--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I played with fire, did counsel spurn…" description: "\"I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common stake; But never thought that fire would burn, O that a soul could ache.\" — Henry Vaughan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg" --- # I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common… ![“I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common stake; But never thought that fire would burn, O that a soul could ache.” quote by Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg) > “I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common stake; But never thought that fire would burn, O that a soul could ache.” [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Playing with danger and ignoring counsel leads to personal stakes and unexpected pain, revealing hidden vulnerabilities. **In simple terms:** Risk and neglect bring hidden pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and respect personal limits. Themes risk counsel vulnerability Mood cautionary reflective Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - health choices Key Concepts self‑awareness consequences emotional health Questions to Reflect On - What risks have you ignored? - How can you balance caution with boldness? A Different Perspective Some risks are necessary for growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ache/) [Burn Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burn-soul-2358780/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Counsel Spurn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counsel-spurn-2474404/) [Did Counsel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-counsel-2474402/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Soul Ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul-ache-2474405/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) [Stakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stakes/) [Thought Burn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-burn-2474403/) ## Related quotes > [“She was so beautiful that it made my soul ache.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/she-was-so-beautiful-that-it-made-my-soul-ache/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I'm a liar. I'll rip your mind up. I'll burn your soul, I'll turn you in to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-m-a-liar-i-ll-rip-your-mind-up-i-ll-burn-your-soul-i-ll-turn-you-in/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [I know I burn for you.Even in my sleep, the sleep of our people where there can be no thought,I burn for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-feehan/i-know-i-burn-for-you-even-in-my-sleep-the-sleep-of-our-people-where/) [Christine Feehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-feehan/) > [One negative thought can burn all positive thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-negative-thought-can-burn-all-positive-thoughts/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I still need you," I murmured. He rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes, his breathing irregular. Then his lips found mine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/i-still-need-you-i-murmured-he-rested-his-forehead-against-mine-and/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [Why does my soul still ache for you every time I hear your name? Why do I still think you and I belong together?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi-rahman/why-does-my-soul-still-ache-for-you-every-time-i-hear-your-name-why/) [Rumi Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi-rahman/) > [“His gaze is burning into my soul and I ache to have him again and again and again. I just want to crawl inside…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ella-dominguez/his-gaze-is-burning-into-my-soul-and-i-ache-to-have-him-again-and/) [Ella Dominguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ella-dominguez/) > [as we acquire new aches and new pains, our health care is, of necessity, being supplied by internists, cardiologists, dermatologists, podiatrists, urologists, periodontists, gynecologists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/as-we-acquire-new-aches-and-new-pains-our-health-care-is-of-necessity/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-lives-with-the-stress-of-an-overwhelmed-schedule-will/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [When we went into the ocean, I watched his body as he dove into the waves, and it gave me a feeling in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/when-we-went-into-the-ocean-i-watched-his-body-as-he-dove-into-the/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## More by Henry Vaughan > [The skin and shell of things Though fair are not Thy wish nor prayer but got My meer despair of wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-skin-and-shell-of-things-though-fair-are-not-thy-wish-nor-prayer/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“There is in God a deep but dazzling darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/there-is-in-god-a-deep-but-dazzling-darkness/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Early, as well as late, Rise with the sun, and set in the same bowers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/early-as-well-as-late-rise-with-the-sun-and-set-in-the-same-bowers/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Dear beauteous death, the jewel of the just.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/dear-beauteous-death-the-jewel-of-the-just/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [A ward, and still in bonds, one day I stole abroad; It was high spring, and all the way Primrosed and hung with shade;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/a-ward-and-still-in-bonds-one-day-i-stole-abroad-it-was-high-spring/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [They are all gone into the world of light, and I alone sit lingering here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/they-are-all-gone-into-the-world-of-light-and-i-alone-sit-lingering/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [“ The Dawning Ah! what time wilt Thou come? when shall that cry, The Bridegroom’s coming! fill the sky; Shall it in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-dawning-ah-what-time-wilt-thou-come-when-shall-that-cry-the/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Bright pledge of peace and sunshine! the sure tie Of thy Lord's hand, the object of His eye! When I behold thee, though my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/bright-pledge-of-peace-and-sunshine-the-sure-tie-of-thy-lord-s-hand/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [For each inclosed spirit is a star Enlightening his own little sphere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/for-each-inclosed-spirit-is-a-star-enlightening-his-own-little-sphere/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Yet