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.
This Universal stream of Emanations thus eternally possesses a kind of existence, but it is an empty existence, like the emptiness of mere light if there were no objects to fill it and be made visible. The light in such a case would still be streaming forth from the sun and could not do otherwise, and therefore it would not be an utter void; but it would be untenanted by any particular colour or shape. Suppose, however, that the light could be blotted out. There would now remain the utter void of absolute darkness. Such darkness cannot exist while the sun is shining in the cloudless heavens; nevertheless the very notion of light cannot but be contrasted in our minds with that of darkness which is its absence; and so we conceive the light to be a positive thing which fills the darkness even as water fills a void. When the bowl is full of water, the void does not exist; and yet, since it would exist if the bowl could be wholly emptied, we can regard this non-existent void as the receptacle of the water.
This Universal stream of Emanations thus eternally possesses a kind of existence, but it is an empty existence, like the emptiness of mere light if there were no objects to fill it and be made visible. In that case the light would still stream forth from the sun and could do nothing else, and so it would not be an utter void; but it would be unoccupied by any particular colour or shape.
Suppose, however, that the light could be blotted out. What would then remain is the utter void of absolute darkness. Such darkness cannot exist while the sun shines in a cloudless sky; nevertheless the very notion of light cannot help being contrasted in our minds with that of darkness, which is its absence; and so we conceive of light as a positive thing which fills the darkness as water fills a void. When the bowl is full of water, the void does not exist; and yet, since it would exist if the bowl could be completely emptied, we can regard this non-existent void as the receptacle of the water.