Homily T27,2* [Pfeiffer 57]
In vigilia Paschae
‘Mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Cristo in deo’ (Col. 3:3)
Introduction
The passage that Eckhart refers to is read on the eve of Easter (B37: ‘Opden hoegen paesavont’, fol. 81v; BT: ‘Wff Weyhnachten die ander predig ... Vnd man m=cht auch dise predig vff den heiligen Osterabent predigen’, 315v).
The text is handed down by manuscripts: B2 (109v-110v fragm.), B5 (10r-12r), B9 (100r-104r), B37 (81v-83r), Ba2 (258vb-259vb), Br11 (49v?-?? fragm.), Bra1 (82r-84r), De (159v fragm.), E2 (268a-269b fragm.), Em (212vb-213vb), F1 (35r fragm.), Fr3 (68r-69v fragm.), Ga (233r-??), Gi1 (16v-21r), Ha3 (105v fragm.), Ko (84r-86v), Kö1 (14vb-15ra fragm.), M2 (172r-173v), Mai1 (1r-4v), Nu (71r-72v), Sa (113v-119r), S1 (237v-238r, 261r), S5 (311v-316v (gleicher Text wie in S7)), S7 (193r-195v (gleicher Text wie in S5; Text von 4. Hand)), St1 (90v-94r), St5 (143v-144v fragm.), Str3 (2r-5v [1r-4r]), Z1 (48v-49r fragm.).
Drucke: BT (315v-316v, 315v: ‘Wff Weyhnachten die ander predig’), KT (84r-85r), HT (118-120), ST (119a-121a [186]).
Unfortunately, J. Quint who had noticed that Ko differs from the other manuscripts in the opening and in its end thought that it was also lacking text in the middle part, hence excluded the manuscript from any further investigation and stayed with the remaining manuscripts that present the text of this homily with only minor disagreements, grouped in four families of manuscripts, one being that of the two even more closely related paris B5, Str3, and Bra1, B9 who both reflect a common ancestor, and the second one being Ba2 with BT and KT. In between these two families is the following third group of manuscripts which is more closely related to the latter one: B2, Ba2, E2, St5, and the fourth one which which is between the first and the second/third family: M2, St1. Overall Quint thinks that Pfeiffer’s text only needs very few alterations. Pfeiffer, in return, has prepared Quint’s judgement about Ko as he has divided the text that is given as one entity into two parts, removing the opening of the text and placing it as saying 8 into the latter part of his Eckhart collection, while he ignored the rest of the text of Ko. Following him, Quint stated that this rest of the text ‘had nothing to do with the present homily by Eckhart’, yet he neither did point to another text to which this passage could belong. The introductory part that, like the latter part of the homily, is unique to Ko has been widely used, after Pfeiffer had qualified it as a saying, and, as F. Löser has rightly seen, most of the time the saying was reduced further to the phrase ‘Ez sprichet meister Eckehart: wêger wêre ein lebemeister denne tûsent lesemeister’. As such, K.H. Witte thought that the saying has been put into the mouth of Eckhart and that it does not fit his thinking at all. According to G. Steer the same saying is also present in another manuscript, Bra3 (46v), where one reads: ‘B•schof albrecht spricht welt ich fr(gen nach wolgelerten pfaffen so w=lt ich fr(gen gen paris. S=lt ich aber fr(gen nach gottes haimlichait so w=lt ich g(n zG dem aller ermesten menschen den ich iena funde der mit willen arm w(r’ (‘Bishop Albert says, if I wanted to look for very learned clerics I would look towards Paris. Should I, however, look for God’s inwardness, I would go to the very poorest person who I ever found to be willingly poor’). Yet, Löser notes that this saying is not only shorter than the full quote in Pfeiffer, it is also different, while in the saying Eckhart looks for masters of Scripture, this one looks for clerics, while Eckhart for the bare and naked nature, ‘Albert’ looks for God’s intimacy. Indeed, Löser points to a longer passage of a homily, attributed to Albert, where one finds Albert’s saying. Löser also adds that Albert’s authorship would need to be discussed, although he does not hint at a potential alternative, though the content clearly reminds of Eckhart. This would also explain, why Eckhart would formulate a similar idea in similar wording in the present homily, version A. And it was particularly in late homilies of Cologne (Bra3 derives most likely from the early 14th c. and transmits texts from Cologne) that Eckhart refers to his earlier times in Paris.
