Of Divine Love, and the Praises Thereof

Jacopone da Todi (c. 1230–1306), translated by Mrs. Theodore Beck · 1919

iambic tetrameter · ABBA · 142 lines · from The Lauds

O LOVE, divine and Lord,That asks for no reward!

O Love, O Love, Thy tender amityIs full of joy and gladness,And into grief and sadnessThat heart shall never fall that tasteth Thee.

O Love, O Love, Thou dearest art and best:Love that with fire consumes,Yet safeguards and illumesThe heart that houseth Thee, belovèd Guest.

Dulcet as honeyed stings those wounds must be,Sweet wounds of rapture bright,All joy, and all delight,—The wounds of him whose heart is pierced by Thee!

Love, Thou didst enter very softly inTo hold this heart of mine.No sound, no stir, no sign!How couldst Thou cross my threshold all unseen?

O Love adorable, with sweetness fraught,O Love delectable,Love inconceivable,Outstripping knowledge and surpassing thought!

O Love, Thou fire divine, of laughter spun ;Love that art smile and jest,Thou giv'st us of Thy best,Thy wealth unmeasured that is never done.

Where wilt Thou enter, Love, and make Thy home?The lowly and the poorMay draw Thee through their door:To lords of high estate Thou wilt not come.

All such Thou setst not at a farthing's fee;Like straw where reapers bind,Thou giv'st them to the wind,They get no promise and no pledge from Thee.

Science is vain, and knowledge but a cheat:He who by learning's skillWould hold Thee at his will,His heart shall never taste Thy savour sweet.

For store of science is a deadly dart ;'Twill slay herself at length,Save if she clothe her strengthIn the fair garment of an humble heart.

Thy mastery, O Love, can softly stealDeep-hid desires to reach,The Gospel's lore to teach,And stamp the heart with Thine all-powerful seal.

O Love, forever glowing and aflame,Kindle Thy warriors' hearts,And turn their tongues to darts,To pierce each soul that hears Thy sacred name.

O Love, with Thee doth all delight abide;Love, that most gracious. art,Love, sweetest to the heart,The heart whose longings Thou hast satisfied.

Love, Thou dost teach us, and Thy gentle skillGains all that God hath given,Maps out the path to Heaven,Keeps it a pledge forever by His will.

Love, faithful Comrade, change mine evil state;Blot out my sinful years,And bathe my soul in tears,Yea, floods of tears, my sins to expiate.

O sweet and gentle Love, Thou art the keyOf heaven's city and fort:Steer Thou my ship to port,And from the tempest's fury shelter me.

Love, Giver of light to all that fain would shine,Thy light alone is bright,There beams none other light,Save with a sullen glow that is not Thine.

Thou light, so vivid and so luminous,Thy lover cannot knowPure radiance, steadfast glow,Save in Thy rays, that lighten all of us.

O Love, Thy keen and piercing brilliancyIllumes and guides the mindThat Object fair to find,—The end and aim of all her fervency.

O Love, Thine ardours pure and passionateWake and inflame the heart,To dwell no more apart,With the Adored made One and incarnate.

Love, Thou art life, in certain safety set,Eternal art Thou there ;Thou'rt wealth, unspoilt by care,And measureless beyond our utmost debt.

Love, all things that have form are formed by Thee;And man, whose form is bentIn vile disfigurement,Thou dost re-form in Thine own majesty.

O Love, how stainless and how pure Thou art!How jocund and how wise,How high, how deep Thy guise,To him who gives Thee gladly all his heart!

Love, that art bountiful and courteous,Great gifts Thou dost divide,Thy table's long and wide:How welcome is Thy servant in Thy house!

Chase luxury, of foulness redolent,Far forth from out my mind;Leave chastity behind,To bloom, and purity for ornament.

Love, it was Thou Thyself that didst inspireMy heart to love Thee first ;—An-hungered and athirst,Thy lover longed, with very great desire.

O Love divine, Thou that art charity,Thy medicine giveth ease ;Thou healest all disease,Yea, all-though fierce and terrible it be.

