Aen Vrovw Leonore Hellemans, Drostinne van Muyden
A Humble Offering
The author presents a modest gift of poetry to his patroness, acknowledging his debt of gratitude and the sincerity of his work.
Well-remarried widow, thoroughly virtuous lady, you have so carefully lifted the burden of your first mourning and laid it on the learned shoulders where the wise Head rests that will never grow old.1 Gracious Lady Bailiff, who with stubborn patience have covered for my inability, and have graciously allowed me to pay with words my heavy debt of many a cheerful meal and kind hospitality.2 Stretch that long-suffering out one more handspan: accept once more light coin, struck on my lute, toward a good accounting of grateful repayment.3 Though I put my utmost powers into making the debt good, the repayment still fell short. Now I skillfully take the New Year to my advantage, seize the occasion by the hair, and offer some paper gilded with Holy Days—in case it might invite you to bear with me a little longer.4 What is it? A handful of rhyme, a little book for the pocket, a beggar's gift, a beggar's almanac.5 I assure you of one thing: these aren't pages of lies, nor coarse, rustic joking.
An Invitation to Heaven-Talk
The author describes the spiritual nature of his verses and invites his patroness to join him in a shared journey toward the eternal.
This is serious; and from my veins comes the deepest force, as far as their weakness can go. It isn't star-gazing fantasy, Madam—it's heaven-talk. These are expeditions of my soul, which I send on ahead toward what no ear has ever heard and no eye has ever known, what no human heart has ever grasped; just as a traveling lord posts his house stewards, with chalk and gear, wherever he means to lodge for the night.67 If their duties please you, put them to your service. My light will shine more brightly if you think it worth your while to go with me to God.8 It's a fair exchange: if they don't suit you, I'll look for better ones based on your good judgment.9 Either walk with me, or let me walk with you. The honor belongs to women: go first, and pull me after. I'll gladly go with you toward the eternal New Year.10
Read the original Latin
Wel-weergepaerde weew, door-deughdelijke vrouw, Die soo voorsichtelijk 't pack van den eersten rouw Gelicht hebt, en geleght op de geleerde schoud'ren Daer 't wijse Hoofd op staet dat noyt en sal veroud'ren. Bevallijke Drostinn, die met een taey geduld Mijn onmacht hebt geborght, en my mijn' hooghe schuld Van menigh bly gelach en minnelick onthalen, Genadelijk gedooght met woorden te betalen. Reckt die lanckmoedigheyt noch eene spann-breed uyt: Aenveerdt noch eens licht geld, geslagen op mijn' Luyt, Ter goede reekening van danckbare voldoening. Schoon ick mijn uyterste vermogen aen 't voldoen hing, 't Voldoen en strekte niet. Nu neem ick 't Niewe Iaer Behendelick te baet, en grijp 't gevall by 't haer, En offer' wat papiers, verguldt met Heyligh' dagen; Om of 't u nooden mocht tot langsamer verdragen. Wat is 't? een hand voll rijms, een Boexken in den sack, Een Bedelaers geschenk, een Geusen Almanack. Een ding verseker ick: 't en zijn geen' logen-bladren, Noch boeren boerterij.
't Is ernst; en uyt mijn' adren Het binnenste geweld, soo verr' haer swackte gaet. 't En is geen Sterren-waen, Mevrouw, 't is Hemel-praet; 't Zijn tochten van mijn' Ziel, die ick voor henen sende Naer 't geen noyt oor en hoorde en ooghe noyt en kende, Noyt menschen hert begreep; gelijk een reis-baer Heer Sijn' huyse-vesters schikt, met krijt en met geweer, Daer hy vernachten will. Bevallen u haer plichten, Gebruyktse t'uwen dienst. Mijn licht sal beter lichten, Soo ghy het waerdigh kent om me' tot God te gaen. 't Is op soo goed weerom: soo s' u niet aen en staen, Ick wacht 'er betere van uw' bescheydentheden. Oft wandelt ghy met my, of laet my met u treden. d' Eer komt de vrouwen toe: gaet voor, en sleept my naer: 'k Will geeren met u gaen naer 't eewigh Niewe-Iaer.
Notes
- 1 ↩Wel-weergepaerde weew = well-remarried widow. 't wijse Hoofd may compliment her learned second husband, or stand more abstractly for enduring wisdom; the rendering keeps the capitalized Head as a personal address-compliment without forcing identification.
- 2 ↩Drostinn keeps the office title (Drostinne / Lady Bailiff of Muiden). geborght is financial surety language: she has underwritten or covered his incapacity to repay hospitality in kind.
- 3 ↩licht geld, geslagen op mijn' Luyt = light/cheap coin minted or struck upon the poet's lute: verse offered as underweight payment for hospitality.
- 4 ↩grijp 't gevall by 't haer echoes the classical Occasio/Kairos figure (hair only on the forehead): seize Opportunity by the forelock. Heyligh' dagen names the work being dedicated (Holy Days).
- 5 ↩Geusen Almanack plays on Geuzen (Beggars), the Dutch rebels' self-chosen nickname: a humble, low-status almanac, not merely any calendar.
- 6 ↩Sterren-waen: idle star-lore / astrological delusion, not merely 'star-gazing' as hobby; rendered as star-gazing fantasy to keep the mock-serious contrast with Hemel-praet (heaven-talk).
- 7 ↩huyse-vesters with krijt en geweer: lodging stewards who mark rooms with chalk and equip the stop; geweer here is gear/arms for the journey, not modern 'gun' alone.
- 8 ↩om me' tot God te gaen: 'mee' = with me; the light is judged worthy as a companion on the way to God.
- 9 ↩bescheydentheden: discretion, modesty, and discerning gifts at once; here the patron's better taste or better compositions in return.
- 10 ↩eewigh Niewe-Iaer: not the calendar New Year of the dedication gift alone, but the endless new year of eternity.
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