King Arthur Aloud

Arthurian Audio Files

Gottfried von Strassburg
from Tristan

Read by Don Sunnen, Virginia Military Institute

Gottfried von Strassburg: Tristan
edited by Albert K. Wimmer
Anthology of Medieval German Literature, 3rd revised ed. 1998
translated by Edwin H. Zeydel
The "Tristan and Isolde" of Gottfried von Strassburg, 1948
ll. 45-100

Gottfried von Strasburg wrote around 1210 in Middle High German. His Tristan, though incomplete, is considered the greatest version of the Tristan story and is a supreme model of refined courtly style. This passage begins the poem, immediately after the Prologue.

 Ich hân mir eine unmüezekeit
der werlt ze liebe vür geleit
und edelen herzen z'einer hage,
den herzen, den ich herze trage,
der werlde, in die mîn herze siht.
ine meine ir aller werlde niht
als die, von der ich hoere sagen,
diu keine swære enmüge getragen
und niwan in vröuden welle swegen.
die lâze ouch got mit vröuden leben!
Der werlde und diseme lebene
enkumt mîn rede niht ebene.
ir leben und mînez zweient sich.
ein ander werlt die meine ich,
diu samet in eime herzen treit
ir süeze sûr, ir liebez leit,
ir herzeliep, ir senede nôt,
ir liebez leben, ir leiden tôt,
ir lieben tôt, ir leidez leben.
dem lebene sî mîn leben ergeben,
der werlt wil ich gewerldet wesen,
mit ir verderben oder genesen.
ich bin mit ir biz her beliben
und hân mit ir die tage vertriben,
die mir ûf nâhe gêndem leben
lêre unde geleite solten geben:
der hân ich mîne unmüezekeit
ze kurzewîle vür geleit,
daz sî mit mînem mære
ir nâhe gênde swære
ze halber senfte bringe,
ir nôt dâ mite geringe.
wan swer des iht vor ougen hât,
dâ mite der muot z'unmuoze gât,
daz entsorget sorgehaften muot,
daz ist ze herzesorgen guot.
ir aller volge diu ist dar an:
swâ sô der müezege man
mit senedem schaden sî überladen,
dâ mêre muoze seneden schaden.
bî senedem leide müezekeit,
dâ wahset iemer senede leit.
durch daz ist guot, swer herzeclage
und senede nôt ze herzen trage,
daz er mit allem ruoche
dem lîbe unmuoze suoche.
dâ mite sô müezeget der muot
und ist dem muote ein michel guot;
und gerâte ich niemer doch dar an,
daz iemer liebe gernde man
dekeine solhe unmuoze im neme,
diu reiner liebe missezeme:
ein senelîchez mære
daz trîbe ein senedære
mit herzen und mit munde
und senfte sô die stunde.


Upon a labor I am seizing,
the world and everybody pleasing,
for noble hearts a high delight--
such hearts that to my heart seem right,
the world that to my heart lies bare.
Not all the world in this can share,
not that of wh ich I have been hearing,
that heavy loads is always fearing,
with naught but empty joys is toying:
God rest it, vain joys 'tis enjoying!
To that world and its feeling
my words are not appealing:
its life and mine go quite apart.
Another world is in my heart,
that in one breast at once doth bear
its tartness sweet, its love-woe fair,
its heart's love, its love-pangs to madden,
its life beloved, its death to sadden,
its death beloved, its life long hated:
to such life my life's dedicated.
I'd share this world, with which to die
or else to seek its pleasures high.
For with this world till now I've spent
the worldly days in some content,
that during troubled times and grieving
wise guidance gave for my receiving.
For such a world this book I write
and offer it for their delight,
that by my poem gladdened
their troubled minds, still saddened,
be brought to rest a trifle,
their cares and woes to stifle.
Let's keep those things before our eyes
that make good cheer and spirits rise;
for they unburden burdening care,
help burdened hearts that feel despair.
For all agree and all confess
that when a man in idleness
with pangs of love is sorely loaded
to pangs by idleness he's goaded.
In idle love-pangs lover's woe
will heighten lover's pangs and grow.
Therefore 'tis good: who lover's cares
and lover's sorrows in him bears,
that he pursue with agitation
a life of other recreation.
For thus a man can calm his mind
and to his heart be good and kind.
And yet it would be far from wise
if pleasure seekers I'd advise
to let their thoughts o'er actions hover
that mar pure love and any lover.
A tale of love's devotion
brings joy to love's emotion,
and heart and tongue appeasing,
it makes love's life more pleasing.

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Last revised: December 23, 2021
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