, as do Diemer and Diemer.
47. “Darius” is probably Darius If (380-330 BC) during whose reign Persia fell
under Alexander the Great’s control; whilst fleeing Alexander, he was killed by a
satrap (Schumann). “Pompey” was one of the members of the First Triumvirate
and, following his defeat by Julius Caesar’s forces, was slain in Egypt in 48 BC.
48. In the Trojan War Troy had the upper hand over the Greeks until the gods
decided to seal the former’s fate.
49. Cf. Horace, Epistles 1.11.27, “caelum, non animum, mutant, qui trans mare
currunt’ (“they change their climate, not their minds, who run across the sea’).
Horace states that those who are unhappy with their surroundings must change
their casts of mind, not their abodes. This passage reverses the sense: those who
are constant change indeed their scene but not their dispositions.
50. Cf. Matthew 7:26, “et omnis qui audit verba mea haec et non facit ea similis
erit viro stulto qui aedificavit domum suam supra harenam” (“and every one who
heareth these My words and doth not as they say shall be like the foolish man who
builds his house upon the sand”).
51. Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12, “itaque qui se existimat stare videat ne cadat” (“and
so he who thinketh himself to stand, let him be aware lest he fall’).
52. Cf. Horace, Epistulae 1.2.40, “dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet” (“half the
deed he holds, who the enterprise began’).
53. Proteus was the son of Poseidon and personifies fickleness.

54. Opportunity, or Occasio, was the Roman equivalent of Caerus, the Greek god
of opportunity. This deity differed from Fortuna in that Caerus brought at the right
moment what was convenient and fit, the due measure that achieved the aim.
When the god arrived, one could grasp the long tresses over his brows, but once he
passed, his departure could not be stopped because the back of his head, or
occiput, had no hair to grasp. Since the Latin word occasio is feminine, Caerus
becomes a goddess in the Latin mind. In Disticha Catonis 2.26, or Dionysius
Cato’s Distichs, the author writes, “rem tibi quam scieris aptam dimittere noli:
fronte capillata, post haec occasio calva” (“Don’t let pass by what you know to be
good for you: Opportunity has over her forehead hair, but behind is completely
bald”).
55. Queen Hecuba was the ill-fated queen of Troy.
56. Cf. Boethius, Philosophiae Consolatio (The Consolation of Philosophy) 2

Metrum 1.7, “sic illa ludit’ (“thus she plays her game”) (Vollmann).
57. Literally, “Since Fortune through lot prostrates the strong, lament you all with
”
me.
58. Cf. Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.137, “medio tutissimus ibis” (“in the middle you
will course most safely’).
59. From Monosticha Catonis, Breves sententiae 6 (Bernt).
60. Cf. Juvenal, Satirae 3.30, “donandi gloria” (“the glory fo giving’).
61. Cf. Monosticha Catonis, Breves sententiae 17, “cui des videto” (“know to
whom you should give’).
62. In other words, if the reader hearkens to the poet well and thus becomes
completely acquainted with his cast of mind he will know how to achieve glory
through giving. This is an allusion to Persius, Satirae 3.30, “ego te intus et in cute
novi’ (“I know you within and without’) (Bernt).
63. Cf. Isaiah 49:3, “servus meus es tu Israhel quia in te gloriabor’ (“thou art my
servant, Israel, for in thee will I glory”).
64. Poorer than poor. See note 3 above.
65. Omnibus can be translated in two ways. If omnibus is dative, then the sentence
reads “thou are abundant to all,” which doesn’t fit the sense of the poem’s tenor,
videlicet, selective and prudent giving. If it is ablative, as I have translated it, then
the line reads, “you abound in all things,” which shows that the listener has the
wherewithal to attain the glory whereof his father speaks and the father takes pride
that, although he is poorer than his son and can never earn the glory of which he
speaks, his son has the wealth to give rightly and thus acquire great renown.
CRITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTARY — 353
66. A variation of Horace, Satirae 1.1.206, “est modus in rebus; sunt certi denique
fines” (“there is a right measure in all things; in short, there are fixed bounds”)
(Farber).
67. Horace is the author of the first half of these lines, “Virtue is...well-nigh
good,” and Ovid is the author of the other moiety, “Due to...vice’s stead.”
68. Horace penned the line “When the fool...he runs,” and Juvenal authored “for
vice...silhouette.”
69. A play on Ecclesiastes 1:2. “vanitas vanitatum” (“vanity of vanities”).
70. Cf. John 14:6, “dicit ei Iesus ego sum via veritas et vita’ (“Jesus saith to him,
‘I am the path, the truth, and the life’”’).
71. Cf. 1 Corinthians 13:13, “nunc autem manet fides spes caritas tria haec maior
autem his est caritas” (“and now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three:
but charity is the best of these’’).
72. Cf. John 5:8, “dicit ei Iesus surge tolle grabattum tuum et ambula” (“Jesus
saith to him, “Arise, take up thy bed and walk’”).
73. The bite of the forbidden fruit (viz. Genesis 3:6).
74. Viz. Genesis 2:17, “in quocumque enim comederis ex [ligno scientiae
bonorum et malorum] morte morieris” (“on whatsoever day thou shalt eat of [the
tree of the knowledge of good and evil] thou shalt die the death’), and Romans
5:12, “propterea sicut per unum hominem in hunc mundum peccatum intravit et
per peccatum mors et ita in omnes homines mors pertransiit in quo omnes
peccaverunt’ (“wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world and through
this sin death, so death passed upon all men in whom all have sinned”).
75. Christ. See note 28 above.
76. That is, God waits until the measure of their sins is full.
77. Cf. Matthew 7:16, “a fructibus eorum cognoscetis” (“by, their fruits you shall
know them’).
78. Cf. Matthew 3:12, “cuius ventilabrum in manu sua et permundabit aream
suam et congregabit triticum suum in horreum paleas autem conburet igni
inextinguibili” (“whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his
threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but he will burn the chaff with
an inextinguishable fire”).
79. Cf. Psalms 15:6 (Vulgate), “Funes ceciderunt mihi in praeclaris: etenim
hereditas mea praeclara est mihi” (“The lots have fallen upon me with clarity, and
forsooth my inheritance is very clear to me”). Basically, a lordly lot, God, has
been awarded to mankind.
80. The path of love; cf. / Corinthians 12:31, “aemulamini autem charismata
maiora et adhuc excellentiorem viam vobis demonstro” (“but be zealous for the
better gifts and I shall show you yet a more excellent path”).
81.There are two possible translations here. If ascellas (shoulders) is a corruption

of cellas (chambers), then the line is turturis retorqueas os ad cellas (“thou
shouldst turn the head of the dove to the chambers”). In this case the turtle dove
designates the Holy Spirit that should withdraw itself from the hustle and bustle of
the world and devote itself to contemplation: viz. Distinctiones monasticae (Pitra
IL 491b), “turtur, quia strepitum odit, et quietem ac solitudinem diligit, significat
Spiritum sanctum” (“the turtledove, because it hates noise and cherishes rest and
solitude, signifies the Holy Ghost”) (Vollmann). If the line be turturis retorqueas
os ad ascellas (“thou shouldst twist the dove’s beak back unto its shoulders”), then
it is a reference to Leviticus 1:14 et seq., “sin autem de avibus holocausti oblatio
fuerit Domino de turturibus...offeret eam sacerdos ad altare et retorto ad collum
capite ac rupto vulneris loco” (“but if the offering of the holocaust to the Lord be
of birds, or turtledoves...the priest shall present it to the altar, twist back the head
to the neck and break the site of the wound”) (Schumann). The line then is both a
reference to a holocaustal ritual intended to propitiate God and an allegory that
exhorts men to accord their deeds (which their shoulders bear, thus ascellas) with
what they preach (the origin of which is the mouth, thus os). Given what follows
this line, I have elected the latter as the author’s intended meaning.
82. Cf. Matthew 18:15, “si autem peccaverit in te frater tuus vade et corripe eum
inter te et ipsum solum Si te audierit lucratus es fratrem tuum” (“but if thy brother
shall sin against thee, go to him and rebuke him between him and thee alone; if he
shall hear thee, a brother shalt thou gain”).
83. The Philistines were the occupants of southern Canaan who were referred to in
the Bible as the archenemies of the Israelites.
84. Delilah, a figure from Judges 16, was the love of Samson, the secret of whose
strength the Philistines wished to learn. They approached her with a handsome
offer of silver and she accepted. He told her three riddles, then the true reason
revealed: he cut not his hair in fulfillment of a vow to God. The Philistines
captured him, shore his hair, gouged out his eyes, and imprisoned him.
85. Cf. Matthew 6:28, “considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt non laborant nec
nent’ (“consider ye the lilies of the field, how they grow: they toil not nor do they
spin’).
86. Cf. Hebrews 7:16, “qui non secundum legem mandati carnalis factus est sed
secundum virtutem vitae insolubilis” (“who is made, not in accordance with the
law of a carnal commandment, but according to the power of an indissoluble
life”); and Romans 7:5, “cum enim essemus in carne passiones peccatorum quae
per legem erant operabantur in membris nostris ut fructificarent morti? (“for
when we were in the flesh, the passion of sins, which were by the law, worked in
our members to bring forth fruit unto death”).
87. Cf. Job 14:2, “quasi flos egreditur et conteritur et fugit velut umbra” (who
cometh forth like a flower, is destroyed, and fleeteth like a shadow’); and Wisdom
5:9, “transierunt omnia illa tamquam umbra’” (“all those things have passed away
as a shadow”).
88. Cf. Isaiah 1:30, “cum fueritis velut quercus defluentibus foliis et velut hortus
absque aqua” (“when you shall be like an oak without leaves and as a garden
without water’’).
89. Cf. Galatians 5:16, “‘spiritu ambulate et desiderium carnis non perficietis”
(“walk ye in spirit and you shall not fulfill the desires of the flesh”).
90. The “law” is a reference to the Old Testament.
91. Cf. Ecclesiasticus 21:7, “et qui timet Deum convertet ad cor suum” (“and he
who feareth God shall turn unto his own heart’).
92. A reference to the human condition after the Fall.
93. Only the virtuous life is worth living.
94. Cf. Psalms 118:133 (Vulgate), “gressus meos firma in sermone tuo” (“direct
my steps according to your word’’).
95. Cf. Isaiah 40:14, “et docuit eum semitam iustitiae” (“...and taught him the path
of justice”).
96. Cf. Matthew 3:10 and Luke 3:9, “iam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita
est omnis ergo arbor quae non facit fructum bonum exciditur et in ignem mittitur”
(“for now the ax is laid on the root of the trees; therefore every tree which doth
yield no good fruit is cut and sent into the fire”). In Matthew 21:18-22 a hungry
Christ, seeing a fig tree beside the road, came to it (videns fici arborem unam
secus viam venit ad eam 21:19); finding nothing but leaves on it (nihil invenit in ea
nisi folia tantum 21:19), he commanded that it never bear fruit again for all
eternity (et ait illi numquam ex te fructus nascatur in sempiternum 21:19), which
caused to the tree to wither away immediately (et arefacta est continuo ficulnea
21:19). The lesson he intended to show through this, aside from a display of
hypoglycemic spite, was that faith accomplishes any feat, even casting mountains
into the sea (et si monti huic dixeritis tolle et iacta te in mare fiet 21:21). The idea
of the fig now makes sense: Christ watches all and will strike down those who do
not fulfill their creation—to feed a wayfarer in the case of the “foolish” fig and, in
the case of man, to lead a virtuous life and thus benefit the world through charity
and magnanimity and avoidance of sin. In this context, the tree is also a man who
has failed to keep his faith through charity. Mark 11:12-14 and 11:19-25 follows
up on this as well, adding in 11:13, “non enim erat tempus ficorum” (“indeed it
was not the season for figs”), which advises, in the context of the poem, that here
and now is the time to bear the fruit of faith and through charity benefit the world,
for procrastination will only be met with punishment and seasonableness will not
be considered a valid pretext. On the next morning the disciples “viderunt ficum
aridam factam a radicibus” (“saw that the fig tree had been dried up from the
roots”) (11:20).
97. Cf. 2 Corinthians 6:6, “in casitate in scientia in longanimatate in suavitate in

Spiritu Sancto in caritate non ficta” (“in chastity, in knowledge, in long suffering,
in sweetness, in the Holy Spirit, in charity unfeigned”’).
98. The nuptial vest is the vest earned through good works and faith in the Lord.
99. The royal court is the Kingdom of Heaven.
100. The bridegroom is Christ; this scene imports the meeting with Christ in the
Last Judgment.
101. Ten virgins were invited to the wedding of Jesus and the Church; five brought
oil in their lamps and five did not. Whilst the latter went off to purchase oil, Christ
opened the doors to the five who had oil. When the other five returned with oil,
Jesus told them that he knew them not (Matthew 25). The lamp betokens the soul
and the oil is the Holy Spirit that illuminates it (Proverbs 20:27).
102. Cf. Psalms 117:9 (Vulgate), “melius est sperare in Domino quam sperare in
homine” (“better it is to confide in the Lord than to place thy hope in man’).
103. Cf. Genesis 3:19, “in sudore vultus tui vesceris pane donec revertaris in
terram de qua sumptus es” (“and in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, until
thou return to the land whence thou wast taken’).
104. Cf. Matthew 8:12, “ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium” (‘there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth”).
105. Cf. Matthew 3:12 (vide supra).
106. Matthew 5:8.
107. Cf. Matthew 5:6, “beati qui esuriunt et sitiunt iustitiam” (“blessed are they
who hunger and thirst for justice’’).
108. Cf. Psalms 2:13 (Vulgate), “cum exarserit post paululum furor eius beati
omnes qui sperant in eum” (“when His wrath shall be kindled in a short while,
blessed are all who truth in Him’).
109. Cf. Matthew 6:34, “nolite ergo esse solliciti in crastinum crastinus enim dies
sollicitus erit sibi” (“be not then solicitous for the morrow, for it will be solicitous
for itself’).
110. A standard weight used in the measurement of gold, silver, etc.
111. Cf. Luke 12:35, “sint lumbi vestri praecincti” (“let your loins be girt”).
112. Cf. Wisdom 1:11, “os autem quod mentitur occidit animam” (“and the mouth
that lieth slayeth the soul’).
113. Cf. Psalms 39:3 (Vulgate), “et eduxit me de lacu famoso de luto caeni” (“and
he lifted me from the pit of misery and the mire of filth’).
114. Pamphilus, the Latinized Greek for “friend to all,” was an archetypal young
lover in Terence’s plays Hekyra and Andria, and personifies the foolish pursuits
that lead to self-destruction and shame.
115. The Hydra who regains a head for each one lost, brings to mind both an
indomitable battle that cannot be won physically and also the Herculean hero who
slew the monster, but was later undone by his wife—a woman and the ultimate
cause of lust—Deianira.
116. Antaeus, who gained more strength each time he was thrown to the earth.
Antaeus is the personification of lust in the medieval mind, as attested in
Fulgentius’ Mitologiarum 2.4.
117. Potiphar’s wife who failed to seduce Joseph, but later calumniated him
anyway (viz. Genesis 39:7-20).
118. In the Middle Ages the age of manhood spanned from 35 to 50 (Vollmann).
119. The mistakes he made in that age, which he now repents, served as wise
counselors of what not to do.
120. Schumann and Bernt liken this line to the allegory of Hercules at the
crossroads, deciding between Virtue and Vice, Unlike Hercules, the speaker chose
neither but rather followed a middle course, engaging in sexual pursuits, a
tempered vice, without committing adultery, a virtuous choice. Along with his
mention of his refusal to commit adultery, this stanza seems like both a subtle self-
vindication for avoiding adultery whilst in the heat of unrestrained desire, and a
self-accusation for failing to control his sexual desire in whole.
121. See note 84 on Delilah, who personifies bewitching femininity’s conquest

over the masculine sex. The original Latin text by Hilke and Schumann reads nec
fraudavi temere /coniugis amplexus;/ Dalidam persequere, /ne fraudetur sexus!
(“nor did I recklessly beguile the embrace of a spouse. Take vengeance upon
Delilah, lest the sex be deceived!”). The imperative in this reading, however, is
syntactically impossible and it thus seems unlikely Peter wrote it in his original
work, and so I have chosen the alternate reading adopted by Vollmann: nec
fraudavi temere / coniugis amplexus / Dalidam dans, tenere / ut fraudetur sexus
(and yet I did not in my frivolity cheat Delilah of a spouse’s embrace, so that my
sex could be tenderly deceived.”) Fraudavi here has a double accusative

construction (Dalidam and coniugis amplexus) and means to cheat (Delilah) out of
(a spouse’s embrace). Dans, the present participle of dare, here sets up the
subjunctive clause tenere ut fraudetur sexus that designates an effect (“making it
such that my sex could be tenderly deceived”). In other words, he didn’t sleep with
another’s beguiling wife, who is apt to tempt the masculine sex into ultimate ruin
in a tender way (both the philanderer and the cuckold), so as not to subject the
husband to deceit and himself to moral and possible physical doom, of which the
narrator speaks in the stanza that follows.
122. This is a reference to the prodigal son in Luke 15:16 who desired to consume
the husks the sows were eating when his father denied him food on account of his
impious excesses. The husks can either betoken female flesh, or coitus, which
summarizes the author’s past exploits, or simply the bland life he sought to pursue
to divert himself from his debaucheries.
123. Dinah, a figure in Genesis 34, was the daughter of Jacob and Leah. She was
abducted and raped by a Canaanite prince, whereupon her brothers Simeon and
Levi entered the city in stealth, slew all its male inhabitants, and plundered.
124. Cf. Proverbs 26:11, “sicut canis qui revertitur ad vomitum suum sic
imprudens qui iterat stultitiam suam” (“as a dog that returneth to its vomit, so doth
the imprudent man who repeateth his folly”).
125. Cf. Psalms 90:3 (Vulgate), “quia ipse liberavit me de laqueo venantium et a
verbo aspero” (“for He hath freed me from the hunters’ snare and from the harsh
word’).
126. Belus was a purported Assyrian King, who fathered Ninus, the founder of
Nineveh, the capital of Assyria.
127. Sinon was the Greek warrior, who, as a Trojan captive, pretended to be a
deserter and persuaded the Trojans to allow the wooden horse to enter, as it would
“protect” them from the Achaean invasion.
128. Either Zeno of Elea, a philosopher renowned for his paradoxes, or Zeno of
Citium, the founder of the Stoic school of philosophy. Given the context of
requisite stoic restraint, it is likely the latter.
129. The Latin in Clm 4660/4660a reads ni fugando fugiam Dalidam Samsonis
(“unless I flee Samson’s Delilah by routing her”), but I have chosen ni fugiendo
fugiam Dalidam Samsonis, since routing Delilah, as the former reading suggests,
entails resistance which is not consonant with the author’s previous advice to
“escape by fleeing.”
130. That is, temporal and eternal punishment, which stands in contrast to the
previous line, which speaks only of punishment on earth.
131. Cf. Horace, Epistulae 1.14.36, “nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum”
(“I am not ashamed of my former games, but shameful would it be not to bring
them to an end”).
132. Cf. Titus 2:12, “sobrie, et juste, et pie vivamus in hoc saeculo” (’’so that we
may live soberly and justly and piously in this age”).
133. See note 96.
134. Cf. 1 Timothy 3:2, “oportet ergo episcopum irreprehensibilem esse”

