Palästinalied

[2] The melody has been suggested to be a contrafactum of 12th-century troubadour Jaufre Rudel's song "Lanquan li jorn".

[5] The subject of the song is the Christian gospel told from the perspective of a pilgrim setting foot in the Holy Land.

The song's conclusion refers to the crusades themselves, asserting that, in view of the claim of Christians, Jews and "heathens" (Muslims) to the Holy Land, the Christian claim is the just one (Al diu werlt diu strîtet her / Wir sîn an der rehten ger / Reht ist, daz er uns gewer "All the world is warring here [in the Holy Land] / Our claim is the just one / It is right that He [God] grant it").

Nû alrêst lebe ich mir werde, sît mîn sündic ouge siht daz here lant und ouch die erde, der man sô vil êren giht.

Schoeniu lant, rîch unde hêre, swaz ich der noch hân gesehen, sô bist dûz ir aller êre.

Life's true worth at last beginneth, Now my sinful eyes behold The holy land, the earth that winneth Fame for glories manifold.

Lands, the greatest, goodliest, fairest, Many such mine eyes have seen; O'er them all the crown thou bearest.

dô liez er sich hie verkoufen, daz wir eigen wurden frî.

Hinnen vuor der sun ze helle, von dem grabe da'r inne lac.

des was ie der vater geselle und der geist, den nieman mac sunder scheiden, êst al ein, sleht und ebener danne ein zein, als er Abrahâme erschein.

dô huob sich der juden leit: daz er, hêrre, ir huote brach und daz man in sît lebendig sach, den ir hant sluog unde stach.

sînen geist, der uns bewar, den sant er hin wider ze hant.

Unser lantraehtere tihten fristet dâ niemannes klage, wan er wil zestunden rihten.

sô ez ist an dem lesten tage: und swer deheine schult hie lât unverebent, wie der stât dort, dâ er pfant noch bürgen hât!

Ir enlât iuch niht verdriezen, dâz ich noch gesprochen hân.

Kristen, juden und die heiden jehent, daz diz ir erbe sî.

got müez ez ze rehte scheiden durch die sîne namen drî.

Him the Father still attended And the Ghost, whom no man may E’er disjoin; the three are one: Shaft so smooth and straight there’s none, As to Abraham it was shown.

When He quelled the fiend and ended Such a fight as king ne’er fought, Here to earth He reascended.

Sorrow to the Jews it brought; Through their guard He broke amain; Living was He seen again, Whom their hands had pierced and slain.

As he wanted to take pity on us, here he suffered grim death, he, most rich, on us, most poor, that we might escape from woe.

For he was an eternal companion to the Father, and to the Spirit, which no one may divide: They are all One, straighter and smoother than an arrow-shaft, as He appeared to Abraham.

Then began the Jews' sorrow: that he, the Lord, broke from their custody and that he was later seen alive, whom their hand had beaten and pierced.

In this land he has announced a terrible day when the widow will be avenged, and the orphan may file complaint, and so may the poor man about the violence that was done to him.

Vil lihte daz ein tumber man misseredet, als er wol kann.

With the increased popularity of Medieval rock, Neofolk and related musical styles in the late 1980s and 1990s, the Palästinalied became a sort of staple song for such genres and is now well known to modern audiences due to performances by mainly German bands, including (among others): Palästinalied-Projekt is a compilation of 20 performances of the song (2002; Palästinalied at Discogs).

The Austrian Ensemble for Early Music Dulamans Vröudenton recorded a reconstructionist performance of "Palästinalied".