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Intuitio Amoris [83]


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[168] ↓
Intuitio Amoris.translation
XLI.
Alu. Paz. August.
EX his Amoris effectibus & contemplationis
gradibus, non habet anima Sancta quo am-
plius ascēdat, nisi ad claram & facialem visionem
Dei; quæ licet alterius vitæsit, ad quam tendimus,
& pro qua adipiscenda suspiramus, iure optimo,
& Amoris finis, & vltimus contemplationis gra-
dus ponitur, quoniam est supremum & perfectis-
simum quo Deus possidetur, & in quo mens in-
tellectu & affectu collocatur. Cum ergo, Domine, peruenerimus ad te sapiē-
tiæ fontem, ad te lumen indeficiens; ad te lucem
inextinguibilem; vt te non iam per speculum in
ænigmate; sed facie ad faciem videamus, tunc sa-
tiabitur in bonis desiderium nostrum; quia nihil
erit exterius quod desideretur, nisi tu Domine
summum bonum; qui eris præmium beatorum, &
diadema decoris eorum, & lætitia sempiterna su-
per capita eorum: pacificans eos intus & extra in
pace tuâ, quæ exsuperat omnem sensum. ibi vide-
bimus, amabimus & laudabimus: videbimus in
lumine tuo lumen tuum; tu es quippe lumen, in
cuius lumine videbimus lumen; te scilicet in te, in
splendore vultus tui, quando te videbimus facie
ad faciem. Vidisti effectus vtriusque Amoris, o Anima! vi-
disti vtriusque finem, mærorem & gaudium, pœ-
nam & gloriam. Ama ergo amore illo, cuius fi-
nem appetis. Si malè amaueris, damnaberis. Si
benèamaueris, coronaberis.translation
FINIS.translation

[168a] ↓

Vidi Deum facie ad faciem, et salua facta est anima mea. Gen. 32. translation

Voicy l'Amour content, voicy l'Ame contante,
L'Ame voyant l'Amour, l'Amour voyant l'Amante.

169 ↓
Vision de l'Amour.
XLI.
Par vn instinct secret l'aigle ayme la lumiere,
Et sa felicité consistant en sa sphere,
Ses yeux sont attachez aux rayons du soleil.
Par vn destin heureux m'incline la naissançe
A regarder l'amour, & chercher son essançe
D'vn regard eternel & mouuement pareil.

Silentio pluma atreuida,
Que no cabe en la razon,
El primor desta vision.

Van liefde den volcomen loon/
Is/ hem te sien in sijnen troon.
FINIS.

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[168]

[168a]

169

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Translations

Intuition of love.
Beyond these effects of love and these grades of contemplation the sanctified soul has no more to ascend to but to the clear, face-to-face vision of God. Although this belongs to the second life, after which we strive and which we long to acquire, quite rightly it is set for before us both as the goal of love and as the ultimate grade of contemplation, because it is the highest and most perfect by which God is possessed, and in which the mind establishes itself by intellect and emotion. When, therefore, Lord, we will have come to You, the fountain of wisdom, to You, unfailing light, to You, inextinguishable light, so that we see You no longer through a glass, darkly,1 but from face to face, then our longing will be satisfied with goodness, because there will be nothing more to be desired but the highest good, You, my Lord, Who will be the reward of the blessed, and the crown on their honour and the eternal happiness that comes over them, pacifying them inside and outside in Your peace that transcends all senses. There we will see, we will love, and we will praise; we will see Your light in Your light, for You are the light, in the light of which we see light, that is, You in You, in the splendour of Your countenance, when we shall see You face to face. You have seen the effects of either love, o soul! You have seen the end of either, sorrow and joy, punishment and glory. Love therefore with that love, the end of your aspirations. If you will have loved badly, you will be damned. If well, you will be crowned.
The end.
I have seen God face to face,2 and my soul is saved.3

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Literature


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    Sources and parallels


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    References, across this site, to this page:


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    Iconclass

    Kneeling on a cloud, the soul is looking up at sacred love

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    Comments

    commentary

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    Notes

    1
    'per speculum in aenigmate', 'through a glass, darkly': 1. Cor. 13:12.
    2
    'Vidi Deum ... anima mea': Gen. 32:30, not incidentally this is from the story in which, maybe in a dream, Jacob wrestles with "a man" (God?; Gen. 32:24), and earlier on (Gen. 28:12) in a dream sees a stairway to heaven.
    3
    'et salua facta est anima mea': 'and my life is preserved' KJV; NRSV has 'and yet ...', because of the widespread belief that a human cannot survive such a confrontation, but here 'yet' woul be quite out of place.