Egmond’s Lament
This text features a poem originating from the early 14th century. The song I created from it can be listened to at the bottom of this page. Since I found it both enjoyable and meaningful, I initially included a section of background information.
The name Egmond in the title refers to a lord of the House of Egmond, a noble lineage that had its ancestral seat in the former village of Egmond, situated in the Dutch province of North Holland, to the west of the current city of Alkmaar.
The Wikipedia page contains some information about this noble house:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Egmond
Whereas it is noteworthy that the English Wikipedia page provides significantly less information compared to the Dutch and German pages.
The lament originates from the work “Kronyck ende Historie van het edele ende stark geslachte van den húyse van Egmondt,” likely authored by Anthonius Hovaeus (also known as van Hove and van der Hoef), published in 1655 in the Dutch city of Alkmaar. This work is presented in an edition in Older Dutch from 1655, with the first edition being in Latin from 1603; the here used versions are this fifth edition as also a somewhat later online-edition..
On page 52, a poem begins, a lament penned by the monk Garbrand van Raephorst, concerning the ruins of the once magnificent castle of the Van Egmondt family. The poem was recorded around 1450, but given the language used, it is likely 100 to 150 years older, that is, shortly after 1300.
If the text in the book is accurate, this aligns with the mention on page 51 (translated):
“For in the year 1315, the Frisians came when Lord Wouter had fled to Haarlem, and they burned Egmond along with the castle and estate to the ground, which was an everlasting loss for the Land of Egmond, for after the fire, practically all the nobles and the gentry moved to the cities of Leiden or Haarlem.”
Other sources report that the devastation occurred one to two years earlier.
For instance, in or near Egmond, the noble families Renesse, Schrevel, Sonnevelt, Raephorst, Rietwijck, and Banjaert resided.
These Frisians are the West Frisians, who lived in the northern part of the present-day province of North Holland. They not only destroyed the princely farm and the castle but likely also a significant portion of the village of Egmond, which was also part of the possessions of the Egmond family.
Evidently, they saw their opportunity, as the chronicle notes:
“Wouter the Second […] was a peaceful man and Lord like Lord William. He could not defend them with battles and wars. This proved to be a mischief of (this Lord of) Egmond.”
There is uncertainty regarding the information presented above. For instance, the website http://johnooms.nl/heren-en-vrouwen-van-adel/heren-egmont/, which provides a detailed overview of the noble family Egmond, indicates that the destruction occurred more than a hundred years earlier. At that time, Lord Wouter I of Egmond was absent, as he was serving in the army of Prince William I during a campaign known as “The Loon War” (1204–1205).
Regardless, the aforementioned poem is the focus here, which reads, in Middle Aged Dutch and an English translation:
Lamentatie over Egmond
Raephorst:
Wat mankeert u, o Egmond,
of wat is u overkomen,
dat u in zo’n zware verdriet verkeert?
U die vroeger vol was van vreugde!
Hoe is het nu zo plotseling met u veranderd,
dat u zo verdrietig zit in zak en as
en uw rode wangen met tranen bedekt?
Daarboven verlaten door vrienden en familie?
Egmond’s lament
Raephorst:
What troubles you, O Egmond,
or what has happened to you,
that you find yourself in such deep sorrow?
You, who once was filled with joy!
How has it suddenly changed for you,
that you sit so mournfully in despair
with your flushed cheeks covered in tears?
Above all, abandoned by friends and family?
Egmond:
Ja, de Heere heeft mij in zijn gramschap geslagen, En heeft mij in deze dagen
Uit mijn Koninklijke Zetel gezet,
Mijn kroon is vergaan als een dorre bloem op het veld,
En in stukken gebroken, onherroepelijk.
Daarom ben ik van mijn edeldom verlaten.
Dat komt omdat ik mijn Schepper ben vergeten,
Daarom zit ik hier,
Bedrukt met het hoofd in de schoot;
Mijn kinderen kleedde ik in zijde en scharlaken rood,
Die moet men nu beklagen in dezer ongelukkige dagen,
Met last en lijden groot.
