(18) The bitter quality qualifieth in the sweet, and in the astringent (or harsh and sour) quality, and the love riseth up therein from eternity to eternity.

(48) Thirdly, the sweet quality loveth heat exceedingly, so very much that I cannot compare it to anything; but you may take this for a similitude, though it comes very short of it: Suppose that in two young people of a noble complexion, these being kindled in the heat and fervour of burning love the one to the other, there is such a fire as this: that if each could creep into the body and heart of the other, or if they could transmute themselves into one body, they would do it.

(47) Secondly, the sweet quality also loveth the bitter, because it is a cause of the heat, and also because the bitter spirit triumpheth and trembleth in the sweet water, heat and light, and so makes the sweet water moveable or stirring and living.

(38) There each spirit tasteth of the others, and getteth mere new strength and power, for the astringent quality grows now very pliable and yielding, because it is mitigated by the power of the light that springeth out of the sweet water, and in the fire the meek love riseth up, for it warmeth the coldness, and the sweet water makes the sharp taste very pleasant, lovely, and mild.

(1) AND hereby mayest thou see that we should direct all our beholding unto this meek stirring of love in our will. And in all other sweetness and comforts, bodily or ghostly, be they never so liking nor so holy, if it be courteous and seemly to say, we should have a manner of recklessness. If they come, welcome them: but lean not too much on them for fear of feebleness, for it will take full much of thy powers to bide any long time in such sweet feelings and weepings. And peradventure thou mayest be stirred for to love God for them, and that shalt thou feel by this: if thou grumble overmuch when they be away. And if it be thus, thy love is not yet neither chaste nor perfect. For a love that is chaste and perfect, though it suffer that the body be fed and comforted in the presence of such sweet feelings and weepings, nevertheless yet it is not grumbling, but full well pleased for to lack them at God’s will. And yet it is not commonly without such comforts in some creatures, and in some other creatures such sweetness and comforts be but seldom.

(33) In this rising up the astringent quality becometh meek, light, thin or transparent and pleasant or lovely, and obtaineth its life, whose original riseth up out of the heat in the sweet water, and this now is the true fountain or wellspring of love. Observe this in the deep Sense.

(39) For the sweet water, and the light in the sweet water, rise up continually in the astringent quality, and the bitter quality triumpheth continually therein, and so there is nothing else but mere laughing and joy, and mere existing in love.

(17) The Propagation of the Love is most especially to be observed, for it is the loveliest, pleasantest, and sweetest Fountain of all. When the Love generates again a whole Birth, with all the Fountains of the original Essences out of itself, so that the Love in all the a springing Veins in that new Birth is predominant and chief, so that a Center arises therein, then the first Essence, vis. the Tartness, is wholly desirous or longing, wholly sweet, wholly light, and gives itself forth to be Food to all the Qualities, with a hearty Affection towards them all, as a loving Mother has towards her Children, and here the Bitterness may be rightly called Joy, for it is the Rising or Moving [thereof.] What Joy there is here, there is no other Similitude of it, than when a Man is suddenly and unexpectedly delivered out of the Pain and Torment of Hell, and put into the Light of the Divine Joy.

(11) Behold now, when the Bitterness, or the bitter Sting [or Prickle,] (which in the Original was so very bitter, raging and tearing, when it took its Original in the Harshness,) attains this clear Light, and tastes now the Sweetness in the Harshness, which is its Mother, then it is so joyful, and cannot rise or swell so any more, but it trembles and rejoices in its Mother that bare it, and triumphs like a joyful Wheel in the Birth. And in this Triumph the Birth attains the fifth Form, and then the fifth Source springs up, viz. the friendly Love; and so when the bitter Spirit tastes the sweet Water, it rejoices in its Mother [the sour tart Harshness,] and so refreshes and strengthens itself therein, and makes its Mother stirring zin great Joy; where then there springs up the sweet Water-Spirit a very sweet pleasant Source or Fountain: For the Fire-Spirit (which is the Root of the Light, which was a strong [fierce rumbling Shriek, Crack, or] Terror in the Beginning) that now rises up very lovely, pleasantly and joyfully. The divine everlasting Gates or Doors, by which we have Entrance to the Deity,

(83) The gracious, amiable and blessed love which rose up in the flash of the life, became a fierce and bitter venom or poison, a very murderous den, a sting of death: The tone or tune became like the hard knocking or loud rumbling of stones, and a house of lamentation.

(29) For in the sweet water it is very meek, from whence love existeth, and is only a loving warmth, but no fire.

