ORIGINAL

VONDEL AAN TESSELSCHADE

Sept. 1634.

Op de diepzinnige puntdichten van den Engelschen poet John Donne. Vertaelt door C. Huigens.

„De Britste Donn’ Die duistre zon, Schijnt niet voor ieders oogen,” Seit Huigens, ongeloogen, Die taelgeleerde Haegenaer, Die watertant naer Kavejaer, Naer snoftabak, en smooken, Die raeuwe herssens kooken; Maer dit is ongemeene kost, ’t Is een banketje voor den Drost, En voor ons kameraetje, Het zoete Tesselschaedtje, O lieve Nymfje Tesselschaé, Verstaeje ’t niet, zoo slaet’er nae, Of laet het u bedieden; Want dit zijn hooger lieden Dan ’t Hooge Liedt van Salomon, Dat geen vernuft ooit vaeten kon, Dan hooghgeleerde Smouten, Van langer handt gezouten. Maer waerom of mijn oordeel laekt, Het geen myn saus, mijn Mostaert, smaekt, Die zich niet kan verzaden Met zulleke saladen.

TRANSLATION

VONDEL TO TESSELSCHADE

September 1634

On the profound epigrams of the English poet John Donne, Translated by C. Huygens.

"The British Donne, That obscure sun, Does not shine for everyone's eyes," Says Huygens, undeniably, That linguist from The Hague, Who craves caviar, Snuff, and smoking, Whose rough brains are cooking; But this is uncommon fare, It's a banquet for the Sheriff, And for our little friend, Sweet Tesselschade, Oh dear Nymph Tesselschade, If you don't understand it, look it up, Or have it explained to you; For these are higher minds Than the Song of Solomon, Which no wit could ever grasp, Except highly learned scholars, Preserved for a long time. But why my judgment fails, What my sauce, my mustard, tastes like, Which cannot be satisfied With such salads.

Metadata

  • Sender: Joost van den Vondel
  • Recipient: Tesselschade Roemers Visscher
  • Subject: Commentary on the translation of John Donne's poems by Constantijn Huygens
  • Send Date: 1634
  • Location: Unknown
  • Geolocation: Unknown
  • Language: nl
  • Summary: Joost van den Vondel writes to Tesselschade Roemers Visscher, discussing the complex nature of John Donne's poems translated by Constantijn Huygens. He praises Huygens' linguistic skills and suggests that the poems are sophisticated and not easily understood by everyone.