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Expolitio Amoris [53]


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108 ↓
Expolitio Amoris.translation
XI.
Iacob.4.1.Cor.5. Leuit.28. Vgo. P. Beroal.
PVrificate corda duplices animo, & expurgate
vetus fermentum vt sitis noua conspersio, quia
fruges terræ cordis vestri consumet rubigo. Aufer
igitur rubiginemècorde meo, o Amor, rubigi-
nem inquam vanitatis, falsitatis & superfluitatis,
rubiginem superbiæ, auaritiæ, luxuriæ, rubiginem
inuidiæ, & iræ, rubiginem gulæ, & acediæ. væci-
uitati sanguinum, ollæ cuius rubigo in eâ est, &
rubigo eius non exiuit ex ea.
Amor à nobis omnem rusticitatem amolitur,
omnis elegantiæ, omniumque munditiarum pa-
ter est. venustè Plautinus senex, Amorem, Deum
appellat munditiantem, eumque nitidis nitoribus
ait antecellere: da mihi hominem efferum atque
truculentum; hunc amor euestigiò mollem reddit
& mansuetum: da rudem & rusticanum; statim
ab amore fiet ingeniosus & vrbanus. Da Incul-
tum, ab amore cultissimus efficietur: denique se-
gnities omnis, somnus lethargicus, marcor, squa-
lor, incuria, ab amore eliminantur; à quo indu-
stria, nauitas, vigilantia, solertia, cultus & nitor
promanant. translation

[108a] ↓

Aufer rubiginem et egredietur purissimum. Prou. 25.1 translation

Ce coeur que l'ame attrempe et mouille: L'amour le polit et desrouille.

109 ↓
Polissure de l'Amour.
XI.
Pourquoy l'Amour aiguise t'il sans fin?
C'est que le cœur n'est iamais assés fin:
Pour delaçer les nœuds, de ses filets;
Si c'est cela, croyes, qu' il perd sa paine:
C'est un abus, c'est une atteinte vaine,
(En estant prins) de sortir de ces rets.

Los azeros del Amor
No saben sufrir torpeza;
Porque enbota su fineza.

'T hert / 't welck een ziel slijpt en besproeyt/
Verlieft den roest/ in liefde groeyt.

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108

[108a]

109

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Translations

The polishing of love.
You deceitful of mind, purify your hearts and purge the old ferment, so that you thirst for new aspersion, because the rust of your heart is destroying the fruits of the earth. Take away, therefore, the rust from my heart, o love, I mean the rust of vanity, falsehood and indifference, the rust of pride, of decadence, of envy, and of anger, the rust of gluttony, and of negligence. Woe, citizenship of bloods ???, of the vessel on which there is rust -- and its rust did not go away from it. Love does away with all our coarseness, it is the father of all taste, of all refinement. The old man in Plautus in a charming way calls Amor "god the refiner" and says that he is "superior in shining sheen".2 Give me a man who is beastly and unpleasant. Love immediately softens him and makes him meek. Give me one who is uncouth and provincial. Because of love he will become pleasant and polite. Give me the uncultured, by love he will be made most civilised. Finally, all torpor, lethargic sleep, decay, filth, neglect are done away with by love. From it industry, goodness, alertness, cleverness, culture and brilliance flow forth.
Take away the rust and it will emerge utterly pure.3

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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 is holding a heart against a grindstone while the soul is pouring water over it

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    Comments

    commentary

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    Notes

    1
    Prov. 25:4.
    2
    'in shining sheen', 'nitoribus nitidis': Plaut. Casina 217. Very exaggerated expression as often in Plautus for comic effect.
    3
    'Take away the rust and it will emerge utterly pure', said of gold, Prov. 25:4.