Hollands winterlied (about 1450-1500)(a dutch wintersong)

It's the oldest known skating-poem in Dutch, from the last part of the 15th Century. It was published in the Haerlems Oudt Liedt Boeck/Old Harlem Songbook, which shows that it must have been a song. The tune was the probably wellknown song 'Lief uitverkoren, lief triumphant'.
The lines are very interesting, because it proofs that skatingMATCHES were arranged in those days, that both MEN AND WOMEN particapated, and that love allready was involved as well. It's Middleage-dutch, but for most native speakers not so hard to understand, but the spelling is different. Only the last two lines are a bit difficult.
This poem is also the first place known where the actual word 'schaetsen' (today schaatsen/skate) was used. Priorly only 'scolootsen' or 'scoloetsen' was used

Op ander plaetsen
Int tijt van ijs,
Rijt men op schaetsen
Om eer en prijs
Rijers en Rijsters
Zijn bij den back,
Vrijers en Vrijsters
Int beste pack
Daer komen dan sien
Veel kijckers na dien
Om te verspiên
Oft daer oock yet ghebrack

At other places
In time of ice
They go on skates
For honour and prize
Male and female Skaters
Are present
Male and female lovers
In their best suits
Over there come to see
Lots of spectators
To have a look
whether something was needed
(this means: salesmen attracted by the crowd)

Input material by: Gerrit Stevens and Marnix Koolhaas
Added: 29 september 1999
Translation: Marnix Koolhaas

Last changes on this page 14 July 2001
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