Walther von der Vogelweide Quotes (18 quotes)

Walther von der Vogelweide: 18 quotes1 like

Famous Walther von der Vogelweide Quotes

“The mouthpiece of the half-inarticulate, all-suggesting music that is at once the very soul and the inseparable garment of romance.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

George Saintsbury The Flourishing of Romance and the Rise of Allegory (Edinburgh: Blackwood, 1923) p. 258.
Praise

“The greatest of the Minnesinger, all of whom he surpasses both in the range and in the humanity of his poetry.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

A. T. Hatto, in Gottfried von Strassburg (trans. A. T. Hatto) Tristan (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1975) p. 368.
Praise

“He who has a good woman's love is ashamed of every ill deed.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Swer guotes wîbes minne hât,
der schamt sich aller missetât.
"Waz sol ein man, der niht engert", line 11; translation from Henry John Chaytor The Troubadours (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912) p. 128.

“For five hundred years after Walther's death – until Goethe – no German lyric poet was his equal.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Frederick Goldin German and Italian Lyrics of the Middle Ages (New York: Anchor, 1973) p. 101.
Praise

“He has no equal in medieval German lyric poetry and perhaps not even in European lyric poetry of the Middle Ages.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Ingeborg Glier, in Boris Ford (ed.) Medieval Literature: The European Inheritance (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1983) p. 184.
Praise

“That which they call love, it is nothing except the pain of longing.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Daz si da heizent minne,
Deis niewan senede leit.
"Friuntlîchen lac", line 19; translation from Gale Sigal Erotic Dawn-Songs of the Middle Ages (Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1996) p. 36.

Walther von der Vogelweide Quotes about love

“He is equally great whether his theme be religion, patriotism, or love. As a political poet he is one of the greatest of all time.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

H. G. Atkins, in Edgar Prestage (ed.) Chivalry (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1928) pp. 99-100.
Praise

“Love makes a woman beautiful –
but beauty does not have such power, beauty cannot make a woman worthy of love.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Liebe machet schoene wîp:
desn mac diu schoene niht getuon, sin machet niemer lieben lîp.
"Herzeliebez vrowelîn", line 17; translation from Frederick Goldin German and Italian Lyrics of the Middle Ages (New York: Anchor, 1973) p. 121.

“Under the lime tree
On the heather,
Where we had shared a place of rest,
Still you may find there,
Lovely together,
Flowers crushed and grass down-pressed.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Under der linden an der heide, dâ unser zweier bette was, dâ mugt ir vinden schône beide gebrochen bluomen unde gras. "Under der linden", line 1; translation by Raymond Oliver. http://colecizj.easyvserver.com/pgvogund.htm

“Alas, where have they gone to, year on weary year?
Was it all a dream then, my life's, my love's career?”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Owê war sint verswunden alliu mîniu jâr ist mir mîn leben getroumet oder ist ez wâr. "Owe war sint verswunden alliu mîniu jâr", line 1; translation by Graeme Dunphy. http://www.dunphy.de/ac/Walther.html

Walther von der Vogelweide Quotes

“And when their bones into confusion fall,
Say ye, who knew the living man by sight,
Which is the villein now and which the knight?”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Wer kan den hêrren von dem knehte gescheiden,
swâ er ir gebeine blôzez fünde,
het er ir joch lebender künde?
"Swer âne vorhte, hêrre got", line 10; translation by I. G. Colvin, from James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin McLaughlin (eds.) The Portable Medieval Reader (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1977) p. 194.

“Those who drown out the good singing –
there's many more of them
than those who want to hear it.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Die daz rehte singen stoerent,
der ist ungelîche mêre
danne die ez gerne hoerent.
"Owê, hovelîchez singen", line 17; translation from Frederick Goldin German and Italian Lyrics of the Middle Ages (New York: Anchor, 1973) p. 127.

“The world is beautiful outside: white, green, and red; but inside it is black and dark as death.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Diu welt ist ûzen schoene wîz grüen unde rôt
und innân swarzer varwe vinster sam der tôt.
"Owe war sint verswunden alliu mîniu jâr", line 37; translation from George Fenwick Jones Walther von der Vogelweide (New York: Twayne, 1968) p. 136.

“For many call Thee Father, who
Will not own me as brother too.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Dich heizet vater maniger vil,
swer mîn ze bruoder niht enwil.
"Swer âne vorhte, hêrre got", line 4; translation by I. G. Colvin, from James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin McLaughlin (eds.) The Portable Medieval Reader (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1977) p. 194.

“"Welcome, I'm master of the house" – a greeting I fall silent at.
"Welcome, my guest" – I have to answer, or give a bow.
Master, House – two names that have no shame attached;
but Guest and Lodging – the sense of shame you feel.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

"Sît willekomen herre wirt" dem gruoze muoz ich swîgen, "sît willekomen herre gast", sô muoz ich sprechen oder nîgen. wirt unde heim sint zwêne unschamelîche namen, gast unde herberge muoz man sich dicke schamen. "'Sît willekomen herre wirt' dem gruoze muoz ich swîgen", line 1; translation by Tim Chilcott. http://colecizj.easyvserver.com/pgvb3908.htm

“He was known to his countrymen as the Nightingale, but his own sweet-sounding name of Bird's-meadow (Vogelweide) suggests even more directly the pure, true, flute-like strain which he poured into Europe’s choir of voices.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Laurie Magnus A General Sketch of European Literature in the Centuries of Romance (London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1918) pp. 27-28.
Praise

“But sadly, I can see no way
for goods and worldly reputation
and the grace of God
to join together in one heart.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Jâ leider desn mac niht gesîn, daz guot und weltlich êre und gotes hulde mêre zesamene in ein herze komen. "Ich saz ûf eime steine", line 16; translation by Roon Lewald. http://episcopal.wordpress.com/2008/04/05/cross-overs-in-poetry/

“To me, the gate of paradise is shut.
I stand an orphan there, locked out;
however much I knock, it's all in vain.”

Walther von der Vogelweide

Mir ist verspert der sælden tor dâ stên ich als ein weise vor mich hilfet niht swaz ich dar an geklopfe. "Mir ist verspert der sælden tor", line 1; translation by Tim Chilcott. http://colecizj.easyvserver.com/pgvb3901.htm