Love is a fire that burns invisible, […]

Love is a fire that burns invisible,
It’s a wound that hurts without torment,
It’s a discontent contentment,
It’s pain that drives one mad and isn’t painful.

It’s wanting nothing else but to want,
It’s to be alone when everyone’s together,
It’s never being pleased with pleasure,
It’s supposing you win something by losing it.

It’s wanting to be imprisoned willingly;
Serve the vanquished with winner’s respect;
Or to our killer, feel loyalty.

But how can love’s favor effect
In human hearts such tender comity,
If love must itself contradict?

— Luís de Camões

Translated by Martin Earl for