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Competentia Amoris [7]


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Competentia Amoris.translation
VII.
August. Nyssen1.
SAgitta iacitur Amoris mundani, vt necem cor-
di inferat, sed frustra: cæcus sagittat in aëra,
Sagitta iacitur Amoris diuini & transfigit cor,
quod cum transfixum est, vita excitatur, non inte-
ritus comparatur. nouit Dominus sagittare ad
Amorem; imo sagittat cor amantis vt adiuuet
amantem; sagittat vt faciat amantem.
Sagittarius eiaculatus hoc telum, est ipsa dile-
ctio, qui telum electum ad eos mittit, qui seruan-
tur, spiritu vitæ, triplicem cuspidis aciem inun-
gens, vt eum in quem immissa fuerit vnà cum te-
lo & ipso sagittario, in vnum colligat.translation

[14a] ↓

Sagittæ Potentis acutæ. Ps. 1192. translation

L'amour Diuin abbat le coeur
L'humain aueugle n'at pas d'Heur.

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Competence de l'Amour.
VII.
Ces deux archers n'ont pas vn mesme zele,
Comme ilz ont bien vn arc, vn traict, vn aisle,
Car leur effect est du tout differant:
Les traicts de l'vn sont animez de vie;
Les traicts de l'autre enuenimez d'enuie;
L'vn est aueugle, & l'autre clair voyant.

No es officio para ciegos,
Dejad al Amor diuino,
Que haue tirar con tino.

De liefde Godts doortreffet hert/
Eer d'eyghen net ghewaere wert.

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Facsimile Images


14

[14a]

15

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Translations

Conjunction of love.
The arrow of worldly love is shot to bring death to the heart, but without success. Being blind it shoots it into empty space. An arrow of divine love is shot away and pierces the heart and when this heart has been pierced, life is aroused, no death is invited. The Lord knows how to shoot an arrow towards love. No, he shoots an arrow into the lover's heart in order to help him in his love. He shoots him to make him a lover. The archer who launched this weapon is delight itself, that sends its chosen weapon to those who are saved, anointing the threefold point of the spear with the spirit of life, in order to unite him, towards whom it was shot, with the weapon.
Sharp arrows of the mighty3.

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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

    Sacred love shoots its arrow through the heart that was placed on a pole; blindfolded human love misses

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    Comments

    commentary

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    Notes

    1
    Probably Gregory of Nyssa.
    2
    Ps. 120(119):4.
    3
    Sharp arrows of the mighty: Ps. 120(119):4 (KJV); A warrior's sharp arrows (NRSV).