welcome world, welcome friends of fine verse

my contribution to this blog will be predominantly poetry. my first post is a translation of a medieval german love poem by a guy called walther von der vogelweide [1161-1230]. his poem entitled, under the lime tree was probably first sung by him at court around 1185. someone smart with a good memory for words wrote it down in medieval german and thanks to him the lovely poem has come to us in several beautiful handwritten parchments. i copied the original from one of those; as a result, the german version here is closer to walther's original than versions in modern print. but let's see my rendering in english to begin with:

by the meadow
under the lime tree
where our secret love-nest was
you might go finding
beautifully
broken both flowers and the grass
near the wold in a wee dale
dunne-derra-dye
sang longingly the nightingale

i came a-walking
to the downland
when lo! my sweetheart had arrived
there i was greeted
holy virgin!
that i feel blessèd evermore
was i kissed? a thousand fold
dunne-derra-dye
the redness of my lips behold

then he made a bedding
in full abundance
of petals rich and flower-blossoms
there will be smiles
and furtive chuckle
if someone happens by the path
who from the wreath of roses laced
dunne-derra-dye
should mark well where my head was placed

that he lay with me
if any one knew
god forbid i should be blush with shame
what he played with me
not anyone ought ever know
than he and i
and that bird with its tiny beak
dune-derra-dye
who i trust will be discrete

©conrad georg josef haderlein, 2008

under der linden
an der heide
da unser zweier bette was
da muget ir vinden
schone beide
gebrochen bluomen unde gras
vor dem walde in einem tal
tandaradei
schone sanc diu nahtegal

ih quam gegangen
zuo der ouwe
do was min vriedel komen e
da wart ich enphangen
here vrouwe
daz ih bin sælic iemer me
kuste er mich? wol tusent stunt
tandaradei
seht wie rot mir ist der munt

do hete er gemachet
also riche
von bluomen eine bettestat
des wirt noch gelachet
innecliche
kumt iemen an das selbe phat
bi den rosen er wol mac
tandaradei
merken wa mirs houbet lac

daz er bi mir læge
wesse ez iemen
nu enwelle got! so schamte ih mich
wes er mit mir phlæge
niemer niemen
bevinde daz wan er und ih
und ein kleinez vogelin
tandaradei
daz mac wol getriuwe sin