Love

The Snare

by Der Hardegger fl. mid-13th century

Translated by Frank C. Nicholson (1907) · From Old German Love Songs (1907)

Love

In springe and net full many a beast and bird is taken lightly;
This comes to pass because they know not where the snares do lie;
For well I wot, if they could read the hunter's purpose rightly,
Never one of all the tribe were caught and doomed to die.
Thereby more foolish than the brutes I deem that mortals be:
The trap's two jaws they mark full plain—
The body's death, the soul's sure bane,
And yet from fears lest they may trip their hearts are wholly free.

MLA

Hardegger, Der. “The Snare.” Translated by Frank C. Nicholson. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/der-hardegger/1/.

Chicago

Hardegger, Der. “The Snare.” Translated by Frank C. Nicholson. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/der-hardegger/1/.

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