Love

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.

Then Almitra said, Tell us about Love.

And he raised his head and looked upon the people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And with a great voice he said:

He raised his head and looked at the people, and they fell silent. In a strong voice, he said:

When love beckons to you, follow him,

When love calls to you, follow him,

Though his ways are hard and steep.

Though his paths are hard and steep.

And when his wings enfold you yield to him,

And when his wings wrap around you, give in to him,

Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.

Though the sword hidden among his feathers may wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

And when he speaks to you, believe in him,

Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

Though his voice may shatter your dreams, just as the north wind destroys the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.

For just as love crowns you, so will love crucify you. Just as love helps you grow, so will love prune you.

Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,

Just as he rises to your height and caresses your tenderest branches as they tremble in the sun,

So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

So he will reach down to your roots and shake them as they cling to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He gathers you to himself like bundles of grain.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He threshes you to strip you bare.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He sifts you to remove your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He grinds you until you are white.

He kneads you until you are pliant;

He kneads you until you are easy to shape.

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.

Then he places you in his sacred fire so that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.

Love will do all these things to you so that you may know the secrets of your heart. Through that knowledge, you may become a part of Life’s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,

But if fear makes you seek only love’s peace and pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,

Then it is better for you to cover your nakedness and leave love’s threshing floor,

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

Into the world without seasons, where you will laugh, but not with all your laughter, and weep, but not all your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love gives only itself and takes only from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;

Love does not possess, nor does it want to be possessed.

For love is sufficient unto love.

For love is enough for love.

When you love you should not say, “God is in my heart,” but rather, “I am in the heart of God.”

When you love, you should not say, “God is in my heart.” Instead, say, “I am in the heart of God.”

And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Do not think you can direct the course of love. For if love finds you worthy, it directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfil itself.

Love wants nothing but to fulfill itself.

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:

But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:

To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness.

To melt and become like a flowing stream that sings to the night. To feel the pain of too much tenderness.

To be wounded by your own understanding of love;

To be hurt by your own understanding of love.

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

And to bleed willingly and joyfully.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstacy;

To rest at noon and meditate on the ecstasy of love,

To return home at eventide with gratitude;

To return home in the evening with gratitude.

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

And then go to sleep with a prayer for your beloved in your heart and a song of praise on your lips.