Love, which is quickly kindled in the gentle heart, seized this man for the fair form that was taken from me, the manner still hurts me. Love which absolves no beloved one from loving, seized me so strongly with his charm that, as thou seest, it does not leave me yet

Lying asleep between the strokes of night
I saw my love lean over my sad bed,
Pale as the duskiest lily's leaf or head,
Smooth-skinned and dark, with bare throat made to bite,
Too wan for blushing and too warm for white,
But perfect-coloured without white or red.
And her lips opened amorously, and said — I wist not what, saving one word — Delight.

And all her face was honey to my mouth,
And all her body pasture to my eyes;
The long lithe arms and hotter hands than fire,
The quivering flanks, hair smelling of the south,
The bright light feet, the splendid supple thighs
And glittering eyelids of my soul's desire.

Sweet is the death that taketh end by love.

Joyous Love seemed to me, the while he held
My heart within his hands, and in his arms
My lady lay asleep wrapped in a veil.
He woke her then and trembling and obedient
She ate that burning heart out of his hand;
Weeping I saw him then depart from me.

"97 Love, which in gentlest hearts will soonest bloom,
98 seized my lover with passion for that sweet body
99 from which I was torn unshriven to my doom.

100 Love, which permits no loved one not to love,
101 took me so strongly with delight in him
102 that we are one in Hell, as we were above.

103 Love led us to one death. In the depths of Hell
104 Caïna waits for him who took our live."
105 This was the piteous tale they stopped to tell.

(Inferno, Canto V)

So long have I been subject to Love's sway
And grown accustomed to his mastery That where at first his rule seemed harsh to me
Sweet is his presence in my heart today.
Thus when all fortitude he takes away,
So that my frail spirits seem to flee,
Then I am lost in sweetness utterly
And pallid looks my fainting soul display.
Love marshals then against me all his might;Routed, my spirits wander, murmuring,
And to my lady bring
Petition for new solace in my plight.
Thus by her merest glance I am unmanned,
And pride so humbled, none could understand.

Lover's heart and eye will have gone toward the beloved.
Let me render my heart a slave, it may happen that I join the beloved.

From the body of the loved one's simple, sweetly colored flesh, which our animal instincts urge us to desire, there springs not only the wonder of a new bodily life, but also the enlargement of the horizon of human sympathy and the glow of spiritual understanding which one could never have attained alone.

First Love

I ne’er was struck before that hour
With love so sudden and so sweet,
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower
And stole my heart away complete.
My face turned pale as deadly pale,
My legs refused to walk away,
And when she looked, what could I ail?
My life and all seemed turned to clay.

And then my blood rushed to my face
And took my eyesight quite away,
The trees and bushes round the place
Seemed midnight at noonday.
I could not see a single thing,
Words from my eyes did start — They spoke as chords do from the string,
And blood burnt round my heart.

Are flowers the winter’s choice?
Is love’s bed always snow?
She seemed to hear my silent voice,
Not love's appeals to know.
I never saw so sweet a face
As that I stood before.
My heart has left its dwelling-place
And can return no more.

Naked she lay, clasped in my longing arms, I filled with love, and she all over charms; Both equally inspired with eager fire, Melting through kindness, flaming in desire. With arms, legs, lips close clinging to embrace.

O'er her warm cheek and rising bosom move The bloom of young Desire and purple light of Love.

Love, the most generous passion of the mind The softest refuge innocence can find

Love, which absolves no one beloved from loving,
seized me so strongly with his charm that,
as you see, it has not left me yet.

Love brought us to one death.

For, once he thrilled with high romance And tuned to love his eager voice. Like any cavalier of France He wooed the maiden of his choice. And now deep in his weary heart Are sacred flames that whitely burn. He has of Heaven's grace a part Who loves, who is beloved in turn.