Excerpt: The Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross
July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
DARK NIGHT
Exposition
of the stanzas describing the method followed by the soul in its journey upon the
spiritual road to the attainment of the perfect union of love with God, to the
extent that is possible in this life. Likewise are described the properties
belonging to the soul that has attained to the said perfection, according as
they are contained in the same stanzas.
PROLOGUE
In this
book are first set down all the stanzas which are to be expounded; afterwards, each
of the stanzas is expounded separately, being set down before its exposition;
and then each line is expounded separately and in turn, the line itself also
being set down before the exposition. In the first two stanzas are expounded
the effects of the two spiritual purgations: of the sensual part of man and of
the spiritual part. In the other six are expounded various and wondrous effects
of the spiritual illumination and union of love with God.
STANZAS OF THE SOUL
1. On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings—oh, happy
chance!—I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.
2. In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised—oh, happy chance!—In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest.
3. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me,Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned inmy heart.
4. 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.
5. Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in theBeloved!
6. Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the fanning of thecedars made a breeze.
7. The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks;With his gentle hand he wounded my neck And caused all my sensesto be suspended.
8. I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgottenamong the lilies.
Begins the exposition of the stanzas which treat of the
way and manner which the soul follows upon the road of the union of love with
God.
Before we enter upon the exposition of these stanzas, it
is well to understand here that the soul that utters them is now in the state
of perfection, which is the union of love with God, having already passed
through severe trials and straits, by means of spiritual exercise in the narrow
way of eternal life whereof Our Saviour speaks in the Gospel, along which way
the soul ordinarily passes in order to reach this high and happy union with
God. Since this road (as the Lord Himself says likewise) is so strait, and
since there are so few that enter by it, the soul considers it a great
happiness and good chance to have passed along it to the said perfection of
love, as it sings in this first stanza, calling this strait road with full
propriety 'dark night,' as will be explained hereafter in the lines of the said
stanza. The soul, then, rejoicing at having passed along this narrow road
whence so many blessings have come to it, speaks after this manner.
