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

Section IV

Five Songs (XVI-XX) extending the Strofische Gedichten project translation through Song XX. The five turn on the darkness-and-blossom paradox, the days-and-nights division, and the climactic Love-speaks-to-the-soul vocative ("I am that I was before — fall into my arms"):

• Song XVI — Even when mountain and dale are dark and dreadful, the hazel goes a-blossoming. Though the lover has misfortune, he shall grow in all things. The middle stanzas turn to the great heavy weighings that remain unweighable, against which no like is set. The famous middle: I saw a light cloud rise up over all the dark sky, fairly-formed; I thought to play, with full pleasures, free in the sun. Then was my high tiding but a delusion. Though I die — who is there of whom I may say he begrudges me? Closes with the comfort: Love's coming-comfort outlasts her withdrawal — that is the adventure.
• Song XVII — A short four-stanza New-Year Song. This New Year has come to us; God be blessed. The opening blessing turns within four stanzas to the cruel strangers stay hidden refrain: how my heart has concealed for me / the season I hook for — Hadewijch's signature hiddenness-trope. Compact and lyrical.
• Song XVIII — Great goods before the time, and great promises before the gift — let none be too glad of either. The proverbial saying — the peasant says: at evening one shall praise the fair day — opens onto the Adversity Song. Closes with the famous bilingual epigram: Ic roepe ic claghe / De minne hevet de daghe / Ende ic de nachte ende orewoet — I call, I lament: Love has the days, and I the nights and the orewoet. One of the most-cited lines in Hadewijch's entire lyric corpus, the canonical compression of Hadewijch's day-night-orewoet structure of mystical experience.
• Song XIX — A long New-Year supplication. This New Year has begun us; may God grant us with Love so to begin. Eleven stanzas of unfolding prayer-and-doctrine. The Church-witness stanza: the holy Church bears witness to us — her greater and lesser, her priests and her clerks — that Love is of the highest works and noblest by nature; though she conquers us, she conquers all strong things, and her might shall endure. Closes with Love's direct vocative to the soul: Ic saldi warmen / Ic ben dat ic was wilen eer / Nu valle in minen armen / Ende smake mijn rike gheleer — I shall warm you. I am that I was before. Now fall into my arms, and taste my rich teaching. The Ego sum qui sum of Exodus 3:14 set in Love's mouth.
• Song XX — The season renews and passes; the old one who long has stood ready in Love's service shall from her receive reward — new comfort and new might, that he may love her with Love's might, and so by Love become Love quickly. The doctrinal centerpiece: To become Love is unheard-of — he who would become Love shall not spare himself; it is being above all sinne. He shall travel through all in all. Love dwells so deep in the Father's bosom; the service shall be very great where Love shall reveal her work. Closes with the program: He who alone would practice Love / with all his heart and all his sinne / has all-with-all besieged, / that he wholly know her.

Same conventions as previous Sections. Orewoet preserved italicized; sinne footnoted on first occurrence; fier / fierheit kept close to source. Below the 5K-word judge threshold; self-review only.

Song XVI

XVI.

When the season shall renew itself,
yet mountain and dale are
dark and dreadful everywhere —
nevertheless the hazel goes blossoming.
Though the lover has misfortune,
he shall in all things grow.

What helps him joy, or the season,
who would gladly take delight in Love
and finds not in the wide world
the one upon whom in troth he may rest
and freely say Beloved, you are
the one who may kiss my deepest ground?

What may joy embrace
him whom Love has shut into narrows,
and who would too wide for Love's sake roam
and freely in troth enjoy?
More than the stars stand in heaven
has Love then sorrows.

The count of those sorrows must be kept silent —
the great heavy weighings that remain unweighed;
against them there goes no like;
so it is best one let it stay.
Though my portion is small, I have driven it forth;
it shudders me that I live.

How can life shudder him, and grieve,
who has given up his all,
and is driven far in dark wandering
so that he can no more turn,
and in unhoping storm be wholly rubbed-down?
What sorrow likens to his sorely?

Ah, you fier-ones who stand-fast in Love
and live free in her trust:
relieve the cast-out whom Love strikes down,
and goes with unhoping misery pricking.
Ah, who may give counsel, live free in counsel —
my heart lives in un-hoping.

For I saw a light cloud rise
over all the dark sky, fair-formed;
I thought, with full pleasures soon,
to play free in the sun.
Then was my high tiding but a delusion.
Though I die — who is there that begrudges me?

Then night sank over the day to me,
that I was ever born, O woe.
But he who gives his all over to Love's seeing
by Love it shall yet be made-good.
Though I am again under the blow,
God comfort all noble sinne.¹

Love is in every beginning enough.
When Love first moved me by Love,
ah, how with her I laughed-all.
Then she made me of-the-hazel-kind:
who in dreary season blooms early,
and one must long await its fruit.

He who can wait — to him it well goes,
till Love provides him all-with-all.
Ay deus, I take no thought of that;
but I am more than too aggrieved.
To Love I yet wholly let myself —
but the woe did me all the harm.

