{ "meta": { "schema_version": "1.1", "endpoint": "/api/sources/beguine-mystics/hadewijch-strofische-gedichten/vol-6-01-songs-26-30.json" }, "work": { "slug": "hadewijch-strofische-gedichten", "name": "The Strofische Gedichten (Stanzaic Poems) of Hadewijch" }, "parents": [ { "slug": "beguine-mystics", "name": "Beguine Mystics", "url": "/sources/beguine-mystics/" } ], "chapter": { "num": 6, "slug": "vol-6-01-songs-26-30", "title": "Section VI", "of": 9, "words": 3379, "text": "## Section VI\n\nFive Songs (XXVI-XXX) covering the central doctrinal heart of the cycle. The five together include three of Hadewijch's most-cited and most-doctrinally-rich Songs: the **Queen of Sheba** Song (XXVI), the ***orewoet*-is-a-rich-fief** Song (XXVIII), and the long **Marian Song XXIX**, in which the entire history of salvation is read through the figure of Mary as the *gate* by which Love-hidden-in-the-Father's-bosom *flowed down* to humanity:\n\n- **Song XXVI** — *Though day and time are saddened — God be blessed; one shall soon better behold. Beloved, that you are so far from me, and on you stands all my delight — that is right that my heart should grieve.* The **Queen of Sheba** central stanzas: Sheba sought Solomon for wisdom; when she found her *sinne* taken, she gave him all the gifts she had; *for if she had dispersed any of it in strange ways among the poor people, the high wonder would have been kept from her*. Closes with the bold final line: *Those who thus conquer in storm of Love — those are the right heroes; and those who grumble and do not fulfill — it is right they be scolded*.\n- **Song XXVII** — *Birds and people may lament the summer's turning, but those who love have other reason*. The Love-conquers-Love stanza: *He who conquers Love is himself spent; thus he is awakened*. The famous old/young stanza: *Love gives to the young who knows not, and lets the noble old wander the misery — where young and yokel never knew Love*. Closes with the dramatic image: *He who works the works of Love openly, the lover says, \"Love, that you may be Love\" — no more does he spare sense or spirit, strength or marrow or heart's blood; for in Love's judgment is read: **the deeper wounded, the more softly healed***.\n- **Song XXVIII** — *The birds are now glad whom winter constrained*. The famous ***orewoet*-is-a-rich-fief** stanza: *Orewoet of Love — that is a rich fief; he who would know it should ask her nothing else. Those that were two at first — she makes one*. The high-Love-school stanza unfolds the catalogue: *Love makes the strong weak / and the sick all well; makes the upright lame / and heals the wounded; makes the unknowing wise on the wide way / where many must wander*. Closes with: *His sinne is highly risen who has received Love's strength, so that in Love's strength his judgment shall read*.\n- **Song XXIX** — **The Marian Song**. The longest of all the *Strofische Gedichten* and one of the most theologically rich. The entire history of salvation read through Mary as the *gate* by which Love-hidden-in-the-Father's-bosom flowed out. The famous *flooding* stanza: *Then the mountain flowed to the deep dale; the dale flowed evenly high to the hall; then was the castle conquered, where long the strife had been begun*. The prophet-catalogue: Moses, Solomon, Tobit, Isaiah, Daniel, Job, Jeremiah, Ezekiel — *they saw visions, they spoke fair parables of what God yet should do; but in my sinne, the clear free Love stayed un-experienced by them, for they had their habits as other men*. The Mary-doctrine: *but Mary spoke nothing else — now let God provide what comes of it. David thought-on God, and that comforted him; he lacked his spirit. Yet he is called strong in works; but Mary wrought stronger works. Yes, he had perhaps the most — except Mary, who wholly received him, God and man and young man*. Closes with the program for the soul to be a Marian: *Free humble sinne, would you wholly all Love, as Love herself lives — turn from all and forsake; so shall your heart become wide and deep, so shall come to you the conduit that flowed to Mary without measure*.\n- **Song XXX** — **The *Verliese ic ochte winne* (Whether I Lose or Win) Song**. *I have Love begun — let the strangers begrudge what they cannot take from me. I have Love begun*. The Reason-against-Love stanza in the middle: *Could Love satisfy me, I would have joined her, so that all my veins blazed. Then came Reason and made me see: look where you would join, and what yet must happen to you*. The famous **Reason hurt me** stanza: *Then Reason hurt me; it seemed to me a feud that she took from me the readied which Love had herself given me — yet Reason made me live the truth*. Closes with the doctrinal: *One may by Reason win right fruition of Love, where Reason may clearly know that one has done enough to both — and then right fruition of Love takes leave from Reason*.\n\nSame conventions as previous Sections. Below the 5K-word judge threshold; self-review only.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXVI\n\nXXVI.\n\nThough day and time are saddened —
\nof this be God blessed.
