"Karel ende Elegast", a medieval Romance about Charlemagne going out stealing in the middle of night on God’s orders, and in the process discovering a conspiracy on his life, is among the most famous pieces of Middle Dutch literature. Surprisingly I can't find anyone who has done a verse-translation into English. I guess if you want a thing done right, you gotta do it your own self. I here translate the first 82 lines of it.
Opening of Charlemagne and Elfguest
Anonymous
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
Anonymous
Translated by A.Z. Foreman
There is a real true history
I can tell you. Listen to me:
It happened just as evening fell
While Charlemagne was sleeping well
Along the Rhine at Ingelheim.
The land was all his. At the time
He was both emperor and king.
Hear what a true yet wondrous thing
Happened Charlemagne back then
(Remembered still by many men)
One night at Palace Ingelheim
Where he had planned in one day's time
To hold court and wear his crown
So to magnify his renown.
While Charlemagne was sleeping well
Along the Rhine at Ingelheim.
The land was all his. At the time
He was both emperor and king.
Hear what a true yet wondrous thing
Happened Charlemagne back then
(Remembered still by many men)
One night at Palace Ingelheim
Where he had planned in one day's time
To hold court and wear his crown
So to magnify his renown.
Now as the king in slumber lay
A holy angel called his way.
So the king suddenly woke
At these words that angel spoke.
He said "Get up now, noble man.
Get dressed quickly as you can,
Arm yourself. Go out and steal.
God himself bid me reveal
This task to you. He is Lord on high.
Do it, or in dishonor die.
Unless you ride tonight and thieve,
Evil will befall you. Believe:
It will be the end of you.
You will die, your life be through
Before this next court finishes.
So now, take good heed of this
And go out stealing. Take your chance.
Take your shield and take your lance.
Arm yourself. Go, mount your steed
And do not dally. Ride with speed."
This the king heard, open-eared.
It struck him as rather weird.
There was no one to be seen,
He wondered what that voice might mean.
He assumed he'd dreamt it, and then
Paid it no mind. But once again
Spoke the heavens' messenger
Angrily to the emperor:
"Get UP Charles. Go out and steal.
God hath sent me to reveal
This His will. Go out. Ride on.
Do it, or your life is done."
This and nothing more said he.
And the king cried "Mercy me!"
Upset as he had ever been
"What does this freakish happening mean?
Are elf-delusions making me blunder
With figments of this monstrous wonder?
Oh God in heaven, honestly
What need even is there for me
To go out stealing? I am so rich,
There is no man with whom I'd switch,
No man on earth, not king or count,
Whose wealth amounts to my amount,
Unless he is my vassal too
And gives me service as my due.
My land is so massive, there
Is nothing like it anywhere.
The land is entirely mine
From Cologne upon the Rhine
To as far as Rome which none
Own but the emperor alone.
I am king and my wife queen
From the eastern Danube's stream
To the wild and western sea.
And there's still more that belongs to me:
There's Galicia and Spain
Which I won by battle's reign
When I chased the heathen out
So now it's mine without a doubt.
Why would I need to thieve at all
Like some pathetic criminal?
A holy angel called his way.
So the king suddenly woke
At these words that angel spoke.
He said "Get up now, noble man.
Get dressed quickly as you can,
Arm yourself. Go out and steal.
God himself bid me reveal
This task to you. He is Lord on high.
Do it, or in dishonor die.
Unless you ride tonight and thieve,
Evil will befall you. Believe:
It will be the end of you.
You will die, your life be through
Before this next court finishes.
So now, take good heed of this
And go out stealing. Take your chance.
Take your shield and take your lance.
Arm yourself. Go, mount your steed
And do not dally. Ride with speed."
This the king heard, open-eared.
It struck him as rather weird.
There was no one to be seen,
He wondered what that voice might mean.
He assumed he'd dreamt it, and then
Paid it no mind. But once again
Spoke the heavens' messenger
Angrily to the emperor:
"Get UP Charles. Go out and steal.
God hath sent me to reveal
This His will. Go out. Ride on.
Do it, or your life is done."