(“therefore it behooves a bishop to be beyond reproach”).
135. Literally, “inflicts upon them the cost of infamy.”
136. Cf. Isaiah 38:1, “dispone domui tuae quia morieris tu et non vives” (“put thy
home in order, for thou shalt die and shalt not live”).
137. Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “ab omni specie mala abstinete vos” (“abstain from
every type of evil”).
138. Cf. Lamentations 2:18, “deduc quasi torrentem lacrimas per diem et noctem”
(“let tears like a torrent run down throughout the day and night’).
139. Quoted almost verbatim from Psalm 44:17 (Vulgate).
140. Cf. Isaiah 1:23, “principes tui infideles, socii furum” (“thy rulers are
unfaithful, the fellows of thieves”).
141. The head is the holder of a high ecclesiastical office, whose misdeeds infect
all under his sway.
142. Cf. Matthew 24:12, “et quoniam abundavit iniquitas refrigescet caritas
multorum” (“and because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many will grow
cold”).
143. Cf. Psalm 16:13 (Vulgate), “eripe animam meam ab impio” (“rescue my
spirit from the impious one”).
144. Cf. Jeremiah 7:11, “numquid ergo spelunca latronum facta est domus ista, in
qua invocatum est nomen meum in oculis vestris” (“has that house then, in which
my name is called, become a robbers’ cave in your eyes?”); and Matthew 20:13,
“vos autem fecistis illam speluncam latronum” (“but ye have made it a robbers’
den’).
145. This is a reference to Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Jerusalem and the

violation of the Temple of Solomon through the Seleucids (viz. 2 Maccabees
6:1-5). It likens the heads of the Church to the Antichrist (the King of Babylon is
identified as the Antichrist in CB 228) and compares the present state to the
desecration of Solomon’s Temple (Vollmann).
146. In John 2:14-16, Jesus overturned the tables of the temple’s moneychangers
and evicted the men “qui columbas vendebant” (“who were selling doves”).
147. This use of grammar, specifically, degrees of comparison, to describe the

human condition is similar to that found in CB 1.
148. Cf. Luke 12:48, “omni autem cui multum datum est multum quaeretur ab eo”
(“so then ofall to whom much hath been given much will be required”).
149. Quoted from Acts of the Apostles 1:16.
150. A play on Philippians 3:17, “imitatores mei estote fratres” (“be imitators of
me, my brothers”).
151. Cf. Luke 12:34-35, “Ubi enim thesaurus vester est, ibi et cor vestrum erit sint
lumbi vestri precincti, et lucerne ardentes in manibus vestris” (’for where your
treasure is, there your heart will also be; let your waists be girt and let there be
lamps burning in your hands”).
152. Gideon was the judge of the Hebrews who was appointed by God to free the
Israelites from their idolatry (viz. Judges 6-8). They had turned away from God
after 40 years of peace and were sustaining the attacks of the Midianites. God
instructed him to free them. Gideon asked for a sign and pledged to place a fleece
on his threshing floor and if he found dew on the fleece and not the floor he would
accept that as a sign that by his own hand he would free Israel as God said. Since
in this poem moths eat the fleece instead, something is astray.
153. Cf. Matthew 6:19, “nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra ubi aerugo et
tinea demolitur’ (“store not treasures for yourselves on earth where rust and moth
consume’).
154. The she-ass of Balaam, a diviner found in Numbers 22-24 (Bernt). Whilst the
Israelites were sojourning in Midian, shortly before Moses’ death and after
defeating two opposing kings, Balak, King of Moab, sent messengers to Balaam to
persuade him to come and curse the Israelites. God in a dream told him not to go,
but nevertheless Balaam went. Enraged, God dispatched an angel to obviate
Balaam’s approach. Balaam’s donkey saw the angel and refused to move; Balaam
beat her for halting, whereupon she asked him why he beat her so. He then saw the
angel, who told him that if the donkey had not turned aside, he, the angel, would
have slain Balaam.
155. An eleventh century monastery in France once admired for its strict austerity
by all, including the kings of France and England, who bestowed favors upon it.
The system of lay brothers, however—members of an order who were occupied
with manual labor and temporalities instead of study and spiritual insight, which
the choir monks were wont to adopt, but were not ordained by a cleric and thus
were tied to the cloister only by their vows—precipitated its golden age’s end, as
they outnumbered the choir monks and soon caused the relaxation of the rules,
which led to possessions that conflicted with the convent’s doctrine and the lay
brothers’ claims to equality with the choir monks—the cause of scandalous scenes.
The lay brothers revolted in 1185 and the continual expulsion of priors and choir
monks by them carried on for many years.
156. The order was founded in 1076 and was young in comparison to the
Benedictines (Vollmann).
157. Literally, “kingly anointing.” This is probably a reference to King Henry II of

England (1130 — 1189), who favored the laity and sought to have the secular law
predominate over ecclesiastical law, as the clergy were not required to obey the
state’s laws (Bernt).
158. The incomprehensible order established by men and not God.
159. The lay king sticks to the brothers of the convent because the lay are
generally foolish.
160. Cf. John 10:1, “qui non intrat per ostium...ille fur est, et latro” (“who
entereth not through the door...he is a thief and a robber’). This is likely another
reference to Henry II, who is not a good shepherd of the cloister, but a robber who
makes money out of it.
161. A reference to the contemplative life of the choir monks.
162. Cf. Psalms 112:7 (Vulgate), “de stercore erigens pauperem” (“he raiseth the
pauper from muck’’).
163. Cf. Proverbs 26:16, “sapientior sibi piger videtur septem viris loquentibus
sententias” (“the indolent man seemeth to himself wiser than seven men speaking
judgments’).
164. A reference to Tharsia, the daughter of King Antiochus, from the text
Apollonius; pirates sold her to a pimp (viz. CB 97 and note 193 in Book IL’s
portion of the commentary). In like fashion, the cloister is being prostituted to the
laity (Bernt).
165. Greed.
166. Cf. Lamentations 4:6, “peccato Sodomorum quae subversa est in momento”
(“‘...the sin of Sodom, which was overturned in a moment”).
167. Rachel, a wife of Jacob, is here a symbol for the Church.
168. Rahab was a prostitute of Jericho in Joshua 2 and 6; she assisted the Israelites
in capturing the Promised Land. Since, however, she is held in esteem in the Bible,
Rahab likely refers not to the biblical figure, but to the Hebrew word that means
“noise,” “tumult,” and “arrogance,” which is mentioned throughout the Hebrew
Bible, such as Psalm 86:4, among many, wherein the name is synonymous with
Egypt, the enemy of the Israelites. Due to all the hostility towards this figure or
word, I have translated ancilla (normally “maid’) as harlot, to capture the poem’s
loathing of her/it.
169. Albinus is here used parodistically as the personification of the light, thus,
Saint Silver; Rufinus is a saintly name that personifies redness, thus Saint Gold
(Bernt).
170. Cf. Matthew 15:14, “autem si caeco ducatum praestet ambo in foveam
cadunt” (“but if the blind are in charge of the blind, both shall fall into the pit’).
171. Cf. Leviticus 8:17, “cremans extra castra” (“he burned [the offering] outside
the camp’).
172. In place of tonsures, they wear crowns.
173. Cf. Matthew 18:6, “expedit ei ut suspendatur mola asinaria in collo eius et
demergatur in profundum maris” (“it would be better to have the ass’ millstone
hung around and be drowned in the deep”).
174. The occiput of Fortune is bald, since she cannot be grasped once she passes
by; in other words, “this often throws them into calamity.”
175. Cf. 2 Samuel 1:23, “aquilis velociores, leonibus fortiores” (“they were swifter
than hawks and stronger than lions”).
176. Cf. Psalms 139:4 (Vulgate), “acuerunt linguas suas sicut serpentis” (“they
have sharpened their tongues like a serpent’).
177. Cf. Ephesians 5:16, “redimentes tempus, quoniam dies mali sunt” (“atoning
for this age, since this is an evil time”).
178. The secularization of the prelates is connected with their status as princes
(The Ottonian Imperial Church). Breaking this dependence of bishops on the
emperor was the avowed aim of the Gregorian reformers (south and north of the
Alps).
179. This is a reference to the Decree of Gratian, the twelfth century jurist, who
compiled a compendious textbook on canon law, Concordia discordantium
canonum, or the Concord of Discordant Canons, which attempted to resolve
seemingly contradictory canons from earlier centuries. He is known as the “Father
of the Science of Canon Law.”
180. Cf. Ezekiel 20:21, “et exacerbaverunt mefilii” (“but their sons provoked
me”); and Jeremiah 32:30, “filii Israel qui usque nunc exacerbant me in opere
manuum suarum dicit Dominus” (“‘the sons of Israel, even up to now, provoke Me
in their hands’ work,” says the Lord’’).
181. Quoted verbatim from Isaiah 1:4.
182. The Benedictine (and Clunian) monks wear black (Bernt).
183. The Premonstratensians, or Norbertines, wear white habits (Bernt). The order
was founded in 1121. Since their habits are something new, this poem must have
been written in the twelfth century.
184. The beginning of Ecclesiastes.
185. Cf. 1 Corinthians 2:14, “animalis autem homo non percipit ea quae sunt
Spiritus Der” (“but the animal nature of man does not perceive the things that are
of the Spirit of God”).
186. Cf. Ecclesiastes 1:13, “de omnibus quae fiunt sub sole” (“concerning all that
happens beneath the sun’).
187. Cf. 1 Corinthians 5:7, “expurgate vetus fermentum” (“purge the old leaven’).
188. Cf. Psalm 42:1 (Vulgate), “Iudica me Deus” (“judge me, O God”).
189. Judah was the Biblical Kingdom ruled by David and his line. Together with
Israel it is a metaphor for the congregation. Perhaps these last four lines are both
the poet’s instructions to the prelate and the very words the prelate should use
when addressing his flock.
190. Cf. Matthew 9:37-38, “messis quidem multa operarii autem pauci rogate
ergo Dominum messis ut mittat operarios in messem suam” (“indeed the harvest is
great, but the laborers few; therefore petition the Lord to send out laborers to the
harvest”); and John 4:35, “levate oculos vestros et videte regiones quia albae sunt
iam ad messem’” (“lift your eyes and see the countryside, for it is already ripe for
the harvest’).
191. Cf. John 4:36, “ut et qui seminat simul gaudeat et qui metit” (‘so that both he
who sows and he who reaps may together rejoice”).
192. Isaiah 62:1.
193. Cf. Isaiah 62:1, “donec egrediatur ut splendor Iustus eius et Salvator eius ut
lampas accendatur” (“until [Jerusalem’s] Just One advances in splendor and her
Savior blazes like a lamp”).
194. Cf. Lamentations 1:11, “video Domine et considera quoniam facta sum vilis”
(“see and consider, O Lord, for I have become vile’).
195. Cf. Lamentations 1:1, “princeps provinciarum facta est sub tributo” (“The
Prince of the provinces hath been placed under tribute”).
196. Cf. Isaiah 62:4, “non vocaberis ultra Derelicta et terra tua non vocabitur
amplius Desolata” (“thou wilt no longer be called Forsaken, and thy land will no
longer be called Desolate”’).
197. Marcus Licinius Crassus (115-53 BC), the richest man in Roman history and
financier of the First Triumvirate.
198. Scylla is a rock between Italy and Sicily opposite Charybdis. Personified as
the daughter of Phorcys, she was transformed by Circe through jealousy into a sea
monster with dogs about her haunches. Charybdis was the daughter of Poseidon
and Gaia; once a beautiful naiad, she assumed the form of a huge bladder whose
face was all mouth and whose limbs were flippers and who swallowed up and
belched back huge quantities of water thrice a day; in other accounts she was a
huge whirlpool. Both Scylla and Charybdis occupied the narrow Strait of Messina.
199. The Syrtes are two shallow, sandy gulfs on Libya’s coast that pose a danger
to ships.
200. The Sirens were three birds with women’s heads, who lured sailors to
shipwreck with their beguiling music and voices.
201. Franco was the papal camerlengo between 1174 and 1179 (viz. Walter
Holtzmann, Propter Sion non Tacebo in Deutsches Archiv 10, 1953, pg. 171 et
seq.). This double sea refers to an imagined vortex set in the bottleneck between
either the Atlantic and the Mediterranean (Gibraltar), the Black Sea and the
Mediterranean (Bosphorus), or the Tyrrhenian Sea and the southern Mediterranean
(Messina). The to seas between which the ship of the supplicant is hurled hither
and thither, are probably both groups of the Curia: the lower curial officials
without whom one does not come to the policymakers, and the cardinals, who
demand money for their rulings in favor of the seeker (Vollmann).
202. Psalm 121:4 (Vulgate).
203. Scylla had four to six dog heads ringing her waist.
204. Pope Gelasius I, who held the office from 492-496, supported the Primacy of
the Rome over all the Church and papal supremacy.
205. The finium regundorum actio, or action for definition of boundaries, derives
from ancient Roman Law. If the boundaries of contiguous estates were
accidentally confused, each of the parties interested in the re-establishment of the
boundaries might have an action against the other for that purpose. In this action
each party was bound to account for the fruits and profits which he had received
from any part of the land which did not belong to him, and also to account for any
injury which it had sustained through his culpa. Each party was also entitled to
compensation for improvements made in the portion of land which did not belong
to him (viz. Codex Justianus 3.39). In this case the third counselor of the court
looks not yet into the petitioner’s case, but first opens jurisdictional proceedings.
206. The Bulla was the seal of a papal document (later the ceremonial enactment
itself); the Bulla was made out of lead and is worth more than gold and silver.
207. Zacharias was a prophet and the father of St. John the Baptist. In Zechariah
5:7 et seq. he wrote of a vision in which he saw a woman sitting on a container,
which an angel shut with lead. The woman represents godlessness (impietas) and
in Jerome’s commentary is called injustice (iniquitas). In the Curia injustice is not
locked up, but runs rampant over the Bulla’s lead.
208. According to Fournial’s Histoire monétaire de l'occident médiéval, silver

currency was used throughout the Middle Ages and gold coins were struck only in
Byzantium, the Eastern Roman Empire founded by the Emperor Constantine
(Vollmann).
209. In 1159 Pope Alexander III became the successor of Pope Adrian IV; a
minority of cardinals, however, elected the priest Octavian, who became Victor
IV, the German emperor Barbarossa’s antipope. This schism ended in 1177 with
the Treaty of Venice, whereupon Alexander was recognized as the true pope. The
French took the side of Alexander II] during the schism (Bernt).
210. The Council of Montpelier in 1162 in France, in which Pope Alexander II

excommunicated the antipope Victor TV (Schumann).
211. Cf. Matthew 16:19, “et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum” (“and I shall give
thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven”).
212. Cf. Psalms 149:8 (Vulgate), “ad alligandos reges eorum in compedibus et
nobiles eorum in manicis ferreis” (“to bind their kings with shackles and their
nobles with manacles of iron’).
213. This is a play of words: car-di-nales, or cardinals in Latin, and di-car-nales,

gods of the flesh (Bernt).
214. That is they present themselves as the Christs (lambs) of Christendom

(sheep).
216. Cf. Matthew 23:24, “duces caeci excolantes culicem camelum autem
glutientes” (“you blind leaders, straining out a gnat whilst swallowing a camel”).
217. This probably means that the Church behaves like a noble, spoiled dame
(Vollmann).
218. Probably the antipope Calixtus III (viz. Holtzmann, loco citato 173 et seq.).
219. The Latin here literally reads “‘with thick stomach and broad skin.”
220. While elsewhere the ship is the avaricious Church, here the ship is that of the
petitioner that capsizes if he offers the counselors of the Curia no money.
221. Cf. Juvenal, Satirae 10.22, “cantabit vacuus coram latrone viator” (“the
wanderer who has nothing shall sing in the robber’s sight”) (Schumann).
222. The ostiaries, or papal doorkeepers.
223. Pietro da Pavia was a cardinal who was invited by Pope Alexander III in
1175 to claim the bishopric, which he, elected in 1771, had not yet assumed.
224. Pope Alexander III.
225. Literally, “unless Gehazi should corrupt Elisha’s body”; my rendering

captures this as well, but more vividly, as Gehazi attacks and corrupts Elisha
unawares. In other words, Alexander will be a true servant of God, unless the
Pope’s next neighborhood be wicked and venal.”
226. Cf. Romans 11:16, “et si radix sancta et rami” (and if the root is holy, so,
too, are the boughs’).
227. For “contain” for capio, see Lewis and Short (I1)(B)(2).
228. “Give else nil be given thee” is an interpolation of Matthew 6:38, “date, et
dabitur vobis” (“give and it shall be given you’). “They demand, when you seek”
is a bastardization of Matthew 6:30, “omni autem petenti te tribue” (“but allot to
all who ask of thee’).
229. Cf. Galatians 6:8, “quae enim seminaverit homo haec et metet” (“for
whatever man hath sown that he shall also reap”); and 2 Corinthians 9:6, “qui
parce seminat parce et metet’ (“who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly”).
230. Justinian as an eastern Roman emperor who codified Roman law.
231. Laws are empty husks and money golden grain.
232. Parca was one of the Parcae, the goddesses of fate.
233. The mark is a weight equivalent to eight ounces.
234. Saint Mark, one of the Evangelists.
235. Cf. Ovid, Ars Amatoria 3.505, “non es mihi, tibia, tanti” (“flute, you are not
of great value to me’’).
236. French for “Pay! Pay!”
237. Tityos was the son of Zeus and Elara. After a failed rape of Leto at Hera’s
behest, he was slain by Apollo and Artemis; in Tartarus he was stretched out, and
two eagles fed on his liver, which grew back daily.
238. This is a reference to the miters that bishops wear, but the literal translation
also intimates the devilish nature of their souls and acts.
239. The god of heaven is banished to the underworld, and the god of riches rules
the world above.
240. The model of good works, the Church, has failed in that regard.
241. Some kind of heresy, possibly a sardonic reference to Arnold of Brescia

