The Citizeness

Citizeness

Der doit. IR bürgrin myt den hohen rantzen(1) Ir pflegent hofyeren vnd tzu dantzen Uwere meyde laßent yr auch üch nach gain. Das uch nyt ist geborn an Ir sollt auch all gemeyn Uwere man lyep han alleyn Vnd laißen uwer lauffen vnd uwer gan So mochtent yr frijhe her von sunden stain.	Death You citizeness with the high frilly veil(1) You are used to party and dance. You also let your maids follow you. You were not born to this. You should altogether only love your husband and refrain from your running and your going [away]. Then you could stand here free of sins.

Die burgerin DEr werlt lauf hait mych betrogen Nach gewainheyt byn ich yff getzogen. Wye ander frauwen drügen sych. So hielt min lyeber man auch mych Doch han ich sere gelauffen üß Versümet kynder man vnd huß Dar vmb so forchten ich den dot Daz er mych brenge in große noit.	The Citizeness. The way of the world(2) has deceived me. I have behaved in a usual manner, like other women sneak away. So my dear husband also holds on me. However, I've run out a lot, neglected children, husband and house. Therefore, I fear Death, that he brings me in great distress.

Ranse

The citizeness in Kassel

Death accuses the citizeness of partying with a high "ranse" instead of staying at home and taking care of her husband and children.

This might indicate that the text originated in the Low Countries (like Kleve's dance of death), because in German "ranze" can only mean a satchel, while "ranse" in Middle Dutch means a frilly veil.

At this point, Kleve's dance of death is very close to Doten Dantz, and the citizeness is reproached for wearing a thick ranse:

Gy borgerynne mijt dycken ra(n)[sen]
Gy pleget hoeueren ind toe (d)[ansen]
Ind latet v megede nae gaen
Dat v nijet en is gebaren aen.
Gy soldet al gemeyne.
vwe man lyeff hebben alleyne.
Ind laten v vaeke ommegaen.
Soe moget gy vrij van sunden stae[n]

The nun is also reproached for her beautiful "ranse".

The photo was taken from here: ranse

Footnotes: (1) (2)

»Simple frilled veils were already in use long before the mid 14th century, in the Low Countries as well as in most other European countries«.

»From c. 1340 onwards frilled veils with multiple frilled edges became fashionable, and a greater regional variety of types of frilled veils came to be the order of the day. Around 1350 this multilayered style first appears at the courts of the Low Countries and about 1360-70 it reached the middle classes. After c. 1460 the frilled veils seem to disappear as a noble fashion, wealthy townswomen held on to wearing them until at least c. 1475«.

»The ranse was a precious piece of female attire that was worn mainly by noble women and the citizen elite. Rarely it can be seen being flaunted by the working class as well. The occasions at which the ransen were worn were generally of a formal nature, but were not necessarily ceremonial«.
(Een gouwen rync ende een ransse, 2009, Prof. Dr. Maximiliaan Martens)

»way of the wold . . .: the literal expression is "the world's run", with "run" in the sense of "course".

The maid in Des Dodes Dantz had hoped to get children according to "the world's run": »Na der werlde lop kynder mochte ghewinnen«.