\nOne shall soon better behold.
\nBeloved, that you are so far from me,
\nand on you stands all my delight,
\nis right grieving of my heart.
\nThat is well-just my heart's light,
\nby which I should live
\n— wandering after you all.
\nSee what I must do:
\nto me is left not one thing.\n\nAh, what should my Beloved be but all yours —
\nthat I do not fully have you, that is to me;
\nand may not fully give-enough.
\nRight Love, *fier* and free —
\nwhat one gives you that is *something*,
\nwere a great fault to you;
\nfor you will be *all Love*,
\nwith heart and with *sinne*,
\nand with whole soul.
\nThose who think to love
\nwithout beginning
\n— they were ever the falling ones.\n\n**The Queen of Sheba
\nfollowed Solomon close** —
\nthat was to seek wisdom.
\nWhen she had found it, *Yes*,
\nher *sinne* were taken
\nand she lessened her smelling.
\nShe gave him all,
\nand the gifts she stole
\n— whatever she had within.
\nBoth heart and *sinne*;
\nnothing was left in her;
\nall was swallowed up in Love.\n\nIt is right she had given him all.
\nHad she dispersed any in strange ways
\namong the poor people,
\nthe high wonder would have been kept from her.
\nNow she became all rubbed-down in Love
\n— which many people still lack.
\nThey take too soon
\nall their enough
\namong the comrades.
\nTherefore one shall late
\nof them, of Love's deed,
\nhave wonder to tell.\n\nWhere one would set himself to free Love
\nand not fail in the way,
\nand cleave to Love wholly,
\nand suffer her miserable strokes —
\nthere one may speak the wonder of wonders;
\nfor one sees them so give themselves up,
\nas for going wholly through
\nwithout any sparing,
\nyet not enough sufficing Love —
\nfor anxiety of death
\nthat they should let go
\nthe great greeting of Love.\n\nAh, thus all-lost in Love's might
\n— yes, and then all repaid Love's lease,
\nas rightly one altogether should —
\nthat is a fairest possession
\nand one unconquered new might,
\nand well what God altogether would.
\nFor the rightest giving-over to Love
\nis the failing within,
\nfor they cannot wholly fulfill;
\nand that to them is soon spent,
\nin receiving the high Love;
\nthus they come outside the spirits.\n\nWhen the mighty Reason of Love opens up
\nand shows her great goodness
\nthat she is by nature
\n— whether one does her enough in Love,
\nthat she must repay all of it —
\nthis awakens the creatures
\nand makes them stand up,
\nand all embraces
\nin hearty pleasures,
\nand promises them a kingdom
\nwithout any likeness
\nin eternal joys.\n\n**Those who thus conquer
\nin the storm of Love
\n— those are the right heroes;
\nand those who grumble
\nand do not fulfill —
\nit is right that they be scolded.**\n\n---\n\n## Song XXVII\n\nXXVII.\n\nOne may, by the short days,
\nmark the summer's turning.
\nThat birds and people may lament —
\nbut those who love have other reason.
\nFor to them it is to lament all else
\nthat one is so cruel to Love.
\nHer rich teaching is sorely disturbed,
\nwhere one should be exalted by it.
