BREVIS ET DAMNOSA VOLVPTAS.

[No source given]
Lumina delectant culices, perimuntaque petita;
Sic nobis spes est optima caussa mali.
Qui circumuolitat deceptus Amoris ad ignis,
Numquid naturam papilionis habet?

For one pleasure a thowsand paynes.

Euen as the moth vvith ioy about the candle flyes,
But by the flame is burnt if hee therein do light,
So at the fyre of loue the louer takes delight,
But buyes his pleasure deer vvhen in the flame hee dyes.

Breue gioia.

Qual la farfalla al lume lieta muore
Spinta da lo splendor, tale l’amante,
Dai raggi spinto di beltà prestante,
A’ gl’occhi muor d’adamantino cuore.

Voor een vreught duysent pijnen.

Ghelijck de motte vlieght na ’t licht met groot verblijden
Tot dat sij haer verbrant: den minnaer in het vier
Van Liefde heeft sijn lust/maer moet ’t becoopen dier.
Seer dickmaels om een vreught moet hy veel smerte lijden.

Pour vn plaisir mille douleurs.

Comme le papillon aux rais d’vne chandelle
s’Esgayant perd la vie: ainsi le fol amant,
s’Approchant de trop pres, perd vie & sentiment,
Foudroyé par les yeux de sa Dame cruelle.

103 ↓

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Facsimile Images

102, LEI:

102, LDF:

102, LIF:

103, pictura:

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Translations

Een kort en pijnlijk genoegen.

A short and hurtful pleasure.

[Heinsius, Emblemata amatoria 8.3]

Muggen houden van het licht, maar sterven eraan als ze er naar toe gaan. Zo is onze grootste verwachting de oorzaak van ellende. Wie bedrogen rondvliegt naar Amors vuur, die lijkt toch op een vlinder

[Heinsius, Emblemata amatoria 8.3]

Mosquitos love the light, but die when they approach it. In the same way our greatest hope is the cause of our woe. Who deceived flies to Amor's fire, doesn't he resemble a butterfly?

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Literature

Henkel and Schöne, Emblemata, col. 911
Moseley, Century of Emblems, p. 134
Praz, Seventeenth-Century Imagery, p. 113
Discussion of Lohenstein's use of this emblem in Sophonisbe: Schöne, Emblematik und Drama, p. 106
Sebastiàn, Lectura crítica, p. 30

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Sources and parallels

Brevis & damnosa voluptas [33] (in: Otto Vaenius, Emblemata aliquot selectiora amatoria (1618)) [Compare]
Junius, Emblemata [web], embl. 49
Parallel (and probably source) for the subscriptio and probably entire emblem: Cosi de ben amar porto tormento [8] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Quaeris quid sit Amor (c. 1601)) [Compare]
Parallel for the pictura (mosquitos are attracted by a candle) and the meaning of the subscriptio: Cosi de ben amar porto tormento. [32] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido, from: Nederduytsche poemata (1616)) [Compare]
Parallel (and probably source) for the Latin subscriptio and entire emblem: Cosi de ben amar porto tormento [8] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Emblemata amatoria (1607/8)) [Compare]

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References, across this site, to this page:

Cosi de ben amar porto tormento [8] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Quaeris quid sit Amor (c. 1601))
Cosi de ben amar porto tormento [8] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Emblemata amatoria (1607/8))
Cosi de ben amar porto tormento. [32] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido (1613))
Cosi de ben amar porto tormento. [32] (in: Daniël Heinsius, Ambacht van Cupido, from: Nederduytsche poemata (1616))
Brevis & damnosa voluptas [33] (in: Otto Vaenius, Emblemata aliquot selectiora amatoria (1618))

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Iconclass

A cupid contemplating the moths that fly into the flame of a candle

insects: butterfly [25F711(BUTTERFLY)(++1)]
insects: butterfly (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [25F711(BUTTERFLY)(+63)]
insects: moth (+ animals used symbolically) [25F711(MOTH)(+1)]
insects: moth (+ dying animal; death of animal; dead animal) [25F711(MOTH)(+63)]
sitting on an elevation [31A2352]
interior of the house [41A2]
table [41A711]
cover for table, etc. [41A713]
candle (+ kindling a light; lit, burning light, lamp, candle) [41B31(+1)]
candlestick [41B313]
archer's weapons: bow [45C15(BOW)]
Short Felicity; 'Felicité breve' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56B22(+4)]
Pain, Sorrow, Sadness; 'Dolore', 'Dolore di Zeusi' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56BB1(+4)]
Desire; 'Desiderio' (Ripa) (+ emblematical representation of concept) [56F1(+4)]
proverbs, sayings, etc. (with TEXT) [86(BREVIS ET DAMNOSA VOLUPTAS)]
non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships of Cupid [92D15]
attributes of Cupid (with NAME) [92D18(BOW)]

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Comments

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Brevis et damnosa voluptas [52]

Facsimile Images

Translations

Literature

Sources and parallels

References, across this site, to this page:

Iconclass

Comments

Notes