Tractate — Chapter 12

Tractate — Chapter 12Middle High German + EnglishAbout this edition

Original Source (Middle High German)

English Translation

VON DEM UBERSCHALLE.

Wêre noch helle noch himelrîche, nochdanne wolt ich minnen got, süezer vater, dich unde dîne hôhe nâtûre, dar an diu drîheit stât in einer einekeite, dâ si ir vermügentheit abe hât. Seht, nû mügent ir gerne hoeren von der verborgenheit der hôhen nâtûre der drier einekeit. Die persônen die sint got in irre persônlicheit, gotheit nâch der nâtûre in der einekeit. Seht, nû mügent ir hoeren, waz got unde gotheit sî. Daz hât ein underscheit; daz verstêt diu sêle mîn an der widerblœze der hôhen einekeit. Diu liuhtet in ir selbes wesen gar âne underscheit. Dâ hât si beslozzen al ir einekeit unde doch mit underscheide der hôhen persônlicheit. Der rivier ist ursprunclich, dâ einekeit inne weset, daz einige ein ist durftlôs, daz in ime selben swebet in einre dunstern stilheit. Ez kan nieman verstân, doch in sîn selbesheit ist ez offenbâr. Daz lieht ist daz êrste in der ursprunclicheit, daz den geist verleitet in die verborgenheit ûzer sîme wesenne, alblîbende, în gezogen, versenket in daz dunsternisse. Aldâ wirt er betrogen, aldâ wirt er enkleidet von liehtes dunsterheit, aldâ verliuret er beide in der apgruntlicheit, aldâ sô wirt entfrömdet daz verborgen wesen, der geist, in der einekeit und ist doch sîn leben.

Ô grundelôse tief apgrunt, in dîner tiefe bistû hôch, in dîner hôcheit nider! wie mac daz sîn alsô? Daz ist uns verborgen in dîner tiefe apgrunt. Sô sprichet sant Paulus, ez sül uns werden kunt. In der kuntschaft ist der geist über sîn selbesheit, in hât an sich gezogen der drier einekeit. Dâ stirbet der geist alsterbende in dem wunder der gotheit, wand er in der einekeit enhât kein underscheit; daz persônlîche verliuret sînen namen in einekeit. Dâ der geist ûf nihte an einekeite bestât, dâ verliuret er daz mitel von gotlîcher art. Liehtes und dunsterheite der ist er beider blôz, materien unde formen. Ein gansterlîn sô blôz, daz dâ ist geschaffen ein niht von sîme nihte, daz wirt dâ în gezogen von sînes nihtes ihte. Daz selbe niht ist blôzheit in der persône wesen, daz den geist verleitet und in einekeit tuot sweben. In dem unbegrîfen der hôhen einekeit, diu aller dinge vernihtet in ir selbesheit sunder sich, ist sînde ein âne underscheit, unde doch ein iht geschaffen an ir selbesheit. Daz einez, daz ich dâ meine, daz ist wortelôs. Ein und ein vereinet dâ liuhtet blêz in blôz. Dâ diu zwei apgründe in einer glîcheit swebent gegeistet und engeistet, dâ ist ein hôhez wesen; dâ sich got entgeistet, dâ ist dunsterheit in einer unbekanter bekannter einekeit. Daz ist uns verborgen in sîner stilheit tiefe. Alle crêatûren ergründent niht daz iht.

ON THE ECSTATIC SONG.

Even if there were neither hell nor the kingdom of heaven, I would nevertheless love God, sweet Father, you and your high nature, in which the Trinity stands in a unity, from which it has its power. See, now you may gladly hear of the hiddenness of the high nature of the threefold unity. The persons are God in their personhood, Godhead according to nature in unity. See, now you may hear what God and Godhead are. There is a distinction; my soul understands it in the bare reflection of the high unity. This shines in its own being wholly without distinction. There it has enclosed all its unity, yet with the distinction of the high personhood. The river is primordial, where unity has its being; the single One is need-free and hovers within itself in a dark stillness. No one can understand it, yet in its selfhood it is manifest. The light is the first in primordiality, which leads the spirit into the hiddenness beyond its being, remaining there, drawn inward, sunk into darkness. There it is deceived; there it is stripped of the darkness of light; there it loses both in the abyss; there the hidden being, the spirit, becomes estranged in unity, and yet this is its life.

