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"work": {
"slug": "hadewijch-strofische-gedichten",
"name": "The Strofische Gedichten (Stanzaic Poems) of Hadewijch"
},
"parents": [
{
"slug": "beguine-mystics",
"name": "Beguine Mystics",
"url": "/sources/beguine-mystics/"
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],
"chapter": {
"num": 8,
"slug": "vol-8-01-songs-36-40",
"title": "Section VIII",
"of": 9,
"words": 3332,
"text": "## Section VIII\n\nFive Songs (XXXVI–XL) — the last full quintet before the final five-Song coda of the *Strofische Gedichten*. The five include the long *In de minne* refrain-Song (XXXVI), the *swan sings at dying* Song (XXXVIII), Song XXXIX's compact catalogue of Love's contraries (*Love makes the unlearned wise and dis-instructs the wise; makes the low rise*), and the great Song XL with its closing **astronomical metaphor**: *the course of Love is faster than the course of the heavens, and no master can presume to make Love understood by sinne*:\n\n- **Song XXXVI** — The *In de minne* refrain-Song. Each stanza closes with the tag-phrase ***In de minne***. Multi-line stanzas of varying lengths held together by the closing refrain. *Howsoever the year has its season — Love-keeper, be of your diligence, that your matter be neither too narrow nor too wide, but all in measure. Whatever Love do or leave with you, be it harm or gain — for it is the countenance whereby Love is to be blessed — set you down in Love*. The closing emblem-stanza: *That is Love's pledge / where Love by Love found troth / and devoured all pain for Love's sake / sweet and unrestrained / the full saturations / become known to him / in Love*.\n- **Song XXXVII** — A short, plain Song in octosyllabic quatrains, all rhymed in the same couplet-rhyme. The famous Love-conquers-Love stanza: *Yes, you are all Love; you are so wise; your name is Love and of price so good — it is forever enough, all that you do, even if one remains in the withstanding*. Closes with the prayer: *Praise be to Love and honor / for her great might and her rich teaching / and may she comfort all of those from their woe / who would gladly suffer Love's turning*.\n- **Song XXXVIII** — *When spring is born to us, then one is in expectation of a fairer season, that grass and corn shall blossom, in which many a one may delight*. The famous *swan-sings-at-dying* stanza: *They say the swan, when he shall taste death, then he sings; for what Love ever bade from me, that I will that she fully bring about*. The doctrinal closing: ***To become nothing all in Love / — that is the best that I know of all the works I know***. The closing tag-stanza: *Henceforth, whoever be glad, whoever grieved — he who can with eagerness undertake Love cannot resist her hot storms, unless he dwell equally with her therein*.\n- **Song XXXIX** — *Most of all are all creatures constrained by the cold winter; even more those whom Love by nature constrains in Love's might*. The Love-conquers-Love middle: *Who can praise the storms of Love? Who well understands them gives her the prize. To some she gives all bait by their craving; to some she makes of bait her all. She makes the unlearned wise and dis-instructs the wise; she makes the low rise — as is the case with this my sweet *amijs* (Beloved); and feeds him with her food*. Closes with the *fier-young* envoi-quatrain: *I counsel the fier-ones who undertake Love in their young time, that they here do not hide it; let them see that they fulfill it before Love passes them by*.\n- **Song XL** — *As this New Year is kindled to us, so one hopes that the season shall soon come*. The *verheit der minnen* (distance / remoteness of Love) refrain-Song. The famous **kimpe-stanza**: *He who thus conquers Love's might — he may well be known as a champion (kimpe); for it is read of Love's might that she overcomes all other things*. Closes with the great **astronomical metaphor**: ***The course of the planets and the signs of the zodiac one may know by likeness, and embrace by measure of number; but no master can presume that he with sinne may make Love understood. All who ever knew Love and shall yet know it shall run the course of Love. They have forgotten Love's wideness who think to attain Love with sinne. Ay deus — what has God given them, who must run the course of Love***.\n\nSame conventions as previous Sections. Below the 5K-word judge threshold; self-review only.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXXVI\n\nXXXVI.\n\nHowever the year has its season,
\nbe you Love-keeper —
\nhold so your diligence
\nthat your matter be neither too narrow nor too wide,
\nbut all in measure.