After studying Ko, however, it appears that Ko is a most interesting manuscript which provides us with a text that seems in some parts earlier than the other witnesses, hence, we have printed it as version A, though in other parts, version B, seems to preserve the text that is closer to its author. In addition to all other manuscripts, there is also the further witness B37 which Quint had not at hand which gives us a third variation of the opening, version C, though for the rest of the text joins version B. It seems that B37 had added its own introduction to the homily which, contentwise, was intended to turn that of version A upside down. Interestingly, witness S1, though following version B later, still reflects a knowledge of the opening of version A.
Ko attributes the text explicitly to Eckhart: ‘Es sprichet meyster Eckehart’ (83r), and so does S1, the manuscript that still knew the opening of version A: ‘Meister Ekhart sprach’ (237v).
The content of the homily
The homily begins with the core verse that runs through the text, Col. 3:3, and its vernacular translation (n. 1) with the idea that our life should be hidden in Christ. How radical the preacher takes this hiding, dying and losing oneself in Christ, is made clear from the start.
Given the three versions of this homily, the most likely explanation, looking at the content of the different versions is the following: Version A comes closest to the homily that Eckhart has given not soon after the condemnation and murdering of Margret Porete. In its opening and its ending, both unique to this version, we read a harsh critique of the multitude of university scholars who have contributed to this dramatic death, a criticism that was dropped in version B. In version A, the core verse, Col. 3:3 is taken as a fanfare for the unnamed martyr who has lived true holiness and divine practice by having died in Christ. Hence the sharp contrast between the thousand masters of reading (lesemeyster) and the one single master of life (lebemeyster).
Just as in Margaret, this person is not only a physical master, but, as n. 2a also shows, it is Christ himself. Instead of looking for an interpretor of Scripture, the text advocates to look for living sanctity which can not be found anywhere else than in a naked, bare, detached creature. The way, this creature is described, matches the portray that Margaret paints from the ideal soul, that she is ‘wanting to willingly, joyfully, nakedly, longingly, rightly, and unmoved suffer poverty and misery, being despised and unpleasentness and to remain in these up to death without any why.’ Porete’s key term of her Mirror of Simple Souls is picked up in the expression ‘without any way’, and it is the culmination of this section. Also in the end of the homily (nn. 6a-11a), the preacher seems to refer to a rather recent disaster: ‘Here, now, was the groundless misery’, hinting again at Porete, adding as an explanation of the disaster aligned with Porete: ‘Vnd ein vergessen vnd nit wissen aller geschaffener ist es ein vrsprvng gotlicher eynunge’. So also the following section in n. 7a seems to reflect Porete, when Eckhart talks about the harm that being an image of God unleashes with a critical remark about the pope. Yet, he also adds a critical note about readers of his own, and one may add, Porete’s work (n. 8a), stating that ‘one who lives the truth is better than all who ask’. Knowing oneself means letting oneself go, one is reminded of the Talks of Instruction, but also of Porete, again. In a next step, the preacher relates that only few people achieve to go beyond rational contemplation and understanding, and it is noticeable that he does not advocate a non-rational, but a beyond rational grasp (n. 9a). Just like Porete, the key term in this contemplation is love (n. 10a), something that the greatest minister at the university in Paris does not understand nor live. Again, topics appear that remind of Porete: understanding happens without a medium and is way from something to nothing. And just like Porete, living in nothingness devalues any promise, be it of hell or heaven (n. 11a), and in this sense, the text moves to a straight defense of Margaret, explaining that one can not withhold either hell or heaven from such a person, and, on the contrary, that people who want to corrupt such life of detachment, shall be cursed.
It is a birthing of fruit and it entails a mutual exchange of Christ becoming a human being for us becoming God for Him (n. 2). The rest of the homily unfolds how radically human Christ has become, and how radical one’s hiding in this life of Christ has to be, whereby us becoming divine or a divine nature does not come with uniting oneself with a transformed or glorified nature of Christ, but His divine nature and our transformation into divine nature comes precisely with hiding in the most debased inhuman human nature.
Hence, Eckhart warns that one should understand the Biblical verse using ‘sweet words or spiritual practices’ or that ‘we look big in holiness’, that we ‘are comforted and pampered by God’ (n. 3). Perhaps, the homily even reflects some personal experience of Eckhart during the process, when he talks about being spoken about as people who are false and untruthful, as somebody who has been robbed of a good reputation, has lost his support, that even suffered bodily harm (n. 4). Worst, however, is that even God seems to be withdrawing from us. Hence, it is to admit that we do not know God at all, ‘except by nothing’ (n. 5). This also means that one lets go the virtues (nn. 5-6).
