Untitled

258 MEDIEVAL SONG
Ex. uo l
Ey ichsachin dem tro - ne Ein jungfraw die was swan-ger, Sie
Sie wol - te sin en - bun - den Suss gie die al - ler - bes - te; Zwolff
trug ein wun- der - cro - ne In my - ner au - gen an - ger.
stei - ne zu der stun - den Koss in der kro - nen ves - te.
Nu merck-ent wie sie tru - ge Die ge - fS - ge Der na-
Sie tet auchwaz sie sol - de, Ja die hoi - de Trug den
L
tu - ren zu ge nu - ge; Von dem sie was ge - bur - det, Den
blu-men [sam] ein tol -de; Meit, ob* ir mu- - ter wur - det Dez
sach sie vor ir sit - zen Mit wit - zen In si - ben luch
lam - mes und der tu - ben, Den tru - ben Ir liess - ent uwer
3^
J Ji|
-te - ren Und sach in docb. ge-sund-ert In ei - nes lam -mes
swe - ren; Da - von mien nit en wund - ert Daz uch dy - sel - be
wy - se Uff sy - on dem ber-ge ge
spy - se Kan[wol| zu derfruchte ge
hu - ren.
stu - ren-.
(I saw on the throne a virgin, who was with child. She wore a wonderful crown
in the pasture of my eyes. She wished to be delivered, so was she the best of
womankind; at the same time twelve jewels I saw set fast in the crown.
Now note how fitly she bore, as nature demanded. She saw him who was her
burden sitting before her, full of wisdom, under seven lights; and yet she saw him
apart, like a lamb on the fair mount of Zion. She did even what she should, yea,
the gracious one bore a flower like the crown of flowers. Maiden, though you
became the mother of the lamb and the dove, you gave up your heaviness to the
clusters of the vine; and so I do not wonder that the same food can help you to
such frmtfulness.)
Frauenlob (praise of ladies) was the name given to Heinrich von
Meissen (d. 1318), who was the last of the early Minnesinger. The old
1
Munich, StaatsbibL germ. 4997, fo. 19; facsimile in P. Runge, Die Sangweisen der
Colmarer Handschrift und die JJederhandschrift Donaueschingen (Leipzig, 1896).
Recorded in The History ofMusic in Sound, ii, side 11.