The Book of the Lover and the Beloved

by Ramon Llull

The Book of the Lover and the Beloved is a stand-alone piece from LLull's major work, and magnum opus, Blanquerna, which is the first major work to be written in Catalan. This small book is a collection of beautiful and enigmatic prose poems which represent Llull's contribution to mystic literature. It consists of 366 love poems, each one a daily meditation and reflection for each day of the year. The Book of the Lover and the Beloved comes across as a book of mystical confessions, based upon Llull's personal experiences as well as his knowledge of many wisdom traditions. Some have said that Llull's writings, and this work in particular, were influenced by the stream of Sufism that Llull had contact with. Whatever the origin, this book remains a classic of mystical literature and can be regarded as a guide to personal contemplation. This edition is translated and introduced by the scholar E. Allison Peers. NOTE: This edition by Azafran Books was published in September 2017 and has been edited and formatted by a team of dedicated real people - not an algorithm! Our books have been carefully published to the highest of standards.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Nonfiction, Spain, Poetry, Christianity, Spirituality

100 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1283

About the author

Ramon Llull (c. 1232 - c. 1315), T.O.S.F. (Anglicised Raymond Lully in Latin Raimundus or Raymundus Lullus or Lullius; in Castillan Raimundo Lulio, in Portuguese Raimundo Lulio) was a Majorcan writer and philosopher, logician and a Franciscan tertiary. He is credited with writing the first major work of Catalan literature. Recently surfaced manuscripts show him to have anticipated by several centuries prominent work on elections theory. He is also considered a pioneer of computation theory, especially given his influence on Gottfried Leibniz.

Within the Franciscan Order he is honored as a martyr. He was beatified in 1857 by Pope Pius IX and his feast day was assigned to 30 June and is celebrated by the Third Order of St. Francis.

Reviews

[Paola · Rating 5 out of 5]

el llibre en si nousé, però m'ha remogut per dins: les classes, la inauguració del curs i la lectura del llibre, tot alhora. no dic res més perquè no sé si té gaire sentit per a un yankee que vulgui llegir Llull i busqui ressenyes útils.

[Álvaro Padilla Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pensaba el amigo en la muerte, y temió mucho, hasta que se acordó de la noble ciudad de su Amado, de la cual son puerta y entrada la muerte y el amor"

[Francisca]

"El amor es el árbol; amar, el fruto; y los trabajos y las penas, las flores y las hojas."

[Lady Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: Infinity / 5

I confess that I read this book in shorter snippets, just so that I could focus on and treasure the verses to their fullest. Much like the Song of Songs in the Bible, this is what I was expecting: a kind of recitation of lovers hidden away in a garden or something, crooning sweet nothings to each other. Little did I expect what the roles of the "Lover" and the "Beloved" really were.

For one thing, I'm glad of the author's historical background being provided to us in the introduction--thank goodness I decided to read it, for once. In any case, the meaning of the verses themselves then became much clearer, much more beautiful, and, most importantly of all, spiritual.

This is something that I'm sure to re-read many times in the years to come. It's somewhat sad and yet unsurprising that this author and book aren't things that I've heard about before, probably because they're not put at the forefront of history. Regardless though, I deem to appreciate it, and will keep it as a worthy companion to religious works that I have already read. Simple to read and get through, especially when read in short snippets, but with complex concepts behind it all. Beautifully written and kept to as much of the original verse as possible, or so I believe. I worthy undertaking by E. Allison Peers, and a masterpiece of Ramon Lull.

[Brownie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

El meu aforisme preferit “L'amor il•luminà el núvol que s'interposava entre l'amic i l'amat, i el féu clar i resplendent com la lluna en la nit, o com l'estel de l'alba, o com el sol a migjorn, o com l'enteniment en la voluntat. I a través d'aquest núvol Iluminós es parlen l'amic i l'amat.”

[عسل]

با یاد درد تو به خواب می‌روم و با یاد درد تو خواب می‌بینم و با یاد درد تو برمی‌خیزم.
لیکن بدنت و صورتت کم‌کم از نگرم محو می‌شود: آن‌گونه که گویی می‌پوسی. تمامی اندام و تمامی وجودت در هم نرم می‌شود و کوچک می‌شود و سرانجام، از آن، چیزی مگر تصویر «رنج» باقی نمی‌ماند

[Morzejko Leporello · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The keys of the gates of love are gilded with cares and desires, sighs and tears..."
This is one of the 366 maxims in this work and it beautifully covers the many facets of love, it joys and sorrows. For me love was always a separate entity, an entity existing independently - like other forces in nature. We, humans, can sometimes connect to this force and it can be through the love of another human being who is but a catalyst, a medium in this connection. And I found in Llull this same sentiment, so beautifully expressed in those Bible-like verses. The love discussed here is indeed an eternal love; being the love of God, of other human, of a parent, a child. There is only one love and it is always a mixture of cares and desires, sighs and tears.

[Duane Alexander Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

If sometimes the meaning is inaccessible, the feeling is not. Here there is a strong, mission-minded and mystical insight into the reflections of one of the great minds of medieval Christianity. Llull, who is known as a missionary, poet, novelist, mystic, philosopher, father and husband, and even perhaps an alchemist, strongly connects tribulation-suffering with the greater experience of God's love. A challenging message.

[joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evidentment, aquest llibre requereix una segona, tercera, quarta, cinquena i infinites lectures més, molt més pausades que la que l'hi he pogut donar jo aquests dies. M'ha agradat la idea del llibre i alguns versicles que m'he marcat, però tinc la sensació que llegir-lo tot de cop no és tant interessant com llegir un versicle diari.

[Daniel C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recoge más de trescientas consideraciones, reflexiones breves y máximas sobre el amor entre el cristiano (el amigo) y Dios (el Amado). Algunas son muy sugerentes, inspiradoras y ayudan a rezar; otras, menos.

[Adrian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tonto y lector,

Mierda de propaganda cristiana tibia. Al menos en la biblia violan animales y eso, aquí solo te suelta 365 gilipolleces.

[joan magrané · Rating 5 out of 5]

"363. Embriagava's l'amic de vi, qui membrava, entenia e amava l'amat. Aquell vi amarava l'amat ab sos plors e ab les llágremes de son amic."

[Akaelprofe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ressenya a Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQPyyD...

[Massallibrespendents · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recull de pensaments poètics, on l'amic (que representa l'home) expressa la seva estima, devoció i amor a l'amat (que representa a Déu).

Recentment vaig ser convidat a la presentació del nou pòdcast "La contracoberta", sobre grans noms de la literatura catalana (i que aprofito per recomanar) de l'Editorial Barcino. Allà em van obsequiar amb aquest exemplar. Un llibre que no se m'hauria acudit de llegir per iniciativa pròpia. Però, com moltes coses que no esperem, la lectura m'ha sorprès i l'he gaudit força.

Es tracta d'un recull de breus pensaments, un per cada dia de l'any, de tres o quatre línies, que s'han de llegir a poc a poc, reposadament. De fet, segurament ha estat un dels llibres que més he trigat a llegir, perquè els anava llegint de tant en tant, a un ritme de dos o tres pensaments al dia.

Aquesta edició és una versió contemporània d'aquest clàssic de les lletres catalanes escrit al segle XIII. Actualitzat a un català dels nostres dies, conserva un estil medieval però amb un missatge modernitzat.

Uns pensaments i reflexions, amb un sentit clarament religiós, on, tot i la seva antiguitat, no els he trobat tan desfasats com en un primer moment podria semblar, amb uns arguments filosòfics que podrien ser prou actuals i no de fa més de set-cents anys.

Un text ple de metàfores i al·legories, on l'autor ens mostra una àmplia gamma de recursos literaris i que no em pensava trobar en un text tan antic.

Molt del mèrit que el llibre m'hagi agradat ho té la bona adaptació i el pròleg que ens ofereix el Sebastià Alzamora i l'epíleg d'Arnau Vives, que ens proporcionen unes dades de l'obra i de l'autor que enriqueixen la lectura. A més, hi ha una part de l'escrit en el català original perquè ens fem una idea de com ha evolucionat la llengua. Interessant.

Molt recomanable. Per conèixer la nostra història i constatar que potser a l'època medieval no eren tan bàrbars com ens fan creure a les pel·lícules.

[Juuso-jesperi Aro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Llullin työtä ei sovi väheksyä, mutta kyllä tätä lukiessa hiipi mieleen väkisinkin ajatus, että josko tässä kirjassa on mitään järkeä?

"Kontemploin kontemplaatiota kontemplaatiossa kontemplaatiosi kontemplaatiolla. Olen hyveessäsi ja hyveesi kanssa saavun hyveeseesi, josta otan hyvettä. Tervehdin sinua tervehdykselläsi, joka on oma tervehdykseni sinun tervehdyksessäsi. Siitä odotan pysyvää tervehdystä siunauksesi siunauksessa, jossa saan siunauksen siunauksessasi."

"Sinä olet, rakastettuni, kunniani kunnia, ja kunniallasi sinä annat kunniassasi kunnian minun kunnialleni, jolla on kunnia sinun kunniastasi. Tämän kunniasi vuoksi sekä ahdingot että murheet ovat yhtä lailla itsellesi kunniaksi, sillä ne saapuvat luokseni kunnioittamaan sinun kunniaasi niiden ilojen ja ajatusten myötä, jotka saapuvat minulle kunniastasi."

Kaipa se on ihan hauska tuommoista kontemploida, joten ehkäpä vika olikin siinä, ettei minussa ole vielä tarpeeksi mystikkoa.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

366 short meditations upon the love of God, and the trails that await us in that love.

Beautiful little book - His focus on the Beloved and loving him primarily and in simplicity is provoking and speaks directly to the heart that seeks to be wholly His. Some of it I have no idea what he was trying to convey, but the things that did land were timely arrows to the heart.

[oriol abelanet]

M’esperava un altre tipus de llibre. Tot i això és interessant i et fa pensar molt. Em quedo amb aquest fragment:

«I per això va dir a l'home que moria:
—Digues, ¿per què mors sense amor?
Va respondre: —Perquè sense amor vivia.»

[Alex Kartelias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some beautiful passages. His words are full of emotion and devotion, but they don't sacrafice the truly mystical messages which are contained therein.

[Teresa Prats · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Lectura d'alguns dels poemes del llibre a les classes de Literatura Catalana Medieval del grau d'Humanitats.]