To this is added a question of the masters, why by elevating the soul, God does not also elevate the body (n. 7). Eckhart’s response is that the body itself is not a debasing of the soul, but adds to her nobility and that it follows her into divine union, a birth of the soul as God’s inborn Son.
If this union is such, all that God suffers should be sweet for us to suffer (nn. 8-9).
The homily ends with a prayer to hide and lose oneself in the divine nature (n. 10).
Editions, commentaries and notes
F. Pfeiffer, 181-4; J. Quint, Die Überlieferung der deutschen Predigten Meister Eckharts textkritisch untersucht (1932), 536-46.
Previous English translations
C. De B. Evans 144-6.
Text and translation
<:1>Mortui enim estis et uita uestra abscondita est cum Cristo deo. Ad Colossenses III. Ir seyt todt/ vnd euwer leben ist verborgen mit Christo in got. Ware heiligkeit vnd g=tliche übung enmag keyn mensch in der warheit haben der nit in Christo gestorben ist/
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<:1> Mortui enim estis et uita uestra abscondita est cum Cristo deo. Ad Colossenses III. You are dead, but your life is hidden with Christ in God. True holiness and divine practice no human being can have in truth who has not died in Christ.
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<:2a>weger wer ein lebemeyster denne tusent lesemeyster aber lesen vnd leben e got dem mag nieman zG komen Solte ich eynen meyster sGchen von der geschrift den sGchte ich zG paris vnd in hohen schGlen vmbe hohe kunst Aber wolte ich fragen von vollekomenen leben Daz kunde er mir nit gesagen War solte ich danne gan alzGmale mergent danne in ein blos ledig nature die kunde mich vß gewisen dez ich sy fragete ir vorchten lGte waz sGchent ir an den toten gebeyne. War vmb sGchent ir nit daz lebendige heyltGm daz Gch mag geben ewig leben. Waz daz tot hat weder zG geben noch zG nemen. Vnd solte der engel got sGchen Ey got so sGchte er in niender den in eyner ledige blossen abgescheiden creature Alle vollekomenheit lit dar an daz man armGt vnd ellende vnd smacheit vnd widerwerdikeit vnd alles daz gefallen mag in allem trucke willekliche froliche ledekliche begirliche vnd berihtekliche vnd vnbewegenliche mNge lyden vnd do by blyben bitz an den dot ane alle war vmbe
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<:2c> van alle synen gebreken lusten enn eygensuckelicheit ende die niet enen auge geuen wille en heuet alle dingen hoe swaer die oeck syn die ophem vallen moegen doer god toe lyden eer hy der vermaninge gods niet gehoersam en solde syn of volbrengen mitten werken derr hy den wil gods in bekenden soe voel syn menschelicke cranckheit gehengt of geleysten mach mer welck mensche in lyden onverduldich wort beuonden sulcke druck enn lyden en brengt hem niet die boosheit toe mer het apenbaert die sunde der onverduldicheit die in hem verborgen was Hem geschyet als enen coperen ouersyluerden pennynck eer hym dat vuer coemt soe schynt hy ganse enn claer syluer toe syn mer wann eer hy coemt in dat vuer dat vuer en maect hem niet coperen dan het bewyst enn apenbaert dat hy niwen dich coperen is
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<:2a>More worthy would be one master of life than thousand masters of reading, however neither reading nor living can be attributed to somebody, except God. Should I look for a master of Scripture, I would look for him at Paris University for excellent knowledge. Would I, however, ask him the question of perfect life, he could not answer it. Where, then, should I go? Fully note that nowhere else than into a bare, naked nature, this could explain to me what I am asking it: ‘What do you look for in the dead bones’. Why do you not look for living sanctity that can give you eternal life, what death can neither give nor take. And should the angel look for God, oh God, it would not look for Him elsewhere than in a naked, bare, detached creature. All perfection depends on wanting to willingly, joyfully, nakedly, longingly, rightly, and unmoved suffer poverty and misery, being despised and unpleasentness and to remain in these up to death without any why.
