The miserable boy: Minne und Pfennig
verses 6–23
es waß Lieb und der Pfenning.
Lieb die sprach bald: ‘wich mir!‘
der Pfenning: ‘sag an schier,
wer bistu, das ich dir wichen sol?
Dins höhmůts ůberhůbstu mich wöl.
uff erden lebt nit min gelich.
mir dient gern arm und rich,
und kůng und kaißer erend mich.
wes ůber hebstu dich?
daß nimpt mich wunder von dir
daß du nit wilt wichen mir.‘
die Lieb sprach mit gůtter sit:
‘ich verste wöl daß du mich kennest nit,
doch will ich mich dir nennen:
Lieb bin ich. kanstu mich erkennen,
so wer es zwär gar laid dir,
din ůber niemen gen mir.
es ist mir geschehen nie. [...]'
Translation
verses 6–23
There once was Love and a Penny.
Love spoke boldly, ‘Yield to me!’
The Penny answered, ‘Tell me quickly,
who are you that I should yield to you?
In your arrogance you exalt yourself above me.
There is no one like me on earth.
Both the poor and the rich serve me,
and kings and emperors worship me.
Why do you exalt yourself?
I am astounded
that you do not want to yield to me.’
Love spoke kindly and with decency,
‘I understand well that you do not know me,
but I will introduce myself to you:
I am Love. If you did know me,
you would truly be sorry
that you exalt yourself before me.
That has never happened to me before.
My power has lasted ever since the world began,
and when there was still no penny,
I had power over all generations. [...]’
Audio sample
The miserable boy: Minne und Pfennig
Vers 188-199
do stiesß der Pfenning mit gewalt
sie von dem steg in den bach.
do ich ellender knab daß sach,
ich erschrack und ylt schnell.
die frow růff mit stime hel:
‘hilff durch Göt, es ist zitt
daß ich des lebens wird gefryt!‘
ich tett es gern und lieff da hin
und erwischt die frowen Min.
sie was worden kranck und schwach,
und zöch sie kom uß dem bach,
daß sie lag als wer sie töd.
Translation
Vers 188-199
Suddenly the penny pushed her forcefully
from the bridge into the stream.
When I, the miserable boy, saw this,
I was frightened and hurried quickly.
The lady called out in a loud voice:
“Help from God, it is time
for me to be released from life.”
I did so gladly and hurried quickly
and caught Lady Minne.
She was sick and weak,
and when I had barely pulled her out of the stream,
she lay there as if she were dead.
Audio sample
Narrator (left of the bridge), Penny (on the bridge) and Minne (in the stream).
Cod. Pal. germ. 344, fol. 37r
The weakened Lady Minne is rescued from the stream by the narrator.
Cod. Pal. germ. 344, fol. 38r
A penny in violent rage
The text is about the juxtaposition of money and love: a quantifiable, material value and an abstract emotion.
A female and a male personification meet, with one of them even becoming violent. While Lady Minne politely introduces herself and asks to be let by, Penny, who is physically superior to her, is extremely rude. He mocks Love, emphasises his prominent position among rulers and clergy, and pushes her off a bridge into a stream. The personified Love is seriously injured by this fall and faints.
Analysis
Sir Pfennig and Lady Minne meet on a bridge. It is not possible to walk past each other because the bridge is too narrow. A duel begins: who is the more influential personification? Penny or Love? Sir Pfennig plays unfairly and, after a short dispute, pushes Lady Minne into the stream. She is saved by the narrator and leads the readers into a desert. Here she lives with other women in exile: Lady Wisdom, Lady Nobility, Lady Justice, all of whom were driven out by Penny. The moral of the story? Money rules, love does not. But only at first sight...