O stammering, trembling tongue, so far astrayHow dost thou dare to speak,So bold, and yet so weak?Of this strange state what words hast thou to say?

Now think, for all that thou hast said is vain,Of Love, so fair, so blest:—Imperfect and distrestIs every tongue, to make that secret plain.

If all the tongues of angels strove to tell—Yea, all the heavenly choir—Of Love, and of His fire,Even their tongues would stammer and rebel.

Then art not thou ashamed, Love's praise to sing?Thou wrong'st Him with thy speech,—So high thou canst not reach,Thou who didst once blaspheme fair Love thy King.

Nay, how can I obey thee and be mute?For silence would be death ;And while I draw my breathOf love I still must sing, and of love's fruit.

My season's changed, love's tempests o'er me blow;Reason, no more my guide,Her baffled head must hide,And I must shout and cry, my love to show.

The heart, the tongue, must song and clamour make:"Love, love, O love!"—they cry ;Of thy sweet ecstasyHe that is silent, sure his heart will break.

For he that tastes Thy sweetness, well I wot,His heart may break indeed,And in its sorest needMay stifle, if to love he clamour not.

Words in this poem 31

amity n.: Friendship, in a general sense, between individuals, societies, or nations; friendly relations; good understanding; as, a treaty of amity and commerce; the amity of the Whigs and Tories. [F. amitié, OF. amistié, amisté, fr. an assumed LL. amisitas, fr. L. amicus friendly, from amare to love. See Amiable.]
sadness n.: Heaviness; firmness.
shall v. i.: To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
dulcet a.: Sweet to the taste; luscious. [OF. doucet, dim. of dous sweet, F. doux, L. dulcis; akin to Gr. Doucet.]
honeyed a.: Covered with honey.
didst: , the 2d pers. sing. imp. of Do.
unseen a.: Not seen or discovered.
adorable a.: Deserving to be adored; worthy of divine honors. [L. adorabilis, fr. adorare: cf. F. adorable.]
fraught n.: A freight; a cargo. [OE.fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw. frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG. fr merit, reward; perh. from corresponding to E. for + The root of E. own. Cf.]
delectable a.: Highly pleasing; delightful. [OF. delitable, OF. delitable, F. délectable, fr. L. delectabilis, fr. delectare to delight. See Delight.]
jest n.: A deed; an action; a gest. [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perfor]
wealth n.: Weal; welfare; prosperity; good. [OE. welthe, from wele; cf. D. weelde luxury. See Weal prosperity.]
savour v. t.: To perceive by the smell or the taste; hence, to perceive; to note. B. Jonson.
aflame adv.: Inflames; glowing with light or passion; ablaze. G. Eliot. [Pref. a- + flame.]
hast: , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
giver n.: One who gives; a donor; a bestower; a grantor; one who imparts or distributes.
fain v. t.: To be glad ; to wish or desire.
sullen a.: Lonely; solitary; desolate. Wyclif (Job iii. 14). [OE. solein, solain, lonely, sullen; through Old French fr. (assumed) LL. solanus solitary, fr. L. solus alone. See Sole, a.]
fervency n.: The state of being fervent or warm; ardor; warmth of feeling or devotion; eagerness. [Cf. OF. fervence. See Fervent.]
dwell v. i.: To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
incarnate a.: Not in the flesh; spiritual. [Pref. in- not + carnate.]
measureless a.: Without measure; unlimited; immeasurable.
stainless a.: Free from stain; immaculate.
jocund: Merry; cheerful; gay; airy; lively; sportive. [L. jocundus, jucundus, orig., helpful, fr. juvare to help. See Aid.]
gladly adv.: Preferably; by choice. [From Glad, a.]
bountiful a.: Free in giving; liberal in bestowing gifts and favors.
redolent a.: Diffusing odor or fragrance; spreading sweet scent; scented; odorous; smelling; -- usually followed by of. [L. redolens, -entis, p. pr. of redolere to emit a scent, diffuse an odor; pref. red-, re-, re- + olere to emit a smell. See Odor.]
athirst a.: Wanting drink; thirsty. [OE. ofthurst, AS. ofpyrsted, p. p. of ofpyrstan; pref. of-, intensive + pyrstan to thirst. See Thirst.]
rebel a.: Pertaining to rebels or rebellion; acting in revolt; rebellious; as, rebel troops. [F. rebelle, fr. L. rebellis. See Rebel, v. t.]
blaspheme v. t.: To speak of, or address, with impious irreverence; to revile impiously (anything sacred); as, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. [OE. blasfem, L. blasphemare, fr. Gr. : cf. F. blasphémer. See Blame, v.]
clamour n.: A great outcry or vociferation; loud and continued shouting or exclamation. [OF. clamour, clamur, F. clameur, fr. L. clamor, fr. clamare to cry out. See Claim.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Of Divine Love, and the Praises Thereof is in the public domain. This text is taken from Jacopone da Todi, Poet and Mystic, 1228-1306: A Spiritual Biography, with a Selection from the Spiritual Songs, Internet Archive, the Mrs. Theodore Beck translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Jacopone da Todi, Of Divine Love, and the Praises Thereof, in The Lauds (1919), text of Internet Archive, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/jacopone-lauds/of-divine-love-and-the-praises-thereof.html, id L27114.

