Today I have chosen "Steter dienest der ist guot" composed by the Minnesänger known as Tannhäuser in modern German and Tanhûser in Middle High German, the language of his era and songs. This song tells of a courtly love gone awry and is performed by I Ciatarlani. Normally I make a point not to translate longer lyrics and rather to summarize them but those lyrics are just too good to do this, the more so as the translated version on YouTube is often highly inaccurate. Explanations for better understanding I have added in brackets.
"Constant service is well done
if done to fair ladies
like I have done for mine
whom I must bring the salamander (the fire elemental).
One thing she has demanded:
That I channel the river Rhône for her
From the Provence up to the country
around Nuremberg (in Franconia), so I might well succeed (to win her favor).
And the river Danube over the river Rhine
If I do accomplish this she will do as I wish.
Do I speak "Yes" she speaks "No",
for this wonderful harmony
my lady shall receive gratitude -
she is called "gvote" (i.e. the good one).
Heia hei! She has been too long
out of my watch.
REFRAIN:
Yes today and more and more, yes.
Geez! and more, yes.
My heart calls for help.
What does my beloved do to me,
the pure and the very good one,
that she doesn't make me happy.
That makes me feel woe.
I will rejoice over something even better
I will get from the beauty
when the mountain of the Muses melts like snow.
The pure one will reward me
with everything my heart desires,
that will she grant me -
she will even do my will
should I build her a house from ivory
namely on a lake
so I will have her friendship and her favor.
Do I bring her from Galilee
just so incidentally
a mountain - how do I accomplish that? -
on which Lord Adam (the biblical first human, of course) sat
Heia hei! That would be the greatest price
of all love services.
REFRAIN
A big tree trunk from India
she wants to have from me.
She will even do my will.
Look if I will win everything for her.
I must win the (holy) grail for her
guarded by Sir Percival (a knight of the round table),
and the apple which Paris (Prince of Troy)
gave to Venus, the goddess of love,
and even the cloak which dressed
the woman who was never fickle.
Then she still wants a big miracle
that has become hard for me to do:
she craves for the ark
in which Noah sat enclosed.
Heia hei! Would I bring that
how dear I then would be!
REFRAIN"
Classical music ahead!
Era: Medieval
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NXsNSvqmCE