Palästinalied
The Palästinalied (Palestine Song) is a song written in the early 13th century by Walther von der Vogelweide, the most celebrated German medieval lyric poet. The poem is written in Middle High German. It is one of the few songs by Walter for which a melody has survived. The oldest source for the melody is the Münster fragment, which is dated to the early 14th century.
Manuscript A (the Kleine Heidelberger Liederhandschrift) is the oldest source of the text (dated to the late 13th century), giving seven stanzas. Other manuscripts have up to eleven stanzas, for a total of thirteen distinct stanzas. Of these, one (the third stanza) is clearly younger than the original composition. On the other five stanzas not in manuscript A, there is no expert consensus as to whether they should be regarded as Walter's.
The Palästinalied was written at the time of the Fifth Crusade (1217-1221). Its subject is the Christian gospel told from the perspective of a pilgrim setting foot in the Holy Land. The song's conclusion refers to the crusades themselves, asserting that, in view of the claim of all three Abrahamic religions to the land of Palestine, the Christian claim is just (Al diu werlt diu strîtet her / Wir sîn an der rehten ger / Reht ist, daz er uns gewer "All the world is warring here [in the Holy Land] / Our claim is the just one / It is right that He [God] grant it").
Original Middle High German
1. Álrêrst lébe ich mir werde,
sît mîn sündic ouge siht
daz here lant und ouch die erde,
der man sô vil êren giht.
ez ist geschehen, des ich ie bat:
ích bin komen an die stat,
dâ got menischlîchen trat.
2. Schoeniu lant, rîch unde hêre,
swaz ich der noch hân gesehen,
sô bist dûs ir aller êre.
waz ist wunders hie geschehen!
daz ein magt ein kint gebar,
hêre über áller engel schar,
wáz daz niht ein wunder gar?
Modern German translation
1. Nun erst lebe ich mir würdig,
seit mein sündiges Auge
das hehre Land und auch die Erde sieht,
die man so vieler Ehren rühmt.
Nun ist geschehen, worum ich immer bat:
ich bin an den Ort gekommen,
den Gott als Mensch betrat.
...
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