Love in 16th century Frisia

Surely they were touched by human emotions. A 30 year old sailor named Jan from Husum, a 20 year old farm girl named Volkje, married in Amsterdam's Nieue Kirche and about to set sail across the Atlantic to New Amsterdam and a new life. She would be his guiding life, the mother of his children, the keeper of the house. Together they would share life's journey.

What thoughts had they, we can only imagine

Dear Lyltsen, when I am with thee
(My light, my flame, my sun, my eye)
As dark as deep as night may be
When through the sky stars steer their course
No matter how dark it may be
It is light as the daylight sun for me.

But when your flare flares not unto me,
I have no star to steer my turning;
I move then blind as a stick, a stone,
Though mid-day sun is burning.
What use if the sun in my eyes is bright?
Lylts is all, my dark, my light.

Gysbert Japicx (b. 1603)

Lyltsen  (the diminutive and enduring way of referring to Lylt), possibly Lilith. In Jewish mythology, Lilith refers to a demon in the night.

Gysbert Japicx (also Japiks; 1603–66) was a 17th century Dutch poet who wrote in Latin as well as the Frisian dialect, Friesche Rymlerye (1668; “Frisian Verse”). Japicx or Japiks spoke to his beloved Lylt in several verses.

Here is one in the original Frisian:

Lyltsen paeyde Poppe' in pea,
Dear trog trillen, lef, sijn ljea,
Fijt'! him tocht him salm t'ontrinnen.
Yn swiet mulke it 'i thauwer-poeen.
't Is klear jou-leas-nimmend'-joeen.
Dock jaen jou-nimt hert in sinnen.

And my poor translation:

Lyltsen paid Poppy in peas (the Pope in peas?)
Dear, rise up trembling, beloved, they lie
Fie! he thought his salmon escaped
In sweet cucumber, it is their point
'Tis clear to you less none do join
Yet, unless you take heart in your mind