Introduction

[Manny]

I’m actually thrilled I’m getting to read this. It will be my first experience with a work by St. John of the Cross. Let’s lay out a reading schedule. It’s not a very long work. Depending on which edition, it’s roughly about 160 pages or so. So let’s plan for about four weeks to complete it.

The work, preceded by a Prologue, then divides into two parts, but unevenly divided. Part 1 consists of fourteen chapters and Part 2 consists of twenty-five chapters. So Prologue plus all the chapters adds up to forty. We’ll plan on about ten chapters per week.

Week 1: 28 Feb to 6 Mar
Prologue; Part 1, Chapter I thru IX

Week 2: 7 Mar to 13 Mar
Part 1 Chapter X thru Part 2 Chapter VI

Week 3: 14 Mar to 20 Mar
Part 2 Chapter VII thru XIV

Week 4: 21 Mar to 27 Mar
Part 2 Chapter XV thru XXV

I really don’t have a sense of how difficult this is. If we need an extra week, we can add it. March 27th is the day before Palm Sunday. This should make a really nice Lenten read.

[Frances]

It’s a beautiful undertaking, Manny.

[Irene]

It has been many years since I read this. A good time to reread.

[Catherine]

Excellent choice! I will confess to having difficulty when I tried reading it several years ago. However, I'm excited to give it another try. Having a group to share the experience with will likely make a big difference.

[Aleieen]

Me parece que será una buena lectura, muy adecuada para este tiempo. Me sumo a la lectura.
Saludos

[Manny]

Gracias Alejandra. I assume you will be reading it in the original Spanish. I bet that would be lovely.

[Gerri]

I tried to read it several years ago and made it to page 53. Found my bookmark there today. I'm going to give it another try. As Catherine said, reading it with a group should make a big difference

[Manny]

Oh good Gerri. You are always missed when you can't participate. It may be a difficult read but we will just have to do the best we can. And yes, I think a group discussion may help everyone.

[Madeleine]

I'm also going to give it another try. I have to admit I found it a big disappointment--lots of repetition in my edition, and it didn't seem to go anywhere. But if I can catch up with the other books we've started, I'll see if a fresh look might help.

[Manny]

Oh good Madeleine.

By the way, which translation do people have. I haven't really researched translations but since I already owned the book I didn't have much of a choice. I have the E. Allison Peers translation.

[Manny]

All this while I thought E. Allison Peers was a woman. The "E" stands for Edgar. He's got a Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_A...

[Kerstin]

Madeleine wrote: " But if I can catch up with the other books we've started, I'll see if a fresh look might help."

LOL! I am certainly guilty of that.

[Joseph]

Manny wrote: "Oh good Madeleine.

By the way, which translation do people have. I haven't really researched translations but since I already owned the book I didn't have much of a choice. I have the E. Allison P..."

I picked up the Gabriela Cunninghame Graham translation from the library.

[Frances]

I have the E. Allison Peers translation, too, Manny. Thank you for the information.

Madeleine, you’re back with us! You’ve been missed.

[Casey]

Using the 60 cent Dover Thrift Kindle edition. Turns out that's Peers. Good to know my money didn't go to waste!

[Kelly]

I have the Peers edition as well, also the Dover thrift. I never realized it was written in stanzas and expositions. We'll see!

[Manny]

Thanks Casey and Kelly. Yes, I have the same Dover edition too. I saw it really inexpensive several years ago and picked it up. Glad I have it!

[Manny]

One thing we should be familiar as we read is the poem, “Dark Night of the Soul.” So as I understand it, St. John of the Cross wrote this poem, and later expounded on each line which became the book, Dark Night of the Soul. It’s not a very long poem. So let me posted it in its entirety here, first the original Spanish and then the Peers translation.

1
En una noche obscura,
con ansias en amores imflamada,
¡oh dichosa uentura!
sali sin ser notada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada.

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
A escuras y segura,
por la secreta escala disfraçada,
¡oh dichosa uentura!
a escuras y ençelada,
estando ya mi casa sosegada.

In darkness and secure,
By secret ladder disguised—
oh, happy chance!—
In darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at rest.

3
En la noche dichosa,
en secreto, que nadie me ueya,
ni yo miraua cosa,
sin otra luz ni guia
sino la que en el coraçon ardia.

In the happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Now I beheld aught,
Without light or guide,
Save that which burned in my heart.

4
Aquesta me guiaua
mas cierto que la luz del mediodia,
adonde me esperaua
quien yo bien me sabia,
en parte donde nadie parecia.

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 noche que me guiaste!
¡oh noche amable mas que el aluorada!,
¡oh noche que juntaste
amado con amada,
amada en el amado transformada!

Oh night that guided me,
Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined
Beloved with lover,
Lover transformed in the Beloved!

6
Y en mi pecho florido,
que entero para el solo se guardaua,
alli quedo dormido,
y yo le regalaua,
y el ventalle de cedros ayre daua.

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.

7
El ayre de la almena,
cuando ya sus cabellos esparzia,
con su mano serena
en mi cuello heria,
y todos mis sentidos suspendia.

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.

8
Quedeme y oluideme,
el rostro recline sobre el amado,
ceso todo, y dexeme,
dexando mi cuidado
entre las açucenas olvidado.

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.

The Peers translation used a four line stanza but I noticed that St. John used a five line stanza in the original, and other translations, like this one, http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.co... used a five line stanza. So I created a five line stanza version using the Peers translation and seeing in my rough understanding of Spanish where the additional line most made sense.

I have to say I found it really worthwhile to physically type out the poem. I think I absorbed it better than just reading it.

[Celia]

My mother died on St John of the Cross' Feast Day in 2007. I have long wanted to read this but plan to read The Ascent of Mount Carmel first. BTW, my mother suffered from depression most of her life. I thought her death on this saint's feast day quite a spiritual coincidence.

[Manny]

Celia wrote: "My mother died on St John of the Cross' Feast Day in 2007. I have long wanted to read this but plan to read The Ascent of Mount Carmel first. BTW, my mother suffered from depression m..."

If you read fast enough you can read Dark Night after you finish Ascent and still join us. :)

I'm sorry to hear from your mom. My mother too has gone through times of depression but her psych issue seems more to be anxiety.

[Celia]

Manny wrote: "Celia wrote: "My mother died on St John of the Cross' Feast Day in 2007. I have long wanted to read this but plan to read The Ascent of Mount Carmel first. BTW, my mother suffered fro..."

TY Manny