Annae Ovenae Hoyers Rath; Anna Ovena Hoyer's Advice
[This page by Madeleine Brook]
Annae Ovenae Hoyers Rath /
Den sie auß gutem Hertzen hat
Allen Alten Wittwen gegeben /
Darnach zuleben;
Uber diese die wiederstreben /
Wird unglück schweben /
Diß mercket eben.
Alte Bleib Allein /
Stell das Tantzen ein /
Laß die Männer seyn /
So du wilt gedeyn.
Halt dich still und rein.
Acht den Rath nicht klein /
Gut mit dir ichs meyn.
Ihr Alten Weiber höret her;
Was ich euch rath / nemt an die Lehr/
Begehret keine Männer mehr /
Sonst stürtzet ihr euch in beschwer
Und wird euch endlich rewen sehr.
Ein Wittwe Alt an Jahren
Soll sich nicht wider pahren /
Und im Ehelichen leben /
Beym Mann mehr wider geben;
Sondern in Einsamkeit
Zubringen ihre zeit /
Und in der furcht des Herren /
Nach Sanct Pauli begehren /
Die Junge Frawen lehren /
Ihre Ehe=Männer ehren /
Kinder erziehn und nehren /
Des Hauses wolfart mehren /
Desselben schaden wehren /
Alles zum besten kehren.
So wird Gott Gnad bescheren.
Das wünsch trewlich
Von Hertzen ich
Anna Ovena Hoyers.
Anna Ovena Hoyer’s Advice
Which she, from the goodness of her heart,
Gave all old widows
To live by;
Over those who refuse
Misfortune will hang,
So take note of this.
Old woman stay single
Cease dancing,
Leave men well alone,
If you want to prosper.
Keep silent and pure.
Take note of this important advice,
I mean well with you.
You old women, listen to me,
To what I advise you, take this teaching:
Desire men no longer
Or you will find great tribulation
And will greatly repent it eternally.
A widow old in years
Should not couple herself again
And into married life
With a husband return again,
But rather solitary
Spend her time
And in awe of the Lord
In accordance with St Paul’s desire
Teach young women
To honour their husbands,
To feed and raise their children,
To increase the wellbeing of their house
And to protect the same from harm,
To do everything to their best.
Then God will grant Grace.
This desires faithfully
From my heart, I,
Anna Ovena Hoyers.
Source (with kind permission): http://wortblume.de/dichterinnen/aohrath.htm
This poem forms the ‘prologue’ to a much longer poem addressed to widowed women. The rhymes and rhythms are simple, keeping generally to lines of between 5 and 8 syllables and using dactylic and trochaic feet. Its style is highly didactic, full of short, imperative phrases the tone of which Hoyers softens by her rhetorical protestation that this advice is for women’s own good – that is, the good of their souls.