Form and metre

Of Divine Love, and the Praises Thereof is 142 lines in 36 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is ABBA, complete in 32 of its 36 stanzas. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic tetrameter.

See other poems in iambic tetrameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 AA lord^A · reward^A
2 ABBA amity^A · gladness^B · sadness^B · thee^A
3 ABBA best^A · consumes^B · illumes^B · guest^A
4 ABBA be^A · bright^B · delight^B · thee^A
5 AAAA in^A · mine^A · sign^A · unseen^A
6 ABBA fraught^A · delectable^B · inconceivable^B · thought^A
7 ABBA spun^A · jest^B · best^B · done^A
8 ABBA home^A · poor^B · door^B · come^A
9 ABBA fee^A · bind^B · wind^B · thee^A
10 ABBA cheat^A · skill^B · will^B · sweet^A
11 ABBA dart^A · length^B · strength^B · heart^A
12 ABBA steal^A · reach^B · teach^B · seal^A
13 ABBA aflame^A · hearts^B · darts^B · name^A
14 ABBA abide^A · art^B · heart^B · satisfied^A
15 ABBA skill^A · given^B · heaven^B · will^A
16 ABBA state^A · years^B · tears^B · expiate^A
17 ABBA key^A · fort^B · port^B · me^A
18 ABBA shine^A · bright^B · light^B · thine^A
19 ABBA luminous^A · know^B · glow^B · us^A
20 ABBA brilliancy^A · mind^B · find^B · fervency^A
21 ABBA passionate^A · heart^B · apart^B · incarnate^A
22 ABBA set^A · there^B · care^B · debt^A
23 ABBA thee^A · bent^B · disfigurement^B · majesty^A
24 ABBA art^A · wise^B · guise^B · heart^A
25 ABBA courteous^A · divide^B · wide^B · house^A
26 ABBA redolent^A · mind^B · behind^B · ornament^A
27 -AA- inspire · first^A · athirst^A · desire
28 ABBA charity^A · ease^B · disease^B · be^A
29 ABBA astray^A · speak^B · weak^B · say^A
30 ABBA vain^A · blest^B · distrest^B · plain^A
31 ABBA tell^A · choir^B · fire^B · rebel^A
32 ABBA sing^A · speech^B · reach^B · king^A
33 ABBA mute^A · death^B · breath^B · fruit^A
34 ABBA blow^A · guide^B · hide^B · show^A
35 A--A make^A · cry · ecstasy · break^A
36 ABBA wot^A · indeed^B · need^B · not^A