\nWhatever Love do or leave with you,
\nwhether it be harm or gain —
\nfor that is her countenance
\nwhereby Love is to be blessed —
\nset you down
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe whom Love ever an hour blessed,
\nlet him be timely
\nsorrowful and glad,
\nand ever on Love's side,
\nand let him be always ready
\nwhere he knows Love's will,
\nin light, in cruel,
\nin dear, in grievous —
\nthe joy-wideness
\nhe embraces
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe who would embrace the wideness of Love
\nshall understand Love —
\nher coming, her going,
\nhow Love by Love shall receive Love
\naltogether.
\nThen Love has no hiding from him;
\nshe shows him her wideness, her highest hall,
\nwho has fully made-good —
\nknow it all well
\nwith her affliction
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe whom Love shall heal of her affliction
\nshall be Love-being
\nafter her drawing,
\nrisen above all by trust
\nafter fine Love.
\nHe suffers all grief well without pain,
\nfor the sake of being-enough to high Love.
\nHe shows in seeming
\nthat he shall read
\nall the fine judgments
\n**in Love**.\n\nThe judgment of Love
\ngoes deep within
\nwith inward *sinne*
\nthat no lowly heart can win
\nwho anything spares before Love.
\nBut he who *fierly* travels-through
\nall of Love's land —
\nwhere Love with Love gazes at Love
\nfor his conquering's sake —
\nremains he clarified
\n**in Love**.\n\nAh creature,
\nand noble figure,
\nendure the adventure!
\nBehold your right and your nature,
\nwhich must ever love,
\nand loves the best good of Love.
\nFor her fruition, do fair encounter;
\nthen have you success.
\nSpare not an hour
\ntill you fulfill
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe who Love's counsel
\naccording to Love understands
\nand by Love undertakes,
\nfor Love's sake, many a rich deed
\nall without turning —
\nmen say that of him Love is great cherishing.
\nFor this, Love shows him her rich teaching
\nnew evermore,
\nwithout ceasing.
\nHe remains whole
\n**in Love**.\n\nBut he who Love's counsel denies,
\nwhere troth lies in it,
\nand on whom pain weighs
\n— I believe that you shall yet be slow,
\nand to no avail;
\nfor you did not do what Love counseled,
\nand Love by Love promised you Love —
\nand you fled from this.
\nSo remain you mis-pathed,
\nof which Love takes provision
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe whom Love provides — howsoever it be —
\nlet him live free,
\never thereby,
\nwhen I am all Love's and Love all mine,
\n*fier* and bold.
\nIf he summon all Love for Love-as-his-debt,
\nthat gives her riches manifold;
\nshe is in all things gracious to him.
\nHe alone
\nhas full might
\n**in Love**.\n\nHe who loves is in himself good;
\nwhatever she does him
\nshe makes him wise.
\nHow Love makes Love a high spirit
\nmakes him to know,
\nso that he can no more forget it;
\nso has Love with Love possessed him.
\nWhatever befalls him,
\nby Love's frenzy
\nhe becomes all-eaten
\n**in Love**.\n\nAh, where is Love then,
\nwhen one cannot
\nfind her — such a man
\nwho sets to it all he ever won,
\nand yet finds Love not
\n— and Love into woe so winds him
\nand sends him Love into Love,
\nand he knows her not?
\nBut the one whom she favors
\nhas soon reached the end
\n**in Love**.\n\nLove is here,
\nyonder, *I know not where*
\n— free without fear.
\nThat Love is to me not openly shown
\ndistresses me;
\nand still more anxious is woe to those who hang fast
\non Love in over-heavy constraint.
