On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology — trans. C. E. Rolt
The translator’s English as printed (C. E. Rolt). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Object of these emotions? In the one case He is the Cause and Producer and Begetter of the thing signified, in the other He is the Thing signified Itself. Now the reason why He is Himself on the one hand moved by the quality signified, and on the other causes motion by it,1 is that He moves and leads onward Himself unto Himself.2 Therefore on the one hand they call Him the Object of Love and Yearning as being Beautiful and Good, and on the other they call Him Yearning and Love as being a Motive-Power leading all things to Himself, Who is the only ultimate Beautiful and Good—yea, as being His own Self-Revelation and the Bounteous Emanation of His own Transcendent Unity, a Motion of Yearning simple, selfmoved, self-acting, pre-existent in the Good, and overflowing from the Good into creation, and once again returning to the Good. And herein the Divine Yearning showeth especially its beginningless and endless nature, revolving in a perpetual circle for the Good, from the Good, in the Good, and to the Good, with unerring revolution, never varying its centre or direction, perpetually advancing and remaining and returning to Itself. This by Divine inspiration our renowned Initiator hath declared in his Hymns of Yearning, which it will not be amiss to quote and thus to bring unto a holy consummation our Discourse concerning this matter.
15. Words of the most holy Hierotheus from the Hymns of Yearning. “Yearning (be it in God or Angel, or Spirit, or Animal Life, or Nature) must be conceived of as an uniting and commingling power which moveth the higher things to a care for those below them, moveth co-equals to a mutual communion, and finally moveth the inferiors to turn towards their superiors in virtue and position.”
1 Yearning is a movement in the soul; the Object of Yearning causes such movement in the soul.
2 Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas: Deus movet sicut desideratum a Se Ipso. Cf. Spenser: “He loved Himself because Himself was fair.” Cf. Plato’s Doctrine of ἔρως. This Yearning is eternally fulfilled in the Trinity. Cf. Dante: “O somma luce che sola in Te sidi / sola T’ intendi e da Te intelletta / ed intendente Te ami ed arridi.” It is struggling towards actualization in this world.
Object of these emotions? In the one case He is the Cause, Producer and Begetter of the thing signified; in the other He is the Thing signified Itself. Now the reason why He is Himself moved by the quality signified on the one hand, and causes motion by it on the other,1 is that He moves and leads Himself onward to Himself.2 So on the one hand they call Him the Object of Love and Yearning, as being Beautiful and Good; and on the other they call Him Yearning and Love, as being a Motive-Power that leads all things to Himself, Who alone is the ultimate Beautiful and Good.
Indeed, He is His own Self-Revelation and the Bounteous Emanation of His own Transcendent Unity, a Motion of Yearning that is simple, self-moved and self-acting, pre-existent in the Good, overflowing from the Good into creation, and returning once again to the Good. Here the Divine Yearning shows especially its beginningless and endless nature, revolving in a perpetual circle for the Good, from the Good, in the Good, and to the Good, with unerring revolution, never varying its centre or direction, perpetually advancing, remaining and returning to Itself. This our renowned Initiator has declared by Divine inspiration in his Hymns of Yearning, which it will not be amiss to quote, and so to bring our Discourse on this matter to a holy conclusion.
15. Words of the most holy Hierotheus from the Hymns of Yearning. “Yearning (whether in God or Angel, or Spirit, or Animal Life, or Nature) must be understood as a uniting and commingling power, which moves the higher things to care for those below them, moves equals to mutual communion, and finally moves the inferiors to turn toward those superior to them in virtue and position.”
1 Yearning is a movement in the soul; the Object of Yearning causes such movement in the soul.
2 Cf. St. Thomas Aquinas: God moves as that which is desired by Himself. Cf. Spenser: “He loved Himself because Himself was fair.” Cf. Plato’s Doctrine of ἔρως. This Yearning is eternally fulfilled in the Trinity. Cf. Dante: “O supreme Light, who dwell in Yourself alone, / alone understand Yourself, and, understood by Yourself / and understanding, love and smile upon Yourself.” In this world it is struggling toward actualization.