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<:2c>of all one’s weak lusts and selfishness and who do not wish to pay and have any attention to anything, as difficult as they may be. These are also those people who often can fall by suffering for God’s sake as long as they may not be obedient to God’s commandent to fulfill in deeds. Whoever in knowing God’s will can be so packed or burdened by one’s human weakness, moreover, the person who has been found so impatient in suffering, such pressure in suffering does not serve him, rather evil has revealed the sin of impatience that was hidden in him. To him happens as to a silver-plated copper penny that, before fire is applied to it, it fully appears to be shining silver. Even more, once it comes into fire, the fire does not turn it into silver, so that this proves and reveals that it is now fully copper.
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<:3>Ein lerer sprichet: ja, richer got, wie wol mir wirt, so min minne fruht gebirt! Unser herre sprichet zuo einer ieglichen minnenden sele ich bin iu mensche worden, daz ir mir got werdent. Werdent ir mir niht göte, als ich uch mensche worden bin, so tuont ir mir unrehte. Mit miner götlicher natiure wonte ich in iuwer menschlicher natiure, also daz mines götlichen gewaltes nieman verstuont unde daz man mich sach wandelen als einen andern menschen. Also sullent ir iuch mit iuwer menschelicher natiure verbergen in mine götlichen nature, daz iuwer menschlichen krankheit an iu nieman bekenne unde daz iuwer leben zemale götlich si, daz man an iu niht bekenne wan got.
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<:3> A master says: indeed, rich God, ho well I start to feel, when my love birthes fruit. Our Lord says to every loving soul: I have become a human being for you, so that you become God for me. If you do not become God for me, as I have become a human being for you, you do me injustice. With my divine nature I dwelled in your human nature, so that nobody understood my divine power and that one saw me living just like any other human being. Thus you should hide yourself with your human nature in my divine nature, so that nobody becomes aware of your human weakness in you and that your life is entirely divine, so that one does not recognize in you anything but God.
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<:4>Unde daz enlit <n>iht dar an, daz wir süezer worten unde geistlicher geberden sien unde daz wir tragent einen grozen schin von heilikeite vor den lFten unde daz unser name verre und wite getragen werde unde daz wir groezliche geminnet sin von den gotesfriunden unde daz wir von gote also verwenet unde verzartet sien, daz uns des dunke, daz got aller creature vergezzen habe unz an uns alleine, unde daz wir wenen, swes wir von gote begeren, daz ez iezuo allez si geschehen. Nein ez, niht! Diz enist niht, daz got von uns heischet: ez get allez anders.
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<:4>And this does not depend from the fact that we use sweet words or spiritual practices and that we look big in holiness and our name is carried far and broad and that we are enormously loved by God’s friends and that we are comforted and pampered by God, so that we think that because of us God has forgotten all creatures and that we believe that whatever we ask of God it all ever happened. No, this is not so! This is not, what God wants from us, all that is different.
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<:5a>Es ist ein anders daz got von Gch haben wil Er wil daz ir in leiden fry vnd vnbeweget stet. Vnd daz Gch die sprechent ir sint valsch vnd vngerecht vnd
Gch uweren gGten lGmet benement
vnd sy Gch des verzihent daz uwers libes notdurft wol bedank
vnd ir in uwerm grossen vntrost trost sGchet in vnserm lieben herren ihsu christo vnd er sin >gen vor Gch beslGtzet vnd sin antlitz van Gch keret vnd er denne dGt als er Gch weder sehen noch h=ren welle denne sollent ir Gch lan als sich vnser herre ihsus christus lies an dem crFtze
do er sprach got min got myn wie hastu mich gelassen den du vnschuldig weist
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<:5b>Er meinet,
daz wir vrilich und unbeweget funden werden, so man uns sprichet, daz wir valsche und unwarhafte liute sien und swaz man von uns gesprechen mac, da mit wir unsers guoten liumden beroubet werden, und niht alleine daz man uns übele sprichet, mer: ouch daz man uns übel tuot und man uns abeziuhet die helfe, der wir zuo unsers libes notdürfte niht enbern mügen, und niht alleine an der notdurft zergenclicher dinge, mer: ouch daz man uns schaden tot an unserm libe, daz wir siech werden oder swaz pine daz ist, diu uns ze liplicher arbeit gefürdern mac, unde so wir in allen unsern werken getuon daz allerbeste, daz wir erdenken künnen, so uns daz die liute kerent zuo dem aller boesten, daz sie erdenken künnent, unde daz wir daz niht alleine von den menschen liden, mer: ouch von gote, also daz er uns enziuhet sinen gegenwürtigen trost unde so er rehte tuot, als ein mure zwischen uns und ime gemachet si, unde so wir mit unsern arbeiten zuo ime komen, trost unde helfe suochen daz er denne gegen uns tuot, als er siniu ougen vor uns beslieze,
also daz er uns weder sehen noch hoeren welle und er uns alleine lat stan vehten in unsern noeten, als Kristus von sinem vater gelazen wart: sehent, hie solte wir uns in siner götlichen nature verbergen, daz wir also ungeneiget stüenden in unserm untroste, uns mit dekeiner sache ze behelfenne wan alleine mit dem worte, daz Kristus sprach vater, aller din wille werde vollebraht an mir.