O groundless deep abyss, in your depth you are high, in your height low! How can this be so? This is hidden from us in your deep abyss. Saint Paul says that it shall become known to us. In this knowledge the spirit is above its selfhood; the unity of the three has drawn it to itself. There the spirit dies, dying utterly in the wonder of the Godhead, for in unity it has no distinction; the personal loses its name in unity. Where the spirit rests upon nothing but unity, there it loses the means of divine nature. Of light and darkness it is bare of both, of matter and form. A little spark so bare: there a nothing is created from its nothing; there it is drawn inward by the something of its nothing. That same nothing is bareness in the being of the person, which leads the spirit and causes it to hover in unity. In the incomprehension of the high unity, which annihilates all things in their selfhood apart from itself, it is being one without distinction and yet a created something in its selfhood. The One that I mean there is wordless. One and one united: there bare shines into bare. Where the two abysses hover in one likeness, spiritualized and de-spiritualized, there is a high being; where God de-spiritualizes himself, there is darkness in an unknown-known unity. This is hidden from us in the depth of its stillness. No creatures fathom the something.

Daz uns daz iht enblîbet, daz ist ein guot geyal.

alsus sulnt ir minnen, kinder, überal

That the something remains to us is a good delight.

Thus you shall love, children, above all,

und îlen in daz hoehste, daz ist der überschal.

DIZ IST DIU GLÔSE ÜBER DEN ÜBERSCHAL.

Nû merke.

and hasten into the highest: that is the Ecstatic Song.

THIS IS THE GLOSS ON THE ECSTATIC SONG.

Now mark.

Daz rehte volmahte wesen des geistes ist, ob helle noch himel enwêre, daz er got doch minnen solte durch sîn eigene güete. Man sol minnen die drîheit der persônen in der einekeit der nâtûren unde die einekeit der nâtûre in der drîheit der persônen. Diu drîheit hât ir mügentheit an der einekeit unde diu einikeit hât ir wirdekeit an der drîheit. Ouch gehoeret eim edelen geiste zuo, daz er bekenne daz underscheit gotes unde gotheit, wie daz sî, daz die drie persône in in hânt beslozzen die einekeit als ir nâtûrlich wesen. Wand ieglich persône die einekeit zemâle in sich beslozzen hât als ir nâtûrlich wesen, dar umbe ist ieglich persône got nâch einekeit und an nâtûre gotheit. Alsô ist got an den persônen got und an nâtûre gotheit nâch der einveltikeit der nâtûre. Alsus liuhtet diu einekeit in der drîheit underscheidenlich nâch rede. Aber der blôze widerslac der einekeit dâ liuhtet si sich selben einlich âne rede in einekeit und doch einvelteclich in ir beslozzen nâ einekeit. Mêr: die drie persône behaltent nâch rede an dem underscheide ir eigenschaft. Der vater ist ein ursprunc des suns, des ist der sun ein rivier êwiclich von dem vater geflozzen nâch der persône und inblîbende nâch wesenne. Der vater unde der sun ursprangent iren geist.

Alsus ist der geursprungete rivier mit dem êrsten ursprunge ein ursprunc des heiligen geistes. Diu einekeit, diu dâ wesen ist des êrsten ursprunges nâch rede, diu ist ouch wesen des geursprungeten riviers, der mit dem êrsten ursprunge ein ursprunc ist des heiligen geistes. Und als diu einekeit ir beider wesen ist, als ist si ouch wesen des selben geursprungeten geistes von in beiden. Alsus ist der rivier ursprunclich. Diu einekeit, diu in in beiden ist, diu ist durftlôs, si ist âne durft der redelicheit, wand si bestêt âne rede einlich in einekeit. Doch vergêt daz reden niht, daz ist, dâ daz wesen ist in rede. Mêr: dâ daz reden sleht in daz unreden irs wesens, dâ tragent sie beide ein eigenschaft in der eigenschaft des eigentuoms. Wie diz sî? Daz ist diu dunster stilheit, die nieman kan verstân dan der, in den ez liuhtet: diu einekeit mit ir selbesheit. Dâ ist daz lieht daz êrste in der ursprunclicheit.