This and nothing more said he.
And the king cried "Mercy me!"
Upset as he had ever been
"What does this freakish happening mean?
Are elf-delusions making me blunder
With figments of this monstrous wonder?
Oh God in heaven, honestly
What need even is there for me
To go out stealing? I am so rich,
There is no man with whom I'd switch,
No man on earth, not king or count,
Whose wealth amounts to my amount,
Unless he is my vassal too
And gives me service as my due.
My land is so massive, there
Is nothing like it anywhere.
The land is entirely mine
From Cologne upon the Rhine
To as far as Rome which none
Own but the emperor alone.
I am king and my wife queen
From the eastern Danube's stream
To the wild and western sea.
And there's still more that belongs to me:
There's Galicia and Spain
Which I won by battle's reign
When I chased the heathen out
So now it's mine without a doubt.
Why would I need to thieve at all
Like some pathetic criminal?
Why does God bid this of me?
I would hate to break his decree.
But did he really bid me thieve?
It's a struggle to believe
That the Mighty King of Kings
Wills me the shame of stealing things."
Audio of me reading the first 76 lines of the original in Middle Dutch:
The Original:
Vraeye historie ende al waer
mach ic u tellen, hoorter naer.
Het was op enen avontstonde
dat Karel slapen begonde
tEngelem op den Rijn.
Dlant was alle gader sijn.
Hi was keyser ende coninc mede.
Hoort hier wonder ende waerhede!
Wat den coninc daer ghevel,
dat weten noch die menige wel.
tEnghelem al daer hi lach
ende waende op den anderen dach
crone draghen ende houden hof
omme te meerner sinen lof.
Daer die coninc lach ende sliep,
een heilich engel aen hem riep,
so dat die coninc ontbrac
biden woerden die dengel sprac
hij seyde: “Staet op, edel man.
Doet haestelic u cleeder an,
wapent u ende vaert stelen,
God die hiet mi u bevelen,
die in hemelrike is here,
of ghi verliest lijf ende eere.
En steeldi in deser nacht niet,
so is u evel gheschiet.
Ghi sulter omme sterven
ende uwes levens derven
eer emmermeer scheit dit hof.
Nu verwacht u daer of,
vaert stelen of ghi wilt.
Neemt uwen speere ende uwen schilt,
wapent u, sit op u paert
haestelic ende niet en spaert.
Dit verhoorde die coninc.
Het docht hem een vreemde dinc,
want hi daer niemant en sach,
wat dat roepen bedieden mach.
Hi waendet slapende hebben gehoort
ende hilt hem niet an dat woert.
Dengel die van Gode quam,
sprac ten coninc als die was gram:
“Staet op, Karel, ende vaert stelen,
God die hiet my u bevelen
ende ontbiedet u te voren,
anders hebdi u lijf verloren.”
Met dien woerde sweech hi.
Ende die coninc riep “Ay mi,”
als die seere was vereent.
“Wat ist dat dit wonder meent?
Ist alfs ghedroch dat mi quelt
endit grote wonder telt?
Ay, hemelsche drochtijn,
wat node soude mij sijn
te stelene? Ic ben so rike.
En is man in aertrijcke,
weder coninc noch graven,
die so rijc sijn van haven,
sine moeten mi sijn onderdaen
ende te minen diensten staen.
Mijn lant is so groot,
men vint nyewers sijns ghenoot.
Dlant is algader mijn
tote Colene opten Rijn
ende tote Romen voort,
alst den keyser toe behoort.
Ic ben here, mijn wijf is vrouwe,
oest totter wilder Denouwe
ende west totter wilder see.
Nochtans heb ic goets veel meer:
Galissien en Spandien lant,
dat ic selve wan mitter hant,
ende ic die heydene verdreef,
dat mi dlant alleene bleef.
Wat node soude mi sijn dan
te stelene ellendich man?
Waer om ontbiedet mi dit God?
Node brekic sijn ghebot -
wistic dat hijt mi ontbode.
En mochs niet gheloven node
dat mi God die lachter onste
dat ic te stelen begonste.”
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