LL-L: "Help needed" [E] LOWLANDS-L, 04.OCT.1999 (05)

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From: R. F. Hahn [sassisch at yahoo.com]
Subject: Double negative

Dear Lowlanders,

I need your help with the translation of the following Middle Low Saxon (Middle
Low German) songs from the early 16th century collection found in Rostock.*

* Das Rostocker Liederbuch : Niederdeutsche Handschrift des 15. Jahrhunderts aus

dem Bestand der Universitätsbibliothek Rostock  / nach den Fragmenten der
Handschrift neu herausgegeben von Friedrich Ranke und J. M. Müller-Blattau
(1927); Kassel : Bärenreiter, 1987.

Please bear in mind the following:

(1) There appears to be some dialectal variety among the songs.  Not all songs
may have come from the Rostock area, an originally West-Slavic-speaking area in
the then still fairly recently colonized east, with immigrants from many western
Lowlandic- and German-speaking areas.  Thus, for objective 'thee' you can find
not only _dy_ or _di_ but also _dik_ (e.g., Song 54; cf. _dek_ in Modern
Eastphalian).

(2) ("High") German was beginning to assert itself in the North at that time,
starting with the important cities.  German influences are noticeable in several
of the songs, especially in those in "elevated" style.  These may have been true
influences or scribe's errors.  An example is _mir_ instead of _my_ and _ich_
alongside _ik_ in Song 38.

Song 54:

Ligge stille, ligge stille,
ik wil dik en boleken maken
dus also
up deme stro
sunder syden laken.

Is _boleken_ the diminutive form of *_bol_ 'ball'?

If so, I would translate it like this:
"Lie still, lie still!
I shall make you a little ball
just like this,
on this straw [bed]
without silken sheet."

I find the following song much more problematic, especially because I am not
sure about the meaning of _vornegheld_ ~ _vorneghelt_.  I assume that it means
either "mis-nailed" (i.e., a botched-up horseshoe job) or, perhaps more likely
in the given context, "ransomed, kept in a stall that is nailed shut (*> MLS/G
_vernagelt_)."  My translation is *very* tentative, and your suggestions and
corrections would be very much appreciated.

Song 38:

Mir is myn perd vornegheld ghar,
dat kumpt van rechter unschuld to,
dat my de smyd des ghudes nicht en ghan,
So deyt he alze en rechter boser man,
went ich des anders nicht ghereken kan
wen an dem dummen dere.

Reke myr myn sporen, dar tho my blancke swerd,
nü sadel my myn alderbeste perd:
to dem iarmarkede wil ik ryden.
Rostuschen, kopslaghen kan ik wol:
ik gheue enen gulen vor enen gorren,
dat is myn trud gheselle.

Vp eyne vastelnacht dat geschach,
dat my myn perd vorneghelt was,
dat kumpt van smedes schulde to.
wol hen, ik weghe up heyl!
ik hope he breket noch hals vnde ben en twey,
de my van leff hat ghedrungen.

My very tentative translation (the first verse being a true problem):

"My horse has been ... [?].
It is due to my true innocence
that the smith ... not ... [?],
Thus then does he, a truly spiteful man,
for I can blame none else
but the stupid animal [?]."

"Pass me my spurs, also my shiny sword!
Now saddle me my very best horse!
I want to ride to the fair(ground).
Horse-trading, head-hitting [?] is what I truly can do.
I [would] give a guilder for a ... [?].
That is my trusty companion."

"On a shrovetide did this occur
that my horse was ... [?].
That is on account of Smith's fault.
Well, off then! I ["count on the best" ?]
I hope he [will] (still) break [his] neck and leg (asunder),
he who has forced me [away] from love [?]!"

Many thanks in advance.

Regards,

Reinhard/Ron

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