(2) And if, when turned, towards it she incline, Love is that inclination; it is nature, Which is by pleasure bound in you anew Then even as the fire doth upward move By its own form, which to ascend is born, Where longest in its matter it endures, So comes the captive soul into desire, Which is a motion spiritual, and ne'er rests Until she doth enjoy the thing beloved. Now may apparent be to thee how hidden The truth is from those people, who aver All love is in itself a laudable thing; Because its matter may perchance appear Aye to be good; but yet not each impression Is good, albeit good may be the wax." "Thy words, and my sequacious intellect," I answered him, "have love revealed to me; But that has made me more impregned with doubt; For if love from without be offered us, And with another foot the soul go not, If right or wrong she go, 'tis not her merit." And he to me: "What reason seeth here, Myself can tell thee; beyond that await For Beatrice, since 'tis a work of faith.

(1) The Hoopoe continued: 'The next valley is The Valley of Love. To enter it one must be a flaming fire - what shall I say? A man must himself be fire. The face of the lover must be enflamed, burning and impetuous as fire. True love knows no after-thoughts; with love, good and evil cease to exist.

'But as for you, the heedless and the careless, this discourse will not touch you, your teeth will not even nibble at it. A loyal person stakes ready money, stakes his head even, to be united to his friend. Others content themselves with promising what they will do for you tomorrow. If he who sets out on this way will not engage himself wholly and completely he will never be free from the sadness and melancholy which weigh him down. Until the falcon reaches his aim he is agitated and distressed. If a fish is thrown on to the beach by the waves it struggles to get back into the water.

'In this valley, love is represented by fire, and reason by smoke. When love comes reason disappears. Reason cannot live with the folly of love; love has nothing to do with human reason. If you possessed inner sight, the atoms of the visible world would be manifested to you. But if you look at things with the eye of ordinary reason you will never understand how necessary it is to love. Only a man who has been tested and is free can feel this. He who undertakes tliis journey should have a thousand hearts so that he can sacrifice one at every moment.'

(160) And when the sweet, light, lovepower cometh to them, so that they taste thereof and get its life, O, there is a friendly meeting, saluting and triumphing, a friendly welcoming and great love, a most friendly and gracious, amiable and blessed kissing, and well-relishing taste.

(3) We come now to treat of love in its essential nature. Love may be defined as an inclination to that which is pleasant. This is apparent in the case of the five senses, each of which may be said to love that which gives it delight; thus the eye loves beautiful forms, the ear music, etc. This is a kind of love we share with the animals. But there is a sixth sense, or faculty of perception, implanted in the heart, which animals do not possess, through which we become aware of spiritual beauty and excellence. Thus, a man who only acquainted with sensuous delights cannot understand what the Prophet meant when he said he loved prayer more than perfumes or women, though the last two were also pleasant to him. But he whose inner eye is opened to behold the beauty and perfection of God will despise all outward sights in comparison, however fair they may be.

(49) But this earthly love is only cold water, and is not true fire: A man cannot find any full similitude of it in this half-dead world. In all divine things that receive the true lovefire, the resurrection of the dead at the last day alone is a perfect similitude.

(59) But when the bitter flash, together with the astringent quality and the fire-spirit, tasteth this meekness, there is nothing else then but a mere longing, desiring and replenishing, a very gentle, pleasant tasting, wrestling, kissing and lovebirth: For the severe births of all the qualifying or fountain spirits become, in this [inter]penetration very gentle, pleasant, humble and friendly, and the very Deity rightly subsisteth therein.

(76) In the earth the heat of the sun kindleth the sweet quality of water, in all imaged or framed figures; and then through the heat the light cometh to be in the sweet water, and that enlighteneth the astringent or sour quality, and the bitter, so that they see in or by the light; and in that seeing the one riseth up into the other, and proveth the other, that is, in that seeing the one tasteth of the other's sharpness, from whence cometh the taste.

(159) That friendly courteous lovelightfire goeth along in the sweet quality, and riseth up into the bitter and astringent qualities, and so kindleth the bitter and astringent qualities, feeding them with its sweet lovesap, refreshing, quickening and enlightening them, and making them living or lively, cheerful and friendly.

(10) Take, for instance, the case of a man who has sold a slave girl without knowing how much he was attached to her till she is quite out of his reach. Then the love of her, hitherto dormant, wakes up in him with such intensity as to amount to torture, stinging him like a snake, so that he would fain, cast himself into fire or water to escape it. Such is the effect of love of the world, which those who have it often suspect not till the world is taken from them, and then the torment of vain longing is such that they would gladly exchange it for any number of mere external snakes and scorpions.