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
O LOVE, divine and Lord,	6	··˘/··
That asks for no reward!	6	····˘/
O Love, O Love, Thy tender amity	10	·····/˘/˘˘
Is full of joy and gladness,	7	·····/˘
And into grief and sadness	7	·····/˘
That heart shall never fall that tasteth Thee.	10	···/˘··/˘·
O Love, O Love, Thou dearest art and best:	10	·····/˘···
Love that with fire consumes,	7	···/˘˘/
Yet safeguards and illumes	6	·/····
The heart that houseth Thee, belovèd Guest.	9	···/˘····
Dulcet as honeyed stings those wounds must be,	10	/˘·/˘·····
Sweet wounds of rapture bright,	6	···/˘·
All joy, and all delight,—	6	····˘/
The wounds of him whose heart is pierced by Thee!	10	··········
Love, Thou didst enter very softly in	10	···/˘/˘/˘·
To hold this heart of mine.	6	······
No sound, no stir, no sign!	6	······
How couldst Thou cross my threshold all unseen?	10	·····/··˘/
O Love adorable, with sweetness fraught,	10	··˘/˘˘·/˘·
O Love delectable,	6	··˘/˘˘
Love inconceivable,	6	··˘/˘˘
Outstripping knowledge and surpassing thought!	10	˘/˘/˘·˘/˘·
O Love, Thou fire divine, of laughter spun ;	11	···/˘˘/·/˘·
Love that art smile and jest,	6	······
Thou giv'st us of Thy best,	6	······
Thy wealth unmeasured that is never done.	10	·······/˘·
Where wilt Thou enter, Love, and make Thy home?	10	···/˘·····
The lowly and the poor	6	·/˘···
May draw Thee through their door:	6	······
To lords of high estate Thou wilt not come.	10	····˘/····
All such Thou setst not at a farthing's fee;	10	·······/˘·
Like straw where reapers bind,	6	···/˘·
Thou giv'st them to the wind,	6	······
They get no promise and no pledge from Thee.	10	···/˘·····
Science is vain, and knowledge but a cheat:	10	/˘···/˘···
He who by learning's skill	6	···/˘·
Would hold Thee at his will,	6	······
His heart shall never taste Thy savour sweet.	10	···/˘··/˘·
For store of science is a deadly dart ;	10	···/˘··/˘·
'Twill slay herself at length,	6	··˘/··
Save if she clothe her strength	6	······
In the fair garment of an humble heart.	10	···/˘··/˘·
Thy mastery, O Love, can softly steal	10	·/˘˘···/˘·
Deep-hid desires to reach,	7	··˘/˘··
The Gospel's lore to teach,	6	·/˘···
And stamp the heart with Thine all-powerful seal.	11	·······/˘˘·
O Love, forever glowing and aflame,	10	··˘/˘/˘·˘/
Kindle Thy warriors' hearts,	7	/˘·/˘˘·
And turn their tongues to darts,	6	······
To pierce each soul that hears Thy sacred name.	10	·······/˘·
O Love, with Thee doth all delight abide;	10	······˘/˘/
Love, that most gracious. art,	6	···/˘·
Love, sweetest to the heart,	6	·/˘···
The heart whose longings Thou hast satisfied.	10	···/˘··/˘·
Love, Thou dost teach us, and Thy gentle skill	10	·······/˘·
Gains all that God hath given,	7	·····/˘
Maps out the path to Heaven,	7	·····/˘
Keeps it a pledge forever by His will.	10	····˘/˘···
Love, faithful Comrade, change mine evil state;	10	·/˘/···/˘·
Blot out my sinful years,	6	···/˘·
And bathe my soul in tears,	6	······
Yea, floods of tears, my sins to expiate.	10	·······/˘·
O sweet and gentle Love, Thou art the key	10	···/˘·····
Of heaven's city and fort:	7	·/˘/˘··
Steer Thou my ship to port,	6	······
And from the tempest's fury shelter me.	10	···/˘/˘/˘·
Love, Giver of light to all that fain would shine,	11	·/˘········
Thy light alone is bright,	6	··˘/··
There beams none other light,	6	···/˘·
Save with a sullen glow that is not Thine.	10	···/˘·····
Thou light, so vivid and so luminous,	10	···/˘··/˘˘