The true perfect being of the spirit is this: even if neither hell nor heaven existed, it should nevertheless love God for his own goodness. One should love the Trinity of the persons in the unity of nature and the unity of nature in the Trinity of the persons. The Trinity has its power in unity, and unity has its dignity in the Trinity. It also belongs to a noble spirit to know the distinction between God and Godhead: namely, that the three persons have enclosed unity within themselves as their natural being. Since each person has wholly enclosed unity within himself as his natural being, each person is God according to unity and, in nature, Godhead. Thus God is God in the persons and, in nature, Godhead according to the onefoldness of nature. Thus unity shines in the Trinity distinctly according to discourse. But in the bare reflection of unity it shines itself onefoldly without discourse in unity, and yet onefoldly enclosed within itself according to unity. Further: according to discourse the three persons retain their proper characteristic in distinction. The Father is an origin of the Son; therefore the Son is a river eternally flowed from the Father according to person and remaining within according to being. The Father and the Son originate their Spirit.

Thus the river that has sprung forth is, together with the first origin, an origin of the Holy Spirit. The unity that is the being of the first origin according to discourse is also the being of the river that has sprung forth, which with the first origin is an origin of the Holy Spirit. And as unity is the being of them both, so it is also the being of that same Spirit sprung forth from them both. Thus the river is primordial. The unity that is in them both is need-free; it has no need of rationality, for without discourse it subsists as one in unity. Yet discourse does not pass away—that is, where being is in discourse. Further: where discourse strikes into the non-discourse of its being, there they both bear a property within the property of ownness. How is this? It is the dark stillness that no one can understand except the one into whom it shines: unity with its selfhood. There light is the first in primordiality.

Nû merkent. Diz ist der geursprungete rivier, der ouch selber ursprunc ist, der behaltet eigenschaft eins liehtes in der ûzgeursprungetheit sînes selbesheit. Nochdenne, daz dâ entspringet in offenbârekeit, daz offenbâret sich selben unde daz, ûz dem ez springet. Aber nâch der inwesender geursprungetheit behaltet der geursprungete rivier, der ouch selber geursprunget ist, eigenschaft eins verstentnisses nâch ungeoffenbârekeit der verborgenheit, mêr: daz lieht nâch der ûzgeursprungetheit daz ist dem geiste mit offenbârekeit und verleitet in ûz ime selben in die verborgenheit der inwesender geursprungetheit. Dâ wirt er enkleidet von liehtes dunsterheit. Daz ist allez daz, daz ime ie geoffenbâret wart in liehtes wîse. Von dem wirt er enblœzet, wan er sol dâ ein anderz bevinden eigenlîcher dan er hie verstêt in liehtes wîse. Lieht hât wîse âne verstentnisse. Dunsterheit ist verstân âne wîse, daz ist, daz man enkeine wîs haben mac. Nû scheidet sich der geist von liehte, dâ er sich von wîse scheidet, unde scheidet sich von dunsterheit, in dem er entsinket aller nâtûrlicheit in die eigenlîche ungenantheit. Alsus hât er verlorn beide dunsterheit unde lieht in dem apgründe, daz niemer gegrûndet wirt von crêatûren an sîme eigen ihte. Daz ist diu entfrömdekeit in der einekeit in einer vorspilender wîse allen geisten; mêr: diu begriffenlicheit der einekeit, daz die seligen geiste hânt, daz lît an der enpfintlicheit mit aller welde eins andern denne daz sie selber sîn.

