St. John of the Cross -- On a dark night

May, 1993 - Stratford ... have been reading through the poetry of 15th century Spain, and I find myself drawn to one by the mystic writer and visionary St. John of the Cross; the untitled work is an exquisite, richly metaphoric love poem between himself and his god. It could pass as a love poem between any two at any time ... His approach seems more akin to early Islamic or Judaic works in its more direct route to communication to his god ... I have gone over three different translations of the poem, and am struck by how much a translation can alter our interpretation. Am reminded that most holy scriptures come to us in translation, resulting in a diversity of views.

Original Spanish Poem

Translation

San Juan de la Cruz En una noche oscura En una noche oscura, con ansias, en amores inflamada, ¡oh dichosa ventura!, salí sin ser notada, estando ya mi casa sosegada; a escuras y segura por la secreta escala, disfrazada, ¡oh dichosa ventura!, a escuras y encelada, estando ya mi casa sosegada; en la noche dichosa, en secreto, que naide me veía ni yo miraba cisa, sin otra luz y guía sino la que en el corazón ardía. Aquesta me guiaba más cierto que la luz del mediodía adonde me esperaba quien yo bien me sabía en parte donde naide parecía. ¡Oh noche que guiaste! ¡oh noche amable más que la alborada!; ¡oh noche que juntaste, Amado con amada, amada en el Amado transformada! En mi pecho florido, que entero para él solo se guardaba, allí quedó dormido, y yo le regalaba, y el ventalle de cedros aire daba. El aire del almena, cuando yo sus cabellos esparcía, con su mano serena en mi cuello hería, y todos mis sentidos suspendía. Quedéme y olvidéme, el rostro recliné sobre el Amado; cesó todo y dejéme, dejando mi cuidado entre las azucenas olvidado.

St. John of the Cross On a dark night On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings --oh, happy chance!-- I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest. In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised --oh, happy chance!-- In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me, Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart. This light guided me More surely than the light of noonday To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me -- A place where none appeared. Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn, Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved! Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone, There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze. The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks; With his gentle hand He wounded my neck And caused all my senses to be suspended. I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved. All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.

This translation is quite close to the Spanish original, Irina writes, except for a few things:
   =    Stanza 1, line 2: "With longing, and burning love"
   =    Stanza 6, line 4: "And I gave him gifts"
   =    Stanza 7, line 2: "As is parted his hair"
Note that Loreena chose the fifth stanza as the chorus of her song.

Irina added:

St. John of the Cross himself has written two books on this poem, explaining its meaning as a metaphor of a soul that unites with God. The books are "The Dark Night of the Soul", the title Loreena chose for her song, and "Ascent of Mount Carmel".
Nevertheless, some modern critics take the poem for an erotic love poem, which it clearly seems to be at first look.

When reading as it is meant, however, the poem feels to me much stonger than reading it as an ordinary love poem.

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created: 14 November 2001
last modified: 17 June 2008