The Book of the Lover and the Beloved: Translated from the Catalan of Ramón Lull with an Introductory Essay by E. Allison Peers — John Shaqi
The Book of the Lover and the Beloved: Translated from the Catalan of Ramón Lull with an Introductory Essay by E. Allison PeersLlull, Ramon
Religion
The Book of the Lover and the Beloved: Translated from the Catalan of Ramón Lull with an Introductory Essay by E. Allison Peers
Llull, Ramon
Mysticism -- Spain -- Early works to 1800
66 The Lover was gazing on a Place where he had seen his Beloved. And
he said: ‘Ah, place that recalled the blessed haunts of my Beloved!
Thou wilt tell my Beloved that I suffer trials and griefs for His
sake.’ And that Place made reply: ‘When thy Beloved hung upon me, He
bore for thy love greater trials and sorrows than all other trials and
sorrows that Love could give to its servants.’
67 Said the Lover to his Beloved: ‘Thou art all, and through all, and
in all, and with all. I would give Thee all of myself that I may have
all of Thee, and Thou all of me.’ The Beloved answered: ‘Thou canst not
have Me wholly unless thou art wholly Mine.’ And the Lover said: ‘Let
me be wholly Thine and be Thou wholly mine.’ The Beloved answered: ‘If
I am wholly thine, what part in Me will thy son have, thy brother, thy
sister and thy father?’ The Lover replied: ‘Thou, O my Beloved! art so
great a Whole, that Thou canst abound, and yet be wholly of each one
who gives himself wholly to Thee.’
68 The Lover thought long and deeply on the greatness and
everlastingness of his Beloved, and he found in Him neither beginning,
nor mean, nor end. And the Beloved said: ‘What art thou measuring,
O Fool?’ The Lover answered: ‘I am measuring greater with lesser,
fullness with want, infinity with quantity, and eternity with time. And
this I do that humility and patience, faith, love and hope may enter
more deeply into my mind.’
69 The paths of love are both long and short. For love is clear,
pure and bright, subtle yet simple, strong, diligent, brilliant, and
abounding both in fresh thoughts and in old memories.
70 They asked the Lover: ‘What are the fruits of love?’ And the Lover
made answer: ‘They are pleasures, thoughts, desires, trials, perils,
torments, sighs and griefs. And without these fruits Love’s servants
have no part in her.’
71 Many persons were with the Lover, who was complaining of his Beloved
that He increased not his love, and of Love, that it gave him so many
trials and sorrows. The Beloved made reply that the trials and sorrows
for which he reproached Love were that very increase of love.
72 The Lover entered a delightful meadow, and saw in the meadow many
children who were pursuing butterflies, and trampling down the flowers;
and, the more the children laboured to catch the butterflies, the
higher did these fly. And the Lover, as he watched them, said: ‘Such
are they who with subtle reasoning attempt to comprehend the Beloved,
Who opens the doors to the simple and closes them to the subtle. And
Faith reveals the secrets of the Beloved through the casement of love.’
73 ‘Say, Fool of Love, why dost thou not speak, and what is this for
which thou art thoughtful and perplexed?’ The Lover answered: ‘I am
thinking of the beauties of my Beloved, and the likeness between the
bliss and the sorrow which are brought me by the gifts of Love.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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