dowlenon1

Love is a fire that burns unseen,
a wound that aches yet isn’t felt,
an always discontent contentment,
a pain that rages without hurting,
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A longing for nothing but to long,
a loneliness in the midst of people,
a never feeling pleased when pleased,
a passion that gains when lost in thought.
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It’s being enslaved of your own free will;
it’s counting your defeat a victory;
it’s staying loyal to your killer.
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But if it’s so self-contradictory,
how can Love, when Love chooses,
bring human hearts into sympathy?
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© 1598, Luís Vaz de Camões
© Translation: 2006, Richard Zenith