(1090-1155), who called on the Church to renounce all property, stated that the
clergy with property had no power to administer the Sacraments, and tried, and
failed, to found a Commune of Rome. He was hanged, burned, and his ashes were
in the Tiber tossed.
242. Possibly Pope Eugene III, the shepherd of greed, who was Arnold’s
opponent. In 1148, Arnold succeeded in driving him into exile.
243. Possibly Arnold again.
244. Either Satan or Arnold, who curried the favor of the people and led the
blossoming republic in Rome, despite his excommunication.
245. This stanza refers to the events of 1167. The bad lot may be the epidemic in
Frederick I Barbarossa’s (1122-1190) army or the deaths of many nobles (Rainald
of Dassel, for one). Based on the time of Arnold of Brescia, the evil lot could be
seen in the coup d’état of the traditional order. The aristocratic Roman families
(Pierleone, Frangipani) who were embroiled in the strife are probably meant
(Bernt).
246. Probably the throne mentioned in the previous stanza.
247. Cf. Luke 7:9, “nec in Israel tantam fidem inveni” (“not even in Israel have I
found such great faith’).
248. References too all! of the following are made in this poem: Matthew 25:31,
Matthew 26:50; Luke 11:8; Matthew 25:30; Luke 8:1; Matthew 15:22; Job 19:21,
Psalms 69:6 (Vulgate); Zephaniah 1:15; Matthew 20:24; Acts of the Apostles 8:20;
Mark 8:33; Matthew 5:26, 13:46; Luke 22:36; John 6:9, 9:34; Matthew 26:75;
Lamentations 1:9; Deuteronomy 32:15; Mark 15:7; Matthew 20:10; Philippians
2:27; John 5:9; Matthew 20:25; Hebrews 3:12; Colossians 2:8, John 13:15.
249. Cf. Horace, Epistulae 1.14.33, “quem scis immunem Cinarae placuisse
rapici” (“he, as you know, without any gifts pleased not mercenary Cinara’’).
250. Cf. Prudentius, Psychomachie 22-26, “fides, agresti turbida cultu / nuda
umeros... / nec telis meminit nec tegmine cingi, / pectore sed fidens valido” (“faith,
unclad in a peasant’s guise, with shoulders bare, remembers not to arms herself
with weapons and armor, but relies on her own brave heart”) (Bernt).
251. Cf. Psalms 136:8-9 (Vulgate), “filia Babylonis misera beatus qui retribuet
tibi retributionem tuam quam retribuisti nobis beatus qui tenebit et allidet
parvulos tuos ad petram” (“O wretched daughter of Babylon, blessed is he who
will repay you with the payment you have paid to us; blessed is he who will take
hold of thy little ones and strike them against a rock”). The crushing of children on
the rock was in the Patristics allegorically interpreted, for example, to combat
sinful thoughts (Benedict, Regula, Prologue 28). Thus it here is a call for the
destruction of the cult of gods rather than the actual daughter of Babylon.
252. Here in the final battle of Fides Babel loses all its followers and repents its
previous crimes: the seduction of souls.
253. Viz. Revelation 17:3-5.
254. Cf. Ezekiel 23:32-34. This is the decisive blow against Babylon stands in the
conversion of all pagans, which CB 46 sees as incipient.
255. A prophecy addressed to King Louis VII of France, who by it was called to
the Second Crusade (Schumann). The prince of princes, the leader in the crusade
and promised final emperor is named in CB 46, but is not named. It is possibly
Conrad III of Germany; as the upcoming Ludus de Antichristo (CB 228), this role
is very strongly assigned to the German emperor. The Latin verb scandat takes the
subjunctive because it is used in the reported speech of the prophecy.
256. Schumann: the eternally seated rectangle is according to Giesebrecht in

Geschichte der deutschen Kaiserzeit Vol. V1, p. 501, the Greek emperor and the
coast is Constantinople, where the German and French armies intended to meet.
257. The Pillars of Hercules, or Gibraltar. The point is that if the princeps sets off
for the crusade, the Muslim power will end from the Mediterranean all the way up
to Spain.
258. The ship is Christianity, the headsail is the “prince of princes,” and the Holy
Trinity is its mainsail.
259. Vision of Peace is the patristic, medieval translation for Jerusalem.
260. Bedlam, or confusion, is the translation for Babylon.
261. Cf. Isaiah 36:6, “ecce confidis super baculum harundinem confractum istum
super Aegyptum cui Si innixus fuerit homo intrabit in manum eius et perforabit
eam” (“behold thou art trusting in Egypt, in that broken staff of a reed; if a man
were to lean on it, it would enter his hand and pierce it’).
262. Cf. Ecclesiastes 7:14 (Vulgate), “considera opera Dei” (“consider the works
of God”).
263. The Judeo-Chrstian polemic against polytheism, as seen in Psalm 113:13-16

(Vulgate), “os habent et non loquentur...manus habent et non palpabunt pedes
habent et non ambulabunt non clamabunt in gutture suo similes illis fiant qui
faciunt ea et omnes qui confidunt in eis” (“mouths they have and do not speak...
hands they have and do not touch, feet they have and do not walk, nor will they
shout from their throat; let their makers become like them, along with those who
confide in them’). Erroneously applied to Islam in the Middle Ages (i.e. in
Roland’s Song) (Vollmann).
264. Blessed are the swords because they keep the Muslims from perishable
idolatry.
265. Cf. Luke 14:23, “exi in vias et saepes et compelle intrare ut impleatur domus
mea” (“go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to enter that my home
may be filled’). After the chosen people of Israel declined the invitation to the
feast, the beggar folk, or heathens, were called. The author knows that the
Christian Church was largely made up of converts and that is why he can capture
both Christians and Muslims in the line “we are compelled.” Only a few have
taken up the invitation before, and the Muslims should take this opportunity to
“taste and see how sweet the Lord is,” from Psalm 33:9 (Vulgate). The Crusade is
being likened to a feast whereto Muslims and Christians have been invited by the
Lord.
266. The Syrophenician was a Gentile woman who was born in the Phoenician
part of Syria. She besought the Lord to exorcise her daughter, who was afflicted
by a demon, and her faith was tested by his silence, his refusal, and his affirmation
that “the bread of the children should not be cast unto dogs.” She passed the tests
and the Lord healed her daughter (viz. Matthew 15:21-28). Here the daughter is
the Muslim population of Palestine that have responded to the invitation of the
heavenly Lord of the home.
267. The Crusaders are likened to overseas tradesmen, as they are in the crusade
encyclical of Bernard of Clairvoux (Opera, vol. VIII, 1977, pp. 311-317) which
was indited in the spring of 1146 (Kahl, ibid., p. 305 et seq. and p. 294)
(Vollmann).
268. Cf. Isaiah 11:10, “et erit sepulchrum eius gloriosum” (“and his sepulcher will
be glorious”).
269. Cf. Matthew 7:6, “nolite dare sanctum canibus neque mittatis margaritas
vestras ante porcos” (“give not what is sacred to dogs, and cast not your pearls
before swine’).
270. Cf. John 14:2, “in domo Patris mei mansiones multae sunt” (“in the home of
my Father there are many dwelling places”).
271. Following the parable of the workers in the vineyard (viz. Matthew 20:1-16)
272. Viz. James 2:1-6.
273. Cf. Hebrews 6:6, “rursum crucifigentes sibimeitipsis Filium Dei et ostentui
habentes” (“they are crucifying in themselves again the Son of God and are yet
maintaining pretenses”). Jerusalem’s fall is seen as the second crucifixion of
Christ.
274. The Latin literally reads “let it crucify them all.”
275. Christ’s cross is the healing tree. According to Helena, Constantine’s mother,
the cross on which Christ was crucified was found and stored in Jerusalem, the
present theater of war. In the decisive battle against Saladin, the Christian leaders
of the Crusader States took hold of the cross; but the hoped-for benefits it brought
them not. In the crushing defeat of the Christians at Hattin on the Sea of Galilee
(July 4, 1187), in which almost 18,000 Christian warriors were captured or killed,
the cross was lost and it has since never been found (Korth, p. 188).
276. Cf. Lamentations 1:1, “quomodo sedet sola civitas plena populo” (“O how a
city once peopled now sits alone’).
277. Viz. Matthew 25:32 et seq. The sheep are the good and the rams are the bad.
278. Zion, the Church, is Christ’s bride; the gifts are the cross and tomb of Christ.
279. Ananias was a member of the early Christian Church in Jerusalem mentioned
in Acts of the Apostles 5:1-5; in keeping with the covenant that Jesus’ followers
possess no property, he sold his land, but kept a portion of the sales; he claimed to
Peter that it was the entire amount, whereupon Peter accused him of lying to the
Holy Spirit and Ananias fell dead; here it is probably the direct translation
“Yahweh is gracious,” or “the grace of God.”
280. According to Luke 1:69, the horn of David was a symbol of strength that was
erected by God upon the birth of Christ; through Jerusalem’s fall it is bent.
281. The staff of the cross. Viz. Psalm 22:4 (Vulgate), “virga tua et baculus tuus
ipsa me consolata sunt” (“your rod and your staff, they have consoled me”).
282. The Latin literally reads “the universal side,” or Christianity, “yields to the
faction of the gentiles,” or heathendom.
283 9NiZeleeetene oF
284. Cf. Exodus 1:14.

285. In Exodus 17:11-13, the Israelites fought the Amalec in Raphidim, who
would be overcome so long as Moses, atop a hill with the rod of God in his hand,
raised his hands to the sky. In this allegory, the Arab invaders are the Amalec and
the destruction of Jerusalem was facilitated by Moses’ infirmity.
286. Mankind is a vassal to God (Christ), his Lord, and it is his duty to assist his
feudal Lord in His tribulation. The vassal is also a child of God (Christ); from this
arises the need to take up arms for the legitimate rights of the Father.
287. Eternal bliss is the goal.
288. The mark is the cross with which one is signed at his baptism and the cross
Crusaders wear on their tunics.
289. Cf. Isaiah 5:29, “rugitus [gentis] et leonis” (“the heathen’s roaring is like the
lion’s’’).
290. Cedar was the son of Ishmael (Genesis 25:13). The name means “darkness.”
The Bedouin tribe Cedar inhabited the Arabian Desert and was Israel’s enemy
(Isaiah 21:16). Here the reference plays on Psalm 119:5 (Vulgate), “heu
mihi...habitavi cum habitantibus Cedar’ (“Woe is me...I have dwelt with the
inhabitants of Cedar’).
291. The crusader should desist from a worldly cast of mind that is adverse to
God.
292. The eternal life.
293. Direct quote from Ovid, Amores 3.4.17.
294. Cf. Luke 10:37, “vade et tu fac similiter’ (go, and act similarly’).
295. Cf. Luke 5:4, “duc in altum et laxate retia vestra in capturam” (“lead us into
deep water, and release your nets for a catch”).
296. Viz. John 4:35-38.
297. Cf. Ovid, Ars Amatoria 1.1.1, “siquis in hoc artem populo non novit amandi”
(“if anyone in this nation knows not the art of loving”) (Burger).
298. A play on “vivit Deo” (“he lives for God), viz. Romans Ox:
299. Cf. Luke 10:42, “Maria optimam partem elegit’ (Maria has chosen the best
portion”).
300. A celebrated hetaera during the time of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC).
301. Psalm 73:7 (Vulgate), “incenderunt igni Sanctuarium tuum in teera

polluerunt tabernaculum nominis tui” (“they have to Your Sanctuary set fire; they
have defiled the tabernacle of Your name on earth”).
302. In this case, the Seljuks.
304. The prophet Elijah had asked the widow of Zarephath for something to eat;
she wanted to cook something for him on two logs, which she had picked up as a
precious find. The food she cooked for the prophet brought her the blessing of
heaven (viz. / Kings 17:7 et seq.). The two logs are the cross of Christ.
305. A woman at whose house Elisha stopped (viz. 2 Kings 4:8). When her son
died, she called on him for aid.
306. Elisha’s servant who was sent out in his place.
307. The widow is the Church, the dead son is the throng of sinful believers,
Gehazi is the flock of Simon Magus-like priests, and Elisha is Christ. Only when
he comes in compassion (through the forgiveness of their sins) can the cross be
recovered by the resurrected son (the sinless faithful).
308. Not even Saladin can withstand Christ’s might.
309. Cf. Ephesians 5:14, “surge qui dormis et exsurge a mortuis et illuminabit te
Christus” (“rise, thou who art asleep; awaken from the dead and Christ shall
illuminate thee’).
310. Cf. Ecclesiastes 12:1, “memento Creatoris tui in diebus iuventutis tuae”
(“remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth”).
311. Cf. Matthew 3:10, “iam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est” (‘for
even now the ax hath been placed at the trees’ root”).
312. Cf. Galatians 5:24, “qui autem sunt Christi carnem suam crucifixerunt cum
vitiis et concupiscentiis” (“for those who are Christ’s have crucified their flesh,
together with vices and desires”).
313. Viz. Genesis 28:12-18. In a dream Jacob saw a ladder that reached from earth
to heaven with angels going up and down it. In this case the “other” ladder is the
cross of Christ.
314. Cf. Ezekiel 28:11, “fili hominis leva planctum super regem Tyri” (son of
man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre”).
315. Cf. Psalms 129:1 (Vulgate), “de profundis clamavi ad te Domine” (“from the
depths I have cried out to You, O Lord”).
316. Cf. Matthew 24:29, “statim autem post tribulationem dierum illorum sol
obscurabitur et luna non dabit lumen suum et stellae cadent de caelo et virtutes
caelorum commovebuntur” (“and forthwith after the tribulation of those days, the
sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from
heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken”).
317. Cf. Revelations 1:5, “lavit nos a peccatis nostris in sanguine suo” (“he has
washed us of our sins with his blood’’).
318. Lazarus was dead for four days and was resurrected by Jesus (viz. John
11:39). Like Lazarus the sinner smells foul, but through Jesus can be revived.
319. Cf. J Corinthians 3:16, “nescitis quia templum Dei estis et Spiritus Dei
habitat in vobis” (“do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit
of God liveth in you?”’).
320. The sultan of Egypt and Syria, who defeated the French at Hattin in 1187.
321. Cf. Psalms 112:7 (Vulgate), “de stercore erigens pauperem” (‘“‘he raises the
poor from the filth’).
322. Count Raymond III of Tripoli was an enemy of King Guido of Jerusalem and
called on Saladin as aid against him. (Bernt).
323. At the end of April 1187, 7,000 men from Saladin’s army advanced over the
upper Jordan (Schumann).
324. Hagar was the second wife of Abraham, who begot Ishmael (viz. Genesis 16),
the patriarch of the Ishmaelites.
325. The Hircomili are an unidentified tribe that is possibly the “Turcmeni,” to
wit, the Turkmen. The Troglodytes were a cave-dwelling people often placed on
the African side of the Red Sea coast; they are described in Herodotus’ Histories
as the swiftest-footed folk whose language sounded like the screeching of bats
(4.183). The Moors were inhabitants of North Africa, who occupied Iberia, much
of what is today Spain, Portugal, and France. The Gaetuli were a Berber tribe that
inhabited a desert region south of the Atlas Mountains in northwest Africa. The
Scythians were an Iranian nomadic tribe from what is now modern Ukraine and
Southern Russia. Moab was a kingdom on the eastern shore of the Dead Sea;
Ammon sat to the north of Moab. The Amalekites were the descendents of
Amalek, a figure from Genesis 36. The Massageteans were another Iranian,
nomadic people. The Bactrians came from what is now modern Afghanistan. The
Sarmatians came from Scythia. The Quadi were a Germanic tribe that inhabited
the Carpathian Mountains of modern-day Moravia, Slovakia, and Austria. The
Vandals were a Germanic tribe of Tunisia that was infamous for sacking Rome in
455. The Medes were a tribe from western Iran. The Hyrcanians (viz. p. 57) were a
people from northern Iran and Turkmenistan.
326. Cf. 2 Kings 8:12, “et parvulos eorum elides et praegnantes divides” (“and
you will destroy their little ones and eviscerate pregnant women”).
327. King Guido of Jerusalem.
328. TheTemplar Knights were an order of knights, founded in about 1118, with
monastic vows and a commitment to war against heathendom.
329. Cf. Psalms 111:10 (Vulgate), “dentibus suis fremet et tabescet” (“he will
gnash his teeth and waste away”).
330. Acre was surrendered without a fight on July 10, 1187.
331. Marquis Conrad of Montferrat, the de facto King of Jerusalem by marriage

from 1190. He successfully defended Tyre from August 8 to 16, 1187 and from
November 25, 1887 to January 1188.
332. Paladins were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne’s court.
333. Cf. Luke 2:7, “et pannis eum involvit et reclinavit eum in praesepio” (“and
she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a crib”).
334. Viz. John 1:29-34.
335. Cf. John 19:34, “sed unus militum lancea latus eius aperuit et continuo exivit
sanguis et aqua” (“instead one of the soldiers opened his flank with a spear and
forthwith blood and water went out’).
336. Cf. Matthew 15:26, “non est bonum sumere panem filiorum et mittere
canibus” (“it is not good to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs”).
337. Cf. Luke 1:52, “deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles” (“He hath
deposed the powerful from their seat, and exalted the humble’’).
338. Viz. 1 Samuel 4-6. The Ark of the Covenant was stolen by the Philistines.
God then crushed the Philistines with the bubonic plague, and they returned it.
339. Viz. Genesis 3:23 et seq.
340. Gihon was one of the rivers of Eden and the place of Solomon’s coronation
(viz. 1 Kings 1:33).
341. In Genesis 2:7, mankind was crafted from limus terrae, or the loam of earth,
which is worth little in the household of the great lords compared with dishes of
gold and silver. The lords above are not identified with God or gods, but an
earthenware stein.
342. This refers to the Devil’s sway under which mankind has been since the Fall.
343. Manuel I Komnenos, who with Amalrich I, the King of Jerusalem, entered
into an alliance to conquer Jerusalem.
344. This passage in the Greek is an interpolation of the Roman Good Friday
liturgy: Agios o Theos, agios ischyros, agios athanatos, eleison imas (“Holy God,
Holy Strength, Holy Immortal, have pity on ours!)
345. Amalric I (1136-1174), whose name comes from the Old German words
“amal” (work) and “ric” (power), was the son of King Fulk of Jerusalem.
346. Solignac is a commune in France.
347. A not very widely known monk, probably from Solignac (Bernt). In Matthew
19:12, castration is seen as a route to heaven, “et sunt eunuchi qui seipsos
castraverunt propter regnum caelorum” (“and there are chaste men who have
emasculated themselves for the kingdom of heaven’).
348. Aeacus was one of the three judges of Hades in Greek mythology.
349. Christ.
350. Dagon was the sea god of the Philistines. His effigy fell and shattered, when
the Philistines installed in his shrine the Ark of the Covenant they had purloined
from the Israelites (viz. / Samuel 4 et seq.).
351. The Amalek were a tribe on the Sinai Peninsula that sought to hinder the
Israelites’ migration. The Israelites were victorious, so long as Moses raised his
hands (viz. Exodus 17:8 et seq.). Thus medieval interpreters saw a type of cross.
352. Ishmael (viz. Genesis 21:9 et seq.).
353. Christ.
354. Cf. Acts of the Apostles 2:2, “et factus est repente de caelo sonus tamquam
advenientis spiritus vehementis et replevit totam domum ubi erant sedentes” (“and
suddenly there came from heaven a sound like that of an approaching violent
wind, and it filled the entire home where they were sitting’’):
355. The fire is the Holy Ghost (Schumann).
356. Arunah, whose threshing floor became the site for the Temple of Solomon
(viz. 2 Samuel 24 and / Chronicles 21).
357. Christ.
358. The double election of Pope Alexander III and antipope Victor IV.
359. The ship of Peter: the Church.

