The Duke

Duke
Figuren, Figuren: Duke

    Der doit.
DU bist eyn hertzog gewesen
Nyemant mochte vor dyr genesen.(1)
Er wer arm oder rich.
Du meynst nyemant were dynen glych
Groiß gůt vnd ere haistu beseßen
Vnd gots da myt vergeßen
Eyn end hat nu dyn hoger můt
Ganck furt anders yß düt dyr nummer gut.

    Death
You've been a duke.
No one could escape you(1)
whether he were poor or rich.
You think no one is your equal.
You have possessed great property and honour
and thus forgotten about God.
Your arrogance now has an end.
Go ahead, you don't have a choice anymore.

 

    Der herczog.
SAll ich dan nyt langer leben
Vnd sal min herschafft vbergebe[n]
Ritter knecht vnd hyndersasszen
Myn gůt myn ere als hynderlaßen
Vnd von alle dem nit furen dar
Da ich nü selber hynen far
Das ich dan nyt in armüdt alle myn dage
Got gedyenet hab das ist myn clage.

    The Duke.
Shall I then not live any longer,
and shall I leave my dominion?
Knights, servants and serfs,
my property, my honour, leave everything behind
and not lead any of it to there,
where I now go myself?
That I then not in poverty, all my days
have served God, that is my lament.

Footnotes: (1)

genesen . . .: normally "vor […] genesen" means to recover from wounds afflicted by somebody.

But the original meaning is to avoid getting hurt in the first place, for instance by escaping the person.