Eyâ, dû grundelôser tiefer apgrunt allen crêatûren unde dir selben ungruntlich, in dîner tiefe bistû hôch nâch der einveltigen weselicheit, diu unverdruclich ist, under al hôcheit dîner wesender maht bistû tief an dem înslage der einveltikeit dînes grundes, der dâ ist verborgen allem dem, daz dû niht enbist; mêr: die, den dû dich wilt gemeinen, die sülent dich mit dir bekennen. Daz sprichet sant Paulus ‘wir süllen dâ erkennen, als wir hie erkant sîn.’ Dise kuntschaft hât der geist niht von sîn selbesheit, want diu einekeit treket in in der drîheit an sich, daz ist an sîner rehter nâtûrlîcher wonstat, dâ er wonet obe ime selber in dem, daz in dâ getreket hât, dâ stirbet der geist al sterbende in dem wunder der gotheit. Daz sterben des geistes lît dar an, daz er enhein underscheit hât an der einlîcher weselicheit, mêr: daz underscheit haltet er nâch den persônen der drîheit. Diz offenbâret des geistes lebelicheit, daz er hât underscheit der persônlicheit. Doch liuhtet ûzer einekeit ein einveltic lieht, want die drie persône liuhtent ein wesen weselich, alse driu lieht einen schîn schînent. Als sprichet sant Augustînus: diz weseliche lieht wirt geliuhtet von den persônen in die pürheit des geistes. Von dem înblicke entsinket der geist ime selben und aller sîn selbesheit unde der wirclicheit sîner krefte. Diz geschiht von dem înslage der blôzheit des einveltigen liehtes der einekeit, ûf dem der geist mê stêt dan ûf sîn selbisheit, dâ der geist ûf nihte dan einikeite stêt. Dar umbe heizet man die einekeit niht, want der geist enkan keine wîse vinden, waz si sî; mêr: daz der geist empfindet, daz er enthalten wirt von eim andern dan daz er selber ist. Her umbe ist daz, daz in enthaltet, eigenlîcher iht danne niht; mêr: ez ist doch dem geiste niht an aller wîse, waz ez sî. Ez ist aber eigenlîcher an ime sîn selbes eigentuomes, want ez enloukent sîn selbes niht. Want der geist eigenlîcher hie wonhaft ist, sô verliuret er alle mittel, daz ist von der gotlîchen art, diu ist ime alliu dinc. Er verliuret dâ alle sîne nâtûrliche eigenschefte unde vergêt doch niht; er gewinnet eigenschefte der gotheit unde wirt doch nâtûrlich got niht, mêr: ez geschiht von gnâden. Daz mac man dâ bî merken, daz er ist ein iht geschaffen von nihte. Alleine er sî ein geschaffen iht, er wirt doch getreket mit der kraft gotlîches wesens in sîn einekeit, diu niht ist an vernemunge einiger wîse in keiner crêatûren. Diu einekeit, diu niht ist an wîse keiner crêatûren, daz ist blôzheit, want si ist aller wîse blôz von crêatûren, mêr: in ir selben hât si ir wîte einlîch nâch weselicheit. Diz wîselôse wesen von crêatûren daz ist wesen der persône, die hânt ez beslozzen alleine in einveltiger wîse nâ rehter durchgrundelicheit als ir nâtûre. Daz bekentnisse entgeistet den geist. Diu entgeistunge des geistes ist ein entblœzunge aller wîse der einekeit, die die persône beslozzen hânt in rehter wîse. Dar umbe swebet der geist in einekeit âne lieht unde dunsterheit. Âne lieht, daz ist nâch der ungruntlîcher wesentheit. Âne dunsterheit, daz ist nâ darbenne eigentlîcher namlicheit. Alsus stêt der geist ouch blôz materien unde formen, wand er hât enpfangen an sich ein götlîche forme. Alsus kumt der geist zuo sîme êwigen bilde, daz ist âne in beslozzen weselich nâ einekeit unde drîveltîc nâ rede in den persônen. Alleine der geist an dem bilde habe ein êwikeit an sich, nochdanne ist er ein iht geschaffen an sîn selbesheit. Daz geschaffen iht daz ist mens; mit dem mens meinet man den kleinen ganster, die lebelîcheit des geistes. Diz ist der geist an ime selbe. Sô ist sîn êwic bilde ein anderz, wan daz ist got weselich. Swanne sich der geist an im selben kêret von allen geworden dingen in die ungewordenheit sînes êwigen bildes, daz dâ beslozzen ist in den persônen, an den er sînen ursprunc hât, daz heizet den geist gekêret zuo sînem bilde. Dâ liuhtet blôz gegen blôz, daz ist: diu enplœzete gewordenheit des geistes kêret sich in die blôze ungewordenheit sînes êwigen bildes. In disem umbegriffe geschiht diu hôhe einekeit, dâ alrest ist vereinet anme geiste al sîn nâtûrlicheit unde bestêt in gotlîcher einekeit. Dâ disiu zwei vereinet in einekeite swebent gegeistet und entgeistet, daz ist ein sêlic leben.

