Annolied (O: Opitz)

sô vernemet umbe die grimmen heidenschaft

then hear about the fierce heathendom

dannen den alten bürgen quam diu kraft

from which the old cities got their strength.

Ninus hiez der êreste man

Ninus was the name of the first man

dêdâr ie volcwîges began

who ever began warfare.

her samenete schilt unde sper

He gathered shield and spear;

des lobes was her vile ger

he was very eager for glory.

diu burc nanteer nâch ime Ninivê

He named the city Nineveh after himself,

dâsint der merevisch Jonam ûzspê

where later the sea-fish spat out Jonah.

sîn wîp diu hiez Semiramis

His wife was called Semiramis;

diu alten Babilonie stifte si

she founded old Babylon

von ziegelen den alten

from the old bricks

die die gîgande branten

which the giants had fired

dô Nimrot der michele

when Nimrod the great

geriet in tumplîche

foolishly advised them

swie si doch ire dinc ane viengen

However they set about their affairs,

si muosten Rômæren alle dienen

they all had to serve the Romans.

Cêsar begonde nâhen

Caesar began to draw near

zuo den sînen alten mâgen

to his own old kinsmen,

zeden Franken den edelen

to the noble Franks.

ire beidere vorderen

The forefathers of both of them

quâmen von Trôje der alten

came from old Troy,

dô die Kriechen diu burc zevalten

when the Greeks laid the city low,

dô über diu here beide

when over both the armies

got sîn urteil sô erscheinte

God made his judgement so plain

daz die Trôiære sum entrunnen

that some of the Trojans escaped

die Kriechen ne getorsten heim vinden

and the Greeks dared not seek their homes,

wande in den zien jâren

for in the ten years

dô si zedere sâzen wâren

that they had been encamped there,

sô gehîweten heime al ire wîp

all their wives at home had married again;

si rieten an ire manne lîp

they plotted against their husbands' lives.

des wart erslagen der küninc Agamemno

Because of this King Agamemnon was slain.

irre vuoren diandere

The others wandered astray,

unz Ulixis gesinden

until the companions of Ulysses

der Ciclops veraz in Sizilia

were devoured by the Cyclops in Sicily,

daz Ulixes mit spiezen wole gerach

which Ulysses well avenged with spears

dôer slâfende ime sîn ouge ûzstach

when he put out his eye as he slept.

daz geslehte dere Ciclopen

The race of the Cyclopes

was dannoch in Sizilien

was still at that time in Sicily,

alsô hôh kienboume

as tall as pine trees;

an dem ende hatten si ein ouge

on the forehead they had one eye.

nû habet si got von uns vertriben hinnen

Now God has driven them away from us, out of these parts,

in daz gewelde hinehalp India

into the wilderness beyond India.

Trôiære vuoren in der werelte

The Trojans travelled through the world,

wîten irre after sedele

wandering far in search of a home,

unz Elenus ein verheret man

until Helenus, a despoiled man,

des küenen Ectoris witewen genam

took the widow of bold Hector,

mit der [er] dâ ze Kriechen

with whom [he] there in Greece

besaz sîner vîande rîche

occupied the realm of his enemies.

si worhten dâr eine Trôje

They built a Troy there

di man lange sint mohte schouwen

which could long be seen afterwards.

Andenor was gevarn dannen êr

Antenor had gone away from there earlier,

dôer erkôs daz Trôje solte zegên

when he saw that Troy was going to fall.

der stiftete uns diu burc Pitavium

He founded for us the city of Patavium

bî deme wazzere Timaviô

by the river Timavus.

Eneas ervaht im Walhelant

Aeneas won Italy for himself by fighting,

dâer diu sû mit drîzic jungen vant

where he found the sow with thirty young.

dâ worhten si diu burc Albane

There they built the city of Alba,

dannen wart sint gestiftet Rôme

from which Rome was later founded.

Franko gesaz mit den sînen

Franko settled with his people

vile verre nider bî Rîne

very far downstream by the Rhine.

dâ worhten si dô mit vröuweden

There they joyfully built

eine lützele Trôje

a little Troy.

den bach hiezen si Xande

They called the stream Xanthus

nâh deme wazzere in ire lande

after the river in their [own] land;

den Rîn habeten si vüre daz mere

they took the Rhine for the sea.

dannen wuohsen sint vrenkische here

From there the Frankish hosts later grew.

di wurden Cêsari al undertân

They all became subject to Caesar,

si wâren ime iedoch sorcsam

yet they were a cause of care to him.

dô Cêsar dô widere ze Rôme gesan

When Caesar then went back to Rome,

si ne wolten sîn niht entvâhen

they would not receive him.