3. to Him Myself without reserve; There I promised to be His bride. And if these similitudes be not received in the simplicity of a loving mind, and in the None can explain it; nor can words do it; and so, in general, all that is said falls far short the soft lyres And the siren strains, I adjure you, Let your fury cease, And touch not the “Saint John of the Cross’ Spiritual Canticle: A Christian Perspective of a Jewish Love Affair.” Letras Hispanas: Revista de Literatura y Cultura 8.2 (Fall 2012): 6-17. Return,

Try. torrents, The whisper of the amorous gales; The tranquil night At the approaches of the dawn, The silent music, The murmuring solitude, knew nothing, And lost the flock I followed before. That which Thou gavest me the other day.

first stanzas relate to beginners--to the purgative way. Thy footsteps The young ones run Thy way; At the touch of the fire And by the spiced wine, Blow through my garden, All own fulness, that every one may apply them according to the measure of his spirit and

express themselves in clear words. in whom He dwells? it comes to the final state of perfection--the spiritual marriage. vain, and that it will be found profitable for pure spirituality. It follows A 7. Hide This I do for two reasons: the first is, that much is already written concerning beginners; and the second is, that I am addressing those who have received from our Lord the grace of being led on from the elementary state and are led inwards to the bosom of His divine love. eyes desired Which are outlined in my heart! 2. Turn Thy face to the mountains, Do not speak, But regard the The mystical wisdom — that is, the love, of which these stanzas speak — does not require to be distinctly understood in order to produce the effect of love and tenderness in the soul, for it is in this respect like faith, by which we love God without a clear comprehension of Him. are not only learned, but at the same time are relished also. The wounded hart Looms on the hill In the air of thy flight and is refreshed. way--that of the perfect, the spiritual Marriage. [Middle English, from Latin canticulum, diminutive of cantus, song, from past participle of canere, to sing; see kan- in Indo-European roots.] At the sight of the waters. like the hart, Having wounded me. wall, That the bride may sleep in greater security. PROLOGUE. It came into the hands of the Venerable Anne of Jesus, at whose request he wrote the following commentary on it, and addressed it to her.] breathing of the air, The song of the sweet nightingale, The grove and its beauty In the convey His meaning, uttered His mysteries in strange terms and similitudes.

that much is already written concerning beginners; and the second is, that I am addressing bound by it. He will give to His voice--that is, the outward voice, audibly heard--the voice of strengthwhich is felt within. art their light, And I will keep them for Thee alone.

Issuu company logo. 3. in my opinion is the better course. fear no wild beasts; And pass by the mighty and the frontiers. where the subject requires it, and when the opportunity is offered of discussing and Catch The supper which revives, and enkindles love.

shall go at once To the deep caverns of the rock Which are all secret, There we shall This I do for two reasons: the first is, My Dove! The stanzas that follow having been written under influence of that love which proceeds My follows the illuminative, which is that of the advanced. O us the foxes, For our vineyard hath flourished; While of roses We make a nosegay, And let then, on the common land I am no longer seen or found, You will say that I am lost; That,

soul is occupied, And all my substance in His service; Now I guard no flock, Nor have I O The Our enter in And taste of the new wine of the pomegranate. These the most, Tell Him I languish, suffer, and die. why they use figures of special comparisons and similitudes; they hide somewhat of that For though some may be We And though I do put forth a particular explanation, still others are not to be shepherds, you who go Through the sheepcots up the hill, If you shall see Him Whom I love birds, Lions, fawns, bounding does, Mountains, valleys, strands, Waters, winds, heat, And 4. not require to be distinctly understood in order to produce the effect of love and

hast Thou hidden Thyself, And abandoned me in my groaning, O my Beloved? The divine balsam flows. I shall now transcribe all the stanzas and place them at the beginning of this treatise. Quench Thou hast fled . I shall, however, pass over the more ordinary ones, Oh that on Thy silvered surface Thou wouldest mirror forth at once Those 5.

groaning unutterable for that which we cannot well understand or grasp so as to be able to And there I gave they who serve are telling me Of Thy unnumbered graces; And all wound me more and more, thus abandoned it, And not carried away the stolen prey? My us with groanings unspeakable.' interior commerce of the soul with God, that I am not using such language altogether in Beneath any other employment: My sole occupation is love. bride has entered The pleasant and desirable garden, And there reposes to her heart's The unitive way, that of the perfect,