\nThat she be lamented by the highest troth —
\nand with Love must she behold us.\n\nMany a high tiding has us
\nmade understand of Love
\n— that she is mighty over all,
\nand has all embraced
\nand binds all that lives.
\nWho has Love but they whom she gives to herself?
\nHe to whom she gives anything may receive it.
\nYet shall we be with fair service subject to her,
\nand beseech the mighty Love
\nthat she make her power known to us.\n\nIt is a very fair prayer
\nto pray for high Love's might.
\nBut to whom she gives Love after Love's habit,
\nshe throws into such a confinement
\nthat he may no more escape.
\n**He who conquers Love is himself spent;**
\nthus is he awakened;
\nand one whom she gives to feed
\n— she consumes all his in new chase;
\nso he learns by Love's might
\npeace-of-old to win,
\nand to know Love's cost in misery.\n\nThat misery I know by counsel
\nand not by practicing.
\nWhomever Love has long since burdened with knowing —
\nhow grievously he looks at himself.
\nThat is to him small, and Love so great,
\nand the joy that Love first offered him,
\nand the gladness when he was a child.
\nLove gives to the young who knows not,
\nand lets the noble old wander the misery —
\n**where young and yokel never knew Love**.\n\nYou young ones — you have much lost
\nif you lose your childish youth.
\nThen you live old, Love in torment,
\nwhere you now might live young
\nand in gladness of free Love
\nwhen I am all Love's, and Love all mine.
\nThat is now all your duty.
\nThis gladness little exalts the wise-old
\n— for they know the cord of Love's years,
\nwhere one shall spend and spare.\n\nThere is hardly any yokel so silly
\nthat he does not know when he shall
\nwin his goods or spend his bait.
\nThough we have the misfortune
\nthat we will be as a child
\n— all loved without cost in joys —
\nthis is what is now ours all.
\nNow let us empty Love's hall toward the dale;
\nbeseech Love that she lead us
\nin her ways and in her high preparation.\n\nI do not scold what we gladly take
\nof sweet Love's success,
\nbut those who would for Love deny their Beloved
\n— that never does them good.
\nAnd of this we may be sure:
\nthose who their Beloved for Love love-fine,
\nboth old and wise,
\nunless haste or light-buying-wavering do them harm,
\nso may they be certain:
\n**the deeper drowned, the higher risen**.\n\nThose who do the works of Love openly,
\nthe lover says, *Love, that you may be Love* —
\nthrough you he no more spares *sinne* nor spirit,
\nstrength nor marrow nor heart's blood.
\nFor in Love's judgment is read:
\n**the deeper wounded, the more softly healed**.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXVIII\n\nXXVIII.\n\nThe birds are now glad
\nwhom the winter constrained.
\nIn a short time, *deo gratias* of Love,
\nthe *fier* hearts who their pains
\nhave endured long
\non the trust of Love —
\nshe has so rich a might,
\nshe shall give them salt
\nabove all *sinne*.\n\nHe who, of high Love,
\nwould receive all Love,
\nshall in every *sinne*
\ngladly stand after that;
\nthat he the strongest death
\nof Love would undertake,
\nand always equally bold —
\nthat what noble Love commands
\nhe shrink not from,
\nbut is ready to do.\n\nAh, what shall happen to him
\nwho lives after Love's counsel?
\nFor he shall see no one
\nwho understands his need.
\nOne shall, with strange eyes,
\nshow him strange countenance;
\nfor no one shall know
\nwhat need he endures,
\nbefore he hightens his need
\n**in *orewoet* of Love**.\n\n***Orewoet* of Love
\n— that is a rich fief.
\nAnd he who would know it
\nshould ask her nothing else.
\nThose that were two at first
\n— she makes them one.**
\nOf this I bear the truth:
\nshe makes that what is sweet, sour;
\nand the strangers, near neighbors;
\nand she brings the low high.\n\nShe makes the strong weak,
\nand the sick all well.
\nShe makes the upright lame,
\nand heals the wounded.
\nShe makes the unknowing
\ncome the wide way wide,
\nwhere many must wander.