360. In reality 18 years from 1159 to 1177.
361. Viz. Matthew 24:12.
362. Wichmann von Seeburg (1115-1192), Archbishop of Magdeburg, who was a

staunch supporter of Frederick Barbarossa against Pope Alexander II and a
valiant military leader.
363. This plays on the parable of two swords: in the pre-Gregorian version, Christ
gives the secular sword unto the emperor and the spiritual sword unto the pope; in
the Gregorian version, Christ gives both swords to the pope, who then gives the
secular sword unto the king, who serves as the pope’s secular representative
(Vollmann).
364. The two swords work jointly to crush the tribulations that threaten the Church
and State.
365. The Pope.
366. This praise is applied to Wichmann’s negotiating skills and conciliatory

character.
367. Cf. Psalm 101:14 (Vulgate), “tu exurgens misereberis Sion quia tempus
miserendi eius quia venit tempus” (“you will rise up and take pity on Zion, for it is
a time for its mercy, for the time has come”).
368. The year ofjubilee is a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon
(viz. Leviticus 25:10).
369. This is actually Alexander IV (1254-1261); in the Buranus tradition, the

ordinal number was shown probably with Roman numerals and thus [V was
probably mistaken for II (Schumann).
370. Cf. Revelation 12:3, “et visum est aliud signum in caelo et ecce draco magnus
rufus habens capita septem et cornua decem et in capitibus eius diademata septem
et cauda eius trahebat tertiam partem stellarum caeli et misit eas in terram” (“and
another sign in the heavens was seen; and behold, a great red dragon, with seven
heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems; and his tail drew out a
third part of heaven’s stars and cast them to the earth’). It is unclear what the
meaning of Gordan, Ingordin, and Ingordan is. They are part of a magical formula.
Gordan may be Jordan. Ingordan may be a German rendering of “in the Jordan.”
Ingordin may simply complete the tripartite formula of incantations (Vollmann).
371. The Seal of Solomon was a five-pointed star of lines that served as a magical
symbol. It has also been presented as a hexagram similar to the Star of David.
372. Viz. Matthew 2:1-12. The three wise men who attended Jesus’ birth.
373. Cf. 1 Samuel 16:23, “igitur quandocumque spiritus Domini malus arripiebat
Saul David tollebat citharam et percutiebat manu sua et refocillabatur Saul et
levius habebat recedebat enim ab eo spiritus malus” (“and so whenever the
wicked spirit of the Lord assailed Saul, David lifted up his lyre, and struck it with
his hand, and Saul was refreshed and uplifted. For the baleful spirit withdrew from
him”). Saul was the first King of Israel.
374. Y-HW-H, or YAHWEH, the ineffable name of God.
375. The well-known demons of the ancient gods, here of the lower gods.
376. This is reminiscent of the vas electionis (the vessel of election) from the Acts
of the Apostles 9:15, which is meant to be the Apostle Paul, and vas suum (his
vessel) in 1 Thessalonians 4:4, which is meant to be his wife. In this case the
vessel of Christianity is the Christian man.
377. Amara tanta tyri is the essential part of a devil’s maxim which has been
recorded in many versions. The words were probably meaningless from the outset,
as they are demonspeak, such as Dante’s Pape Satan, aleppe (Divina Commedia
[Inferno] 7.1). Three longer versions of the spell were published in the Middle
Ages. Amaratunta (-tonta), as an adverb of time composed from Syrian or
Arabic—‘finally in the end” —or as amaratunta, more from Syrian than Hebrew =
“upon the arrival or return of our Lord.” There is an anecdote about amaratunta. A
young scholar who failed at composing verse was harrowed by the studies for his
master’s degree, so he committed to the Devil, who helped him compose and gave
him the longer line (Bernt).
Book II: The Love Songs (Poems 56-186)
1. This verse makes use of the time used in the Middle Ages. The new year, Janus,
begins in the spring, when Phoebus, the sun, leaves the constellation Aries on
April 21 and moves into Taurus, the Bull.
2. Viz. Vergil, Eclogae 10.69, “omnia vincit Amor et nos cedamus Amori” (“love
conquers all; let us, too, submit to love”). The second line of the refrain literally
reads, “Love bores through hard things.”
3. Dione was the mother of Venus; the name is often given to Venus herself as
well.
4. Pallas is another name for Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom.
5. Cupid.
6. A nymph who eschewed Apollo’s suit and was turned into a laurel tree (viz.
Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.452)
7. Hymen is the god of weddings.

8. Thetis, a goddess of the ocean and mother of Achilles, wishes for the end of
love’s hostile storm.
9. Ceres is the mother of Proserpine, who was raped by Pluto and taken to the
underworld.
10. The elements above, air and fire, betoken masculinity, and the elements below,
water and earth, represent femininity. Their union in this poem are a metaphor for
copulation.
11. From February 21 to March 20 the sun is in the constellation Pisces.
12. In Fulgentius’ Mitologiarum 1.3, Juno is the personification of the wind, and in
the Aeneid she raises a storm. But she allows herself to be calmed by Jupiter, the
sun, and thus wins back her beauty.
13. An allusion to an unknown tale (a frizon is a form of the courtly love poetry by
Guiraut de Cabreira, viz. H. Patzig, Romanische Forschungen 4, 1891, p. 549 et
seq.). Raby, in Secular Poetry 2.270, footnote 1, reads: Phrison accompanies the
king’s daughter to an unwelcome bridegroom. The song is a spell, which should
overpower her resistance. The dwarf falsely accuses him, and Phrison must suffer
an injustice, but he brings the bride to the groom. Phrison probably sings it to court
her as well, and the daughter feigns sickness to break off the journey to her
betrothed; the dwarf mentions this and is chastised as a slanderer. In the poem the
dwarf is decapitated.
14. Tereus, a Thracian king, was the husband of Procne, who with him bore Itys.
But Tereus desired Philomela, Procne’s sister. He forced himself upon her and
excised her tongue and told his wife that her sister had died. But Philomela wove
in a tapestry Tereus’ crime and sent it to Procne. In revenge, Procne killed her son
Itys and served him to the father. When Tereus discovered this, he tried to kill the
sisters, but the gods transformed all three into birds: Tereus became a hoopoe,
Procne a nightingale, and Philomela a swallow.
15. These figures of mythology should be allegorically viewed as the sum of

cosmic forces: Hera and Zeus are heaven (sun, light, warmth) and earth, Venus
and Cupid love and reproduction, Argus the stars, Narcissus the flora, and
Faunus/Pan the fauna. They are held together by musical harmony forged by the
divine singer Orpheus and the birds. Viz. De Planctu Naturae 4.30-32 (Haring p.
822).
16. This string of ablative absolutes seems at first to lack an independent clause,
but there is an implied est in the first line (“‘behold! there is a band of maidens...),
and the string that follows actually sets the scene around the maidens themselves.
Cypris is another word for Venus, the personification of sexual love.
17. The Latin literally reads, “the linden’s foliage being a pause [as I journey] in
the longing for Cypris,” but I have rendered it as a participial phrase at the end of
the first stanza (“eagerly longing”) and into the first person in each refrain (“I do
long”) to map the progression of the speaker’s longing, which starts out as passive
in its participiality (“eagerly longing for Cypris’’) and in each refrain suddenly
becomes more active in its assumption of a finite verb (“I do long”).
18. Dido was the mythical queen of Carthage in Vergil’s Aeneid, who committed
suicide out of love for Aeneas.
19. See CB 92.
20. Literally “worn out by their deeds.” I have taken emeritas as the substantive
application of the past participle of emereo (here “worn out” or “burnt out” or
“unfit for [chaste, maidenly] service”) and the direct object of contingat, whose
subject is nulla salutaris...iocunditas. Actibus is taken as the ablative plural of
means of the fourth declension substantive actus (“a moving,” “a doing,” thus “a
deed”’), which completes the perfect passive participle emeritas.
21. This corrupt line is somewhat unclear. I have read the line “spes adulta caris”
as “[earum] spes adulta sit carnis” (“may their hope for flesh be consumed’’). This
fits the context that praises the glory of chaste maidens and vilifies promiscuous
women.
22. The ranunculus species, which includes the buttercup.
23. A female character in Terence’s Andria.
24. Atropos was one of the three Moirae, or goddesses of fate.
25. Cf. Horace, Epistulae 1.18.103, “fallentis semita vitae” (“the path of a life of
lies’’).
26. Bacchanals were female followers of Bacchus.
27. In the Vulgate Lamia is the name of the female night demon Lilith (viz. Isaiah
34:14; the lamia also appears in ancient mythology (i.e. Horace’s Ars poetica 340)
as a witch who sucks children’s blood.
28. Most likely Pan; cf. Vergil, Aeneid 7.81 “At rex...oracula Fauni, fatidici
genitoris, adit.”
29. Anacreontic verse, a seven syllable meter created by the Greek poet Anacreon.
The line literally reads, “He should not adapt himself to the idleness of
Anacerontics.”
30. In 2 Samuel 14:25, Absalom is described as the most handsome man in Israel.
31. The Latin literaily reads “not of such character that you are of mortal nature.”
32. Priam’s son here must be Paris.
33. The smile of Jove is good weather, a clear, sunny day.
34. Diana is the goddess of the moon and the glassy lamp is the moon.
35. The sun. Apollo, the sun god, is Diana’s twin. Also cf. Lucretius, De Rerum
Natura 5.610, “rosea sol alte lampade lucens” (“the sun with a rosy light beams
high atop the firmament’) (Walsh, p. 85).
36. Morpheus is the son of Sleep and the god of dreams. In the Vollmann
mnauscript, the figure is Orpheus, but his association with perverse and unrequited
love fits not with the balm that love in this poem is. Since love here is lulling
lovers to peaceful repose, Morpheus is more apropos here.
37. Viz. William of St Thierry, De natura corporis et animae I (Migne, PL,

180.698 CD), “De digestione etiam ista fumus ascendens lenis et suavis, molliter
tangit cerebrum, et ventriculos ejus opprimit, in tantum ut omnes ejus actiones
sopiat: hic est somnus. *..." Anima vero interius requiescens, exclusis omnibus
sensuum officiis, revolvit penes se praeterita, praesentia et futura: et haec sunt
somnia” (“from the digestion this gentle, sweet steam ascends, gently touches the
brain, and presses upon its hollows, to completely put to sleep all its actions. This
is sleep ... but the soul resting deep within, when all the senses’ functions have
ceased, is busy with the past, present, and future. These are dreams’). The three
chambers of the head are the subdivisions of the brain in medieval physiology.
They are called cells or hollows, but often likened with the divisions of a ship: the
bow, the stern, and the body of the ship. In the foremost part is the imagination, in
the middle part the understanding, and in the hindmost the memory. Cf. Wilhelm
von St. Thierry, ibid. (Migne, PL 180, 701 f.); Matthaus von Vendéme, Ars
versificatoria I 52,19 — 30 (Faral S. 124); Eberhard von Bremen, Laborintus 120 —
126 (Faral S. 341); Albertus Magnus, De animalibus (Stadler 1.41).
38. The bodily/animal powers are the autonomic functions such as ingestion,
digestion, and procreation.
39. Cf. Ovid, Amores 3.5.8, “fronde sub arboris.”
40. When Hercules, or Alcides, conquered Oechalia, he took Iole as a prize.

Hercules’ wife, Deianira, feared she would lose his love and applied to a chiton
the blood of Nessus, who dying claimed it would terminate any infidelity. The
blood poisoned Hercules, and, as a result, he died.
41. Lerna’s Hydra was one of the beasts Hercules defeated during his Twelve
Labors.
42. Cacus, Nessus, Garyon, and the Stygian gate-hound (Cerberus) are more
references to Hercules’ Twelve Labors.
43. Additional references to his Twelve Labors.
44. The son of the Earth, whose strength grew every time he was thrust to the
ground.
45. Casus sophisticus is a play on the ambiguity inherent in the Latin, as it can
mean both a “sophistic fall,” that is, the cunning falls Antaeus suffered, which
were not indicative of true defeat, and a “sophistic matter,” a problem that is
seemingly resolved with a fallacy. In this case it is the former.
46. Lycoris was a poetical name for Volumnia, aka Cytheris, a notorius actress and
mistress of Cornelius Gallus, a Roman poet and statesman (viz. “Cornelius Gallus”
in Encyclopedia Britanica)
47. These labors are actually out of order. The traditional order found in
Apollodorus, Bibliotheke 2.5.1-2.5.12 is: (1) slay the Nemean Lion; (2) slay the
nine-headed Lernean Hydra; (3) capture the Golden Hind of Artemis; (4) capture
the Erymanthean Boar; (5) clean the Augean stables in a single day; (6) slay the
Stymphalian Birds; (7) capture the Cretan Bull; (8) steal the Mares of Diomedes;
(9) obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons; (10) obtain the cattle of
the monster Geryon; (11) steal the apples of the Hesperides; and (12) capture and
bring back Cerberus.
48. The Latin reads “the lion of Cleonae,” but the mythological record recognizes
him as the Nemean lion. It was at Cleonae, however, that Hercules was challenged
to defeat him.
49. Eucrasis is a Latinization of the Greek evkpaoia, which literally means a

“perfect mixing of the humors.”
50. Philogeus, which translates as “loving the Earth” in Greek, is one of the four
steeds of the chariot of the sun, mentioned in Fulgentius’ Mitologiarum 1.12. Since
the four horses’ names are based on the sun’s- positions throughout each season,
Philogeus is the evening or winter sun.
51. Erythreus is yet another of the four steeds and means “the red,” or the
morning/spring sun.
52. Acteon is the midmorning or summer sun and yet another steed.
53. Lampas means “glowing” as the midday or autumnal sun.
54. Venus and with her his maiden.
55. Basythea, which translates from Greek as “the winsome girl,” is the “virgo” in
the glimpse. After but one, the author wishes she were his love.
56. Euryale was one of the immortal Gorgons.

57. Euphrosyne was one of the Charites, or Three Graces.
58. Allotheta is a Latinized form of the Greek aAoc (another) + 8EtN¢ (one who
places [text]).
59. Macrobius writes in his Saturnalia “Signum etiam eius est Cypri barbatum
corpore, sed veste muliebri, cum sceptro ac natura virili: et putant eandem marem
ac feminam esse. Aristophanes eam Agpoditov appellat. Laevinus etiam sic ait:
Venerem igitur almum adorans, sive femina sive mas est, ita uti alma Noctiluca
est. Philochorus quoque in Atthide eandem adfirmat esse lunam, et ei sacrificium
facere viros cum veste muliebri, mulieres cum virili, quod eadem et mas
aestimatur et femina” (“there is also a statue of Venus in Cyprus that is bearded,
but shaped and dressed like a woman, with a scepter and male genitals: they think
that she is both male and female. Aristophanes calls her ‘Aphroditus.’ Laevius also
says this: ‘adoring then the nourishing god Venus, whether she be female or male,
just as the moon is a nurturing goddess.’ Philochorus also states that in Athens she
is the same as the moon and that men sacrifice to her in women’s dress, and
women in men’s dress, because she is considered both male and female” (3.8.2).
The duplicity of her sexuality captures the duplicity of the lass: a virgo in society,
a femina for the singer.
60. Nature here means both “nature” and “sex organ.”
61. In this case, Venus is the maiden and Adonis is the singer.
62. Cithaeron is a mountain range in central Greece.
63. It was the custom of freedman to hang as thanks to a deity his shackles on a
shrine.
64. Minerva in this context represents his poetic art.
65. The former refers to mythological scholarship, the latter barefaced eroticism.
66. The prose refers to the free rhythm of the classical sequence (stanzas 1-3 and
all of 7). Verse references the metrically quantized verse (6-7). Satira refers to the
mixture of both prose and verse following the model of the Menippean satire that
attacked mental attitudes in prose and verse. The rhythmachia is a reference to the
accented, rhythmic verse (4-5, 8-11).
67. According to Leviticus 25:10-13, the year of jubilee was celebrated every fifty
years.
68. Coronis is the name of the maiden and is derived from Greek mythology.
Coronis was one of Apollo’s lovers, who fell in love with Ischys. Apollo sent
Artemis to slay her and Hermes cut Asclepius from her dead womb and gave him
to the centaur Chiron.
69. Cf. Ovid, Heroides 20.45 er seq., “retia...quae...tetendit Amor’ (“nets that
Cupid has laid”).
70. In Mythographi 3.1.4 we read “huius stella frigidissima existimatur ... quum in
signis remotissimis ... aquario videlicet et capricorno, domicilia sua habeat’
(“[Saturn’s] star is considered the coldest, for it keeps its home in the remotest
constellations, to wit, Aquarius and Capricorn.” (Bernt).
71. Apollo is likened to the sun and Jove is the cloudless sky.
72. This references Erythreus, the solar chariots’ fiery red steed of spring.
73. Aeolus was the ruler of the winds (viz. Vergil, Aeneis 1.71-75; Homer,
Odyssey10.2).
74. Taurus: April 21 to May 21.
75. Thisbe is yet another maidenly name derived from mythology (viz. Ovid,
Metamorphoses 4.55-166).
76. Cf. Terence, Phormio 203, “fortes fortuna adiuvat’ (“Fortune succors the
brave’).
77. Cf. Vergil, Aeneis 4.2, “caeco carpitur igni” (“an invisible fire rankles her’).
78. Vulcan. The Latin literally reads “‘sophistic chains/bars” which I read as
“delicate steel nets,” as their slenderness is deceptive in its imperceptibility.
79. Stilbon is Greek for “the gleaming” and was a name for the planet/god
Mercury.
80. This line does not appear in the Latin, but must be added to disambiguate the
English translation of the last two lines that are otherwise clear in the Latin.
Dulcissime is the masculine vocative singular (“sweetest man’) and totam...me
means “my whole [female] self’ and serves as the maiden’s response that the poet
hoped to elicit through his song.
81. Cybele was the Phrygian deification of the Earth Mother and here is the Earth.
82. Dionysus was Semele’s son.
83. The five steps of love are sight, conversation, touch, kiss, and union. Myrrha in
Ovid’s Metamorphoses relates them thus “retinet malus ardor amantem, / ut
praesens spectem Cinyram tangamque loquarque / osculaque admoveam, si nil
conceditur ultra” (unhappy passion keeps a lover here, that I may see Cinyras in
person, touch him, speak to him, and kiss him, if nothing further be granted”
10.342-344). These steps are also mentioned in Terence’s Eunuchus (638-641): si
non tangendi copiast, / eho ne videndi quidem erit? si illud non licet, / saltem hoc
licebit. certe extrema linea / amare haud nil est’ (“if there be no opportunity for
touch, alas, will not even a chance for sight remain? If the former be not permitted,
at least will the latter be. Forsooth the final step is to make love”). The strict
establishment and order seem to arise first in the late antique classical
commentaries of Porphyrio and Donat.
84. The white raven sent to spy on Coronis, whom Apollo loved, failed to prevent
her affair with Ischys and was scorched by a curse that turned it black. Apollo sent
Diana to kill her and regained his presence of mind, when he saw her on the
funeral pyre. Singultus can mean “‘the death rattle of a person” or the “croaking of
a crow” and captures both Coronis’ assassination and the crow’s third-degree pain.
85. Mount Cynthus sits on the island of Delos, Apollo’s birthplace; therefore one
of his epithets is the Cynthian.
86. Rhea is another name for Cybele, or Earth.
87. Philomena can mean both swallow and nightingale. Since /uscinia translates
only as nightingale, I translated philomena as swallow.
88. The Dryads were the nymphs of oak trees and were often represented as tree
nymphs in general.
89. This contrast of Venus and Dione marks the distinction between love’s grief
and love’s bliss, respectively. Remigius Autissiodorensis, a ninth century
Benedictine monk and commentator on various Greek and Latin texts, wrote in his
Commentum in Martianum Capellam (479.22): “Dione dicitur quasi dianoia, id
est sensus delectatio, ideoque mater Veneris fingitur quia omnis libido ex
delectatione carnalium sensuum nascitur” (“Dione means ‘dianoia,’ that is, the
delight of the senses, and so is considered the mother of Venus, because all sexual
pleasure is born of the delight of the bodily senses”)
90. The Oreads were mountain nymphs.
91. Vale of Tempe is a gorge in Thessaly, Greece that is situated between

