The Ludwigslied,
written in the Rhenish Franconian dialect, was composed to celebrate the
victory of Ludwig III over the Normans at the battle of Sancourt, which was
fought on August 3, 881. It was probably written by the monk Hucbald (+ 930) in
the same or the early part of the following year.
Rithmus teutonicus
de piae memoriae Hluduico rege filio Hluduici aeque regis.
Einan kuning uueiz ih, Heizsit her Hluduig,
Ther gerno gode thionot: Ih uueiz her imos lonot.
Kind uuarth her faterlos. Thes uuarth imo sar buoz :
Holoda inan truhtin, Magaczogo uuarth her sin.
Gab her imo dugidi, Fronisc githigini,
Stual hier in Vrankon. So bruche her es lango!
Thaz gideilder thanne Sar mit Karlemanne,
Bruoder sinemo, Thia czala uuunniono.
So thaz uuarth al gendiot, Koron uuolda sin god,
Ob her arbeidi So iung tholon mahti.
Lietz her heidine man Obar seo lidan,
Thiot Vrancono Manon sundiono.
Sume sar verlorane Uuurdun sum erkorane:
Haranskara tholota Ther er misselebeta.
Ther ther thanne thiob uuas, Ind er thanana ginas,
Nam sina vaston: Sidh uuarth her guot man.
Sum uuas luginari, Sum skachari,
Sum fol loses, Ind er gibuozta sih thes.
Kuning uuas ervirrit, Thaz richi al girrit,
Uuas erbolgan Krist: Leidhor, thes ingald iz.
Thoh erbarmedes got, Uuisser alia thia not:
Hiez her Hluduigan Tharot sar ritan.
‘Hluduig, kuning min, Hilph minan liutin!
Heigun sa Northman Harto biduuungan.’
Thanne sprah Hluduig ‘Herro, so duon ih,
Dot ni rette mir iz, Al thaz thu gibiudist.’
Tho nam her godes urlub, Huob her gundfanon uf,
Reit her thara in Vrankon Ingagan Northmannon.
Gode thancodun The sin beidodun,
Quadhun al ‘fro min, So lango beidon uuir thin.’
Thanne sprah luto Hluduig ther guoto:
‘Trostet hiu, gisellion. Mine notstallon.
Hera santa mih god loh mir selbo gibod,
Ob hiu rat thuhti, Thaz ih hier gevuhti,
Mih selbon ni sparoti, Uncih hiu gineriti.
Nu uuillih thaz mir volgon Alle godes holdon.
Giskerit ist thin hieruuist So lango so uuili Krist:
Uuili her unsa hinavarth, Thero habet her giuualt.
So uuer so hier in ellian Giduot godes uuillion,
Quimit he gisund uz, Ih gilonon imoz;
Bilibit her thar inne, Sinemo kunnie.’
Tho nam er skild indi sper, Ellianlicho reit her;
Uuolder uuar errahchon Sinan uuidarsahchon.
Tho ni uuas iz burolang, Fand her thia Northman.
Gode lob sageda, Her sihit thes her gereda.
Ther kuning reit kuono, Sang lioth frano,
Ioh alle saman sungun ‘Kyrrieleison’.
Sang uuas gisungan, Uuig uuas bigunnan,
Bluot skein in uuangon: Spilodun ther Vrankon.
Thar vaht thegeno gelih, Nichein soso Hluduig:
Snel indi kuoni, Thaz uuas imo gekunni,
Suman thuruhskluog her, Suman thuruhstah her.
Her skancta cehanton Sinan fianton
Bitteres lides. So uue hin hio thes libes !
Gilobot si thiu godes kraft: Hluduig uuarth sigihaft;
Ioh allen heiligon thane! Sin uuarth ther sigikamf.
Uuolar abur Hluduig, Kuning uuigsalig!
So garo soser hio uuas, So uuar soses thurft uuas,
Gihalde inan truhtin Bi sinan ergrehtin.
Christ and the woman of Samaria, written in the Alemanic dialect about
the year 850. It is based on the fourth chapter of St. John, vv. 1-26.
Lesen uuir thaz fuori ther heilant fartmuodi.
ze untarne, uuizzun thaz, er zeinen brunnon kisaz.
Quam fone Samario ein quena sario
scephan thaz uuazzer : thanna noh so saz er.
Bat er sih ketrencan daz uuip thaz ther thara quam
(uuurbon sina thegana be sina lipleita):
‘Biuuaz kerost thu, guot man, daz ih thir geba trinkan ?
ia ne niezant, uuizze Christ, thie Judon unsera uuist.’
‘Uuip, obe thu uuissis, uuielih gotes gift ist,
unte den ercantis mit themo do kosotis,
tu batis dir unnen sines kecprunnen.’
‘Disiu buzza ist so tiuf, ze dero ih heimina liuf,
noh tu ne habis kiscirres, daz thu thes kiscephes:
uuar maht thu, guot man, neman quecprunnan?
Ne bistu liuten kelop mer than Jacob.
ther gab uns thesan brunnan, tranc er nan ioh sina man;
siniu smalenozzer nuzzun thaz uuazzer.’
‘Ther trinkit thiz uuazzer, be demo thurstit inan mer,
der afar trinchit daz min, then lazit der durst sin:
iz sprangot imo'n pruston in euuon mit luston.’
‘Herro, ih thicho ze dir, thaz uuazzer gabist du mir,
daz ih mer ubar tac ne liufi hera durstac.’
‘Uuib, tu dih anneuuert, hole hera dinen uuirt.’
siu quat sus libiti, eommen ne hebiti.
‘Uueiz ih daz du uuar segist, daz du eommen ne hebist
du hebitos er finfe dir zi volliste.
des mahttu sichure sin: nu hebist enin der nis din.’
‘Herro, in thir uuigih scin, daz thu math forasago sin,
for uns er giborana betoton hiar in berega,
Unser altmaga suohton hia genada:
thoh ir sagant kicorana thia bita in Hierosolima.’