Tractate — Chapter 16 — Meister Eckhart

VON DEM ZORNE DER SÊLE.

Diu minnende sêle wirt zornic von ir selbes bekentnisse. Si hât ein antlütze enpfangen kreftelîche und ist rôt unde zornic umbe daz überblîben, daz ir in got blîbet, daz si allez daz niht enist, daz got ist von nâtûre, unde daz si allez daz niht enhât, daz got hât von nâtûre.

Nû sprechent die meister, noch sî ein nâher zorn dan daz ein vriunt haben wil sînen vriunt selben und allez, daz er hât. Diu sêle sprichet, daz ir zorn sô unmêzic sî, daz er sich mit ir niht versüenen müge. Daz bant der minne ist ir alze starc. Si sprichet: ach, wer mac mich getrœsten? mîn ungeval ist alze grôz! Wære ich schepfer einvaltic âne anevanc und âne ende und hêt ich die crêatûren geschaffen unde wære er sêle als ich bin, sô wolte ich alles des wesennes ûz gân unde wolte sî lâzen în gân, got ze sîne, unde wolte ich crêatûre werden; und wære diz gute ein hindernisse, daz er sîn wesen von mir hête, sô wolte ich, daz er mich verdilgete, unde wolte ê ze nihte werden den worten, daz er ungehindert von mir würde. Wan aber dan daz alsô ist, allez daz geschaffen ist, daz daz etwas êwiges wesens hât in menslîcher nâtûre, daz ez êwecliche inne bestân muoz, sô enweiz ich war ich mich kêre, dâ ich stat vinde. Des neige ich mich wider in mich selben, dâ vinde ich die niderste stat, jâ niderrer dan diu helle, wand mîne gebresten ûzern mich selben. Ich enmac mich doch niht vergân. Har în wil ich mich setzen und hie inne wil ich wonen und ich begere, herre, daz dû mîn niemer gedenkest und allen crêatûren verbietest, daz sie mich niemer getrœsten, und allen mînen kreften verbietest, daz niemer keiniu für dîn antlitze kome ûf daz, daz ich dir niht ein hindernisse sî. Alsus wil ich ûz gân unde wil die sêle lâzen în gân.

ON THE ANGER OF THE SOUL.

The loving soul becomes angry through the knowledge of herself. She has powerfully received a countenance and is red and angry over the remainder that remains to her in God: that she is not all that God is by nature, and that she does not have all that God has by nature.

Now the masters say that there is a still more inward anger than this: that a friend wishes to possess his friend himself and all that he has. The soul says that her anger is so immeasurable that it cannot be reconciled with her. The bond of love is far too strong for her. She says: Ah, who can comfort me? My misfortune is far too great! If I were the Creator, onefold, without beginning and without end, and if I had created the creatures and he were a soul as I am, then I would go out of all being and would let him enter into it, to be God, and I would become a creature. And if this good were an impediment, because he had his being from me, then I would wish him to annihilate me, and I would rather become nothing, so that he might be unhindered by me. But since everything created that has something of eternal being in human nature must subsist in it eternally, I do not know where to turn so as to find a place. Therefore I incline back into myself; there I find the lowest place, indeed lower than hell, because my deficiencies cast me outside myself. Yet I cannot annihilate myself. Here within I will set myself, and here I will dwell; and I desire, Lord, that you never think of me, and that you forbid all creatures ever to comfort me, and forbid all my powers that any one of them should ever come before your countenance, so that I may not be an impediment to you. Thus I will go out and let the soul go in.

Der dritte zorn der sêle ist, daz si got wolde sîn unt daz enkein crêatûre niendert wære, als dâ got was in sîner êwikeit, ê daz er ie crêatûre geschuof, dur daz si gotlîcher nâtûre in der einekeit gebrûchen möhte als er ê tet. Doch sô wære ime sîner minne gebrosten, wand ez ist des guotes dinges art, daz ez sich gemeine.

Der vierde zorn ist, daz si daz blôze wesen blôz wolte sîn, alsô daz weder got noch crêatûre enwære. Si sprichet, waz die drie persônen in der gotheit solten unde waz die crêatûren alle solten. Doch sprichet si, ez enmöhte kein crêatûre gesîn âne ir werc. Dar umbe müesten die drie persône in der gotheit sîn, unde sie sint sache der crêatûren. Got hât got erhaben: die crêatûre, die er geschaffen hât, die enmöhten in niht erheben. Allez, daz die crêatûre gote tuont, daz ist ir selbes: daz lob, daz sie gote geben mügent, daz ist ir selbes.

The third anger of the soul is that she would wish to be God and that no creature should exist anywhere, as God was in his eternity before he ever created a creature, so that she might have fruition of divine nature in unity as he did before. Yet then he would have lacked his love, for it is the nature of a good thing to communicate itself.

The fourth anger is that she would wish the bare being to be bare, so that neither God nor creature existed. She asks what the three persons in the Godhead should be for and what all creatures should be for. Yet she says that no creature could exist without their work. Therefore the three persons must be in the Godhead, and they are the cause of creatures. God has exalted God: the creatures that he has created could not exalt him. Everything that creatures do toward God belongs to themselves; the praise that they can give God belongs to themselves.