Definitions HQ

A Lover (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠more godlike than his beloved, for there is a god inside him.

A Lover (n.) fixated ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠on his beloved can find nothing more original to say than any child could.

A Lover (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the only one who will die for you — even if she is a woman.

Lover (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠find their true half spend their whole lives together and still cannot say what they want from each other.

The Lover (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠often torn in two: one instinct tells him to enjoy the beloved like ripe fruit, the other forbids it.

A Lover (n.) follows ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠his boy around like a servant, with pleasure — goaded by a sting that pleasures him each time he sees, hears, or touches him.

A Lover (n.) befriends ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a boy the way wolves love lambs: his friendship arises without any good will at all, like food, to sate hunger.

Lover (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠loves the body leaves when beauty fades; the one who loves the soul stays as long as you keep getting better.

A Lover (n.) wishes ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠his beloved orphaned, poor, wifeless, childless, and homeless for as long as possible — since that is how long he can go on plucking his sweet fruit.

A Lover (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the one man who may beg on his knees in public, sleep on a doorstep and serve like a slave — and be called charming for it.

A Lover (n.) forgets ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠mother, brothers and friends, despises propriety, and will sleep like a slave anywhere near his beloved — for he has found the only doctor for his terrible pain.

The Lover (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is true shows no envy toward the boy but makes every effort to draw him into being totally like himself and the god to whom he is devoted.

A Lover (n.) like ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a sick man who sees anyone equal or superior as an enemy works to make his boy weaker and inferior, and will supply mental defects if he cannot find them.

A Lover (n.) keeps ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠his eye on the balance sheet: he adds up all the trouble love has cost him and decides he has long since given the boy a fair return.

A Lover (n.) of ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠boys rejects no one in bloom: the snub-nosed is "cute," the hook-nosed "regal," the dark "manly," the pale "children of the gods," and "honey-colored" is the euphemism of a lover who could tolerate sallowness.