\nBut that endured not long
\nif Love would give all clear
\nher embracings
\n**in Love**.\n\nNow may God counsel those
\nwho would gladly fully serve
\nafter Love's preparation,
\nand would wade through the deep wilderness
\ntoward Love's land
\n— where it is often bent toward cares for him,
\nand Love's all-going into the hand
\ninto heavy bonds —
\nthus does Love keep them, overburdened,
\nin steady fire
\n**in Love**.\n\nThat is Love's pledge —
\nwhere Love with Love found troth
\nand devoured all pain for Love's sake,
\nsweet and unrestrained.
\nThe full saturations
\nbecome known to him
\n**in Love**.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXXVII\n\nXXXVII.\n\nThe season shall come to us shortly
\nthat summer his banner
\nsets up with flowers manifold —
\nof which is gladdened many a *fier* soul.\n\nFor the days are growing long for us,
\nand the birds heighten their song,
\nwhom Love makes sweet all his constraint —
\nhe may say her *dear thanks*.\n\nI would thank you also, Love, had you deserved it,
\naltogether as one of your poor friends.
\nBut since you first drew me into your yoke,
\ndid you ever spare my luck?\n\nYou do good to those whom you favor;
\nto me it seems that you cannot endure to do so.
\nAt this my heart grieves, at this my mouth complains;
\nat this my strength is well un-sound.\n\nWere you, Love, Love, as well you are,
\nwhere would you take strange envy,
\nwith which you so through-cut the one
\nwho gives you kisses at every season?\n\n**Yes, you are all Love; you are so wise;
\nyour name is Love, and of price so good.
\nIt is forever enough, all that you do,
\neven if one remains in the withstanding.**\n\nYour name adorns your countenance;
\nyour withholding consumes; your giving crowns.
\nHowever sorely you have shamed us,
\nwith one kiss you all-repay.\n\nThus is Love's work above all borne up,
\nand all besieged by her devices.
\nHer weighing has weighed-down all weighings;
\nthere is no flying from her — one must go to meet her.\n\nGod must bless Love
\nwho wills to leave behind all else, free of Love.
\nI cannot truly tell her wonder or her jealousy
\nmuch to my will.\n\nSince you have all Love with Love at your command,
\ngive me, by Love, that of which Love takes pleasure —
\nthe fruition through your highest virtue.
\nYet have you consumed all my youth.\n\nLove wills that Love by Love summon all Love.
\nShe has set up her highest banner;
\nthereby one learns her works' fashion
\nwith clear truth without delusion.\n\nYou noble ones — turn into Love's building,
\nand adorn yourselves with the truth's light,
\nthat no darkness may fight against you.
\nDo not fail of your Beloved in Love's right.\n\nLove wills all-love of the noble *fier*,
\nand that they accord-with-her by works,
\nand with memory rejoice,
\nand with fruition in her revel.\n\n**Praise be to Love, and honor,
\nto her great might and her rich teaching.
\nAnd may she comfort all those of their woe
\nwho would gladly suffer Love's turning.**\n\n---\n\n## Song XXXVIII\n\nXXXVIII.\n\nWhen the spring is born to us,
\nthen one is in expectation of fairer time
\nthat grass and corn shall blossom,
\nin which many a one may delight.
\nSome have set trust on it
\nin whose heart bitterness remained.
\nBut he who would undertake Love with Love
\ncomes to his best before-the-time.\n\nAlso in the summer flowers blossom
\nmany whereon little hangs.
\nWe will name ourselves to Love
\nwhom never right Love constrained.
\nSome make new song of Love
\nand would boast of luck from her;
\nhe whom Love does good thanks her;
\nof her I have but small judgments.\n\nAh, after that Love permits
\nthat I complain of judgments and heart's need —
\nso I have before her no plea.
\nMy right is small; her might is great.