That is to the lover all too heavy:
to wander toward Love and not know whither —
be it in darkness, or in clarity,
in anger or in Love.
Would Love give her sure comfort openly —
that would kiss the miserable sinne.

Ah, would my Beloved let me dearly of Love receive,
so that Love be not wholly spent —
and so the high tiding be no more a delusion,
which were great grievance if it happened.
Ah, let God make the noble fier understand
what such a damage signifies.

Ah, what I mean and have meant —
has God shown well to the noble
to whom he has lent the pain of Love
for the fruition of Love's nature?
Before all-with-all is one-united,
one tastes the better sour.

Love's coming-comfort outwears her withholding —
that the adventure swears.
Ah, how one all-with-all embraces
— that no hours know, the neighbors.

Song XVII

XVII.

This New Year has come to us;
God be blessed for it.
He may gladly receive the time
who has delight in Love,
and who then knows in his sinne
that for the high Love
he would gladly suffer in every season.

In every season one must suffer
who shall serve the high Love;
and his service in Love uplift,
if from her he shall have favor;
and shall recognize the nature
wherein Love by Love loves
the one who stole his sense and heart.

New season and new Love
— that wounds both in one ground.
That I take it as new-known —
that has wounded my heart now:
that the noble figure,
hidden in her subtle nature,
has been for so long before us.

He who served Love in the new seasons
— that would seem now a strange thing;
for one finds now few folk
who stand after right Love's taste,
because to the cruel strangers stays hidden
how my heart has concealed for me
the season for which I ever hook.

Song XVIII

XVIII.

Great goods before the time,
and great promises before the gift —
let no one be too glad of these.
Of both we have been left wanting.
The early showings
before Love's kingdom
have driven me far out of myself.

At fair daybreak
one hopes for the light clear day.
Love's showings have over-burdened me
and many a one of whom I do not speak.
But he knows of himself who is one;
I know of myself —
as one who at all times complains of Love.

The peasant says, against the evening,
one shall praise the fair day.
That I so late understood that,
makes me now cry, poor — alas!
Where is now that solace,
and Love's peace,
wherewith she first fairly provided me?

How fair she first showed it to me,
and since became cruel, is now known to me —
that she did not deceive me, nor mock me
in whatever woe I understood it.
But she would make-clear
and openly show
that Reason shines through all Love's ground.

Enlightened Reason gives leave,
with the highest Love's counsel,
to see through with her all Love's court,
whether in all things one is enough therein.
Where anything is lacking,
let it be provided —
that troth fulfill it with high deed.

Could I so hold myself in troth
that Love had nothing to say-against to me,
and thus what is mine wholly repay —
yes, if I could but pay, such a person were I —
the first would be a fading-of-color;
then would I lay claim
to Love in all free fruition.

Ah, noble Love — what season, when
shall you give me light days,
that to my darkness be a turning?
How gladly would I see the sun.
You alone know
how I mean this:
whether I will anything other than your pleasure.

Ah you mighty wondrous Love,
who with wonder may overcome all —
overcome me that I may overcome you
in your unconquered might.
I was wont to know that overcoming;
there is knowing in the overcoming
that ever sorely conquered me.

Yet you are Love what you ever were —
those who are with you in all know this.
I shall believe it, but I should have spared;
a misfortune has hindered me
which I do not yet know —
the work which I did not love
in which troth shall help me through.

Since I followed in high troth
that Love should stand by me,
I gave up all hours of sorrow
and have stood in trust
wherein I know
that Love shall yet
one-with-her-all embrace me.

That is mighty Love's habit:
those whom she draws to her hand,
though she give them might and powers,
she also makes the bond enough and sweet.
Of this goes from her
high renown
and great praise over all lands.

Him whom Love first embraces, she shuts the eyes
with pleasure, so that it seems to him best for-being.
Then he thinks of nothing but enjoying joy —
thus she draws him all with her lure.
Then comes Reason the strong,
with new work;
of the debt then the woet is tasted.²

That I much have sung of Love
has helped me not much, but a little good.
But to the old and the young,
song of Love cools their spirit.
But of Love my own salve
has so small a portion,
my song, my weeping, seems without success.

I call, I lament;
Love has the days,
and I the nights and orewoet.³

Song XIX

XIX.

This New Year has begun us;
now may God with Love grant us
that we so begin it
as may suffer for Love.
He lives not under the sun
who may be enough for Love.

New Year and new days,
I know one well welcomes
who would gladly see gladness ever
in eye and in hand.
He who loves — to him it is all in the balance,
unless he live in Love's bond.

With one fier-and-free spirit
shall we beseech the goods of Love
that she help us to herself with speed —
for we have need.
He who lives outside Love's keep
is worse than wholly dead.

Better is death than worse life.
Ah Love, would you grant us
that we above all be raised up
that is lowness?
We are too far driven
from you. Have mercy on us.

God who made all things,
and is, above all, Love specially —
him I beseech that he permit,
after his pleasure,
that Love force me yet so near to Love
as Love can join.

