Love is an infant of Bohemia
The Satanic Verses“Love is an infant of Bohemia” is a line from Carmen that Saladin Chamcha recalls while reflecting on love’s power to delight and undo those who surrender to it. In his meditation, the song’s warning becomes a lens for his belief that he is suffering the consequences of having loved unwisely.
Origin and Wording
The phrase comes from Carmen’s song about love, which Saladin presents as both a warning and a promise of danger: “Love is an infant of Bohemia,” sings Carmen, “and if you love me, look out for you.” The blunt caution gives love a double character: it attracts, but it also puts the person who loves at risk.
Meaning in Saladin’s Reflection
Saladin treats the line as unusually fair notice. He believes that he has loved widely and is now suffering Love’s revenges upon the foolish lover. The phrase thus compresses his reflection into a rueful rule: love’s perils are announced in advance, yet knowing the warning does not spare the lover its consequences.
