Lübeck's Dance of Death, Des dodes dantz, Chapter 2 + 3

Chapter 2 + 3

See the translation and comments below.

Der he nemant weigert, de se socht mit vlît.
De vefte is de ewige dôt to ewiger tît;
Dârvor beware uns Jesus unser here
Dorch sinen dôt unde siner hilgen vîf wunden ere.

De doet Dat ander capittel

en dôt der natûr mote wi angân algelike,
Junk, olt, grôt, klên, arm unde rike.
De stunde des dodes is beter wan der gebort,(1)
Wente denne ga wi to dem lone vort,
Dat Cristus uns in der tît vorwerf,
Do he an dem cruce vor uns starf.
In der bort is dat arbeit anstânde,
Dat dâr is sorchvoldich mannigerhande.
Dârto is dat levent in der joget
Vorvullet mit sunden unde veler undoget.
So we de stunde des dodes alle tît overdachte
Unde sik sulvest hêlde un guder wachte
Unde nene dôtliken sunde(2) vullenbrochte,
Dâr dem duvel welk dênst van schên mochte,
Unde levede in den boden Godes des heren,
Dem queme de stunde des dodes to groten eren.
Schole wi entvangen dat ewige lôn dat dâr is grôt,
So mote wi êrst liden den bitteren dôt.
Nicht schal men vruchten den natûrliken dôt,
Men ein quât levent, dat dâr bringet in ewige nôt.
Dorch den dôt entvangen de guden grôt lôn sunder feil,
Nemant kan dârvan ûtspreken dat minste dêl.
Paulus hadde in dem dridden hemmel gewest,(3)
Alse men in siner epistelen lest;
He schrift, dat he sôdans dâr heft gehôrt,
De nên sterflîk minsche mach spreken vort.
Hîrumme wi armen minschen slim unde breklik
Denken mêr up dit gût, dat dâr is tîtlik,
Wen up dat ewige gût, dat dâr is so grôt,
Dat Cristus uns vorwerf dorch sinen bitteren dôt.
Hîrumme moge wi wol doren sin
To achten tîtlîk dink, dat dâr men heft den schin,

Dârmede de sele wert belast.
De nu tîtlîk gût kricht, de holt it vast;
Des kone we nicht gesadiget werden.
Jodoch schole wi nicht lange leven up desser erden,
Dat wette wi seker unde wis;
Desto grotter unse dôrheit gerekent is.
Ein jewelk denke to rugge korte jâr,
Wo vele sint gestorven hîr unde dâr;
De weren eres levendes jo so vri alse wi in desser tît,
Ok mênden se to bruken dat tîtlike gût, dat nu ein ander besit

Dat iii capittel

o we dâr nu heft des tîtliken gudes vele,
De is grôt gerekent in dem spele;
De des nicht en heft, hetet ein armer wicht
Unde wert gerekent mankt den riken weinich efte nicht.
Doch kan de rechte arme bet Godes rike entvangen,
Wan de girige rike mit xxv gulden scholde aflangen.
Men leset van einem riken van gelde, ein uneddel man,
Dâr de rechte rîkheit noch nu in en quam.
He wart krank unde begunde ôk to olden.
Do sprak de dôr: Got mochte wol sîn rike beholden,
Dat wolde ik em gunnen, mochte ik beholden dat mîn,
Dârmede wolde ik tovreden sîn.
Wat schal dat wesen gût unde grôt geacht,
Dârumme gesorget wert dach unde nacht?
Sus wert it gekregen mit swarem arbeide unde groter nôt
Unde wert beseten in anxte unde sorgen grôt
Unde wert vorlaten mit pinen, wen wi sterven.
Konde wi denne Gode unse sele erven,
So hadde wi unse ritterschop hîr wôl geovet.
Denne worde de arme sele nicht bedrovet.
Dat sik ein jewelk wôl berede to desser saligen stunde,
So merke he ût sines herten grunde
Den speigel des dodes, de hîr navolgende is;(4)

[Translation continued from the previous page.]

since he rejects no one who seeks him with diligence.
The fifth is the eternal death for eternal times;
[May] Jesus - our Lord - save us from this
through his death and his holy five wounds.(5).

Click the little pictures to see the original pages.

(1) the hour of death is better than the hour of birth.... Ecclesiastes: "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth. ".

(2) Deadly sin: A mortal sin is a voluntary act against the law of God and thus an aversion from God - as opposed to a venial sin that may be remitted.

Mortal sin is often confused with the seven capital sins / vices, namely vainglory (pride), envy, anger, sloth, covetousness (avarice), gluttony and lust.

(3)Paul the Apostle's epistle is 2^nd Corinthians 12,4: "[...] caught up to the third heaven. [...] and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.".

Paul makes it less than clear whether he's writing about himself or about Jesus.

(4) "Speyghel des dodes" has almost become the alternate title of the book. See the page about the dance of death as a mirror.

(5) See the page about God's wounds. Notice, that the number of sacred wounds corresponds to the 5 Deaths that the preacher has just described.