LXXXIX. KLAGT VAN EENE VEROORDEELDE
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1
Wilder dan wilt wie sal my temmen
Placht ick te roepen vroech en laet
Ick mach wel singen met droevige stemmen
Dat my fortuna tegen gaet.
2
My docht ik soude wel hebben gevlogen
Als eenen vogel in de locht;
Nu heb ick vrouw Venus borsten gesogen:
De liefde heeft my in lyden gebrocht.
3
Haer amoureusheyt, haer vrindelyck wesen,
Haer lippekens root als een corael,
Haer tandekens sijn uyt gelesen,
Haer stemmeken als eenen nachtegael.
4
Daer op heeft sy twee blosende kaken,
Haer hairken schoonder dan een goudt,
Twee schoon bruyn oogkens die vierich blaken:
Sy hert verheucht hem diese aenschoudt.
5
Haer handekens witter dan abast,
Haer nagelkens sijn seer fraey gesnoyt,
Myn hart verheucht als ickse tast,
Soo isser de liefde allenskens gegroyt.
6
Sy is er seer fraey en net van leden,
Haer halsken witter dan een swaen,
Haer borstkens ront ende wel besneden,
Als een godinne siet men se gaen.
7
Alle haer vrindelycke treken,
En haer amoureus gelaet,
Hebben mijn ionck herteken soo ontsteken
Dat ick nu ben heel desolaet.
8
By alle haer goede gratie
Soo heeft zy noch een dobbel hert;
Want ick lyde tot deser spatie
Om harent wille droefheyt en smert.
9
Schoon lief wilt doch eens overpeysen
Dat ick heb uwen mond gecust:
En dickwils tot diversche reysen
Heb(d)y mijnen brant geblust.
10
Maer hoe cont gy my nu doen vangen,
Waer heb ick dat aen u verdient?
Gy woudt wel dat ick waer gehangen:
Ick placht te wesen uwen vrient.
11
Schoon lief, is dit mijn recompense?
Gy hebt my doen ter vierschaer gaen
Vier of vijf werf, om mijn sentense,
Daer ick vijf uren heb lang gestaen.
12
Schoon lief, als gy dat volck siet loopen,
En gy hoort dat ick sterven moet,
Soo compt met eenen stoope gelopen,
Versaet u lief met mijnen bloet!
13
Die doot en soude ick niet beclagen
Dat sy my door een ander quaem;
Maer nu valtse my swaer om dragen,
Om dattet, lief, compt door uwen naem.
14
Schoon lief, wat sijt gy voor een vrouwe?
Hoe heeft u Nero soo verblint?
Gy woudt wel dat men sijn hooft af
houwe
Die gy hadt neffens Godt bemint.
15
Waer is nu allen u caresse?
Waer is nu soo menigen eet?
Gy swoert te wesen mijn maitresse,
Wie dattet lief was oft leet;
16
Ja om vader oft om moeder,
Oft om mijnen naen (naem) voordaen,
Noch om suster noch om broeder,
U schoon lief niet af te staen.
17
Wat baten my u sneeuwitte handen
Al sijn sy suyver en delicaet?
Gy deckt my eer gy ontdeckt mijn schande,
Gy schrijft daermede mijn misdaet.
18
Maer als ick peyse op dese schoon woorden,
Waermede dat gy my hebt verdooft:
Maer nu toondy my sulcken discorde!
Och lief! ick en haddet noyt gelooft!
19
Lief, 't waer een schande dat ickt sou verhalen,
Hoe dat wy met malkanderen staen;
Maer nu comdy my beswaren!
't En is, schoon lief, niet wel gedaen.
20
Maer nu gy my hebt versleten,
Als eenen bessem, daer men mede keert,
Maer nu ontdeckt gy mijn secreten!
Gy hebt my doen enielen voor het sweert.
21
Wat baten my u blosende kaken?
Wat baten my u bruyn oogen claer?