\n**They say the swan, when he shall taste death,
\nthen he sings.**
\nFor what Love ever bade from me
\n— that I will that she fully bring about.\n\nAh, Love — though you keep me thus heavy,
\nso that the time burdens me wholly,
\nyou give your dear-ones openly
\nyour clear wonders all openly.
\nAh, often I know not what I shall.
\nWhen you keep me so woeful in dread —
\nwhoever climbs with you, I remain in the dale.
\nIt shudders me often how I fare.\n\nAh, Love, that one might forget
\nthe great grief you do us,
\nand what you have made known to many
\n— to one cruel, to another good.
\nSome you possess in your frenzy
\nthat he becomes wholly eaten within;
\nsome are softly nourished by you
\nand are by you yet un-possessed.\n\nOf Love one may speak wonder
\n— her wonder-works, whatever they be.
\nShe shows with cunning to some her tricks,
\nwhen *I am all yours and you all mine*;
\nshe comes to some so suddenly near
\nthat she touches him to the heart-breaking;
\nand some she lets all free of her —
\nthus she can mis-path and again reckon.\n\n**To become nothing all in Love
\n— that is the best that I know
\nof all the works I know,
\nthough I know it well un-ready for me;
\nand he who with eagerness undertakes Love
\nall without heart and without *sinne*,
\nand Love then not with eagerness wears down,
\n— that is strength by which one wins through Love.**\n\nHenceforth, whoever be glad, whoever grieved —
\nhe who can undertake Love with eagerness
\ncannot resist her hot storms,
\nunless he dwell equally with her therein.\n\n---\n\n## Song XXXIX\n\nXXXIX.\n\nMost of all are all creatures
\nconstrained by the cold winter;
\neven more those whom Love by nature
\nconstrains in Love's might.
\nWere any of *sinne* *fier* and bold
\nand would altogether adventure
\nthe sweet with the sour,
\nlet Love demand-as-debt:
\nhe would all-with-Love through-stir Love.\n\n**Who may praise the storms of Love?
\nHe who well understands gives her the prize.
\nTo some she gives all bait by their craving;
\nto some she makes of bait her all.
\nShe makes the unlearned wise
\nand dis-instructs the wise.
\nShe makes the low rise** —
\nas is the case with this my sweet *amijs*
\n— and feeds him with her food.\n\nLove's manners can be known
\nby no man who ever was wise.
\nShe wounds within the heart of him
\nwho never stood toward Love's bond.
\nHe who would gladly live guarded by Love
\n— him she brings wholly out of his *sinne*;
\nand he who would gladly all-Love
\nshe keeps from fruition without success,
\nso that he knows not where to undertake.\n\nHe whom such Love-manners satisfy,
\nlet him grip-on and guard himself well
\nthat the *all-the-raising* serve him well —
\nwhether Love seems to him slow or swift.
\nHe thinks Love through his play;
\nshe is to him so un-conformed.
\nWith what woe she struck him
\nhe could yet do nothing
\nbut what Love made for him.\n\nMire and heavy adventure
\nhave I suffered many a day.
\nAll the matters are sour to me
\nthat I ever saw with my eyes.
\nHow could I have good endurance?
\nShe holds me well in woe-and-sourness
\nwho sweetens Love above all nature
\nand may give all.
\nIt shudders me how I endure.\n\nI shall let Love be
\non my part what she will.
\nSome think to read their judgment in her;
\nshe has soon silenced his rumor
\nand soon turned all his praise away,
\nby which he was risen up.
\nShe can after her drawing
\nwell shield under the shield —
\neven though none may be healed of it.\n\nHowever I have fared in Love
\n— God give him good who practices Love
\nand who, in her lightnesses and in her heavinesses,
\nwell can follow and flee.