What Love can join is very near.
But how near I am, I do not understand;
but he who is in haste and going for Love
shall yet know,
ever in the woe of how one embraces Love.
Here it does not help to sit-still.

Ah, ah, noble full-of-Reason — where may you endure?
Yes, noblest of all creatures,
chosen for Love's nature,
in the fruition of mighty tastes —
new gladness, matter, blossom at every hour,
shall mighty Love make-good.

And though it shudder those who are blind
and to whom Love's taste is unknown —
I ask you what you undertake.
If you would love, say I will away,
gladly where she sends me,
be it in storm, be it in weeping.

For the holy Church bears witness to us
— her greater and lesser, her priests and her clerks —
that Love is of the highest works
and noblest by nature.
Though she conquers us, she conquers all strong things,
and her might shall endure.

When all things shall pass away,
then shall the noble Love stand,
and clear-and-whole show herself,
when, in a new beginning,
with Love you shall gaze at Love.
See, this is that-which-I-am.⁴

When Love thus evenly weighs her Beloved,
and Love through Love with Love practices —
I do not know how this is left unsaid
and also un-understood;
for nothing the like of it lies-down:
how Love can embrace Beloved.

All those who love must be moved to pity
that Love thus lets me lament,
and so often cry Alas —
what season and when
shall Love shield me
and say Let there be a turning of your sorrow?

I shall warm you.
I am that I was before.
Now fall into my arms,
and taste my rich teaching.⁵

Song XX

XX.

The season renews and passes —
the old one that has long stood.
He who would be ready in Love's service,
from her shall receive reward —
new comfort and new might,
that he may love her with Love's might,
and so by Love become Love quickly.

It is unheard-of, to become Love.
He who would become Love shall not spare;
it is being above all sinne;
he shall with all in all travel through.
Love dwells so deep in the Father's bosom;
the service shall be very great
where Love shall reveal her work.

The cost of mercy and the debt of the Law
the lesser pays at the beginning.
After he has set himself this might,
he comes into over-great winnings.
He works all work well without seeming;
he suffers all grief well without pain;
this is life above human sinne.

He who would become Love does great work,
for he fails not in any sinne;
he is overcome, and equally strong
when he may by Love win Love
— whether in sickness or in health,
in the blind, the lame, and the wounded;
that he shall, in lieu of debt, recognize.

To serve the strangers, to give to the poor,
to comfort the sorrowful as one can,
to live in troth with the friends of God
in holy ones and in human ones, night and day,
with all might above counting —
if it seems to him that the strength may fail,
let him let himself further on Love's seeing.

In Love's great trust
one obtains all that one needs.
She gives the un-learned counsel;
she comforts those who grieve.
If his matter is in her alone,
and he wills no other comfort —
that is a sign that he is enough to her.

He who alone would practice Love
with all his heart and all his sinne
— has all-with-all besieged,
so that he wholly knows her-herself.

Translator's footnotes (project translation)

¹ Sinne — see Section II's translator's footnote 1 (in this project translation). The Middle Dutch sinne is the integrated faculty of understanding-feeling-willing-together, not the modern English senses of perception.

² Woet — Middle Dutch woet (frenzy, fury); the root of orewoet. Hadewijch's compressed pun-rhyme: when Reason's new work awakens the soul from Love's first lure, the woet (frenzy) of the debt is tasted. The same root underlies the verwoeden (to rage with Love) that opens Vision 7 in the project translation. Woet without ore- is the proximate frenzy; with ore- it becomes the canonical divine love-frenzy.

³ I call, I lament; Love has the days, and I the nights and orewoet — one of the most-cited single epigrams in Hadewijch's entire lyric corpus. Three short lines compressing the day-night-orewoet triad: the speaker keeps the nights and the frenzy; Love keeps the days. The line is structured as a near-perfect rondeau envoi (a-b-a couplet plus the orewoet coda), inviting reading as the corpus's signature self-emblem. Van Mierlo notes that this stanza is set apart in the manuscripts by an afbeelding-marker (a paratextual decoration), suggesting it had even in the early reception the status of an emblem.

⁴ See, this is that-which-I-am — Siet dit eest dat ic ben. Love's voice anticipates the climactic Christic vocative of Song XIX's closing. Hadewijch's compressed ego sum in Love's mouth — a Beguine vernacular Yo soy, yo soy before the Spanish mystics, the I-am-which-I-am of Exodus 3:14 brought into the bridal-Love register.

⁵ I shall warm you. I am that I was before. Now fall into my arms, and taste my rich teaching — Love's direct vocative-address to the soul at the close of Song XIX. The Ic ben dat ic was wilen eer is the explicit reversal of the I was loved (amabar) of Song XIV (in Section III of this project translation): there, the soul mourned amabar; here, Love declares Ic ben dat ic was wilen eer — I am that I was before. The Latin parallel is Exodus 3:14's Ego sum qui sum. The vocative Nu valle in minen armen is the most-cited Hadewijch-Love-direct-address in the entire corpus, the source-passage for the fall into Love's arms trope across the Beguine tradition.

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