Greco-Christian stream·Beguine Mystics·The Strofische Gedichten (Stanzaic Poems) of Hadewijch·I

I

Ah, all that the winter is now cold,
short the days and the night long,
yet there nakedly draws near a stout-summer
that shall soon bring us out of that constraint,
that shall soon make plain by this New Year:
the hazel brings us its fair flowers
— that is an open token.
Ay vale vale millies¹
all you who are awaiting the new times,
si dixero non satis est,²
be glad for Love.

And they who are of fier moed (noble proud spirit)
— what storms they encounter for Love —
receive them so finely,
as is this that I would win in everything,
and shall win, God give it me all,
that-which to Love is most becoming,
yet by her own pleasing roads misfortune
shall to me be the greatest gain.
Ay vale vale millies
all you to whom such venture comes,
si dixero non satis est,
endure for Love's own nature's sake.

Ah, what shall I do, a miserable woman?
With reason I may well hate good Fortune.
My very life grieves me sorely;
I can neither love nor leave-off-loving.
Both are turned cruel against me:
Fortune and Adventure.
I wander in self-loss, and there is no other
than what seems to me against my nature.
Ay vale vale millies
let all of you be moved to pity
si dixero non satis est,
that Love thus leaves me wailing.

Ah, I was ever bold upon Love
since first I heard her named,
and gave myself to her free might.
For this they all condemn me —
friends and strangers, young and old,
whom I in every way served and was hearty-toward
and loved all of them for Love's sake.
Ay vale vale millies
I counsel them to spare nothing,
si dixero non satis est,
when they hear how I have fared.

Ah miserable I, I can do for myself
neither live nor die.
Ah, sweet God, what has happened to me
that the people lay me low?
If they would but leave you to strike me alone,
you would best counsel me
according to right, in all that I have done amiss,
and they would be kept from harm.
Ay vale vale millies
who do not let God have his way,
si dixero non satis est,
and do not love and hate.

While they stand-over me —
who then shall love her Beloved?
Let them go their ways freely
where they would learn to know you.
They would help you against me —
who need it little —
who can rightly atone and strike,
and prove with clear truth.
Ay vale vale millies
all you who, with God, would have a part
si dixero non satis est,
in atoning, or in rights.

Ah, Solomon, you who counsel-against the work
of searching what is too strong for us,
and that we should not aspire
to higher things than we are,
that we should not try them,
but let Love, the fine one,
freely make us bound and freed:
Ay vale vale millies
who to the high Love's counsel
si dixero non satis est,
climb-up from grade to grade.

Human senses are so small;
much may God stand above them.
God alone is wise of all things —
let one then praise him for all,
and let him do his office
in avenging and in suffering.
There is no work to him so far escaped
that it comes not all before his eyes.
Ay vale vale millies
those who fully give themselves to Love
si dixero non satis est,
and live to her eyes' full satisfaction.

God must give us a new mind
for the noble Love, and free,
that we so newly live therein
that Love bless us
and make us new with the new taste
she alone can give-in-fullness
— Love is the new and mighty supplying
to those who wholly to Love newly give-themselves-up.
Ay vale vale millies,
that newness of the new Love
si dixero non satis est,
the new will newly know.

Song II

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