Love is he, radiant with great splendor,
And speaks to us of Thee, O Most High.

The lines present “Love” not merely as an emotion but as a luminous, almost personified messenger that points beyond itself to God (“Thee, O Most High”). In this devotional register—strongly associated with Franciscan spirituality—created things and human affections are valued insofar as they become transparent to the divine: love “radiant with great splendor” is a sign that speaks of God’s glory rather than an end in itself. The address to “Most High” echoes the language of medieval Christian prayer, emphasizing transcendence while suggesting that love is one of the chief ways the transcendent becomes knowable and communicative to the soul.