never sleep the sun up. Prayer shou'd Dawn with the day. There are set, awful hours 'Twixt heaven and us. The manna was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/yet-never-sleep-the-sun-up-prayer-shou-d-dawn-with-the-day-there-are/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Sure thou did'st nourish once! and many springs, Many bright mornings, much dew, many showers, Passed o'er thy head; many light hearts and wings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/sure-thou-did-st-nourish-once-and-many-springs-many-bright-mornings/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [The sun doth shake Light from his locks, and, all the way Breathing perfumes, doth spice the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/the-sun-doth-shake-light-from-his-locks-and-all-the-way-breathing/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Dear, beauteous death, the jewel of the just! Shining nowhere but in the dark; What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust, Could man outlook…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/dear-beauteous-death-the-jewel-of-the-just-shining-nowhere-but-in-the/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [Happy those early days when I Shined in my Angel-infancy. Before I understood this place Appointed for my second race, Or taught my soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/happy-those-early-days-when-i-shined-in-my-angel-infancy-before-i/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) > [If thou canst but thither, There grows the flower of Peace, The Rose that cannot wither, Thy fortress and thy ease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/if-thou-canst-but-thither-there-grows-the-flower-of-peace-the-rose/) [Henry Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) [Explore all 44 Henry Vaughan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/) ## More Ache quotes > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [When we went into the ocean, I watched his body as he dove into the waves, and it gave me a feeling in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/when-we-went-into-the-ocean-i-watched-his-body-as-he-dove-into-the/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [A woman who lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/a-woman-who-lives-with-the-stress-of-an-overwhelmed-schedule-will/) [Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/) > [I ache for the touch of your lips dear, but much more for the touch of your whips dear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-ache-for-the-touch-of-your-lips-dear-but-much-more-for-the-touch-of/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [And the flavor of Pippa's kiss--bittersweet and strange--stayed with me all the way back uptown, swaying and sleepy as I sailed home on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/and-the-flavor-of-pippa-s-kiss-bittersweet-and-strange-stayed-with-me/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [They are enthusiasts, devotees. Addicts. Something about the circus stirs their souls, and they ache for it when it is absent. They seek each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/they-are-enthusiasts-devotees-addicts-something-about-the-circus/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [as we acquire new aches and new pains, our health care is, of necessity, being supplied by internists, cardiologists, dermatologists, podiatrists, urologists, periodontists, gynecologists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/as-we-acquire-new-aches-and-new-pains-our-health-care-is-of-necessity/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [Jamie enjoyed solitude, but loneliness was a constant ache.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-sheldon/jamie-enjoyed-solitude-but-loneliness-was-a-constant-ache/) [Sidney Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-sheldon/) > [Some men make money not for the sake of living, but ache In the blindness of greed and live just for their fortune's sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/some-men-make-money-not-for-the-sake-of-living-but-ache-in-the/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [Staring at her face, she began to fancy her outer layer had begun to melt away while she wasn't paying attention, and something --…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laini-taylor/staring-at-her-face-she-began-to-fancy-her-outer-layer-had-begun-to/) [Laini Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laini-taylor/) > [O thou beautiful And unimaginable ether! and Ye multiplying masses of increased And still increasing lights! what are ye? what Is this blue wilderness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/o-thou-beautiful-and-unimaginable-ether-and-ye-multiplying-masses-of/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [An emotion is a thought, yes, an idea, but it is also a sensation, an ache in your body. Desire, love, hate, fear, repulsion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-landay/an-emotion-is-a-thought-yes-an-idea-but-it-is-also-a-sensation-an/) [William Landay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-landay/) > [He that sleeps feels not the tooth-ache](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-that-sleeps-feels-not-the-tooth-ache/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I will live this day as if it is my last. …I will waste not a moment mourning yesterday’s misfortunes, Yesterday’s defeats, yesterday’s aches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/i-will-live-this-day-as-if-it-is-my-last-i-will-waste-not-a-moment/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) [Browse all 489 Ache quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ache/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common stake; But never thought that fire would burn, O that a soul could ache.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Vaughan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-made-life-my-common-stake-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ache" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-made-life-my-common-stake-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/015/henry-vaughan-14956_ache_i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-mad_248138.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I played with fire, did counsel spurn, Made life my common stake; But never thought that fire would burn, O…” — Henry Vaughan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Henry Vaughan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-vaughan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I played with fire, did counsel...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-made-life-my-common-stake-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-vaughan/i-played-with-fire-did-counsel-spurn-made-life-my-common-stake-but/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```