\nShe makes him know all
\nthat one shall learn
\nin high Love's school.\n\nIn high Love's school
\none learns *orewoet*;
\nfor she brings into wandering
\nthose who knew themselves well.
\nHe who at first had misfortune
\n— him she gives success,
\nand makes him master of that
\nwhereof Love herself is lady.
\nOf this I am well sure,
\nand turn no more aside.\n\nThose who love and suffer not
\n— I give them good counsel:
\nif they can do no more,
\nlet them at least pray her grace,
\nand serve with belief
\nin high Love's counsel,
\nand think: it may well be
\nthat Love's might is so great.
\nHe is very near to death
\nwho cannot recover.\n\nHis *sinne* is high risen
\nwho has received Love's strength,
\nso that in Love's strength
\nhis judgment shall read.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXIX\n\nXXIX.\n\nFor high troth's Love,
\nall my *sinne* are
\nin manifold pain.
\nMy heavy bearing
\nwithout lamenting
\nbecomes well in show to me
\n— he for whom I lament
\nand suffer so much sorrow,
\nhe has made me understand
\nthat with high Love I shall escape.\n\nShall high Love
\npreserve my *sinne*,
\nI am sure of this
\nby understanding within:
\nthat the lover of our Love
\nis well perfected.
\nFor all his deed is without measure;
\nno satisfying-supply suffices him before Love.
\nThat well recognize
\nthose who bear high Love, and no others.\n\nThose who bear high Love
\nshall little complain,
\nfor grief passes over them.
\nThey shall be as the wise,
\never in deep humility
\nready in high Love
\n— where Love commands, whether far or near,
\nin dying, in living, in whatever it be,
\nin freedom without fear.
\nThat high Love first made plain to us.\n\nWhatever God ever granted us
\n— there was no one who could
\nunderstand right Love,
\nuntil Mary the good,
\nwith deep humility,
\nhad embraced Love.
\nFirst she was wild; then she became tame.
\nShe gave us a lamb in place of a lion.
\nShe made the darkness clear
\nthat had been dark many a year.\n\n**The Father from the beginning
\nhad his Son, Love,
\nhidden in his bosom,
\nbefore Mary
\nwith deep humility, yes,
\nhiddenly unlocked him for us.
\nThen the mountain flowed to the deep dale;
\nthe dale flowed evenly high to the hall;
\nthen was the castle conquered
\nwhere long the strife had begun.**\n\nEach prophet made us
\nfair promises beforehand
\nthat he was rich and fair
\nwho should bring us peace
\nof Love and mighty besides.
\nMoses with Solomon
\npraised all his strength specially,
\nhis wisdom and his wonder.
\nTobit, Isaiah, Daniel,
\nJob, Jeremiah, Ezekiel.\n\nThey saw visions;
\nthey spoke fair parables
\nof what God yet should do.
\nBut in my *sinne*,
\nthe clear free Love
\nstayed un-experienced by them,
\nfor they had their habits as other men —
\nnow here, now there, now off, now on.
\nBut **Mary spoke nothing else;
\nnow may God provide what comes of it**.\n\nDavid thought of God,
\nand that comforted him;
\nand he lacked his spirit.
\nYet he is called strong in works;
\nbut Mary wrought stronger works.
\nYes, he had perhaps the most —
\nexcept Mary, who wholly received him,
\nGod and man and young man.
\nThere might one first know
\nLove's clear work.\n\nThat was by deep zeal
\nthat the great thing happened to her:
\nthat the noble Love
\nwas let out, given to that noble woman
\nof high price
\n— but in over-flowing measure.
\nFor she would no other thing, nor was she other;
\nso she had all whereof each took his reading.
\nThus has she set the conduit
\nwhere it stands ready for every humble heart.\n\nThe prophets and all their children
\nsacrificed sheep and bullocks.
\nThat was their sacrament.
\nThey had themselves anointed with the blood.
\nTheir sacraments were figures —
\nuntil Mary the high present,
\nthe Son was sent by the Father.