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<:5a>God wants to have something different from you. He wants you to stay free and unmoved in suffering. And even that you are called false and unjust and
that one takes your good reputation
that they complain about you that you can not spare the necessity of your body
and that in your great distress seek comfort in our beloved Lord Jesus Christus, though He closes His eyes before you and turns his face from you and He then does, as if He would not want to see or hear you, then you should let yourself go as our Lord Jesus Christ has let Himself go on the cross
when He spoke: ‘My God, my God, how could you have let me go, the one you know is innocent’.
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<:5b>He wants us to be found free and unmoved, if one speaks about us that we are false and untruthful people and whatelse one may say about us, so that we are robbed of our good reputation, and not only that one speaks badly about us, rather that one also does evil to us and withdraws the support which we do can not spare for the necessity of our body, and not only with regards to the need for transient things, also that one harms our body, so that we fall ill or what pain it is which pushes us to manual work. And while in all our labour we do the very best which we can think of, this the people turn for us into the worst which they can think of, and that this we do not only suffer from men, rather also from God by Him withdrawing from us his present comfort and he really does as if there was a wall built between us and Him, and when we come with our labour to Him, look for comfort and help, that He then turns against us, closing His eyes before us, so that He neither wants to see nor to hear us, leaving us stand and fight alone in our distress, just as Christ was left by His father: See, here, we should hide ourselves in His divine nature, so that we stand unbent in our non-comfort, and not to make use of anything but the word that Christ spoke: ‘Father, all your will be done in me’.
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<:6a>hier nun war daz grvndlose ellende. Vnd ein vergessen vnd nit wissen aller geschaffener ist es ein vrsprvng gotlicher eynunge
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<:6a>Here, now, was the groundless misery, and it is a forgetting and not-knowing of all who have been created, an origin of divine union.
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<:7a>Es ist kein bilde so g=tlich als dGt dir dryge schaden Es ber?bet luterkeit vnd benymmet friheit vnd verbirget gotliche wenheit vns ist in der sele daz enweis vmbe den lip nit der lip weis auch vmbe es nyt dez darf sich nieman ein nemen daz er es begryffe in sin nature Es gezogen werden durch sin nature vnd Fber alle creature wenn daz wirt geoffenbart vns avemaries lag ich spreche oder vns ?gen blickes lang Do mag man mer applas geben den alle bebeste der heiligen cristenheit die sich hie nye vernomen
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<:7a> There is no image so divine that it does you threefold harm. It robbs you purity and takes away freedom and hides divine being. There is something in our soul that does not know about the body, nor does the body know about it. Nobody can assume that one grasps it in its nature. It is being drawn through its nature and beyond all creatures, when it is being revealed to us for the length of a Hail Mary, I say, for the length of a blink of an eye for us. There one can give more indulgence than all the Popes of the holy Christianity, that have never made a statement about this.
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<:8a>etteliche lGte die kFment vnd wellent alles wort haben vnd minnent mich denne ein iegliches also es ist. Wisten sy waz sy sGchten sy teten sin nit Ein lebender der warheit ist besser denne alle fragen Ein sterber ist mir werder denne alle leber myt eigenschaft gebunden. Eya nement myner worte war durch got daz disen weg niemant mag gan er habe sich denne zG grvnde vernommen vnd verlan
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<:8a>Many people come and want to get the entire speech and love me for everything, as it is. If they knew for what they search, they would not do theirs. One who lives the truth is better than all who ask. One who dies is more worthy to me than all who live with their own things. Ah, understand my words through God that nobody can go this way, unless one has radically understood and let gone oneself.
