Love (Corinthians 1:13)

Although I speak in tongues

Of men and angels

I'm sounding brass

And tinkling cymbals without love--

Love suffers long--

Love is kind!

Enduring all things--

Love has no evil in mind

If I had the gift of prophecy--

And of all knowledge--

And the faith to move mountains

Even if I understood all the mysteries--

If I didn't have love

I'd be nothing

Love--never looks for love--

Love's not puffed up

Or envious-

Or touchy--

Because it rejoices in the truth

Not in iniquity

Love sees like a child sees

As a child I spoke as a child

But when I became a woman

I put away childish things

And began to see through a glass darkly

Where, as a child, I saw it face to face

Now, I only know it in part

Fractions in me

Of faith and hope and love

And of these three

Love's the greatest beauty

Love

Love

Love

--Joni Mitchell (from Paul's letter to the Corinthians)

This is my favorite of Paul's writings and a gorgeous reading of them by Joni.

Ain't it though?

Where is that from?

Harlepolis said:

Where is that from?

It's on Wild Things Run Fast, but she also did a version for Travelogue. In fact, I seem to remember that some of her artwork for the latter is based around this passage.

Lammastide said:

This is my favorite of Paul's writings and a gorgeous reading of them by Joni.

I always liked what Lauryn Hill did with it on 'Tell Him', too:

The King James Version

(1 Corinthians 13: 1-13)

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all the mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not chairity, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not chairity, it profiteth me nothing.

Chairity suffereth long, and is kind; chairity envieth not; chairity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth,

Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

Chairity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

And now abideth faith, hope, chairity, these three; but the greatest of these is chairity.