God, Beauty, Sweetness, and Nature
Put every bit of their attention
Into your sweet depiction,
Beloved Lady,
For it is so pleasing and pure,
Wise in bearing, sweet in form,
That no more noble creature
Than you was ever born.

Too truly are you compared
To the spring which is so pleasing
And has such power,
That in it is found sweetness,
Freshness, flowers, fruit and dew
And every pleasant thing.
Just so your assured beauty
Brings joy and good fortune;
It is the graft on which all good things ripen.
It is loved by everyone.
It cheers everthing, it transforms everything,
It refreshes the heart secretly
And makes from hidden sadness
Joyful thoughts.

    God, Beauty, Sweetness, and Nature…

With this is given you
So very noble a destiny
That there is doubtless
No grace, however refined,
Which endures before you,
And that in your presence
Beauty itself grows ugly and hides itself,
Good-Manners have no moderation,
Sweetness seems bitter and sour –
Never will it be so praised –
Joy loses there its gaiety
And to consider truly
Everything seems a borrowed
Work of rough-cutting.

    God, Beauty, Sweetness, and Nature …

Good, fair and finely-made-up,
Of most noble renown,
Death alone is coloured
More lightly than your face,
Which is called “all-surpassing”,
Indeed; for without a lance
Your glance alone
Gave me a blessed injury
Which hurts without a wound,
And which will never be healed
If your sweetness does not cure it;
But it is so sweetly hurtful
That as it burns my heart, in that burning
Is neither fire nor smoke.

  God, Beauty, Sweetness, and Nature 
  Put every bit of their attention
  Into your sweet depiction,
  Beloved Lady,
  For it is so pleasing and pure,
  Wise in bearing, sweet in form,
  That no more noble creature
  Than you was ever born.