Mijn heren hebben mij verlaten,
Wie troost mij nu dan!
Maar ik moet bedrukt leven,
Als een vrouw die verlaten is door haar man.
Egmond:
Yes, the Lord has struck me in His wrath,
And has removed me in these days
From my Royal Seat,
My crown has perished like a withered flower in the field,
And has been shattered, irrevocably.
Therefore, I have been forsaken by my nobility.
This is because I have forgotten my Creator,
Thus, I sit here,
Oppressed with my head in my lap;
I dressed my children in silk and scarlet red,
They must now be lamented in these unfortunate days,
With great burdens and suffering.
My lords have abandoned me,
Who comforts me now then!
But I must live in sorrow,
Like a woman who has been deserted by her husband.
Raephorst:
Met recht mag u wel klagen
Over de grote schande
Die u, o Egmond, is overkomen,
Want men ziet niet meer,
Of kan aanschouwen
Het wandelen van de Edele Jonkheren en Jonkvrouwen.
Die ‘s avonds gewoonlijk spelen achter de straten,
Maar in plaats daarvan bent u verlaten
Van uw rijkdommen en edelheid;
Het is te betreuren hoe het hier ligt
Zeer verwoest aan elke kant,
Uw mooie huizen zijn verbrand,
Het lijkt alsof Egmond als Sodom is vergaan,
De kostbare huizen zijn nu als moordkuilen en spelonken.
Daar wonen nu de witte vrouwen en nachtgeesten;
Uw straten worden nu door beesten betreden,
En ze groeien ook vol distels, doornen en onkruid,
Men hoort daar niet meer de stem van de bruid,
Maar enkel bedruktheid en tegenspoed.
Daarom, o Egmond, valt uw Schepper te voet,
En bid Hem om vergiffenis en om Zijn goddelijke genade,
Dat Hij u helpt en u bevrijdt uit deze tegenspoed,
en u beschermt onheil.
Raephorst:
You have every right to express your grievances
Regarding the great disgrace
That has befallen you, oh Egmond,
For one can no longer see,
Or witness
The noble gentlemen and ladies strolling.
They usually play behind the streets in the evening,
But instead, you find yourself abandoned
Of your wealth and nobility;
It is lamentable how things stand here
So utterly devastated on every side,
Your beautiful homes have been consumed by flames,
It appears as though Egmond has perished like Sodom,
The precious houses now resemble murder pits and caverns.
Now, the White Wives and night spirits reside there;
Your streets are now traversed by beasts,
And they are overgrown with thistles, thorns, and weeds,
One no longer hears the voice of the bride,
But only sorrow and misfortune.
Therefore, O Egmond, turn to your Creator.
And implore Him for forgiveness and His divine grace,
That He may assist you and deliver you from this adversity, and protect you from calamity.
Egmond:
Ik hoop dat God mij niet zal verlaten,
maar mij met liefde beziet,
opdat ik mijn ongeluk kan overwinnen.
Daarom wil ik bidden tot God, mijn Heer.
Raephorst:
U doet goed om u tot Hem te richten,
zoals de zondige tollenaar deed,
opdat God u niet zou verlaten,
wat ver van u is, want wie valt,
moet moed hebben om op te staan.
Egmond:
I hope that God will not forsake me,
but will look upon me with love,
so that I may overcome my misfortune.
Therefore, I wish to pray to God, my Lord.
Raephorst:
It is wise of you to turn to Him,
as the sinful tax collector did,
so that God will not abandon you,
which is far from you, for those who fall
must have the courage to rise again.
This poem is not identical in all editions of the work; it has been somewhat revised in later editions. For the following song, a portion of this poem has been utilized and adapted, specifically the part that encapsulates the essence of the lament. It was created with the assistance of AI.
The lyrics of the song can be viewed while listening in the player below.
