Hartmann von Aue: Iwein
Verses 7015-7054
[E]z dunket die andern unde mich
lîhte unmügelich
daz iemer minne unde haz
ensamt sô besitzen ein vaz
daz minne bî hazze
belîbe in dem vazze.
zwâre ob minne unde haz
nie mê besâzen ein vaz,
doch wonte in disem vazze
minne bî hazze
sô daz minne noch haz
gerûmden gâhes daz vaz.
‚ich wæne, vriunt Hartman,
dû missedenkest daran.
warumbe sprichestû daz
daz beide minne unde haz
ensamt bûwen ein vaz?
wan bedenkestû dich baz?
ez ist minne unde hazze
zenge in einem vazze.
wan swâ der haz wirt inne
ernsthafter minne,
dâ rûmet der haz
vroun Minnen daz vaz:
swâ abe gehûset der haz,
dâ wirt diu minne laz.‘
nû wil ich iu bescheiden daz,
wie herzeminne unde bitter haz
ein vil engez vaz besaz.
ir herze was ein gnuoc engez vaz:
dâ wonte ensamt inne
haz unde minne.
si hât aber underslagen
ein want, als ich iu wil sagen,
daz haz der minne niene weiz.
si tæte im anders alsô heiz
daz nâch schanden der haz
müese rûmen daz vaz;
unde rûmet ez doch vroun Minnen,
wirt er ir bî im innen
Translation
It seems to the others and to me
utterly impossible
that Love and Hate could ever
occupy a vessel together,
that Love would stay
with Hate together in the vessel.
Even if Love and Hate
had never lived in a vessel before,
in this vessel lived
Love with Hate,
In such a way that neither Love nor Hate
hurried to vacate the vessel.
“I think, my friend Hartmann,
that you are wrong about this matter.
Why do you say that
both Love and Hate
live in a vessel together?
Why don't you think about it better?
It would be too cramped
for Love and Hate in one vessel.
Because wherever Hate
notices sincere Love,
Hate vacates the vessel
for Lady Love.
But where Hate dwells,
Love becomes lethargic.”
Now I will explain to you
how heartfelt Love and bitter Hate
inhabited a very narrow vessel.
Her heart is quite a narrow vessel,
Hate and Love
Lived in there together.
But she has put up a wall,
as I will tell you,
so that Hate knows nothing of Love.
Otherwise she would make him heated,
so that hate, out of shame,
would have to leave the vessel.
And he would vacate it for Lady Love
when he notices her around him.
Audio sample
Transcription from the Heidelberg Manuscript 316
Nu dunckt die andern und mich
vil leicht unmúgelich
das vmer mynne und hasz
beide besessen ein fasz
es wonet in disem fasze
mynne bey hasze
also das mynn vnd hasz
nicht gahens raumten das vasz
nu wil ich euch bescheiden
das by herzen mynne vnd bitterm hasz
ein genug enges fasz besasz
da wont entsampt inne
hasz vnd mynne
sie hat aber vnderslagen
ein want als ich euch wil sagen
das hasz der mynne nicht enweisz
sie getett im anders also heisz
das nach schaden der hasz
fraw mynnen rawmte das fasz
und raumten es fraw mynnen
wesste er sie bey ime inn
Cod. Pal. germ. 316, fol. 100v
A precarious cohabitation!
Love and Hate share a home, namely the heart, although they can’t stand each other: Hate usually leaves all places where Love is, and Love becomes lethargic when she notices Hate near her. The opposition between the two abstractions is made clear by the description that a wall in the heart separates the involuntarily shared living space. There are two closed rooms in the heart, one of which is inhabited by Love and the other by Hate. The text goes to great lengths to create a concrete image of the two abstract emotions in a shared living space – not least through a number of odd hissing sounds.
Contents
After failing his wife Laudine, the disgraced knight Iwein must go on an âventiure to restore his lost reputation. The story of Love and Hate can be found in one of these âventiure-episodes: To settle an inheritance dispute between two sisters, Iwein and model knight Gawein are each supposed to unknowingly compete against each other in a judicial duel for one sister.
What else?
Love and Hate make up a central theme of the novel. But Iwein and Gawein’s encounters are not so much about hate versus love, but more about the fact that two friends do not recognise each other in battle and therefore consider each other enemies. Love and Hate as opposing yet combined emotions affect another couple: Iwein and his wife Laudine. The problem of the main characters plays out with the two personifications in a side-story.