O Love, I complain
Complain of thee often,
Because thou dost soften
My being to pain

I wasn’t sure where to put this, but I figured with this subject line it would get some attention.  :)

This is a verse from a song by Gustav Holst, which my girlfriend’s choir is singing, and we don’t quite understand the second part of it. Can someone explain what it means exactly?

Basically, ...

Because thou dost soften
My being to pain

...means that, without love, we are not as exposed and vulnerable to pain; but with love, we are more familiar and acquainted with pain, because, as the saying goes, we are hurt most by those we love.

Make sense?

-Tim

Agreed. Love makes us more vulnerable to pain. Heightens our sensations, or sensitises us to pain. Better stop before I break out into poetry.

J.

I agree with everyone here so far!

Love, in this sense, is a passion.  Close to the original of the Latin meaning "suffering."  

Suffering from a feeling of longing, of fear of loss or rejection, of incompleteness, or of unworthiness.

Johah:

Better stop before I break out into poetry.

Yup!

Sitran

Thanks everyone. It’s what we figured, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to put it this way during an English exam.