My love keeps vigil, and is not wearied by keeping vigil. He whom I love and whom I await comes to me surrounded by a heavenly retinue. How could I sleep, and how could vigil weary me?
I keep vigil over the tales of men and over the tales of things, that I might fathom some secret message of my Love. No one's tale interests me for the tale's sake nor for the teller's sake, but for Thy sake.
Like a man who loses his voice, and goes forth to listen to every voice, that he might recognize his own. And everywhere he finds some note like his own voice, but nowhere the fullness of his voice.
Like a man who breaks his glass mirror, and goes forth to behold his face in the faces of men, and the faces of beasts, and the faces of all things. And everywhere he finds some feature like his own face, but nowhere the wholeness of his face.
So I too keep vigil over the numberless voices of the whole universe, that I might recognize the voice of my Love. And I keep vigil over the numberless faces in the universe, from the face of the white pebble on the lake to the face of the chariot of the sun, that I might recognize the face of my Love. And no one deceives me, but each tells of Thee the little that it knows and is able.
When I put questions to men, from Thee I await the answers. When things speak, it is Thee I am listening for. When I look upon nature, it is Thee I seek.
When men see me deep in thought, they hold that I am thinking of them, while I am thinking of Thee. When they see me laboring, they think that I labor for men, but I labor for Thee.
When nature hears her name upon my lips, she thinks that I sing of her, but I sing of Thee. When I feed the dove, I am offering to Thee. When I caress the lamb, it is Thee I caress. When I smile at the sun, my smile pierces through all the suns until it meets Thy smile. When I lay my kiss upon the white lily, through seven worlds I lay it upon the footstool of Thy feet.
The vigil of my love goes side by side with the prayer of my faith and the fasting of my hope. And not one of them rises or lies down without the other two.
All the activity of my mind serves my faith.
All the activity of my heart serves my hope.
All the activity of my soul serves my love.
When I feed the dove, I am offering to Thee, O my Love.