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<:9a>Der lGte ist gar wenig da die da kFmen Fber verstentliche sch?wunge vnd Gber vernvnftige begryffunge vnd wer doch der menschen eins got worden der da stvnde svnder alle begryffvnge formeklicher b<i>ldvnge denne zehen dusent menschen die ir selber gebruchent inbildelicher sch>wunge vnd in vernvnftiger begryffvnge. Wan die warheit mag sy nit begryffen vor irem behelfe verstanden al vergangen al hat keynen begryf noch keynen versFche in zit noch in ewikeit hie en ist noch liep noch leit aller begryfnGs abewege so han ich daz mynne alles begeben. In diser hohen vollekomenheit begriffent sich die heilige eynikeit zG disem leben han ich mynne Ich armen wa sint mynne synne die so gar ber?bet stan ich habe weder war noch nach enbildete sache du bist bloß in widernemunge ist der dot.
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<:9a>There are few people who there come beyond rational contemplation and beyond rational understanding, but the person had become one with God who there stood without any grasp of formal images, instead of ten thousand people who enjoy themselves through image driven contemplation and in rational understanding. For one can not grasp the truth by the help of their intellect. All that is all past has neither word nor possibility either in time or in eternity, here is neither love nor suffering. Bereaved of all understanding, I have given up all that is mine. In this high perfection the holy oneness has understood itself. This life I love. Poor me, where are my senses that stand so bereaved! I am neither right nor can hold to a clear reason. You are naked. Death is taking back.
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<:10a>Wer diser warheit sol werden innen der mNß haben hohe mynne Er mNß sich haben in vollekvmener luterkeyt vnd in vollekomener abgescheidenheit vnd mGß sich werffen vnder sich vnd vnder got vnd wider alle creaturen. Vnd mGs in mvgelich dvncken daz alle creature wider in sin vnd sol nieman wider in sin den vßgenomen einen senfmFtigen hertzen vnd wer daz hat dem sol offenbar werden daz dem grosten pfaffen verborgen ist der dazG paris in die schFle ye kam der es myt leben nie besas. Wer dise wege sol vinden der mGß hohe sprungen Nber alles das myttel ist daz sich begryffet daz heilige iht. Wie wenig noch daz gewortet ist daz man sol komen von iht in nicht do sich blosheit hat begryffen vnd alle bilde sint gewichen in dirre nehesten vergangenheit da vil lihte nieman zG komen mag oder komet yemant dar zG der mGs allen den verborgen sin die daz nit ensint wan es ist vnbekant dem der es da ist eya wie gar verborgen es denne ist allen den die hie vmbe nit wissen do blosheit ir selbes vergeht daz ist uber alle iht da alle iht endent
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<:10a>Whoever shall realize this truth, must have utmost love. One must have oneself in perfect purity and in perfect detachment and must throw oneself underneath oneself and underneath God and against all creatures. One must think of the possibility that all creatures are against oneself, and if nobody were against onself, then only the one with a meeky heart, and whoever possesses will be revealed that what is hidden to the greatest priest who ever joined the school in Paris. Whoever wants to find these ways needs to jump high beyond everything that serves as a medium by which one grasps the holy something. How barely can one speak it out that one should come from somthing into nothing, where bareness has grasped itself and all images have vanished in this closest past to which perhaps nobody can come, or if somebody comes to it, must remain unknown to all of those who there are nothing, for it is unknown to the one who there is. Ah, how it is entirely hidden to all those who do not know about it, when bareness forgoes itself. This is beyond all something, when all something finds an end.
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<:11a>eya wa sol der erleiden da zit helle hymelrich ist vergangen da enmag yemant nyemant erlangen Eya waz man vff disem wege bGtet do alle ding stant vff yrem nye Eya daz yeman so wise were der mir hie helle oder hymelrich neme oder gebe wie gGt dem zG volgen were do man sich nit wider neme sint zefriden in mynen verluste vff ihtes niht han ich ein kosten dein selben wil ich mich lan solte hymel vnd erde vergan wer mich nimet vß slag vnd vß klag verflGchet sy der der daz habe wer verderben welle an mir der stoße baste den rigel fGr vnd sy innen ledig bitz in den dot dar vmb han ich kein not.
