He himself tells us
that he deserted his earthly mistress for the Queen of Heaven. Perhaps
the dualism between earthly and transcendent love has never been
expressed more clearly than by him; for in his case the worshipping love
did not gradually lead up to Mary, the essence of womanhood, but an
earthly love had to be killed so that the pure heavenly love could live.
Mary! Gentle mistress mine!
I humbly kneel before you;
All my heart and soul are thine.
And:
Oh, Mary! Secret fountain,
Closed garden of delight,
The Prince of Heaven mirrors
Him in thy beauty bright.
But after describing all the joys of heaven, Brother Hans comes to the
conclusion that a man knows about as much of celestial matters as an ox
knows of discant singing.
His relationship to Mary is tender, intimate and familiar:
Within my heart concealed
There is a secret cell;
At nightfall and at daybreak
My lady there does dwell.
The mistress of the house is she,
I feel her love and care about.
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