Olympus to the north and Ossa to the south. The ancient poets hailed it as the
favorite haunt of Apollo and the Muses.
92. The Latin literally reads “who has mastery over his wish.”
93. In the Latin this is a relative clause, but the English favors its conflation with
the main clause. Fit here is taken as the middle voice.
94. Literally, this line reads “there shines the moving frolicsomeness of their
limbs.”
95. Sedens invitatus literally means “while sitting, I was invited,” but logic tells us
that sedens is meant to mean ut sederem “‘to sit.”
96. Vos/vester can be addressed to a single person who represents more than one
(viz. tu L&S IIB). The line, which is most likely in the genitive singular, literally
reads “of your retinue” with an implied gratia (for the sake of) and is therefore
translated as the final clause “to be among your retinue.”
97. Venus was the goddess Paris chose in the contest of Venus, Juno, and
Minerva.
98. Genus is a variant of genu, knee. The line literally reads “I shall forever
venerate your knee.” Feet, however, better fits the English idiom.
99. In loco munito literally means “in a secured place.”
100. Cf. 7 Corinthians 13:1, “si linguis hominum loquar et Angelorum’” (“ifI
should speak in the language of men and of Angels’).
101. Cf. Ovid Heroides 5.115, “quid harenae semina mandas?” (“Why do you
commit seeds to the sand?”’).
102. Cf. Luke 1:47, “exultavit spiritus meus” (“my spirit rejoiced”).
103. Cf. Luke 1:39, “exsurgens autem Maria...cum festinatione” (“But Mary rose
up and hurried away”).
104. This entire scene is taken from the Annunciation, in the pictorial
representations of which the angel is always on bended knee.
105. Cf. Luke 1:28, “Have, gratia plena” (“hail, maiden full of grace”).
106. Blanscheflur was a heroine of a love story in many folktales, Flore und
Blanscheflur (viz. E. Frenzel, Stoffe der Weltliteratur, 1970, p. 214 et seq.). The
poet addresses her in a triad of praise: as a domestic heroine (Blanscheflur), a
Grecian heroine (Helen of Troy), and a Roman goddess (Venus).
107. Song of Solomon 4:10 “super omnia aromata” (“above all aromatic spices”).
108. In Pamphilus, seu de Amore | (Pamphilus, or, Concerning Love), a twelfth-

century apocryphal poem, we find: Vulneror et clausum porto sub pectore telum
(“I am wounded and carry a latent missile in my breast”).
109. Cf. Luke 15:21, “Pater, peccavi in caelum et coram te” (“Father, I have
sinned against heaven and in your sight”).
110. Psalm 91:13 (Vulgate), “iustus ut palma florebit, ut cedrus Libani
multiplicabitur” (“the just man will flourish like the palm: he will be propagated
like the cedar of Lebanon’).
111. Secuntur is a variant of sequuntur (“they follow”), not the present indicative
passive of seco. A similar line is found in Ovid’s Amores 1.5.25, “cetera quis
nescit?” (“Who knows not the rest?”).
112. Psalm 148:13 (Vulgate), “exaltatum est nomen eius solius” (“his name alone
is exalted”).
113. Amaretur is from amareo/amaro, a coinage that means “to make bitter.’
114. Cf. Sallust, Catilina 20.4, “idem velle atque idem nolle, ea demum firma
amicitia est” (“wanting the same and not wanting the same, that forsooth is solid
friendship”).
115. Estu...sudore translates as “by passion and sweat” —that is, the heat inside the
poet and in the atmosphere.
116. The Naiads were river nymphs.
117. Here, the goddess of flowers.
118. Literally, “a more pleasant heat.”
119. I translated adest as “at bay” because the coming of the flowers is inexorable.
120. These seven vowels correspond to the base rhythm of the stanza. Vollmann
believes this may have been Oro, cor iam aspice, | amor, insolabile! (“prithee,
look back now upon my disconsolate heart, my love!’’).
121. These are the colores rhetorici (the jewels of speech), a technical term for
rhetoric and poetics in the Middle Ages (viz. Lexikon des Mittelalters I, p. 61 et
seq.).
122. Probably a derivative of the female names Phyllis (“green leaf’ in the Greek)
and Flora (“flower child” from the Latin flos “flower’’). This is likely an argument
over the virtues of the cleric and knight, respectively, put into the mouths of two
maidens. The dialogue renounces narrative sections, so that the female speaker
must always be inferred from the content of the assertion (Phyllis is in favor the
cleric, Flora the knight).
123. This does not appear in the Latin, but is added for sense. The literal
translation is “Anon the peroration of Love on every cleric is made.” The
peroration can be taken as a final judgment on the two arguments presented.
124. Pubes can mean “hair” or “private parts”; in context the latter fits better and
is translated as “rosy chalice,” a reference to her vaginal tract. I have taken
blando...lenimine as an ablative of specification or cause that modifies vota:
desires for/caused by the alluring, soothing remedy,” which is coitus.
125. The Latin reads literally “in a maiden of tender down” (ablative of quality).
The tender down to which he is referring is probably the soft vellus hairs (or
“peach fuzz”) that appear around the pubic area, among other places, before the
thicker androgenic hairs sprout after puberty; this maiden is ostensibly very young.
126. Radians candore modifies crus and levigatur is its verb; the sentence literally
reads “her leg, radiating with fairness/whiteness and bedecked with a tempered
fatness, is illuminated by the junction of her nerves (her vagina or possibly
clitoris).” Though levigatur suggests no heat, I translated it as “brightened to
incandescence” (rather than luminescence) to capture her legs’ intense light and
the scene’s hot passion.
127. All throughout the mythological course, Jupiter, whenever he was enamored
of a girl, takes pains to hide his concubine from Hera, usually through his
mistress’ bodily transformation (viz. Ovid Metamorphoses).
128. The BHS text reads “aurum,” which makes no sense in context with the
genitive Danes. The best translation of this would be “he, raining down, would
bewitch Danaé’s gold with sweet dew.” Antrum is a better fit because Danaé was
shut up in a cave when Jove came down upon her as golden rain; cave is also
suggestive of the female sex organ (viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.113 et seq.).
129. Jupiter abducted Europa in the guise of a bull and seduced Sparta’s queen
Leda in the form of a swan.
130. Literally, “a beginning schoolgirl of the rod not yet withdrawn.”
131. This is a lost line that simply reads “‘sed........... -ias”; | have taken it as “sed
propter delicias” (“but on account of these delights”).
132. Her responding to him will mean the loss of her modesty.
133. Tantalus offered his son Pelops to the gods in sacrifice. His punishment was
to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches. When he reached
for the fruit, the branches were raised; when he bent down for a drink, the water
did recede.
134. Literally, “to enclose within boundaries the hinge of the gate/chief point.”
135. The word rhyme does not appear in the Latin, but is added for sense. Though
my translation does not preserve the rhyme scheme, for reasons noted in the
preface, the poet retold this duel in rhyme to claim his conquest over virgin
frontiers and forever preserve his victory in indelible meter.
136. This is yet another lost line that reads “sed.......... -ito” which I have taken as
“sed cum placito.”
137. The highest god is probably Cupid.

138. Caecilia (for the blind) makes no sense in context. Sessilia better fits the tone
(Vollmann).
139. Bernt: “A sentence from a much used grammar textbook (Donat, De partibus
orationis ars minor, De interiectione, last sentence; B. Bischoff viva voce).”
140. This is a corrupt line with a false syllable count and rhyme. Vollmann
believes that it served as the gloss for the original line: Amor cecus, nudus, durus,
lepidus (Cupid is blind, naked, dismissive, and loveable”).
141. Cf. Horace, Ars Poetica 169, “multa senem circumveniunt incommoda”
(“many afflictions besiege the old man”) (Schumann).
142. Va t'an oy is Old French for “begone!” Since the French is antiquated, I
translated it into archaic English.
143. Cf. Horace, Odes 1.33.13 et seq., “me |...1 grata detinuit compede Myrtale”
(“with welcome shackles Myrtale has bound me fast’).
144. The original line read “frigidus et calidus,” but the context compels us to
change ef to nec, otherwise, since Cupid is both hot and cold, the poet’s ode to
love becomes a diatribe. It is also interesting to note the following: Mythographi
Ill.1.4, “Senem eum depingunt, quia sicut senex est a calore iuventutis destitutus et
frigiditate laborat [minuitur enim in iis sanguis, unde et tremunt]” (“they depict
Saturn as an old man, because like an old man he is devoid of the heat of youth
and toils in the cold [for old men’s blood has been diminished, wherefore they also
tremble” ); Tibull, Carmina 1.8.29 et seq., “munera ne poscas: det munera canus
amator, | ut foveat molli frigida membra sinu” (“demand no gifts: a lover with a
grey head should give them, so that he may warm his cold limbs in a tender
breast”) (Willige).
145. In Medieval Latin natura can mean sex organ.
146. Cf. Tibull, Carmina 1.8.50 et seq., “in veteres esto dura, puella, senes, |
parce, precor, tenero: non illi sontica causa est’ (Against old men be hard, O girl!
But spare, I pray, a young lad: no serious suffering belongs to his lot‘) (Willige).
147. Cardo can mean “that on which everything else depends” (L&S ID) and is
therefore the girl’s quintessence, her base nature, her core in which she houses the
darkest of creatures.
148. Though motus usually means earthquake, in this context it is best translated
as “storm” or “violent winds,” since Cupid’s suppression of the storms—
Neptune’s domain—proves his rule over Neptune.
149. Virgino is a variant of the deponent verb virginor and does not appear in
classical Latin.
150. According a medieval notion, a unicorn could be captured with a maiden’s

help (viz. CB 93a)
151. Literally, “And yet I do not grow lukewarm.”
152. Literally, “the sport/play/jest of the girl.”
153. This is the horoscope of the singer’s girl, who around the end of May was
born.
154. Cf. Virgil, Eclogae 5.1, “boni quoniam convenimus ambo” (Bernt).
155. Cf. Horace, Odes 1.16.24, “celeres iambos” (‘swift iambs’”); and Ovid,
Remedia 377, “liber in adversos hostes stringatur iambus / seu celer” (“the free or
swift iamb should attack an enemy”).
156. In Vergil, Eclogae VII.9-11, when all the other shepherds have taken refuge
from the heat, Meliboeus is approached by his flock’s dominant he-goat, who says,
“huc ades, 0 Meliboee: caper tibi salvus et haedi; / et si quid cessare potes,
requiesce sub umbra. / huc ipsi potum venient per prata iuvenci...” (“come hither,
Meliboeus, your goat and kids are safe, and if you can cease your labor, rest
beneath the shade. Hither will your bullocks come through the meadows to
drink’).
157. The girl is a nun.
158. The hardship is her asceticism.
159. Cf. John 10:11-13, “bonus pastor animam suam dat pro ovibus suis
mercenarius autem...cuius non sunt oves propriae videt lupum venientem et
dimittit oves et fugit et lupus rapit et dispergit oves mercenarius autem fugit...et
non pertinet ad eum de ovibus” (“the good shepherd gives his life for his sheep;
but the hired hand...to whom the sheep do not belong, sees the wolf approaching,
abandons the sheep, and flees; and the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep; and
the hired hand flees...and has no concern for them’).
160. These mute watchdogs appear in /saiah 56:10 and represent the priests and
bishops, who don’t fight against evil.
161. This line is missing and “sic...cura / opus femine” has been added as a likely
candidate for what would have been there, as it fits the meter and rhyme scheme
and turns the previous two lines into an imperative.
162. Parvula fides means “very little confidence (in oneself)” and thus is
translated as “‘faintheartedness.”
163. Subdolus means “sly, deceitful,” which often involves doing something
behind another’s back.
164. Cf. / Peter 1:16, “sancti eritis quoniam ego sanctus sum” (“you shall be holy,
for Lam holy”).
165. Cf. John 15:1, “ego sum vitis vera et pater meus agricola est” (“I am the true
vine, and my Father is the vinedresser’’).
166. Cf. Song of Solomon 4:4, “omnis armatura fortium” (“all the armor of the
strong”); and Ephesians 6:14, “propterea accipite armaturam Dev” (“therefore
receive ye the armor of God”).
167. Cf. Isaiah 1:13-15, “incensum abominatio est mihi...manus vestrae sanguine
plenae sunt” (‘your incense is an abomination to me...for your hands are full of
blood”).
168. In other words, the kisses he gives Christ are disingenuous.
169. The morningstar Venus.
170. This image is a hybrid of Vergil, Aeneis 6.282, “ramos annosaque bracchia
pandit ulmus” (“the elm spread out its aged branches and boughs”’) and Juvenal,
Satirae 1.149, “utere velis, totos pande sinus” (“‘let fly the sails, let them blow
themselves full”).
171. The Trojan king’s son whom Venus favored.
172. A student of Socrates, a spiritual man who was also was a bon vivant
(Schumann).
173. Not in the Latin, but added to balance the line and still true to the original, as
Flora states that not any voice can describe the cleric’s possessions.
174. Bucephala was Alexander the Great’s steed and conjures up the image of a
hand-to-hand battle with a fearsome warrior.
175. Cf. Matthew 19:24.
176. Cf. Plautus, Cistellaria 69, “amor et melle etfelle est fecundissimus” (“love
brings forth both honey and gall in profusion’).
177. In the Middle Ages the bishops had knightly vassals in their service.
178. Adonis was a beautiful hunter whom Venus loved. Finally, he was slain by a
boar who was sent by either Artemis, jealous of his hunting skills, or Ares, jealous
of Venus’ love, or Apollo, to punish Venus for blinding Erymanthus his son.
179. Nereus was a Titan who with Doris sired the Nereids.
180. This is an allusion to Martianus Capella’s De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii

(“On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury,” viz. CB 182). Mercury (intelligent
or profitable pursuit), who has been refused by Wisdom, Divination, and the Soul,
is wed to Philologia (“love of words”), who is immortalized by the gods. It is an
allegorical union that references the pairing of the intellectually profitable pursuit
of learning with the art of letters. The gifts they receive are the seven liberal arts:
Grammar, Dialectic, Geometry, Musical Harmony, Astronomy, Arithmetic, and
Rhetoric. Architecture and Medicine were also at the wedding, but were kept silent
for they cared for earthly things.
181. The shield of Achilles was the shield Achilles used to fight Hector, when the
gods ordained that it was Troy’s time to fall (viz. Homer, Iliad 18.478-608).
182. Venus.
183. Byssus was an ancient cloth, thought to be made of linen, cotton, or silk.
184. Both plants appear in Vergil’s Georgics 4.123 (Walsh).
185. Cf. Ovid, Metamorphoses 11.90, “at Silenus abest. titubantem annisque
meroque / ruricolae cepere Phryges” (“but Silenus is absent. The rubes of Phrygia
caught him, reeling from his age and wine”) (Walsh, p. 117).
186. Cf. Ovid Ars Amatoria 1.543, “ebrius ecce senex pando Silenus asello \ vix
sedet” (“the drunken old man Silenus sat with difficulty upon a crooked ass’)
(Walsh, p. 117).
187. Cf. Maximianus, Elegiae 1.9, “dum iuvenile decus, dum mens sensusque
maneret, | orator toto clarus in orbe fui’ (“so long as I had youthful beauty, heart,
and sense, I was in all the world a famous orator’).
188. Cf. ibid. 1.71, “sic cunctis formosus ego gratusque videbar” (“so I seemed
handsome and pleasant to all”).
189. Viz. Physiologus 3 De Unicorni (F. Wilhelm, Denkmiler deutscher Prosa des
11. und 12. Jahrhunderts, 1960, B: Kommentar, p. 22) “...atque nullus uenator
eure capere potest. Sed hoc argumento capiunt illum: ducunt puellam uirginem in
illum locum, ubi moratur, et dimittunt eam ibidem solam. Ille autem ut uiderit
eam, salit in sinum virginis et complectitur eam sicque comprehendituret
perducitur ad palacium regis” (“and no hunter can catch it. But men catch it in the
following way: they lead a virgin into a place, where it dwells, and leave her there
alone. And as soon as it sees her, it jumps into the virgin’s lap and embraces her
and so it is captured and brought to the king’s palace”).
190. bela mia and da zevaleria come from Northern Italian.
191. Tort a vers mei ma dama is Old French for Tort a ma dame a mon avis.
192. The denizens, according to Genesis 19:1-11, were devoted to sodomy.