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<:11a>Ah, what shall this one suffer, where time, hell, kingdom of heaven have gone. There nobody can become anybody. Ah, what can one offer on this way where all things stand on their nothingness? Ah, that somebody were as wise who here takes from me or give me hell or heaven, how good would it be to follow him as one would not take things back again. One is content with the small loss of something. It did not cost oneself. If I want to let myself go, should heaven and earth go, so be cursed the one who takes me away from the blow and away from mourning, who wants to corrupt me, this one should push as good as possible the lock on and be internally naked until to death. Therefore, I am in no need.
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<:12b>Got ist ein sogetan wesen, daz man niht baz bekennet denne mit nihte. Wie mit nihte? Daz man abe lege allez mitel, niht alleine die welt versmahen unde tugende haben, mer: ich muoz die tugent lazen, sol ich got sunder mitel sehen; niht also, daz ich die tugent versmehe, mehr: diu tugent sol in mir wesenlich sin und ich sol ob der tugende wesen. Wan so des menschen gedank enkein dinc niht enrüeren mac, dan aller erste rüeret er got.
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<:12b>God is such a being that one does not know at all, except by nothing. How by nothing? That one lets go all means, not alone despise the world and have virtues, rather I have to let go the virtues, am I to see God without means. Not that I despise the virtues, rather the virtues shall be in me essentially and I shall be above the virtues. When, thus, nothing any longer can not touch human thinking, only then one touches God.
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<:13b>Ein heidenischer meister sprichet, daz nature über nature niht enmac. Da von mac got von keiner creature bekant werden. Sol er bekant werden, daz muoz geschehen in einem liehte über nature.
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<:13b>A pagan master says that nature can not rise above nature. Hence, God can not be known by any creature. If He is to be known it has to be in a light above nature.
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<:14b>Die meister habent eine vrage, waz daz meine, so got die sele erhebe über sich selber und über alle creature und er si heim gefüeret in sich selber, war umbe enedelt er denne den lip niht, daz er der irdischen dinge niht bedörfte? Diz berihtet ein meister – und ich wene, ez si sant Augustinus – unde sprichet also: wenne diu sele kumet zuo der götlichen einunge, denne aller erst ist der lip volkomenlich dar zuo komen, daz er alliu dinc niezen mac ze gotes eren. Wan durch den menschen sint alle creature uz geflozzen, unde waz der lip redeliche der creaturen geniezen mac, daz ist der sele niht ein abeval, mer: ez ist ein zuovluz ir wirdekeit, wan diu creature enmöhte edelern widerfluz niht vinden, in ir ursprunc wider ze komenne, denne in dem gerehten menschen, der ie einen ougenblik siner sele gestatte, daz er uf gezogen wart in götlicher einunge. Wan zwischen gote und der sele ist denne dekein hindernüsse, und also verre diu sele gote volget in die wüestenunge der gotheit, also verre volget der lip dem lieben Kristo in die wüestenunge des willigen armüetes, und als diu sele vereinet ist mit der gotheit, also ist der lip vereinet mit würkunge gewerer tugende in Kristo. So mac der himelsche vater wol sprechen ‘diz ist min lieber sun, in deme ich mir selber wol gevalle’; wan er hat niht alleine in die sele geborn sinen eingebornen sun, mer: er hat si selbe geboren sinen einbornen sune.
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<:14b>The masters have a question, what it means that when God elevates the soul above herself and above all creatures and carries her home into Himself, why then does He not ennoble the body, so that it would not need the earthly things? This, a master, reports – and I guess it was saint Augustin – and he says thus: when the soul comes to divine union, only then the body has been added perfectly, so that it can enjoy all things for God’s honour. For through man all creatures have flown out, and what the body rightly enjoys of creatures is not a falling off for the soul, rather it increases her nobility, for creatures can not find a more noble reflux to come back into their origin than in the just man who ever allows his soul one moment, for Him to be pulled up into divine union. Then there is no hindrance between God and the soul, and as far as the soul follows God into the desert of the godhead, so far the body follows the beloved Christ into the desert of the willed poverty, and as far as the soul is united with the Godhead, so far the body is united with the action of proven virtues in Christ. Thus the heavenly father can well speak: ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I please myself well’. For He not only has given birth to His Son into the soul, more, He has born herself His inborn Son.
