Palästinalied - German Crusader Song

Music and lyrics by Walther von der Vogelweide, arrangement and vocals by Farya Faraji, featuring my good friend Étienne Nantel, with many thanks to Christian, one of my viewers, who kindly helped me out with the pronunciation of this one.

The Palästinalied, or Song of Palestine, (the title is a modern one, as we don't know how it was called back then), is a German song from the early 13th century written and composed by Walther von der Vogelweide, with indications that the melody is a repurposing of an earlier Occitan troubadour song. It expresses the point of view of a pilgrim having arrived in the Holy Land, and offers a glimpse into the mindset of the pilgrims and crusaders of Europe of that era. With my rendition, I limited the text to the first stanzas, and sought to express the feelings of humility and meaning felt by the protagonist--I've always interpreted this as a solemn and introspective piece of text, not a bloodthirsty and warlike one.

The pronunciation I used is that of Mittelhochdeutsch, or Middle High German, the standard variety of High German spoken in the Middle-Ages; as such, there as some notable differences with modern German pronunciation. Thanks once again a whole lot to Christian for having helped out with the pronunciation.

The arrangement is, as far as my intent is concerned, meant to be entirely historically accurate, and should reflect the sort of arrangement one would have heard back then for this song: a largely monophonic one, which means that there is little use of harmony, counterpoint, and no chords. The instruments utilised are the vielle, the lute, the hurdy-gurdy, the bowed psaltery, and a bagpipe to provide the drone underneath. The vocals are ornamented in a style veering almost towards Balkanic or Middle-Eastern aesthetics, as it is attested that this was how Europeans of the Middle-Ages sang, the technique being called "fracturam in cantu" by some theoreticians of the era, and being notably very much used by the Germans.

Lyrics in Mittelhochdeutsch:
Nû alrêst lebe ich mir werde,
sît mîn sündic ouge siht
daz here lant und ouch die erde,
der man sô vil êren giht.
ez ist geschehen, des ich ie bat,
ich bin komen an die stat,
dâ got menischlîchen trat.

Schoeniu lant, rîch unde hêre,
swaz ich der noch hân gesehen,
sô bist dûz ir aller êre.
waz ist wunders hie geschehen!
daz ein magt ein kint gebar,
hêre über aller engel schar,
was daz niht ein wunder gar?

English translation:
For the very first I am alive to myself,
since my sinful eye beholds
the noble land, and also that earth
to which so much honour is given.
That has come to pass for which I have ever prayed:
I have come to the place
where God walked in human form.

Such fair lands, rich and noble,
as I have seen elsewhere,
you are the honour of them all,
what miracles have come to pass here!
That a maid bore a child,
lord over all the angelic host,
was this not a perfect miracle?