193. This entire poem is based on a late antique novel entitled Historia Apolonit
Regis Tyri (“History of Apollonius the King of Tyre”). Antiochus, King of
Antioch, lived with his daughter in an incestuous relationship. To prolong the
incest, he sets a riddle whose solver could marry his daughter and whose wrong
guesser would be beheaded; both types were in reality put to death. Then comes
Apollonius, the Prince of Tyre, to whom the king reads the riddle: by crime I am
carried away, on maternal flesh I feed, I seek my father, my mother’s consort, my
wife’s daughter and I find not; Apollonius then correctly solves it: the king’s
incest with his daughter. Antiochus denies it and sends Apollonius back to Tyre.
Antiochus then sends his steward Thaliarchus after him with the promise of
freedom for Apollonius’ death by his hand; he fails and Antiochus puts a bounty
on Apollonius’ head, of which Apollonius was informed by Hellanicus at Tharsus.
Apollonius then meets Stranguilio, who informs him of the country’s desperation;
Apollonius offers him and his citizens a bounty of wheat if they conceal his flight,
to which he agrees. Months later, Stranguilio and his wife Dionysias instruct him
to go to Pentapolis. A storm hits the ship, everyone but Apollonius perishes, and
he is left naked on the strand. He goes to a bagnio where he meets Arcestrates the
king, who takes him up into his court and wins the affection of the king’s daughter
Astrages and marries her. Upon the beach they meet a man from Tyre who tells
Apollonius that Antiochus and his daughter were struck by lightning and the
kingdom has fallen to Apollonius. Apollonius and Astrages set out to claim the
throne, but during a seastorm Astrages purportedly dies on the ship in childbirth.
He buries her at sea, but her coffin reaches the physician Cerimon on the shores of
Ephesus. About to bury her, he notices her heartbeat, for she is indeed alive.
Apollonius with his daughter Tharsia reaches Tharsus, and at Strangulio’s mansion
he entrusts her to the lord, who commends her education to Ligoridis the nurse.
When Tharsia is fourteen, a dying Ligoridis tells her of her true heritage. Later in
the forum a crowd praises Tharsia’s daughter and vilifies Philothemia, Dionysias’
daughter and Tharsia’s stepsister. Dionysias enlists her steward Theophilus to kill
Tharsia. He approaches Tharsia at the nurse’s monument, which she visits after
school, asks her forgiveness for the murder he is about to commit, but is
interrupted by pirates who steal Tharsia away. The pirates take her to Machilenta,
where she is put up for sale. Athanagoras (Arfaxus), the prince, and Leno bid for
her; Leno wins. Around the city Leno puts up a price for Tharsia’s dishonor.
Athanagoras comes first, but she dissuades him by telling her woeful tale; instead
he gives her twenty gold pieces. Another, Aporiatus, comes; after hearing her
jeremiad he gives her a pound of gold. Many more come and leave in tears.
Tharsia then brings Leno the price for her dishonor. Learning that her shame is
still intact, he is enraged, but she persuades him to take her to the forum where she
will earn him money through her music. Meanwhile Apollonius returns to Tharsus ra
where Dionysias informs him of his daughter’s demise. He sails back to Tyre but
winds carry his ship to Machilena. Athanagoras meets Apollonius and calls for
Tharsia. Tharsia sings to Apollonius and reads him a riddle, which he solves. He,
angered, pushes her from him; she then discloses her griefs, by which he identifies
her. Athanagoras begs Apollonius for his daughter’s hand and he it grants. But he
seeks vengeance against Leno. Athanagoras urges the people to capture Leno and
present him to Apollonius, which they do. They condemn him to be burnt alive.
Apollonius intends to return to his kingdom by way ofTharsus, but an angel urges
him in a dream to visit Ephesus. Apollonius enters a temple of Diana devoted to

Astrages and, seeing her, thinks she is the goddess herself; they are reunited and
sail to Tyre and establish Athanagoras as king; then they go to Tharsus to seize
Stranguilio and Dionysias. Both are by the townspeople stoned to death, but
Theophilus by Tharsia is saved. They then return to Pentapolis to visit the king;
after a year, Arcestrates dies and leaves half his kingdom to Apollonius and the
other moiety to Astrages. The fisherman who first rescued him, Apollonius brings
to the court as a companion and gives him two hundred pence. Hellanicus, too, is
invited and made rich. Finally Apollonius begets a son.
194. Ephesus is called the Island of John because his Gospel is reported to have
been written there.
195. The following poems are adapted from Vergil’s Aeneid, the tale of Aeneas, a
survivor of the Fall of Troy, who on a fated quest journeys to Italy. Along the way
he lands in North Africa, where Dido, the Queen of Carthage, receives him as a
guest. But the gods are unhappy at their marital bliss, for Aeneas must complete
his fated odyssey and found the Roman colony on Italy’s shores. Dido, when he
leaves, commits suicide.
196. Vergil never supplied a complete physical description of Aeneas. His hair
color, however, was described in Dares Phrygius’ Daretis Phrygiide de excidio
Troiae historia as auburn, a text that was available to writers of the Middle Ages
and possibly this poet.
197. Elissa is the Latin name for Dido.
198. Juno, Athena, and Venus all vied for Paris’ favor. Paris chose Venus and
incurred the others’ wrath; the two spurned goddesses helped effect the Fall of
Troy.
199. Literally, “O fraternal treasures about to be mangled.” This is a reference to

Dido’s brother, Pygmalion, who killed her husband Sychaeus and whose hidden
treasure she used to found Carthage.
200. Aeneas and his men.
201. Celaeno was one of the Harpies.
202. Cf. Ovid, Heroides 7.17, “altera Dido.”
203. Aeneas’ pilot.
204. Two rivers of the Underworld.
205. Pyrois was one of the horses of the sun (viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses 2.153);
metonomy for the sun.
206. An invocation of the Muses on Mount Helicon.
207. One of the Achaeans’ mightiest warriors, second only to Achilles.
208. Helen, the daughter of Leda and Tyndareus.
209. Menelaus.
210. Achilles.
211. A reference to Agamemnon’s daughter, Iphigenia/Iphianassa, who at Aulis

was sacrificed to Diana to propitiate the wind.
212. Hector was the mightiest Trojan warrior.
213. Turnus was the King of the Rutilians, who waged war against the Trojans
when they landed in Italy.
214. Lavinia, the daughter of King Latinus.
215. Venus is known as the Cyprian.
216. According to William of St. Thierry’s De corporis et animae I (Migne, PL

180.700-704), there are three forces in the human body: virtus naturalis, virtus
spiritalis, and virtus animalis. The virtus naturalis is localized in the liver and is
associated with vegetative functions (reproduction, diet, growth); the virtus
spiritalis, located in the heart, handles breathing; and the virtus animalis in the
brain is associated with sensory perception and spontaneous movement. The virtus
naturalis is the lowest in rank, common to plants, animals, and people. The virtus
spiritalis comes to animals and people, but the virtus animalis is not equally
shared (Vollmann).
217. The golden arrow arouses love, the lead arrow an aversion to it (viz. Ovid,
Metamorphoses 1.468 et seq.).
218. The breaking wheel was a method of torture and execution in which the
condemned’s limbs were stretched out on the spokes of a wheel and a large
hammer was then applied to the limb over the gap between the beams, thus
breaking the bones.
219. The West Wind.
220. Here lines from Vergil’s three works have been moved together into a single
statement: Eclogue 10.69 (“omnia vincit Amor’), Georgics 1.145-46 (“labor
omnia vicit /improbus”), and Aeneid 4.412 (“improbe Amor, quid non mortalia
pectora cogis!”) (Vollmann).
221. A member of an Iranian people who were well-versed in archery.

222. Hybla was a Sicilian town renowned for its honey. Dodona was an oracle in
Epirus devoted to a Mother Goddess.
223. The English king lamented is possibly Richard the Lionheart.
224. The dative case is the “case of giving” as it indicates an indirect object, that
is, to whom something goes.
225. The vocative case is the “case of calling, summoning, addressing.”
226. Walter fell ill from leprosy towards the end of his life and had to withdraw to
a leper house (Vollmann). Line 1 is thus fittingly taken from Job 30:31 (Vulgate),
“versa est in luctum cithara mea” (“my cithara has turned to grief’).
227. The Mount of Olives, the site of Christ’s death and ascension and also, in the
medieval mind, the place where the Antichrist will show (Vollmann).
228. King Philip of Swabia (1198-1208), who was murdered by the Count Palatine
Otto of Wittelsbach in Bamberg.
229. Cf. Job 5:7 (Vulgate), “homo ad laborem nascitur’ (‘‘the man is born to
tribulation’).
230. The Valley of Vision is a valley near Jerusalem found in /saiah 22:1 and
225)
231. Pope Theonas of Alexandria, head of the Coptic Church and the Greek
Church of Alexandria. The cave points to a hermit, who represents the ideal
counter-image to the secularized ecclesiastical office of the twelfth and thirteenth
centuries (Vollmann).
232. Viz. Exodus 2:1-10.
233. The papal bull: the round seal with cords attached to a document issued by
the Papal Chancery.
234. Viz. Luke 10:30-37, the parable of the kindhearted samaritan.
235. A prophet during the reigns of Solomon and David (viz. 2 Samuel 11 et seq.),
who rebuked David for Uriah the Hittite’s murder.
236. Uriah the Hittite was King David’s field commander after whose wife
Bathsheba David lusted; for this Uriah was murdered by David who gave the
soldiers the order to retreat from him in battle.
237. At baptism one is anointed. The basic meaning of this is that the Church is at
strife, which is conveyed through the imagery of the rent state of its king’s robe
and a Christian’s (“an anointed one,” probably an ecclesiastical official) defiling
the sacred laws of the Church and thus acting as a witness against Christ by
polluting his bride, the Church.
240. Proteus was the herdsman of Poseidon’s seals and had the ability to foretell
the future and often changed his shape to avoid having to do so.
241. The constellation of the Seven Stars.
242. These last three names reference the western border of Germany. Isabel and
Gaudile are Romanesque; Baldine is the Flemish equivalent of Baldwin
(Vollmann).
243. Quoted from Matthew 26:66.
244. A jubilant shout or possibly lo dir cuideie (“I wanted to say”) (Bernt).
245. The oblique case is a noun case used when a noun is the object of a
preposition or a verb. The rectus (straight) case is the nominative, or subjective,
case. This is an instance of erotic grammar: the oblique case probably references a
flaccid (not straight) penis and the rectus case (straight) an erect member.
246. In other words, there is no opportunity for a clever plan along the path of
love.
247. An enhanced adaption of Terence, Eunuchus 732, “sine Cerere et libero

friget Venus” (“without bread and wine love grows cold”) (Bernt). The poet has
enjoyed Ceres’ gifts, grain, but knows it is better to drink the nectar of the gods
than wine.
248. An untranslatable tra-la-la.
249. The son of Theseus who is the paragon of chastity.
250. Cf. Luke 10:40, “Martha autem satagebat circa frequens ministerium” (“But
Martha was sedulously busying herself serving”). A frivolous parody of the
Gospel text because the “treatment” rests in the alleviation of Venus’s torment
(Bernt).
251. The mention of Mercury and Philology is a reference to De Nuptiis Mercurii

et Philologiae (viz. note 180). Throughout the Long Songs (viz CB 63 and 75)
there is a clash between intellectual pursuits (Philology) and venery (Venus). The
refrain itself indicates that the speaker wants now to turn to the latter. He is thus
saying that if he were Mercury and Philology were a girl who could be loved, he
would marry her even if it meant the loss of his freedom.
252. That is, “enliven me.”
Book III: The Drinking Songs (Poems 187-226)
1. Pylades and Orestes are the paragon of true, unwavering friendship.
2. Viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.405 et seq. (Theseus to Pirithous), “o me mihi

carior...pars animae...meae” (“O dearer to me than my own self, the other half of
my soul”) (Bernt).
3. Cf. Matthew 13:12, “qui enim habet dabitur ei” (“for to him who has it shall be
given’).
4. A student of Socrates who founded the Cyrenaic school of Philosophy and

taught that life’s goal was to seek pleasure by adapting all circumstances to oneself
and by maintaining proper control over both adversity and prosperity.
5. Gaius Verres was the corrupt praetor of Sicily whom Cicero prosecuted (viz.
Cicero, In Verrem).
6. Diogenes the Cynic.
7. Cf. Sirach 2:14, “vae duplici code” (“woe to the duplicitous heart’).
8. Probably meant is that they are lords of seductive words and song.
9. Cf. Job 10:1, “loquar in amaritudine animae meae” (“I shall speak in bitterness
to my soul”).
10. Pavia had a reputation as a place of an enjoyable modus vivendi (Bernt).
11. The son of Theseus and the epitome of a chaste youth.
12. The names of slaves in Terence’s Andria, Adelphoe, and again Andria,
respectively.
13. Viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.511 et seq.
14. Thomas the Apostle (viz. John 20:24).
15. Another name for Bacchus, which here means wine. Thetis represents water.
16. In Saint Jerome’s Liber interpretationis Hebraicorum nominum (de Lagarde p.
136) we find that phariseus comes from prs “to divorce.” (Vollmann).
17. Late Latin for “die,” here it represents the players’ God of Dice.
18. A dice roll.

19. Clotho was one of the goddesses of fate.
20. The goddess of water Thetis and Bacchus the god of wine.
21. The Chaldeans/Babylonians in the time of Jeremiah led the chosen people into
captivity; the Chaldean mentioned is an enemy to the boozers. It is probably also a
wordplay on “Kalte,” “coldness.”
22. A city in Germany and the oldest seat of a Christian bishop north of the Alps.
23. The statue of Bacchus.
24. This is a play on the Feast of All Saints: “Gaudeamus omnes in Domino, diem
festum celebrantes sub honore sanctorum omnium: de quorum sollemnitate
gaudent angeli, et collaudant filium Dei” (“let us rejoice in the Lord, celebrating
the festal day in honor of all saints, at whose festival the angels take delight and
together praise the Son of God”) (Bischoff).
25. A play on Psalm 33:2 (Vulgate), “Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore

semper laus eius in ore meo” (“I shall bless the Lord at all times; his praise will
forever be in my mouth.
26. A play on the blessing of bishops of the offertory: “pax vobis” (“peace be with
you”); in response, the congregation says, “et cum spiritu tuo” (“and with you”).
In Medieval Latin, /eccator meant either glutton or wheedler. I have chosen to
render both.
27. A play on “oremus” (“let us pray!”’). The remainder is a travesty of Commune

plurimorum II, “deus, qui nos concedis sanctorum matyrum tuorum...natalitia
colere: da nobis in aeterna beatitudine de eorum societate gaudere” (“God, who
let us celebrate the festive birthday of your holy martyrs, give us leave to rejoice in
the eternal bliss of their society”) (Vollmann).
28. A play on Acts of the Apostles 4:32-35. Apopholorum (“of the vain, of the
fools”) takes the place of apostolorum (“of the Apostles”). Landrus is the name of
a moneylender probably in Paris (Bernt).
29. A play on Psalm 54:23 (Vulgate), “iacta super Dominum curam tuam et ipse te
enutriet” (“cast thy cares upon the Lord, and He will nurture thee”).
30. A play on Psalm 54:17 (Vulgate), “ego autem ad Deum clamavi et Dominus
salvabit me” (“but I have cried out to God and the Lord will save me”).
31. This closely follows the Hallelujah verse of the eighth Sunday after Pentecost:
“magnus Dominus et laudabilis valde” (“great is the Lord and most worthy of
praise”). It also parallels Psalm 47:2 (Vulgate), “Magnus Dominus et laudabilis
nimis” (“Great is the Lord and exceedingly worthy of praise”) (Bernt).
32. Similar to a sequence prescribed by the Roman Catholic Mass of Easter

Sunday, Victimae Paschali Laudes, “victimae paschali laudes immolent

Christiani” (“may Christians offers songs of praise to the Paschal victim”). The
five-six is a roll in a game of dice; the names zynke ses are derived from the Latin
cardinal numbers quinque (five) and sex (six) (Bernt).
33. The name of the Gospel is a play on “The Holy Gospel according to Mark.”
The content is a parody of John 20:19-25.
34. Cp. “Laus tibi, Christe!” (“praise to you, Christ!”’).
35. The illustrious poet Hugo Primas of Orleans (the author of CB 194).
36. Similar to Psalm 17:28 (Vulgate), “quoniam tu populum humilem salvum

facies et oculos superborum humiliabis” (‘for you will save the humble folk and
the eyes of the arrogant cast down’’).
37. Cp. “Humiliate vos ad benedictionem’” (“kneel to receive your blessing!”’).
38. The money bag was hung on a belt from behind (Bernt).
39. Zacchaeus was a Jewish tax collector for the Romans (viz. Luke 19), whose
home Jesus visited as a guest.
40. Cp. “et benedictio dei omnipotentis patris...descendat super vos et maneat
semper’ (“may the blessing of God the Almighty Father come upon you and
always remain’) (Bernt).
41. Cf. Luke 4:22, “et mirabantur in verbis gratiae quae procedebant de ore
ipsius” (“and they marveled at the words of grace that issued from his mouth”).
42. Dothan was the city where Jacob’s sons sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites (viz.
Genesis 37:17).
43. Cf. Luke 6:38, “date et dabitur vobis” (“give and it shall be given you”).
4A. Cf. Luke 22:31, “satanas expetivit vos ut cribraret sicut triticum” (“Satan has
called for you so he may sift you like the wheat”).
45. From Mark 16:15.
46. The German masculine, feminine, and neuter definite articles, respectively.
The idea present in the Latin (that we take in every kind of “‘the’’?) cannot be
expressed in the English, since the English definite article has but one form. I
therefore elected to use the articles of the language from whose fatherland the
Carmina Burana sprouted.
47. A borrowing from the Arabic. The corresponding word is “die” (as in the
numbered block); this evidences cultural contact with the Arab world (Bernt).
48. Cf. Regula 55.10, “sufficit enim monacho duas tunicas et duas cucullas
habere” (“it is sufficient for a monk to have two tunics and hoods”) (Vollmann).
49. Cf. Regula 51.3, “quod si aliter fecerit, excommunicetur” (“if he does
otherwise, he should be excluded”) (Vollmann).
50. In some writings Paris is portrayed as a valiant fighter rather than a cowardly
connoisseur.
51. A play on the beginning line of Ovid’s Metamorphoses, “in nova fert animus
mutatas dicere formas corpora” (“my mind is bent to tell of forms into new bodies
changed”).
52. The Gorgon was a winged demon with snake hair and huge teeth. The most
famous of the sisters was Medusa, whom Perseus slew (viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses
4.777 et seq.). Here the poet alludes to Medusa’s ability to turn things to stone.
53. Tiresias was a blind prophet famous for being transformed into a woman for
seven years (viz. Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.316 et seq.). The sex change mentioned
in this poem refers to the conversion from a pallium (neuter) to a cappa (feminine)
to a pallium (neuter) again.
54. Bernt: “The Dress Satire of Primas” [Zeitschr. f. deutsches Altertum 49, 1908,
p. 185] determined at the end: ‘do decretum ad extreme | quod sit dives anathema |
qui has vestes induit’ (“I finally adopt the decree that every rich man be
proscribed, who dons these [fashioned] clothes’’).
55. The beginning of Cato’s Monostichae, “cum animadverterem quam plurimos

graviterin via morum errare” (“since I am aware of how many stray along the path
of morals’).
56. Cf. John 8:46, “quis ex vobis arguet me de peccato?” (“which of you shall
accuse me of sin?’’).
57. Cf. Romans 10:18.
58. A parody of the Episcopalian formula for a benediction with a preliminary

forgiveness of sins (Bischoff). Also cf. John 9:6, “expuit in terram lutum ex sputo
et linivit lutum super oculos eius” (“he spat upon the earth and made clay from the
spittle and smeared clay over his eyes’).
59. Saturn was the father of Jupiter and the reigned during the Golden Age
(Mythographi 1.105; 2.16; 3.1.9). Bischoff believes that Ludwig here is Louis VII
of France (1120-1180).
60. A mythical creature that is a hybrid of a ram and a deer (Bernt).

