good　one。　It　is　ill　playing　with　him；　for　his　sport　will　cause　me
  sorrow。　What　shall　I　do；　then？　Shall　I　draw　back　I　think　that
  this　would　be　the　act　of　a　wise　man；　but　I　cannot　tell　how　to　set
  about　it。　If　Love　chastises　and　threatens　in　order　to　teach　me
  his　lesson；　ought　I　to　disdain　my　master？　He　who　despises　his
  master　is　a　fool。　Needs　must　I　store　up　in　my　mind　Love's　lesson
  for　soon　can　great　good　come　of　it。　But　he　buffets　me　greatly：
  that　sets　me　in　alarm！　True；　neither　blow　nor　wound　is　visible
  and　yet　dost　thou　complain？　Then　art　thou　not　wrong？　Nay；　indeed；
  for　he　has　wounded　me　so　sore　that　he　has　winged　his　arrow　even
  to　my　heart；　and　not　yet　has　he　drawn　it　out　again。　How　then　has
  he　struck　his　dart　into　thy　body　when　no　wound　appears　without？
  This　shalt　thou　tell　me；　I　would　fain　know　it。　In　what　member　has
  he　struck　thee？　Through　the　eye。　Through　the　eye？　And　yet　he　has
  not　put　out　thine　eye？　He　has　done　me　no　hurt　in　the　eye；　but　he
  wounds　me　sorely　at　the　heart。　Now　speak　reason　to　me：　how　has
  the　dart　passed　through　thine　eye　in　such　wise　that　the　eye　is
  not　wounded　or　bruised　by　it？　If　the　dart　enter　through　the　midst
  of　the　eye；　why　does　my　heart　suffer　pain　in　my　body？　Why　does
  not　my　eye　also　feel　the　pain；　since　it　receives　the　first　blow？
  That　can　I　well　explain。　The　eye　has　no　care　to　understand　aught
  nor　can　it　do　anything　in　the　matter　in　any　way；　but　the　eye　is
  the　mirror　to　the　heart；　and　through　this　mirror　passes　the　fire
  by　which　the　heart　is　kindled；　yet　so　that　it　neither　wounds　nor
  braises　it。　Then　is　not　the　heart　placed　in　the　body　like　the
  lighted　candle　which　is　put　inside　the　lantern？　If　you　take　the
  candle　out；　never　will　any　light　issue　thence；　but　as　long　as　the
  candle　lasts　the　lantern　is　not　dark；　and　the　flame　which　shines
  through　neither　harms　nor　injures　it。　Likewise　is　it　with　regard
  to　a　window：　never　will　it　be　so　strong　and　so　whole　but　that　the
  ray　of　the　sun　may　pass　through　it　without　hurting　it　in　any　way；
  and　the　glass　will　never　be　so　clear　that　one　will　see　any　better
  for　its　brightness　if　another　brightness　does　not　strike　upon　it。
  Know　that　it　is　the　same　with　the　eyes　as　with　the　glass　and　the
  lantern；　for　the　light　penetrates　into　the　eyes；　the　heart's
  mirror；　and　the　heart　sees　the　object　outside　whatever　it　be；　and
  sees　many　various　objects；　some　green；　others　dark　of　hue；　one
  crimson；　the　other　blue；　and　it　blames　the　one　and　praises　the
  other；　holds　the　one　cheap　and　the　other　precious；　but　many　an
  object　shows　him　a　fair　face　in　the　mirror　when　he　looks　at　it；
  which　will　betray　him　if　he　be　not　on　his　guard。　My　mirror　has
  much　deceived　me；　for　in　it　MY　heart　has　seen　a　ray　by　which　I　am
  struck；　which　has　taken　shelter　in　me；　and　because　of　this　my
  heart　has　failed　me。　I　am　ill…treated　by　my　friend　who　deserts　me
  for　my　enemy。　Well　can　I　accuse　my　mirror　of　treachery；　for　it
  has　sinned　exceedingly　against　me。　I　thought　I　　had　three
  friends：　my　heart　and　my　two　eyes　together；　but　methinks　they
  hate　me。　Where　shall　I　find　any　more　a　friend　；　since　these　three
