Lucidarius (Gö1)

dirre werelte. ze allerjungeste den mennischen. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie hiez der êrste engel.

dries up in the sun. Then the pupil said: How would people have begotten children

Natanael. den hæte got sô schônen geschaffen daz er betrogen wart von deme

if they had stood firm in paradise? Then the master said: As when one lays two hands

grôzen übermuote. daz er verstôzen wart vondem himele indaz apgründe. dô. sprach.

together, without desire and without sin. Then the pupil said: How long did Adam live? Then the master said:

der. jungere. wie lange was er inden himelischen êren dô. sprach. der. meister. niht wan ein halbe

Nine hundred years and thirty years. Then he died at Jerusalem; afterwards he was buried

wîle. dô. sprach. der. jungere. durh waz geschuof in got dô er wole wiste daz er vallen solte.

in Hebron, and the same pit was filled with him from which he had been

dô. sprach. der. meister. daz er die erwelten engele mite gestætigete. wan vüre daz daz der tiuvel

made. Then the pupil said: How old was Abel when his brother slew him? Then the master said: When he was thirty

wart verstôzen. dô wurden die anderen engele sô veste inder gotes minne

years old he was slain at Damascus. Then the pupil said: Who was the first man who ever

daz sie niemer mohten gewîchen von deme gotes lobe. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie kumet

began [to make] tents? Then the master said: That was Jabal, Lamech's son. He had a brother who

daz. dô. sprach. der. meister. dô der Luzifer unde sîne volgære gevielen dô newisten die engele umbe

was called Jubal; he was the first who ever invented music. The third brother was the first

daz hellewîze niht. dô sie dô gesâhen ze welichen noeten der tiuvel kom von

man who ever began to forge with iron and with bronze. These same three brothers had a

der gotes krefte. unde erkanten dô in welichen êren sie got behalten hæte. dâ von

sister called Naamah; she first of all found the skill by which people began

viengen sie dâ ze der stæten gotes minne. dô. sprach der. jungere. wanne wart diu helle geschaffen.

to weave. Then the pupil said: Who was the first king after the Flood? Then the master said: That was

inder selben wîle dô der satanâs des gedâhte daz er sich wider got sazte

Shem, Noah's son, who was later called Melchizedek. In that king's time

dô wart diu helle von deme gotes gebote. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wâ ist diu helle. dô. sprach. der. meister. diu

people were divided into three: from Shem came the free, from Japheth came

Gehenna daz ist ein viur der erde. wan daz viur der helle ist sô starc daz unser

can be. The two outer belts are likewise uninhabited. Thus you should

viur vile kûme sîn schate wære. sie heizet ouch Erebus. daz quît trache. wan diu

note that of this world nothing is inhabited except the third part, as

zuovart unde diu tiefe der helle ist vol viurîner natûren die niemer ersterbent.

is painted there before you. Then the pupil said: How is that same

sie heizet ouch Barathrum daz quît swarziu ginunge. wan sie ginet biz

third part divided that we inhabit? Then the master said:

anden jungesten tac wie sie die sêle verslinden mügen. sie heizet ouch Styx daz

The world is divided into three. The one is called

ist unvröuwede. wan dâ ist diu êwige unvröuwede. sie heizet ouch Acherontia daz

Asia, the second is called Europe, the

ist pfnessunge. wan dâ varent die tiuvele ûz alse die ganeiste indeme eitovene.

third is called Africa. Then the pupil said: Now

sie heizet ouch Phlegethon von eineme wazzere. daz durh die helle rinnet.