Thy lover cannot know	6	·/˘/˘·
Pure radiance, steadfast glow,	7	·/˘˘/··
Save in Thy rays, that lighten all of us.	10	·····/˘···
O Love, Thy keen and piercing brilliancy	10	·····/˘/˘˘
Illumes and guides the mind	6	······
That Object fair to find,	6	·/˘···
—The end and aim of all her fervency.	10	·······/˘˘
O Love, Thine ardours pure and passionate	10	···/˘··/˘˘
Wake and inflame the heart,	6	··˘/··
To dwell no more apart,	6	····˘/
With the Adored made One and incarnate.	10	··˘/···˘/˘
Love, Thou art life, in certain safety set,	10	·····/˘/˘·
Eternal art Thou there ;	6	˘/˘···
Thou'rt wealth, unspoilt by care,	6	······
And measureless beyond our utmost debt.	11	·/˘˘··/˘/··
Love, all things that have form are formed by Thee;	10	··········
And man, whose form is bent	6	······
In vile disfigurement,	6	··˘/˘˘
Thou dost re-form in Thine own majesty.	10	·······/˘˘
O Love, how stainless and how pure Thou art!	10	···/˘·····
How jocund and how wise,	6	·/˘···
How high, how deep Thy guise,	6	······
To him who gives Thee gladly all his heart!	10	·····/˘···
Love, that art bountiful and courteous,	10	···/˘˘·/˘˘
Great gifts Thou dost divide,	6	····˘/
Thy table's long and wide:	6	·/˘···
How welcome is Thy servant in Thy house!	10	·/˘··/˘···
Chase luxury, of foulness redolent,	10	·/˘˘·/˘/˘˘
Far forth from out my mind;	6	······
Leave chastity behind,	6	·/˘˘··
To bloom, and purity for ornament.	10	···/˘˘·/˘˘
Love, it was Thou Thyself that didst inspire	10	····˘/··˘/
My heart to love Thee first ;	6	······
—An-hungered and athirst,	6	·/˘·˘/
Thy lover longed, with very great desire.	11	·/˘··/˘·˘/˘
O Love divine, Thou that art charity,	10	··˘/···/˘˘
Thy medicine giveth ease ;	7	·/˘˘/˘·
Thou healest all disease,	6	·/˘·˘/
Yea, all-though fierce and terrible it be.	10	·····/˘˘··
O stammering, trembling tongue, so far astray	12	·/˘˘/˘˘···˘/
How dost thou dare to speak,	6	······
So bold, and yet so weak?	6	······
Of this strange state what words hast thou to say?	10	··········
Now think, for all that thou hast said is vain,	10	··········
Of Love, so fair, so blest:	6	······
—Imperfect and distrest	6	˘/˘···
Is every tongue, to make that secret plain.	11	·/˘˘····/˘·
If all the tongues of angels strove to tell	10	·····/˘···
—Yea, all the heavenly choir—	8	···/˘˘/˘
Of Love, and of His fire,	7	·····/˘
Even their tongues would stammer and rebel.	10	/˘···/˘·/˘
Then art not thou ashamed, Love's praise to sing?	10	····˘/····
Thou wrong'st Him with thy speech,	6	······
—So high thou canst not reach,	6	······
Thou who didst once blaspheme fair Love thy King.	10	····˘/····
Nay, how can I obey thee and be mute?	10	····˘/····
For silence would be death ;	6	·/˘···
And while I draw my breath	6	······
Of love I still must sing, and of love's fruit.	10	··········
My season's changed, love's tempests o'er me blow;	10	·/˘··/˘···
Reason, no more my guide,	6	/˘····
Her baffled head must hide,	6	·/˘···
And I must shout and cry, my love to show.	10	··········
The heart, the tongue, must song and clamour make:	10	·······/˘·
"Love, love, O love!"—they cry ;	6	······
Of thy sweet ecstasy	6	···/˘˘
He that is silent, sure his heart will break.	10	···/˘·····
For he that tastes Thy sweetness, well I wot,	10	·····/˘···
His heart may break indeed,	6	····˘/
And in its sorest need	6	······
May stifle, if to love he clamour not.	10	·/˘····/˘·

The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.

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