Wiener Genesis

dône was nieman mêre.

Then there was no one else.

dô hiez engel werden.

Then he bade angels come into being.

zehen koere er bestifte.

Ten choirs he established;

mit engelen er si alberihte

with angels he fully furnished them.

zewâre wile ich iu daz sagen

Truly, I will tell you this.

sîn buoze newas boreguot.

His penance was none too good;

übel was sîn herze joch sîn muot.

evil were his heart and his mind.

er lêrte sîniu kint

He taught his children

dei zouber dei hiute sint.

the sorceries that exist today.

dô wurden die schüzzelinge.

Then the offshoots became

gelîch deme stamme.

like the stock.

übel wuocher sibâren.

An evil growth they bore;

dem tiuvele vageten.

they were pleasing to the devil.

Adâm hiez si mîden wurze.

Adam bade them shun [certain] herbs,

daz sinienewurren an ire gebürte.

so that these would not harm their offspring.

sîn gebot si verkuren.

They scorned his command;

ire geburt si verluren.

they lost their [true] offspring.

dei kint si gebâren.

The children they bore

dei ungelîch wâren.

were unlike [their parents].

sumelîche hæten houbet sam hunt.

Some had heads like dogs;

sumelîche hæten an den brusten den munt

some had the mouth on the breast,

anden ahselen dei ougen.

the eyes on the shoulders;

dei muosen sich des houbetes gelouben.

they had to go without a head.

sumelîche hæten sô michel ôren.

Some had such big ears

daz si sich dâ mite dahten.

that they covered themselves with them.

Jakop dare widere dâhte.

Jacob devised a counter-plan,

dâ er in mite nâch zeleide brâhte.

with which he afterwards brought him to grief.

er nam alberîne stabe.

He took poplar rods,

sneit in die rinde iewâ. abe.

cut the bark off them here and there,

lie dâr ane swarze vlecke.

left black patches on them,

eteswâ wîze blecken.

in places let white show through;

sumelîche er ouch niene schinte.

some he did not peel at all.

truoc si mit ime zeâbende.

He carried them with him in the evening;

dô er daz vihe trankte.

when he watered the flock,

in den nuosch er si leinte.

he leaned them in the trough.

sô diu ouwe denne tranc.

When the ewe then drank

unde der ram ûf si spranc.

and the ram leapt on her —

der durst si dwanc.

thirst drove her

daz si stuont tranc.

so that she stood drinking —

swes si dâ wart berenthaft.

whatever she conceived there,

sô si ane sach den vêhen stap.

as she looked at the speckled rod,

daz wart misselîchen varwe

that was of mixed colours.

daz nam Jakop gare.

All of that Jacob took;

dei eine varwe gehabeten.

those that had one colour

wie getâtet ir sô übele.

How could you act so badly

daz ir mîneme hêrren sô habet gelônet.

as to repay my lord in this way,

daz irime sînen kopf stâlet.

stealing from him his cup,

dâer ûz spulgete trinken.

from which he was accustomed to drink

und inne wonete liezen.

and in which he used to cast lots?

ir habet übele getân.

You have done evil;

iz schol iu swâre ergân.

it shall go hard with you.”