  are　enemies　who　belong　to　me　yet　kill　me？　My　servants　presume
  overmuch　who　do　all　their　own　will　and　have　no　care　of　mine。　Now；
  know　I　well　of　a　truth　from　the　action　of　those　who　have　injured
  me：　that　a　good　master's　love　decays　through　keeping　bad
  servants。　He　who　associates　with　a　bad　servant　cannot　fail　to
  lament　it　sooner　or　later；　whatever　come　of　it。
  〃Now　will　I　speak　to　you　again　of　the　arrow　which　is　given　in
  trust　to　me　and　tell　you　how　it　is　made　and　cut；　but　I　fear　much
  that　I　may　fail　in　the　matter；　for　the　carved　work　of　it　is　so
  magnificent　that　twill　be　no　marvel　if　I　fail。　And　yet　I　will
  apply　all　my　diligence　to　say　what　I　think　of　it。　The　notch　and
  the　feathers　together　are　so　close　that　if　a　man　looks　well　at
  them　there　is　but　one　dividing　line　like　a　narrow　parting　in　the
  hair；　but　this　line　is　so　polished　and　straight；　that　without
  question　there　is　nought　in　the　notch　which　can　be　improved。　The
  feathers　are　of　such　a　hue　as　if　they　were　gold　or　gilded；　but
  gilding　can　add　nothing；　for　the　feathers；　this　know　I　well；　were
  brighter　still　than　gold。　The　feathers　are　the　blonde　tresses
  that　I　saw　the　other　day　at　sea。　This　is　the　arrow　that　makes　me
  love。　God！　What　a　priceless　boon！　If　a　man　could　have　such　a
  treasure；　why　should　he　desire　any　other　wealth　all　his　life？　For
  my　part；　I　could　swear　that　I　should　desire　nothing　more；　for
  merely　the　feathers　and　the　notch　would　I　not　give　away　in
  exchange　for　Antioch。　And　since　I　prize　these　two　things　so　much；
  who　could　duly　appraise　the　value　of　the　rest　which　is　so　fair
  and　lovable；　and　so　dear　and　so　precious；　that　I　am　desirous　and
  eager　to　behold　myself　mirrored　again　in　the　brow　that　God　has
  made　so　bright　that　nor　mirror　nor　emerald　nor　topaz　would　make
  any　show　beside　it。　But　of　all　this；　he　who　gazes　at　the
  brightness　of　the　eyes　has　not　a　word　to　say；　for　to　all　those
  who　behold　them　they　seem　two　glowing　candles。　And　who　has　so
  glib　a　tongue　that　he　could　describe　the　fashion　of　the
  well…shaped　nose；　and　of　the　bright　countenance　where　the　rose
  overlays　the　lily　so　that　it　eclipses　something　of　the　lily　in
  order　the　better　to　illuminate　the　face；　and　of　the　smiling
  little　mouth　which　God　made　such　on　purpose　that　no　one　should
  see　it　and　not　think　that　it　is　laughing？　And　what　of　the　teeth
  in　her　mouth？　One　is　so　close　to　the　other　that　it　seems　that
  they　all　touch；　and　so　that　they　might　the　better　achieve　this；
  Nature　bestowed　special　pains；　so　that　whoever　should　see　them
  when　the　mouth　opens　would　never　dream　that　they　were　not　of
  ivory　or　silver。　So　much　there　is　to　say　and　to　recount　in　the
  describing　of　each　thingboth　of　the　chin　and　of　the　earsthat
  it　would　be　no　great　marvel　if　I　were　to　leave　out　something。　Of
  the　throat；　I　tell　you；　that　in　comparison　with　it；　crystal　is
  but　dim。　And　the　neck　beneath　her　tresses　is　four　times　whiter
  than　ivory。　As　much　as　is　disclosed　from　the　hem　of　the　vest
  behind；　to　the　clasp　of　the　opening　in　front；　saw　I　of　the　bare
  bosom　uncovered；　whiter；　than　is　the　new…fallen　snow。　My　pain