Now mark this. This is the river that has sprung forth, which is itself also an origin; it retains the property of a light in the outward origination of its selfhood. Nevertheless, what springs forth there into manifestation reveals itself and that from which it springs. But according to the indwelling origination, the river that has sprung forth, which is itself also originated, retains the property of an understanding according to the unmanifestness of hiddenness; rather, the light according to outward origination is present to the spirit with manifestation and leads it out of itself into the hiddenness of indwelling origination. There it is stripped of the darkness of light. That is everything that was ever revealed to it in the mode of light. Of this it is stripped, for there it is to find another thing more essentially than it understands here in the mode of light. Light has mode without understanding. Darkness is understanding without mode; that is, one can have no mode. Now the spirit separates itself from light when it separates from mode, and it separates itself from darkness when it sinks away from all naturalness into its proper namelessness. Thus it has lost both darkness and light in the abyss that can never be fathomed by creatures in its own something. This is the estrangement in unity, in a prefiguring mode, for all spirits; rather, the comprehensibility of unity that the blessed spirits have lies in perception together with every willing of another than what they themselves are.

Ah, you groundless deep abyss, unfathomable to all creatures and to yourself, in your depth you are high according to onefold essentiality, which cannot be constrained; beneath all the height of your essential power you are deep in the impression of the onefoldness of your ground, which is hidden from everything that you are not. Rather, those to whom you wish to communicate yourself must know you with yourself. Saint Paul says: ‘There we shall know as we are known here.’ The spirit does not have this knowledge from its selfhood, for unity draws it to itself in the Trinity—that is, to its true natural dwelling-place, where it dwells above itself in that which has drawn it there. There the spirit dies, wholly dying, in the wonder of the Godhead. The death of the spirit consists in this, that it has no distinction in onefold essentiality; rather, it retains distinction according to the persons of the Trinity. This manifests the life of the spirit, that it has distinction of personhood. Yet out of unity shines a onefold light, for the three persons shine one being essentially, as three lights shine one brightness. Saint Augustine says: this essential light is shone forth by the persons into the purity of the spirit. At this inward glance the spirit sinks away from itself and from all its selfhood and from the activity of its powers. This happens through the impression of the bareness of the onefold light of unity, on which the spirit rests more than on its selfhood, where the spirit rests on nothing but unity. Therefore unity is called nothing, for the spirit can find no mode of what it is; rather, the spirit perceives that it is held by another than what it itself is. Therefore that which holds it is more properly something than nothing; yet the spirit has no mode at all of what it is. It is, however, more properly in itself its own ownness, for it does not deny itself. Because the spirit more properly dwells here, it loses all means—that is, the means of the divine nature, which is all things to it. There it loses all its natural properties and yet does not pass away; it gains properties of the Godhead and yet does not become God by nature; rather, this happens by grace. This can be recognized from the fact that it is a something created from nothing. Although it is a created something, it is nevertheless drawn by the power of divine being into its unity, which is not perceptible in any mode to any creature. The unity that is not in the mode of any creature is bareness, for it is bare of every creaturely mode; rather, in itself it has its breadth onefoldly according to essentiality. This modeless being with respect to creatures is the being of the persons, who have enclosed it solely in a onefold mode according to true thorough-groundedness as their nature. Knowledge de-spiritualizes the spirit. The de-spiritualization of the spirit is a stripping away of every mode of unity which the persons have enclosed in the true mode. Therefore the spirit hovers in unity without light and darkness. Without light, that is according to unfathomable essentiality. Without darkness, that is according to the lack of proper nameability. Thus the spirit also stands bare of matter and forms, for it has received into itself a divine form. Thus the spirit comes to its eternal image, which is enclosed within it essentially according to unity and threefold according to discourse in the persons. Although the spirit in the image has an eternity in itself, nevertheless it is a created something in its selfhood. The created something is mens; by mens is meant the little spark, the vitality of the spirit. This is the spirit in itself. Thus its eternal image is another, for that is God essentially. When the spirit turns within itself from all things that have become into the uncreatedness of its eternal image, which is enclosed in the persons in whom it has its origin, that is called the spirit's being turned toward its image. There bare shines against bare; that is: the stripped createdness of the spirit turns into the bare uncreatedness of its eternal image. In this encompassing occurs the high unity, where for the first time all its naturalness is united in the spirit and abides in divine unity. Where these two hover united in unity, spiritualized and de-spiritualized, that is a blessed life.