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<:15b>Eya, von dem aller tiefesten herzen! Mensche, waz mac dir herte oder scharpf gesin durch in ze lidenne, wenne du rehte betrahtest, daz der, der da was in der forme gotes und in dem tage siner ewikeit in dem schine der heiligen unde der da vor geborn was ein schin und ein substancie gotes, daz der kam zuo dem karcher unde zuo dem lime diner smeckenden nature, diu also unreine ist, daz alliu dinc, swie reine sie sint diu ir genahent, diu werdent smeckende und unreine, und er doch durch dinen willen genzliche dar in wolte gestecket werden? Waz ist niht süeze durch in ze lidenne, swenne du ze semen liesest alle die bitterkeit und alles des lasters, daz uf in viel? welich schande und laster er leit von den fürsten unde von den rittern und von den boesen knehten unde von allen den, die den weg uf und nider giengen für das kriuze? wie diu klarheit des ewigen liehtes verspiuwen unde verspottet unde geitwizet wart?
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<:15b>Ah, from the deepest heart! Man what can be hard and sharp for you to suffer for Him when you rightly sees that the one who there has been in the form of God and in the day of His eternity in the light of the holy ones and who before he was born was a glory and a substance of God, that this one has come to the carcer and to the clay of your ill-tasting nature that is so impure that all things, no matter how pure they are, when they come close become ill-tasting and impure, and yet, for your sake wanted to be put into this? What is not sweet to suffer for Him, when you collected all bitterness and all vices that befell Him? What shame and vice He suffered from the rulers and from the knights and from the evil servants and from all those who went the way up and down before the cross? As the glory of the eternal light has been spewn and mocked and derided?
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<:16b>Eya, wie ein groz unverschult barmeherzikeit und wol bewertiu minne, diu mir an keiner stat nie volkomenlicher beweret wart als an der stat, da der minne kraft durch sin herze brach! Also mache dir ein gebündelin von myrren van aller hande bitterkeit dines herren und gotes unde laz ez alle zit zwischen dinen brüsten wonen und sich an unde beschowe sine tugende, wie fürderlich er din heil in allen sinen werken zuo hat braht, unde sich, daz du im mit dem selben gelte widermezzest sinen schemelichen lesterlichen tot und sine pin lidende nature, mit der er ane schulde für dine schulde geliten hat, als ez sin eigen schulde were, als er selber sprichet in dem propheten von siner pine, da er sprichet ‘sehent, diz lide ich von minen schulden’, unde wa er sprichet von der fruht siner werke, da sprichet er ‘sehent, disen richtuom sulnt ir besitzen von iuwern werken!’ unde nennet unser sünde sine sünde unde siniu werc unseriu werc, wan er hat unser sünde gebezzert, gelick als er sie selbe gewürket hete, unde wir besitzen die verdienunge siner werke rehte als wir sie gewürket haben. Unde diz sol unser arbeit ringe machen, wan der guote ritter klaget siner wunden niht, so er den künig an siht, der mit ime durch ine verwundet ist. Er biutet uns ein tranc, daz er vor getrunken hat. Er enbiutet uns niht, er habe ez e vorgetan oder geliten. Dar umbe sulle wir groze minne ze liden han, wan got nie niht anders getet die wile er uf ertriche was.
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<:16b>Ah what a great, undeserved mercy and well proven love which has never been proven to me more perfectly than in this place where the power of love broke through His heart! Hence, make yourself a bundle of myrrh of all kind of bitterness of your Lord and God and let it rest all the time between your breasts and contemplate and see His virtue how helpfully He has brought about your salvation in all His actions, and see that you repay Him with the same currency for His shameful, blasphemous death and his pain suffering nature with which he innocently suffered for your guilt, as if it were His guilt, as He Himself speaks in the prophet of His pain, when He says: ‘See this I suffer because of my debts’, and where He speaks of the fruit of His actions, when He says: ‘See, this richness you should own because of your actions’. And He calls our sins His sins and His action our action, for He has bettered our sins, just as if He had done them Himself, and we own the reward of His actions as if we had done them. And this shall render our labour little, for the good knight does not complain about his wounds looking at the king who is wounded with him through him. He offers us a drink which He has drunk before. He does not offer us anything unless He has done it or suffered it before. Therefore we should greatly love to suffer for God has never done anything else while He was on earth.
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<:17b>Daz wir also unser menschliche nature und alle unser krankheit in götlicher nature verbergen und verlieren, daz an uns niht funden werde dan der luter got, des helf uns got. Amen.
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<:17b>That we may hide and lose our human nature and all our weakness in the divine nature, and that nothing is found in us than the pure God, may God help us. Amen.
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Luc. 24:5: ‘Quid quaeritis viventem cum mortuis?’