61. Yet another mythical beast that is of lion body with a snake’s head at the tip of
the tail and a goat’s head that rises from the center of its spine.
62. Thais was a famous Greek hetaera during the time of Alexander the Great
whom she accompanied on various campaigns. Cumae was an ancient Greek
settlement northwest of Naples. Baiae was a hedonistic resort that sported many
bathhouses towards the end of the Roman Republic; it was mentioned in Ovid’s
Ars Amatoria 1.253 et seq.). The pestilence of Troy and juggernaut of the Greeks
is Helen of Troy, because of whom the Greeks were spurred to war, which
effected Troy fell.
63. The name of a young lover in Terence’s Andria and Hekyra.
64. Ganymede was the cupbearer and male lover of Zeus.
65. Glycerium was an unseen character in Terence’s Andria, who was beloved of
Pamphilus. Sporus was a boy the Emperor Nero castrated and tried to turn into a
woman. He married him and treated him as a wife (viz. Suetonius, De Vita
Caesarum 28).
66. Literally, “still I prefer death to the jokes of both.” Jocus in Latin can mean
trifle or laughingstock, which is conveyed well by derisible antics.
Book IV: The Major Plays (Poems 227-228)
1. Cf. Isaiah 11:1, “et egredietur virga de radice lesse et flos de radice eius
ascendet” (‘and from the root of Jesse a rod will grow forth and a flower will rise
from his root’).
2. Viz. Numbers 22-24. See note 154 in Book I’s commentary.
3. On the day of the innocent little children, December 28, the choristers of the
cathedrals enjoyed special freedoms. They chose a boy bishop to whom a bishop’s
staff or rod of the praecentor, or cantor, was given as a sign of his worth. The
presence of this boy bishop suggests that the play was performed on December 28
(Bernt).
4. Cf. Ovid, Heroides 5.31 (Bischoff). Xanthus was a great river of Troy.
5. Latin for “a contradiction in itself.”
6. The Torah.
7. Aristotle here means “logic,” not the man.
8. The hyssop bush is a low plant, thus: cedar : hyssop :: God : man (Bernt).
9. Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin and wife of Zacharias; the couple were blameless
in God’s eyes but childless. Gabriel visited and informed him of his future son.
10. This scene appears in Luke 10:42 et seq. I speculate that the original line
an<...> gen<...> perhaps was angelis generositatem (honor to the angels).
11. From Matthew 2:6.
12. From CB 80.
13. From CB 161.
14. The seven free arts: grammar, rhetoric, dialectic, arithmetic, geometry, music,
and astronomy. The tripartite flavor is physics, ethics, and logic (cf. Isidor,
Etymologiae 2.24.3 et seq.) (Bernt).
15. A pleasant-smelling resin.
Book V: The Supplement (Poems 1*/229 - 26*/254a)
1. Saint Erasmus, or Saint Elmo, was supposedly martyred twice. Under

Diocletian’s rule he was beaten, spat on, thrown into a pit of worms and snakes,
and boiling oil and sulfur were poured on him, as he lay there thanking and loving
God. But thunder and lightning came and electrocuted everyone, whereupon
Diocletian threw him into another pit, but an angel appeared and slew all the
snakes. Under Maximian he was placed in a pan with rosin, pitch, and brimstone
lead, and oil—all of which were poured into his mouth. Then a hot cloak and
metal coat were placed on him to no effect, and an angel carried him away to
safety. He was recaptured, eviscerated, and his intestines were tied around a
windlass in Illyricum.
2. Cf. Luke 2:35, “et tuam ipsius animam pertransibit gladius ut revelentur ex
multis cordibus cogitationes” (“and a falchion shall pass through your very soul,
so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed”’).
3. Mundus can mean universe, heaven, or earth.
4. John the Apostle, Mary’s nephew.
5. Exprimere can mean “to force out” or “to express.” I chose the latter to convey
the inveterate dismay of Mary who is so shocked that she can neither overcome
her pain nor express it in words or gestures.
6. Quoted from Song of Solomon 1:1.
7. The bride of Christ is the Church.
8. Provost Heinrich of Maria Saal, the second bishop of Seckau (Bernt).

9. From the parable of the marriage in Cana (viz. John 2:1-1 1):
10. Cf. Isaiah 7:20.
11. The souls hell lost when Christ freed them.
12. The Cistercian Monks (Bernt), who sought to return to a strict observance of
the Rule of Benedict.
13. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, who led an exemplary spiritual community.
14. The Norbertine, or Premonstratensian, order, founded by Norbert of

Magdeburg, that followed closely Augustine’s rule.
15. The order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209, the Franciscans (Bernt).
16. The Poor Clares, the second (female) order of Saint Francis of Assisi, who
together with Saint Clara were founded in 1212 (Bernt).
17. The followers of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ disciples, whom he cleansed
of seven demons; according to the poet they fashion themselves in the image of
Mary before her exorcism.
18. So called because they do so little (paulum) (Bernt). Since they serve
indolence, I cal! them “Indolentites,” or “the Indolent Ones”
19. This verse describes the Franciscans as epileptic or mentally ill or possessed
by the Devil (Vollmann).
20. A good hint advocating the stricter observance of Canon Law.
21. Viz. Ephesians 5:5 and Colossians 5:5.
22. Catherine was the daughter of Costus, a pagan governor of Alexandria. A great
scholar of her time, she converted to Christianity Emperor Maximinus Daia’s wife
and the many pagan philosophers whom the Emperor sent to dispute her. She was
condemned to the breaking wheel, but it broke when she touched it, so she was
beheaded instead.
23. Porphyry of Tyre, who died the same year as Catherine (AD 305) and was a
Neo-Platonist philosopher.
24. Mary Magdalene and Mary of Clopas (?).
25. This stanza is quite difficult to translate. I have taken spolia as “mortal shell”
and corporis as its genitive object. Though dulcis appears to qualify pignoris, it
probably was meant to qualify premia as dulcia, but for the meter was changed.
Thus we end up with “how sweet, how bitter are the rewards of your pledge,”
where the reward (human salvation) is sweet because of its object, but bitter and
painful for Mother Mary and Christ himself.
26. Literally, “of one dying thus.”
27. Simon the Just prophesied Jesus’ death in Luke 2:25-35.
28. The streams are the jets of Christ’s blood that shoot from the sites of his
wounds, the springs.
29. I read the lines asflete...[filium] tante grate gratie” (“weep for the Son of such
thankworthy grace’).
30. Probably the arms of the Father.
31. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James (?).
32. A Roman Catholic monastery in Leopoldsberg, Austria.
33. Hebrew for “please save,” or “savior,” a cry for salvation or of praise. I have
preserved the Hebrew pronunciation, opting for Hoshana instead of Hosanna.
34. Literally, “you will surpass every scent ofa body.”
35. In Aurea Legenda, or the Golden Legend, by Jacobus de Voragine (ca. 1260),
Longinus’ blindness is cured by Christ’s blood.
36. Items 1-9 reference, respectively and consecutively, Luke1:46-55, Psalm 119:1
(Vulgate), Psalm 118:17 (Vulgate), Psalm 125:1 (Vulgate), Psalm 118:169
(Vulgate), Antiphon (Hesbert, III, Nr. 3708), Antiphon (Hesbert, III, Nr. 1546),
Antiphon (Hesbert, IIL, Nr. 4591), and Antiphon (Hesbert, II, Nr. 3274). Item 11
references Antiphon (Hesbert, II, Nr. 4332). Item 13 references Psalm 43:26
(Vulgate) (Vollmann).
37. Short for “Kyrie eleison,” Greek for “Lord have mercy upon us.”

45. For the appearance of Jesus before the children of Emmaus, see Luke 24:13-
32; for the appearance of Jesus before the apostles in Jerusalem, see John 20:19-
29.
HERE END THE CRITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTARY ON THE

CARMINA BURANA.
INDICES 407
INDEX OF AUTHORS
This index is provided to acquaint the reader with the various known authors
whose works appear in the Carmina Burana. The primary source for this index is
Vollmann’s Autorverzeichnis in Carmina Burana: Texte und Ubersetzungen, a
German translation of and commentary on the Carmina Burana.
Archpoet (1125/35 - 1165), errant professional poet. His birth name and birth and
death year are unknown and his nationality is mooted. Only his poetic work,
developed from the 10 extant poems at the Court of the Archbishop of Cologne
and the Imperial Chancellor Rainald von Dassel between 1159 and 1165, is
tangible. He probably came from a ministerial family, but did not take up a
military career, and instead devoted himself to scholastics (literature, theology,
medicine). In his education he proves to have been molded by the best French
school. He earned a living through his poetry, in which passion, aplomb,
education, and wit expertly combine. Of the ten extant poems is a panegyric on
Emperor Frederick Barbarossa; the others are cadging poems. See also CB 191,
the famous "vagrant's confession,” and CB 220.
Ausonius, Decimus Magnus (310-395), native of Burdigala (Bordeaux), who

taught grammar and rhetoric in his hometown. He was for a time a royal tutor in
Trier and for his services was awarded the consulship by the Emperor Gratian. His
numerous poems are preeminently historico-culturally valuable. He favored the
small forms (the epigram, the poetic epistle, the epitaph, abstract), in which he
could indulge in his propensity for mannerist dalliance and erudite poetry. His
depiction of a journey to Moselle has become his most famous. CB 64 provides a
good example of his epigrammatic artistry.
Baldo (2nd half of the twelfth century), Medieval Latin versifier, probably of
Italian origin. We know him only from his Novus Aesopus, the Latin versification
of an Arab source, which contained a collection of 35 fables from the Old-Indian
Pancatantra. How he learned of the Arab source (Latin prose model?, oral prose
tradition?) is unknown. The work appeared at the end of the twelfth century and
was used in John of Capua's Directorium humanae vitae (1263-78). Bischoff states
that according to Hilka, Baldo wrote the first half of CB 206.
Cato (likely third century AD), author/editor of a collection of proverbial wisdom

divided into four books, The Distichs, which went into circulation under the name
of Cato Censorius (234-149 BC). The work was, not least because of its ethical
objective, the schoolbook used in elementary instruction throughout the whole of
the Middle Ages and was widely copied, glossed, annotated, and translated into
the vernaculars.
Dietmar von Aist, Middle High German lyric poet from the 70s and 80s of the
twelfth century and important exponent of the early phase of the German
Minnesang (courtly love song). Dietmar either belonged to the baronial family in
the Upper Austrian region of Aist or he was in their employ. The verses in the
manuscript assigned to Dietmar exhibit significant variations in character and
number. It could be that Dietmar opened up, in his later phase, to the western
Minnesang of the cell group, but it is also conceivable that a collection of several
poets was placed under his name.
Freidank (1200? - 1233?), composer of the Middle High German epigram.

Judging from his parlance, he came from the Duchy of Swabia. He was Latin-
educated, but a German-writing professional poet without a fixed position
(magister, vagus). His life lies largely obscured. Between 1228 and 1229 we find
him heading to Acre (a city in Israel) during the Sixth Crusade of Frederick I. His
poetic work began, at the latest, around 1215. He died in 1233, according to the
Kaisheim Annals. His work Bescheidenheit ("Modesty") is a collection of rhyming
pairs of aphorisms in which he addresses various topics, which all relate to the
right order of life: God and faith, virtue and sin, wisdom and folly, Church and
State, social order and social chaos. He does not necessarily want to say anything
new, but to bind valid things in verse. His sources are the Bible, church fathers and
scholastic theologians, and also antique authors and demotic proverbial wisdom.
The selection at hand in CB 17*/245 from Freidank's collection is registered
around the end of the thirteenth century in the Codex Buranus.
Godfrey of St. Victor (c. 1125/30 up to 1194), philosopher, theologian, and poet.
He was a canon and a sacristan of the Parisian chapter of canons that was famous
in the twelfth century for its school. In his didactic poem "Fons philosophiae"
("The Font of Philosophy") he lauds in allegorical form philosophy and theology;
his equally allegorical commentary on Genesis | entitled Microcosmus covers the
arts and sciences as well as their impact on virtue and vice. In the Codex Buranus
he is represented by his famous pieta Planctus ante nescia (CB 14*/242).
Godfrey of Winchester (c. 1050-1107), monk and poet. He was born in Cambrai
in northern France, was a monk, and later became Prior of Winchester. His main
work is the "Liber proverbiorum" ("Book of Proverbs"), a collection of epigrams
of moral-didactic content, which was inspired by the Roman satirist Martial (40-
102 AD).
Heinrich von Morungen (c. 1200 - ?), Middle High German poet. Verified dates
of birth and death are unknown, but he is likely to have written poetry around the
turn of the twelfth to the thirteenth century in the East Middle German area. It is
possible that the poet is identical to a Hendricus de Morungen, whom two
documents of Margrave Dietrich von Meissen, 1217 or 1218, mention. His poems
move, in terms of content, within the framework of the courtly Minnesang, but
nevertheless have a unique, individual style: they bear witness to an unusually
intense courtly love experience and find for this experience the most impressive
pictograms.
Hilarius of Orleans (c. 1075 - c. 1150), grammar teacher and poet. He was born
in Orléans, taught for some time after the turn of the century in Angers, then for
eight years in his hometown. Expelled from there, he returned to Angers, where he
was a canon at Le Ronceray since at least 1116. Around 1145 William of Tyre was
among his students, probably in Paris. Although Carmen VI was addressed to
INDICES 409
Abaelard, it is unlikely, according to Haring, that Hilarius was Abaelard's student.

Contemporaries valued his grammar and rhetoric classes highly. From his poetic
oeuvre 3 games and 11 poems have reached us, which catch our eyes both for their
formal progress (perfect disyllabic rhymes) and content innovations (emphatically
rhythmic poetic epistles, songs of pederasty).
Hugo Primas (c. 1093 up to 1160), teacher of rhetoric and poetics and poet. He
was born in Orléans and was by profession a teacher of the arts (Hugo
scholasticus, Hugo magister). The poems of mythological content (Orpheus and
Eurydice, Troy, Odysseus) were probably in connection with his teaching. But it is
his occasional poems that establish his fame among contemporaries, to which he
owes the honorific epithet "Primas," poems in which he treated on vagrant themes
(wine [CB 194], love, the game of dice) from personal experience. His flippancy,
irritable temperament, and his aggressive verse were probably the reasons he
always had to seek a new employer or benefactor (Reims, Sens, Beauvais, Paris,
and even England are mentioned as staging points in his poems). Witnesses of
Primas' material dependency are the “Beggars' Poems,” to which the "Toggery
Satire" belongs, a poem to which CB 220.9 alludes.
Juvenalis, Decimus Iunius (around 60 to 140 AD), a satirical poet. He is the last
significant satirical poet in Rome. In the 16 poems that have reached us, he
castigates the egocentricity of Roman society under Nero and Domitian with cynic
ruthlessness and lurid colors. The middle ages greatly appreciated him and quoted
him more frequently than Martial.
Marbod of Rennes (c. 1035-1123), teacher, poet, and bishop. He hailed from
Anjou, was a teacher at the cathedral school of Angers and, from 1069, its
chancellor, and in 1096 was elevated to the rank of Bishop of Rennes. He
belonged, together with Hildebert of Lavardin (1056-1134) and Baudri of
Bourgueil (1046-1130), to the leading poets of his generation, who initiated the
literary golden age of the twelfth century through the combination of humanistic
education and attitude with personal experience. He wrote hymns, biblical and
hagiological poems, as well as occasional and didactic poetry. His book on gems
(Liber lapidum) became especially well known. In his "old age" poem, Liber
decem capitulorum, he summarizes his life experience. Also extant are letters and
"The Lives of the Saints" in prose.
Marner (c. 1210 - 1270), poet of Latin and German songs and spoken poetry. He
was of Upper German origin. Nothing is known about his class assignment. His
Latin poems testify to a good education. He was a professional, itinerant poet. He
died (probably in 1270) a violent death. Five of his Latin songs are extant, three of
which are in the Codex Buranus (CB 3*/231, 6*/234, and 9*/237), as well as eight
minnelieds (love songs). His posthumous fame was predicated primarily on his
spoken poetry, which encompassed the praise of God and Mary, prayer, —
admonition, social criticism, the patron's award, supplication, public criticism, a
rival's scolding, art reflection, and courtly love teaching. Three of his spoken
medieval lyric poems lasted into the meistergesang (the "master singing" of the
“master singers,” members of a German guild for lyric poetry based on the
medieval minnesingers) of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Neidhart von Reuental (c. 1180/90 - 1240), Middle High German poet. He
probably came from Bavaria (perhaps from the foothills of the Alps in the region
of Salzburg) and likely belonged to the knighthood (the lowest category). His first
poetic appearance can be dated to about 1210. Between 1212 and 1217 he
participated in the Crusade (CB 168), namely from Bavaria, where he may have
been in contact, at least occasionally, with the Court of Landshut. Around or after
1230 he left his homeland to find new patronage in Austria at the court of
Frederick II ("The Quarrelsome"). A fief, at first in M6dling by Vienna and later in
Tullner Feld (in Lower Austria), probably became the poet's retirement home. The
allure of Neidhart's songs lies in the transplantation of the theme of courtly love
into a rural and uncouth milieu. In this way Neidhart developed for Middle High
German poetry completely new registers, enriched the world of the courtly art of
singing, limited until that time, around a wealth of concrete detail, and created
room for primitive eroticism and coarse humor.
Otloh of St. Emmeram (c. 1010 to 1070), monk, calligrapher, theologian,

and writer. Otloh originated from the Diocese of Freising (in southern Germany),
received his education in Tegernsee and Hersfeld, entered in 1032 the Benedictine
abbey St. Emmeram in Regensburg, where later the administration of the school
was transferred to him, left his abbey in 1062 because of disputes, but returned
again to St. Emmeram and there spent the last years of his life. Otloh, a highly
talented and cultivated, but restless and vulnerable, personality, wrote several
theological and hagiographical works. Valuable as autobiographical testimonies
are the Liber visionum (Book of Visions), which reveals his mystical tendencies,
and the Liber de temptationibus (Book on Temptations), which showcases his
inner life tormented by fear of sin. In his latter years he rejected not only the
philosophical dialectic, but also the secular antique literature. From this attitude
arose the Liber proverbiorum (The Book of Proverbs): the pagan epigrams used in
elementary education (The Distichs of Cato) should be replaced with Biblical,
Christian ones. His proverbs found, as the Codex Buranus shows (CB 28, 32, 38,
125), a certain distribution.
Otto von Botenlauben (c. 1170 - 1244?), Middle High German lyric poet. Otto
was the younger son of Count Poppo VI of Henneberg, went with a crusade
(probably in 1197) to the Holy Land and remained there with some interruptions
for more than 20 years. In 1220 he sold his landholding situated in and around
Akkon and returned to his homeland. After he had sold his castle and seigniory of
Botenlauben in 1234, he spent his later life in the Abbey of Frauenrode, where he
died and was buried. His poems (songs of high courtly love, aubades, a lai, spoken
verses) in essence are likely to have arisen before the crusade.
Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso, 43 BC - 17 AD), versatile and highly productive

Roman poet, whose works in the middle ages were widely used and very popular
and were admittedly diffused often through allegory. His love poems (Amores,
Ars Amatoria, Heroides) and his mythological magnum opus “Metamorphoses,”
were of paramount importance to the development of Medieval Latin lyric.
INDICES 411
Peter of Blois (c. 1135 - 1212, according to Dronke, "Medieval Poet," p. 288),
theologian, writer, and poet. Peter was born in Blois to a noble family. He studied
the arts in Tours, Paris, and Chartres, law in Bologna, and theology in Paris. On
account of his outstanding education he was appointed as tutor to the underage
king of Sicily, William I. After his expulsion from Palermo in 1168, he entered
into the service of King Henry II of England, became a royal secretary and then
chancellor of the Archbishop of Canterbury. In 1192 we find him in the service of
King Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. He died eight years after the queen, indigent
and without a patron. Peter was a great connoisseur of classical literature and an
outstanding stylist. His 200 letters were utilized until the fifteenth century as a
model of style. He wrote sermons, theological treatises, a lesson on epistolary
phrasing (libellus de arte dictandi rhetorice, "The Little Book on the Art of
Speaking Rhetorically"), and perfectly-structured poems, of which the majority,
transmitted anonymously, were first recognized in recent decades (Bischoff,
Dronke, Lenzen) as his intellectual property. In the Codex Buranus, poems 29-31,
33, 63, 67, 72, 83, 84, and 108 are ascribed to him.
Philip the Chancellor (1 160/80 - 1236), theologian, church politician, and poet.
Philip, sometimes confused in previous research with Philip de Greve, was born in
Paris to a family of powerful clerics. In 1211 he was Archdeacon of Noyon, which
he may already have been since 1202. In 1218, at the latest, he became chancellor
of the Bishop of Paris and chancellor of Notre Dame de Paris. Of his equalizing
politics was the settlement of the University of Paris strike (the mendicants' strike)
from 1229-31. Philip was an excellent university professor and preacher
(approximately 300 of his sermons are preserved). His theological opus magnum,
the Summa de bono, a representation of theology from the point of view of the
good, wielded a strong influence on the early Franciscan school and Albertus
Magnus. His poetic works make him on of the best poets of the thirteenth century.
Six of his poems appear in the Codex Buranus: CB 21, 27, 34, 131, 131a, and 189.
Poeta Astensis (c. 1100), Medieval Latin versifier. Called the "Poet from Asti,"
this otherwise unknown poet recast Avianus' fables into distichs with Leonine
rhymes. With that template (if Avianus was at all his direct inspiration) the Poeta
Astensis proceeded freely: he reset, expanded, gave the fables muse calls and so
forth. In spite of the rich array of rhymes, the new Avianus could not displace the
old one from the fourth or fifth century BC). He wrote the first line of CB 25.
Reinmar of Hagenau (c. 1160/70 - c. 1210), Middle High German songwriter.