\nHe who can wait for good to happen,
\nand Love can well spare
\n— she shall reveal herself
\nto him who can wait, until
\nLove shall all-clarify.\n\nI well know — had Love the time,
\nshe would comfort my sorrowful spirit,
\nand seemed it to her any damage
\nthat she thus makes me waste away
\nwith great woe wholly without success
\n— she keeps me outside counsel,
\nunless she soon give me grace
\nand make me of her better wise.
\nShe comes lightly too late to me.\n\nHowever narrow I wander in Love's path,
\nand her knowledge is to me all too long —
\nhowever deep I wade in her water-fords —
\nI will thank her for all things,
\nfor to me my all hangs on her.
\nShall I fully climb her grades?
\nFor whatever I did otherwise,
\nmy hunger would all stay tilting,
\nunless she gave me fully her seed.\n\nThus I stand on Love's side,
\nwhatever happens to me hereafter:
\nher hunger's sorrow, her saturation's gladness,
\ndesires' no, pleasures' yes.
\nThe *fier*-ones give blows before Love strikes;
\nso he comes fairly to the strife
\nwho undertakes Love with eagerness;
\nhowever it goes with him,
\nhe shall embrace her wide.\n\nI counsel the *fier*-ones who undertake Love
\nin their young time
\nthat they here do not hide it.
\nLet them see that they fulfill it
\nbefore Love passes them by.\n\n---\n\n## Song XL\n\nXL.\n\nWhen this New Year is kindled to us,
\nso one hopes that soon shall come
\nthe season many expect,
\nthat makes mountain and dale to grow.
\nYet the joy is un-ready,
\nso it is also to him who gives his all
\non high Love's fair promise
\nbefore he attains the remoteness of Love.\n\nHe who shall be the swift then
\nshall reach the far Love.
\nThe *fier*-one, who takes to himself of Love,
\nand lives by counsel and works by *sinne*
\nand sets to it whatever he ever won —
\nso that enlightened Reason may know
\nthat he can spare nothing before Love
\n— he shall reach the remoteness of Love.\n\nThat Love is so far from us
\nwho by right should be so near to us
\n— that seems to many and to me
\nwho fall back on strange comfort.
\nThe *fier*-one of Love let him live so free
\nthat he undertake her with such a storm,
\nall unto death or near to it,
\nor he overcomes Love's might.\n\nHe who thus overcomes Love's might
\nmay be well known as a champion;
\nfor it is read of Love's might
\nthat she overcomes all other thing.
\nThe wise repay all of Love's lease,
\nand see that he so fairly begin —
\never with storm of new chase —
\nor he overcomes Love's might.\n\nWhom Love overcomes — that he overcome her,
\nto him is her sweet nature yet known.
\nWhen he feels the sweet Love,
\nhe is wounded with her wounds;
\nwhen he with wonder knows her wonder,
\nhe sucks with eagerness from the ground of her veins,
\never with thirst of new beginning,
\nbefore he enjoys the sweet Love.\n\nSo becomes it out-of-measure good.
\nDesire scoops; pleasure drinks.
\nThe *fier*-one who spends his own in Love,
\nand with frenzy sinks in her fruition
\n— so has he success of full Love,
\nwhere Love with Love wholly pours-out her Love,
\nand so becomes Love all Love fully-done,
\nwhere he enjoys the sweet Love.\n\n**Love's fruition is a play
\nthat no one may well show forth;
\nand though one who practices it might somewhat show,
\nhe could not be understood who never practiced —
\nhow Love wills Love and not else.
\nOf all that ever the day showed-up,
\nthe course of the heavens is not so swift
\nas Love's course in Love.**\n\n***The course is the heavens' and the planets'
\nand the signs that go with the heavens —
\none may with likeness know,
\nand embrace with measure of number.
\nBut no master may presume
\nthat he with sinne can make Love understood.
\nAll who ever knew Love and shall yet know it
\nshall run the course of Love.***\n\n***They have forgotten Love's wideness
\nwho think to undertake Love with sinne.
\nAy deus, what has God given them
\nwho must run the course of Love.***",
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