  would　indeed　have　been　alleviated　if　I　could　have　seen　the　whole
  of　the　arrow。　Right　willingly　if　I　had　known　would　I　have　said
  what　the　tip　　of　the　arrow　is　like：　I　did　not　see　it；　and　it　is
  not　my　own　fault　if　I　cannot　tell　the　fashion　of　a　thing　that　I
  have　not　seen。　Love　showed　me　then　nought　of　it　except　the　notch
  and　the　feathers；　for　the　arrow　was　put　in　the　quiver；　the　quiver
  is　the　tunic　and　the　vest　wherewith　the　maid　was　clad。　Faith！
  This　is　the　wound　that　kills　me；　this　is　the　dart；　this　is　the
  ray　with　which　I　am　so　cruelly　inflamed。　It　is　ignoble　of　me　to
  be　angry。　Never　for　provocation　or　for　war　shall　any　pledge　that
  I　must　seek　of　love　be　broken。　Now　let　Love　dispose　of　me　as　he
  ought　to　do　with　what　is　his；　for　I　wish　it；　and　this　is　my
  pleasure。　Never　do　I　seek　that　this　malady　should　leave　me；
  rather　do　I　wish　it　to　hold　me　thus　for　ever；　and　that　from　none
  may　health　come　to　me　if　health　come　not　from　that　source　whence
  the　disease　has　come。〃
  Great　is　the　plaint　of　Alexander；　but　that　which　the　damsel
  utters　is　not　a　whit　less。　All　night　she　is　in　so　great　pain　that
  she　neither　sleeps　nor　rests。　Love　has　set　in　array　within　her　a
  battle　that　rages　and　mightily　agitates　her　heart；　and　which
  causes　such　anguish　and　torture　that　she　weeps　all　night　and
  complains　and　tosses　and　starts　up；　so　that　her　heart　all　but
  stops　beating。　And　when　she　has　so　grieved　and　sobbed　and　moaned
  and　started　and　sighed；　then　she　has　looked　in　her　heart　to　see
  who　and　of　what　worth　was　he　for　whose　sake　Love　was　torturing
  her。　And　when　she　has　recalled　each　wandering　thought；　then　she
  stretches　herself　and　turns　over；　and　turning；　she　turns　to　folly
  all　the　thinking　she　has　done。　Then　she　starts　on　another
  argument　and　says：　〃Fool！　What　does　it　matter　to　me　if　this　youth
  is　debonair　and　wise　and　courteous　and　valiant！　All　this　is
  honour　and　advantage　to　him。　And　what　care　I　for　his　beauty？　Let
  his　beauty　depart　with　himand　so　it　will；　for　all　I　can　do；
  never　would　I　wish　to　take　away　aught　of　it。　Take　away？　Nay；
  truly；　that　do　I　not　assuredly。　If　he　had　the　wisdom　of　Solomon；
  and　if　Nature　had　put　so　much　beauty　in　him　that　she　could　not
  have　put　more　in　a　human　body；　and　if　God　had　put　in　my　hand　the
  power　to　destroy　all；　I　would　not　seek　to　anger　him；　but
  willingly　if　I　could　would　I　make　him　more　wise　and　more
  beautiful。　Faith！　then；　I　do　not　hate　him　at　all。　And　am　I　then
  on　that　account　his　lady？　No；　indeed；　no　more　than　I　am
  another's。　And　wherefore　do　I　think　more　of　him　if　he　does　not
  please　me　more　than　another？　I　know　not：　I　am　all　bewildered；　for
  never　did　I　think　so　much　about　any　man　living　in　the　world。　And
  if　I　had　my　wish　I　should　see　him　always；　never　would　I　seek　to
  take　my　eyes　off　him　so　much　the　sight　of　him　delights　me。　Is
  this　love？　Methinks　it　is。　Never　should　I　have　called　on　him　so
  often　if　I　had　not　loved　him　more　than　another。　Yes；　I　love　him：
  let　that　be　granted。　And　shall　I　not　have　my　desire？　Yes；
  provided　that　I　find　favour　in　his　eyes。　This　de