Vanden Timmerman.

Wie wil hooren singhen
Van eenen timmerman,
Van eender borchgravinnen,
Hoe si haer lief ghewan?

Die heeren seyden: ‘Wellecome, timmerman!
Ghi zijt ons waerste gast.
Ghy sult noch tavont hangen
Aen eenen boom, staet vast.’

‘Waerom so sal ic hangen?
Ic en ben ja gheen dief!
Dat herte van minnen jongen live
Heeft een schoon vrou seer lief.

Sal ic noch tavont hangen
Aen eenen boom, staet vast,
Versincken moeten die wortelen,
Verbarnen moet den bast!’

Dat vernam een vrouwe,
Eens groten lantsheren wijf.
Si dede haer paerdeken sadelen
Al om des timmermans lijf.

Doen si haer paerdeken ghesadelt had,
Haer sporen had aenghedaen,
So was den timmerman
Ter leederen opghegaen.

‘Nu hoort, ghi heeren alle!
Quaem die borchgravinne voor u beddeken staen:
Soudyse helsen ende cussen,
Oft soudise laten gaen?’

‘Quaem mi die borchgravinne
Voor mijn beddeken staen,
Ic soudese helsen ende cussen
Ende vriendelijck ontfaen.’

‘Soudijse helsen ende cussen
Ende vriendelijck ontfaen,
So en heeft dese timmerman
Niet al te veel misdaen!’

‘Coemt af, coemt af, goet timmerman,
U is verbeden u lijf.
Dat heeft gedaen een vrouwe,
Eens grooten lansheren wijf.’

‘Hevet dat gedaen een vrouwe,
Eens groot lantsheeren wijf,
God houdse in haerder eeren
Ende mi mijn jonghe lijf.’

Hi wranck van sinen handen
Een gouden vingherlijn.
Dat gaf hy haer teenen pande:
Si hadde behouden zijn lijf.

Who wants to hear singing
about a carpenter,
about a viscountess,
how she saved her lover's life?

The lords said: "Welcome, carpenter!
You are our dearest guest.
You will hang this very evening,
from a tree, that is decided."

"Why shall I hang?
I am not a thief!
The heart of my young body
loves a beautiful woman very much.

If I shall hang this very evening (tonight)
from a tree, firmly rooted,
Its roots must sink,
Its bark must burn!"

A lady heard about this,
the wife of a distinguished gentleman.
She had her horse saddled
because of the carpenter's life.

When she had saddled her little horse,
and set her spurs (to it),
Then the carpenter had
mounted the ladder.

"Now listen, all of you lords!
If the viscountess came before your bed,
Would you hug and kiss her,
or would you let her go?" (send her away?)

"If the viscountess came
before my bed,
I would hug and kiss her
and receive her with kindness."

"If you would hug and kiss her
and receive her with kindness,
then this carpenter has
done not much wrong!"

"Come down, come down, good carpenter,
By intercession your life was saved.
A lady has done this,
the wife of a distinguished gentleman."

"Has a lady done this,
the wife of a distinguished gentleman,
may God safeguard her honour,
and my young body."

He pulled of his hands
a golden ring.
This he gave her as a token:
She had saved his life.

Translation by Cecile Morree