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Ir sult sprechen willekomen: der iu mære bringet, daz bin ich. allez daz ir habt vernomen, daz ist gar ein wint: nû frâget mich. ich wil aber miete: wirt mîn lôn iht guot, ich gesage iu lîhte daz iu sanfte tuot. seht waz man mir êren biete. Ich wil tiuschen frouwen sagen solhiu mære daz si deste baz al der werlte suln behagen: âne grôze miete tuon ich daz. waz wold ich ze lône? si sint mir ze hêr. sô bin ich gefüege und bite si nihtes mêr wan daz si mich grüezen schône. Ich hân lande vil gesehen unde nam der besten gerne war: übel müeze mir geschehen, kunde ich ie mîn herze bringen dar daz im wol gevallen wolde fremeder site. nû waz hulfe mich, ob ich unrechte strite? tiuschiu zuht gât vor in allen. Von der Elbe unz an den Rîn und her wider unz an Ungerlant mugen wol die besten sîn, die ich in der werlte hân erkant. kan ich rehte schouwen guot gelâz und lîp, sem mir got, sô swüere ich wol, daz hie diu wip bezzer sint danne ander frouwen. Tiusche man sint wol gezogen, rehte als engel sint diu wîp getân. swer si schildet, derst betrogen: ich entkan sîn anders niht verstân. tugent und reine minne, swer die suochen wil, der sol komen in unser lant: da ist wünne vil! lange müeze ich leben dar inne! Der ich vil gedienet hân und iemer mêre gerne dienen wil, diust von mir vil unerlân. iedoch sô tuot si leides mir sô vil. si kan mir versêren herze und den muot. nû vergebez ir got dazs an mir missetuot. her nâch mac si sichs bekêren.
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Authorship:
- by Walther von der Vogelweide (1170? - 1228?), "Ir sult sprechen willekomen" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Mathilde von Kralik (1857 - 1944), "Preislied der deutschen Ehre" [tenor and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Meinrad Schütter (1910 - 2006), "Deutsche Spielmannsweise I", 1934, from Vier alte Spielmannsweisen, no. 2. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Elisabeth Siekhaus) , "German Wayfarer Song I", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-06-23
Line count: 48
Word count: 279
You should speak: Welcome! He who brings you news, that's me! Everything that you have heard before Is just air: Now ask me! But I do want my reward: If that pay turns out really good, I will tell you readily what will please you. See to it that I am treated with respect. I want to tell German women Such tales that they will be Even more pleasing to the whole world: Without special rewards will I do that! What would I desire as compensation? I find them too exalted. So I will be obliging and ask them for no more Than that they greet me gracefully. I have been to many lands And enjoyed seeing the very best of them. Bad things should happen to me, Could bring my heart to the point That it would find pleasing The customs of strange lands. What good would it do me if I argued wrong? German customs come before all others. From the Elbe up to the Rhine, And back again all the way to Hungary May well live the best people I ever found on earth. If I can recognize properly Good manners and looks, By God, I could swear that the women here Are better than the ladies elsewhere. German men are well bread, The women are made as outright angels. Whoever criticizes them got it wrong: I cannot see that any other way. Virtue and pure love, He who wants to find these Should come to our land, we have much joy here! May I live in it a long time!
Authorship:
- Translation from Mittelhochdeutsch to English copyright © 2007 by Elisabeth Siekhaus, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in Mittelhochdeutsch by Walther von der Vogelweide (1170? - 1228?), "Ir sult sprechen willekomen"
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-15
Line count: 40
Word count: 264