Eyâ, nû merke, waz diu geistikeit gotes sî. Daz nêheste unde daz subtileste wort, daz crêatûre geleisten mac, daz ist geist, und dar umbe nemet man got einen geist. Wan dan diu crêatûre eigenlîche niht geleisten mac dehein nemlicheit der ungenantheit gotes, seht, alsô engeistet sich got dem geiste. Nû merket ouch, waz diu geistikeit der sêle sî. Daz ist, daz si gescheiden sî von dem gewerbe niderer dinge unde wone in deme obersten mit gedenken und mit minne. Alsô wirt si ein geist mit gote. Ouch lît diu geistlicheit der sêle dar an, daz si an irme ihte alse wênic sî materie, als an irme nihte, von dem si geschaffen wart. Diz ist diu geistikeit der sêle. Aber ir entgeistikeit lît an dem înslage, dâ si mê ûf daz sîne gêt dan ûf daz ire, unde daz ist diu hôcheit irs volmahten wesens. Aber diu îngegeistikeit gotes daz ist diu verborgenheit, nâch der hangeude ist der geist, der disem ouch entsinket, wan diu tougenlîche stilheit der einekeit diu ist verborgen in einer stillen tiefe, alsô daz al crêatûre niemer ze grunde gegründen ir iht. Daz uns diz iht ungruntlich blîbet, des sülen wir uns fröuwen und begrîfen ez doch mit ime selber, unt daz ist unser hœhsti sêlikeit. Daz uns diz geschehe, des helf uns diu gotlîche dreieinekeit. Âmen.

Ah, now mark what the spirituality of God is. The nearest and subtlest word that a creature can furnish is spirit, and therefore God is called a spirit. But since the creature properly cannot furnish any naming of God's namelessness, see, thus God de-spiritualizes himself to the spirit. Now mark also what the spirituality of the soul is. It is that she be separated from the business of lower things and dwell in the highest with thought and love. Thus she becomes one spirit with God. The spirituality of the soul also consists in this, that in her something she is as little material as in her nothing, from which she was created. This is the spirituality of the soul. But her de-spiritualization consists in the impression where she goes more toward what is his than toward what is hers, and this is the height of her perfect being. But God's in-spirituality is the hiddenness toward which the spirit hangs, and from which it too sinks away, for the secret stillness of unity is hidden in a quiet depth, so that no creature can ever ground its something to the bottom. That this something remains unfathomable to us, at that we should rejoice, and yet comprehend it with itself; and that is our highest blessedness. May the divine Trinity help us that this may happen to us. Amen.