\nNow come to the great meal all together —
\nthe wedding-feast is ready —
\nthose whom Love finds adorned in the bridal-garment.\n\nOf our friends the prophets
\ntheir virtue may not be forgotten.
\nIt was fair and clear.
\nThey suffered miserable being
\nand great bitterness
\nof the Law many a year.
\nTheir sacraments were figures
\nthat before this they would set down.
\nOne may well thank them
\nthough I say that to Mary it was all otherwise.\n\nHumble free *sinne*,
\nwould you wholly all Love
\nas Love herself lives —
\nI counsel you by troth:
\nthough you suffer sorrow,
\nforsake all and give up;
\nso shall your heart become wide and deep;
\nso shall come to you the conduit that flowed
\nto Mary without measure.
\nPray high troth that she let it flow to you.\n\nFor high troth is commanded
\nall those who through deep humility wander —
\nthat she shall lead them through
\nwhere Mary is with Love one in all.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXX\n\nXXX.\n\nOne must, at all seasons,
\nbe glad of Love,
\nand follow her in every direction,
\nin every road where she leads.
\nOne must to her live gladly,
\nand have sorrow then so well-ready.\n\nLove must grant me —
\n**I have Love begun**.
\nThat the strangers begrudge me,
\nthey cannot take from me.
\nI have Love begun;
\nGod grant that I may suffer for her.\n\nSince I gave myself in Love
\n— **whether I lose or win** —
\nso it stands in my *sinne*
\nthat I will thank her for all things;
\nwhether I lose or win,
\nI will stand in her constraint.\n\nHe who would please Love
\nshall not complain of himself
\nin his manifold bearing
\nthat he must bear for Love.
\nHe shall not complain of himself;
\nfor Love-suffering — that is all success.\n\nHe who would love with troth
\nmust behold virtue
\nand build the works.
\nWould he live in Love's bond?
\nThat one might behold
\nin him who first brought Love into the land.\n\nSo near I came to Love
\nthat I began to know
\nall the gain
\nof those who give themselves wholly to Love.
\nWhen I might know that,
\nran in me what to me had been kept.\n\nCould Love satisfy me,
\nI would join her,
\nso that all my veins blazed.
\nThen came Reason and made me see:
\n**Look where you would join,
\nand what yet must happen to you.**\n\nLove made me rich first;
\nshe doubled my *sinne*
\nand showed me all the gain.
\nWhy does she now flee like a truant?
\nShe doubled my *sinne*;
\nnow I wander in the strange land.\n\nIt is very heavy to undertake
\nto go from Love into Reason.
\nYet it stands there to receive:
\n**Love wholly shall one win,
\nfrom Love into Reason to go —
\nthat is unheard-of and too heavy to *sinne*.**\n\nLove went-on drawing me with Love.
\nIt seems to me now it was a fading.
\nWhen I would Love all summon,
\nReason said: *Would you now wish?
\nIt was, of Love, a fading.
\nRemember that you are still a human.*\n\n**Then Reason hurt me;
\nit seemed to me a feud
\nthat she took from me the readied
\nwhich Love herself had given me;
\nit seemed to me a feud;
\nyet Reason made me live the truth.**\n\nThe high *caritas*
\nthat Love showed me in countenance,
\nwhen she without measure
\ntook my heart wholly to herself —
\nwhat she meant in that countenance,
\nshe has now shown me a portion.\n\nThough Love has been angered with me,
\nyet I must follow her,
\nfor she has swallowed up
\nthe soul out of my heart's ground.
\nI will wholly follow her,
\nhowever Reason has wounded me.\n\n**One may by Reason win
\nright fruition of Love,
\nwhere Reason may clearly know
\nthat one has done enough to both —
\nright fruition of Love
\ntakes leave from Reason then.**\n\nGod give to all who love
\nthat they win Reason's grace,
\nwhere they may know
\nhow one shall enjoy Love.
\nAt Reason's grace winning
\nlies all our Love's perfection.", "project_translation": true, "license": "CC0 1.0 Universal", "methodology_url": "https://anthroposophy.ai/about/translations/" } }