Want met u tonge gaet gy my laecken:
Gy woudt dat ick ontleden waer.
22
Ist dat sy mijn hooft afhouen,
Ick en ben daerom schelm of dief;
Ick sterf ter eeren van eender vrouwe:
Maer schoon ionge vrouwen die heb ick lief.
23
Oorlof, prince, adieu ten lesten,
My dunckt dat ick sterven moet.
My siele hoort Godt, het lijf is ten besten:
't Is mijn lieveken diet my doet.
Wilder than wild, who will tame me
I plead to call early and late
I may sing with a sad voice
That fortune goes against me
Methought I would have flown
Like a bird in the sky
Now I have suckled lady Venus’ breast
The love has brought me into suffering
Her amours, her friendly being,
Her lips red like coral,
Her teeth are straight,
Her voice like a nightingale.
Furthermore she has two blushing cheeks,
Her hair more beautiful than gold,
Two beautiful brown eyes that shine fiery:
His heart rejoiced seeing this one.
Her hands whiter than alabaster,
Her nails are very well cut,
My heart rejoices when I touch [her],
So the love has steadily grown.
She is very fine and neat of features,
Her neck whiter than a swan,
Her breasts round and well-shaped,
Like a goddess, men see them go.
All her friendly mannerisms,
And her amorous face,
Have ignited my young heart so
That I am now very desolate.
By all her good grace
So she also has a double heart;
Because I am suffering to this extent
Because of her, sadness and sorrow.
Beautiful love, would you just overthink
That I have kissed your mouth:
And often upon varying occasions
You have quenched my fire.
But how could you have me captured,
What did I do to deserve this from you?
You would want me to be hanged:
I try to be your friend.
Beautiful love, is this my recompense?
You have made me go to a tribunal
Four or five times, for my sentencing,
Where I have stood five hours long.
Beautiful love, when you see those folk walking,
And hear that I must die,
So came walking with a barrel,
Satiate yourself, love, with my blood!
I would not commiserate death
If she was caused by someone else;
But now she falls heavy [on me] to bear,
Because, love, it is due to your name.
Beautiful love, what kind of woman are you?
How has Nero blinded you so?
You would want people to hew off his head
Whom you had loved beside God.
Where is now just your caress?
Where is now so many an oath?
You swore to be my mistress,
Whether it was in love or suffering;
Yes nor for father or for mother,
Or for my name henceforth,
Nor for sister nor for brother,
Your beautiful love did not yield.
How do your snow-white hands benefit me
Even though they are pure and delicate?
You cover me before you uncover my shame,
You thereby write my crime.
But if I meditate upon these pleasing words,
With which you have sedated me:
But now you showed me such discord!
Oh love! I had never believed it!
Love, it is truly a shame that I would relate,
How we relate to one another;
But now you come to accuse me!
And it is, beautiful love, not well done.
But now that you have worn me out,
Like a broom, with which people turn around,
Now you uncover my secrets!
You have made me kneel before the sword.
How do your blushing cheeks benefit me?
How do your clear, brown eyes benefit me?
Because with your tongue you will suck my blood:
You want me to be dissected.
It is that they hew off my head
That is why I am a rogue or thief;
I die in honour of a woman:
But beautiful, young women, I love them.
Praise, prince, adieu at last,
Methinks that I must die,
My soul belongs to God, the body is its best:
It is my loved one who does this to me.
Translation by Rena Bood
Composer of Ballad
Date
Notes
Translation Notes:
1. ‘kaken’ literally translates to ‘jaws’
2. ‘spatie’ literally translates to ‘space’ but in this context it’s likely to refer to the extent of his suffering
3. ‘reysen’ refers to ‘travelling’ but can also refer to the preparation and occasion of the travelling. In this context, ‘occasion’ fits better than ‘travelling.’
4. ‘laecken’ literally means ‘sheet,’ however, it is also used to refer to ‘shroud’ or to a ‘leech’ (though this last meaning is no longer extant in the present-day).
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