Reinmar, also called Reinmar the Elder to distinguish him from other poets of the
same name, came from an equestrian family that was probably located in Alsatian
Haguenau (northeastern France). His work as a songwriter, which probably began
before 1190, took place exclusively at court of the Austrian dukes in Vienna or
Klosterneuburg. There at the beginning of 1195 he wrote the widow's claim for
Duke Leopold V; there also was the young Walther von der Vogelweide first his
student and then his rival. In 1210 Reinmar's early death was lamented by
Gottfried von Strassburg. Reinmar left behind numerous perfectly-structured songs
that reflect the theme of high courtly love in ever novel variations, that love affair,
which, precisely because it never comes to fulfillment, develops all ethical forces
in the paramours. Reinmar viewed himself both as an aesthetic and ethical

educator and was accepted as such not only by the Viennese court, where he as a
singer represented the indisputable authority in his lifetime, but also by
contemporaneity and posterity, as is seen from the assignment of numerous
anonymous songs, which ran under his name (see CB 143).
Walter of Chatillon (c. 1135-11797), teacher in Laon and Chatillon, one of the
great Latin poets of the twelfth century. He was born in Lille and studied at the
University of Paris and in Reims under Stephen Beauvais. Later he studied law in
Bologna. Besides his poetry it was primarily his anachronistic epic poem on
Alexander, the Alexandreis, sive Gesta Alexandri Magni, that made him famous.
This work was read in schools until the end of the middle ages. He died of bubonic
plague in Amiens.
Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170 - 1230), the most eminent Middle High
German minstrel and lyric poet. His place of birth (France? Austria? South Tyrol?)
and class origin is mooted. It is certain that he received his artistic training around
1190 at the Viennese court of the dukes of Austria in Klosterneuburg. Human and
artistic tensions with Reinmar of Hagenau and the death of his patron, Duke
Frederick, led to his forced departure from Vienna. This marked the beginning of
Walther's itinerant life (1198-1220), which, as his poems show, took him to
various courts, most notably those of the German kings and emperors (Philip of
Swabia, Otto IV, Frederick II), as well as to the landgraves of Thuringia (Hermann
and Ludwig) and the margrave Dietrich von Meissen. In between were some visits
to Vienna, such as one in 1203 on the occasion of the marriage of Leopold VI.
Around 1220 Walther received from Emperor Frederick II a long-awaited fief,
which became his place of retirement. It could have lain near Wiirzburg, where
Walther, according to the later, but credible, legend, was buried in the cloister of
Neumiinster Abbey. Walther was equally capital as a lyric poet as he was as a
minnesinger. He uncoupled the courtly love song from the rigidity of Reinmar's
conventions, freed it from overload through mental reflection, and added to it (also
under the influence of Latin poetry) new clarity and emotive value. In his lyric
poetry Walther takes up themes of older lyric poetry (religious and worldly
wisdom); in addition there is the political lyric poetry, with which he, on order of
the greats, yet led by his own beliefs about the nature of empire, kingdom, church,
papacy, and the Christian world order collectively, as the sought and dreaded
propagandist steps into current events. Walther's singularity as a minnesinger and
as a lyric poet resulted from the successful combination of tradition and
innovation, emotion and wit, musicality and linguistic accuracy, depth of thought
and formal brilliance.
INDICES 413
INDEX OF THE FIRST LINES OF THE LATIN POEMS
N.B. This list is provided as a convenient reference to the Latin/Middle High

German text that was moved from the first edition of this text to a proprietary
website http://www.the-carmina-burana.webs.com
A globo veteri 67
Abestatis foribus 161
Acteon, Lampos, Erythreus 66
Ad cor tuum revertere 26
Estas in exilium 69
Estas non apparuit 152
Estatis florigero tempore 70
Estivali gaudio tellus 80
Estivali sub fervore 79
Estuans intrinsecus 191
Alte clamat Epicurus 21 |
Amara tanta tyri 55
Amaris stupens casibus 4
Amor habet superos 88
Amor telum est insignis 165
Amor tenet omnia 87
Anni novi rediit 78
Anni parte florida 92
Anno Christi incarnantionis 53
Annualis mea sospes 168
Ante Dei vultum 125
Aristippe, quanvis sero 189
Armat amor Paridem 99a
Artifex, qui condidit 224
Auendientes audiant 218
Ave nobilis, venerabilis 11*/239
Axe Phoebus aureo 71
Bacche, bene venies 200

Bonum est confidere 27
Bruma, veris emula 57
Bulla fulminante sub 13la
Celum, non animum 15

Captus amore gravi 60
Cedit, hiems, tua durities 135
Christi sponsa Katharina 12*/240
Clauso Cronos et serato 73
Congaudentes ludite, choros 94
Crucifigat omnes Domini 47
“Cum animadverterem’” dicit Cato 221
Cum fortuna voluit 93a
Cum “In orbem universum” 219

Cum sit fama multiplex 191a
Cum vadis ad altare 39b
Cupido mentem gyrat 60a
Cur suspectum me 95
Curritur ad vocem 47a
De pollicito mea 171

Debacchatur mundus pomo 51
Deduc, Sion, uberrimas 34
Denudata veritate 193
Deus largus in naturis 10*/238
Deus pater, adiuva 127
Dic, Christi veritas 131
Dira vi amoris teror 107
Doleo, quod nimium 118
Dudum voveram recta 112
Dulce solum natalis 119
Dum estas inchoatur 160
Dum caupona verterem 76
Dum curata vegetarem 105
Dum Diane vitrea 62
Dum domus lapidea 197
Dum iuventus floruit 30
Dum Philippus moritur 124
Dum prius inculta 84
Ecce, chorus virginum 59

Ecce gratum et optatum 143
Ecce sonat in aperto 10
Ecce torpet probitas 3
Ecce virgo pariet 227
Ego sum abbas 222
Exiit diluculo rustica 90
Expirante primitivo 122
Exul ego clericus 129
Fas et nefas ambulant 19

Fervet amore Paris, Troianis 102
Fides cum Ydolatria 46
Flete, fideles anime 4*/232
Flete flenda, perhorrete perhorrenda 5
Florebat olim studium 6
Florent omnes arbores 141
Floret tellus floribus 148

Fortune plango vulnera 16
INDICES 415
Frigus hinc est horridum 82

Furibundi cum aceto 5*/233
Grates ago Veneri 72

Hac in die mentes pie 22*/250
Hebet sidus leti 169
Heu, voce flebili 50
Hic volucres celi 133
Hiemali tempore, dum 203
Homo, quo vigeas 22
Hortum habet insula 93
Hospes laudatur, si 205
Huc usque, me miseram 126
Iam dudum estivalia 3*

Iam dudum Amoris militem 166
Iam iam virent prata 144
Iam ver oritur 58
Iam vernali tempore 132
Ianus annum circinat 56
Imperator rex Grecorum 5la
In Gedeonis area 37
In huius mundi domo 39a
In huius mundi patria 39
In illo tempore: dixit papa 44
In lacu miserie 29
In taberna quando 196
In terra summus rex | 1
Ingressus Pilatus cum 15*/243; 16*/244
Iocundemur, socii 217
love cum Mercurio 88a
Iste mundus furibundus 24
Iudas gehennam meruit 9
Iuvenes amoriferi 96
Katharine collaudemus 19*/247

Kyrie, Cum iubilo 24*/252
Letabundus rediit avium 74

Licet eger cum egrotis 8
Lingua mendax et dolosa 117
Littera bis bina 208

Longa spes et dubia 163
Lucis orto sidere exit 157
Lude, ludat, ludite! 172
Ludit in humanis divina 123a
Magnificat anima mea 18*/246

Magnus maior maximus 35
Manus ferens munera |
Multiformi succedente Veneris 109
Mundus est in varium 226
Mundus est properans 9*/237
Musa venit carmine 145
Nobilis, mei miserere 115

Nomen a solemnibus 52
Nomina paucarum sunt hic 134
Non contrecto quam affecto 86
Non est crimen amor 121a
Non honor est, sed 104a
Non te lusisse pudeat 33
Nos duo boni 89
Nulli beneficium iuste 36
Nullus ita parcus est 220a
O Antioche, cur 97
O comes amoris, dolor 111; 8*/236
O conscii, quid vobis videtur 162
O curas hominum 187
O decus, o Libye regnum 100
O fortuna, velut luna 17
O mi dilectissima! vultu 180
O potores exquisiti 202
O varium Fortune lubricum 14
Ob amoris pressuram 164
Olim lacus colueram 130
Olim sudor Herculis 63
Omittamus studia dulce 75
Omne genus demoniorum 54
Omnia sol temperat 136
Omnipotens sempiterne deus, qui inter 215a
Pange, lingua, gloriose 20*/248

Pange, vox adonis 6*/234
Passeres illos, qui 53a

Pergama flere volo 101
Planctus ante nescia 14*/242
Pre amoris tedio vulneror 175
Prebuit Eneas et causam 99b
Presens dies expendatur 21 */249
Prima Cleonei 64
Procurans odium effectu 12
Propter Sion non tacebo 41
INDICES 417
Puri Bacchi meritum 199
Quelibet succenditur 170

Quam Natura ceteris 181
Quam pulchra nitet facie 155
Qui cupit egregium..audiat 210
Quis furor est in amore 110
Quocumque more motu 65
Quod spiritu David 48
Redivivo vernat flore 150

Regnabo; regno 18a
Remigabatnaufragus 128
Responde, qui tanta 2
Revirescit et florescit 173
Roch, pedites, regina 209
Roma, tue mentis 43
Rumor letalis me crebro 120
Sacerdotes et levite 225

Sacerdotes, mementote 91
Salve, ver optatum 156
Sancte Erasme, martir 1*/229
Saturni sidus lividum 68
Semper ad omne quod est 119a
Sepe de miseria 220
Sevit aure spiritus 83
Si de more cum honore 147
Si linguis angelicis 77
Si preceptorum superest 214
Si puer cum puellula 183
Si quis Deciorum 195
Sic mea fata canendo 116
Siquem Pieridum ditavit 61
Sol solo in stellifero 182
Solis iubar nituit 81

Sperne lucrum, versat 213
Stetit puella rufa 177
Superbi Paridis 99
Surrexit Christus et illuxit 26*/254
Tange, sodes, citharam 121

Tellus flore vario vestitur 146
Tempore completorii 25*/253
Tempus accedit floridum 114
Tempus adest floridum, surgunt 142
Tempus est iocundum, o virgines 179
Tempus hoc letitie 216

Tempus transit gelidum 153
Tempus transit horridum 139
Terra iam pandit gremium 140
Tonat evangelica clara 49
Transit nix et glacies 113
Troie post excidium 98
Ubi vis paremus tibi 13*/241

Urbs salve regia 204
Utar contra vitia 42
Vacillantis trutine 108

Veneris vincula vinctus 106
Veni, veni, venias 174
Ver redit optatum 137
Vere dulci mediante 158
Veris leta facies 138
Veritas veritatum 2 1
Versa est in luctum 123
Vide, qui nosti litteras 23
Vincit Amor quemque 120a
Virent prata hiemata 151
Virgo quaedam nobilis, div gie 184
Vite perdite me legi 31
Vite presentis si comparo 122a
Volo virum vivere 178
INDEX OF THE FIRST LINES OF THE M.H.G. POEMS
Chume, chume, geselle min 174a
Der al der werlt ein meiter si 114a

Der starche winder hat uns uerlan 135a
Der winder zeiget sine chraft 181a
Div heide griinet vnde der walt 141a
Div mich singen tut 112a
Diu mukke muz 17%*/245
Div werlt frovt sih uber al 161a
Edile vrowe min gnade | 15a

Einen brief ich sande 179a
Eine wunnechliche stat het er mir 163a
Horstu, uriunt, den wahter 48a
Ich gesach den sumer nie 152a

Ich han eine senede not 172a
INDICES
419
Ich han gesehen, daz mir 144a
Ich lob die liben frowen 2*/230
Ich pin cheiser ane chrone 150a
Ich sich den morgensterne brehen 183a
Th solde eines morgenes gan 142a
Ich was ein chint so wolgetan 185
Ich wil den sumer gruzen 178a
Ich wil truren varen lan 180a
Ih wolde gerne singen 164a
Iesus von gotlicher art 23*/251
In anegenge was ein wort 7*/235
In liehter varwe stat der walt 138a
Min vrowe Uenus ist so gtt 170a

Mir ist ein wip sere 165a
Nahtegel sing einen don mit sinne 146a

Nu ervnet auer div heide 168a
Nu lebe ich mir alrest 21 1a
Nu sin stolz vnde hovisch 148a
Nu suln wir alle fréde han 140a
Roter munt, wie du dich swachest 169a
Sage, daz ih dirs iemmer lone 147a

Si ist schoener den urowe Dido was 155a
So wol dir, meie, wie du scheidest I5la
Solde auer ich mit sorgen 166a
Solde ih noch den tach geleben 136a
Springer wir den reigen 137a
Svziu vrowe min, la mih 162a
Swaz hie gat umbe 167a
Taugen minne div ist gut 175a
Vns chumet ein lichte sumerzit 182a

Vns seit uon Lutrigen Helfrich 203a
Vrowe, ih pin dir undertan 153a
Vrowe, wesent vro! trostent 171la
Vvaz ist fur daz senen git 113a
Uvere div werlt alle min 145a
Wol ir libe, div so schone 173a
Ze niwen vrovden stat min mut 143a

Zergangen ist der winder chalt 139a
BIBLIOGRAPHY 421
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Korrekturvorlage der lateinisch-althochdeutschen Benediktinerregel.
Ed. Achim Masser. Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2000.
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Meyers kritisch hg. v. A. Hilka und O. Schumann. Heidelberg: C. Winter
Verlag: 1930 (2 vols.).
Bischoff, Bernhard, ed. Faksimile-Ausgabe der Handschrift Clm 4660 und Clm
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Bode, G.H., ed. Scriptores Rerum Mythicarem Latini Tres Romae Nuper Reperti
(Mythographi Vaticani). Hildesheim: 1968 (2 vols.).
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Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 94.
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ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Tariq Marshall was born in Studio City, CA, and began his study of Latin and
Greek at the age of 15. He then went on to complete his degrees in Latin at the
University of California, Berkeley, where he first became aware of the Carmina
Burana while taking a Medieval Latin literature course. Observing that it had
never been translated into English in its entirety, Tariq resolved to undertake the
arduous, yet fulfilling, labor of rendering the work into English and thoroughly
annotating a text replete with a myriad of obscure allusions.
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24991751R00237 Made in the USA
Lexington, KY
08 August 2013
ISBN 9781481117593
9" 781481" 117593

The Carmina Burana Songs From Benediktbeuern

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The Carmina Burana:

Songs from Benediktbeuern

pan) fh., Geto Ps Nes x i wa] d

isc ahaa AOS 5

Cranslated with critical annotations

Susannae Artifici et Franco Carusonio, sine quorum auxilio, et spiritali et aerario,

BOOK I: THE MORAL AND SATIRICAL SONGS

] The Hallowed Hand

BOOK Il: THE LOVE SONGS

56 The Dawn of Spring

BOOK II: THE DRINKING SONGS 229

Poem Title Page

187 The Secular Court Dp)

BOOK IV: THE MAJOR PLAYS 267

Poem Title Page

iH The Birth of Christ 269

BOOK V: THE SUPPLEMENT 289

Poem Title Page

229 Saint Erasmus 291

CRITICAL NOTES AND COMMENTARY 345

Book 1: Poems 1-55 347

INDEX OF AUTHORS 407

INDEX OF FIRST LINES OF LATIN POEMS 413

INDEX OF FIRST LINES OF M.H.G. POEMS 418

In this complete English translation of the Carmina Burana, or Songs

The Carmina Burana is truly a seminal work of the Middle Ages, as it

This second edition of The Carmina Burana: Songs from Benediktbeuern

Because of the age of the text, which was putatively completed or

Scriptum Angelopoli a.d. XI Kalendas Apriles anno MMXIII.

URL for the Latin/Middle High German text:

1. The Hallowed Hand (ca. 1170)

The hand bearing gifts

Where Money has say,

Where Money preaches,

The fingers of powerful men

“Give! It shall be given you!”

This is the lawsuit at the court

2. Insatiable (ca. 1170)

Let the goddess Abundance now say to me:

3. The Devil’s Feast (ca. 1170)

Behold! Probity lies dumb;

Refr. All flout the law

Avarice holds sway,

Refr. —_All flout the law

A great burden he bears:

Refr. All flout the law

Greed is sown equally in all men;

Refr. —_All flout the law

If you wish to rightly discern,

Refr. All flout the law

Struck senseless by bitter misfortunes,”

has hung its instruments

Because of the crime of perfidy,

5. The Second Coming (ca. 1150)

Beweep the things that must be wept.

The ages are running fast;

The bishops are astray,

the sacristies lie befouled,

The abbot is distended,

Knights are his pride,