tell me of the part that is called

daz stinket von deme beche unde von deme swebele unde ist doch sô kalt daz

Asia. Then the master said: Asia begins where

iz alliu hellewîze übertriffet. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wâ ist diu ober helle. dô. sprach. der. meister. diu ist

the sun rises, and runs on the north side

in maniger stete dirre werelte. ûf den hôhen bergen. unde in den inselen. indeme

to the sea. In that part is paradise,

mer. dâ brinnet swebel unde bech. dâ die sêlen inne werdent gewîzeget die

right where the sun rises. In paradise

dô sulen werden erloeset. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie ist der himel geschaffen. dô. sprach. der. meister. den himel

a spring wells up, out of which [flow]

heizent diu buoch firmamentum daz quît vestenunge. der ist alsô geschaffen daz er iemer

four rivers. The one is called Pishon in paradise;

loufet von ôstert hin in westert. dâ engegene löufet diu sunne. unde der mâne unde

when it comes out from there it is called Ganges. The second is called

die plânêten. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie mac daz werden wanne wir sehen wole daz diu sunne

Gihon; when it comes out of paradise it is called Ganges. The third

unde der mâne ôstert hin in westert loufent. dô. sprach. der. meister. daz kumet dâ von wan

is called Tigris, the fourth Euphrates. These two do not change their names.

der himel ist sô kreftic daz er die sunnen unde den mânen unde die sternen inire ungewelte

Then the pupil said: Do the rivers run through paradise? Then the master said: The two rivers are

hin in westert vüeret swie ire reht doch wære daz sie ôstert under giengen.

so great that if they ran through paradise they would ruin a great part of it. That is why the books tell

dô. sprach. der. jungere. durh waz geschuof got diz alsus. dô. sprach. der. meister. durch daz diu himelische

us that the rivers run in paradise under the earth. When they then

geschaft iht zerbreche. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie kumet daz der himel iemer löufet. dô. sprach. der. meister.

come out from there, they break out over the earth. Then the pupil said: Now tell me where

under deme himele ist kein geschaft dâ der himel ûfe stê der ist sinewel unde ist aller

the rivers rise. Then the master said: The one is called Ganges; it rises in India

ebene gewegen unde hât von diu in got sô geschaffen daz er iemer loufe. wan er an einer

from a mountain called Orkobare and flows eastward into the encircling ocean.

stat niht mohte gestân. dô. sprach. der. jungere. welicher slahte ist der himel. dô. sprach. der. meister. der

The second is called Nile; it rises from a mountain called Atlas and

himel ist geschaffen ûzer den vier elementis den wir dâ heizen firmamentū unde ist

at once sinks into the earth as far as the Red Sea; there it has two sources,

gelîch deme gevrorenen wazzere. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wie maniger ist der himele. dô. sprach. der. meister.

and so it flows through the land of the Moors and through Egypt; there it gains seven mouths

der himele sint drîe. der eine ist von der erde unz an den mânen. derander ist von

down to Alexandria, where it falls into the great sea. Tigris and Euphrates

deme mânen unz andaz gestirne. der dritte ist unz obe deme firmamento dâ got

both rise in Armenia from a mountain called Parchoatra

selbe inne ist unde sîne lieben. dô. sprach. der. jungere. ist inden zwein himelen iht. dô. sprach. der. meister.

and both flow southward into the sea. Then the pupil said: Which land lies to paradise

von der erde unz anden mânen sint die übelen geiste die heizent cacodemones

nearest of all? Then the master said: As the books say, into paradise no one can

it est malum scientes die sint dâzuo gesetzet daz sie den mennischen mugen die inden

come except by good works. A wall runs round it which reaches to

luften werdent gewîzeget unz an den jungesten tac. von deme lufte nement

heaven; before it stand mountains and forests. After that lies a great wilderness, which is full of

sie den lîp sô sie uns erschînent. von dem mânen unz andaz gestirne. sô ist der eter

dragons and beasts; for that reason no one can get through it. After that lies a land

viur. die engele sint dâr inne die sint dâzuo gesezet daz sie die mennischen bewaren.

nearest of all, which is called India. The land is named after a river that is called

dô. sprach. der. meister. sumelîchiu buoch sprechent mîn trehtîn hæte geschaffen ein

Indus, which rises from a mountain called Caucasus. The river

vile liehtez wolken dâ von diu werelt was entlûhtet. dô. sprach. der. jungere. wâ wart

flows southward to the Red Sea. The land is hard to get into, for on one side