‘ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL’ by Saint John of the Cross – ‘ARGUMENT’ & ‘STANZAS’; pages 11-12
[Saint John of the Cross – XVI Century AD; Fontiveros, Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy/Ubeda, , Crown of Castile, Spanish Monarchy; (Aged 49); Priest, Mystic, Writer, Doctor of the Church]“ARGUMENT
ALL the doctrine whereof I intend to treat in this Ascent of Mount Carmel is included in the following stanzas, and in them is also described the manner of ascending to the summit of the Mount, which is the high estate of perfection which we here call union of the soul with God. And because I must continually base upon them that which I shall say, I have desired to set them down here together, to the end that all the substance of that which is to be written may be seen and comprehended together; although it will be fitting to set down each stanza separately before expounding it, and likewise the lines of each stanza, according as the matter and the exposition require. The poem, then, runs as follows:
STANZAS
Wherein the soul sings of the happy chance which it had in passing through the dark night of faith, in detachment and purgation of itself, to union with the Beloved.
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 in my 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 the Beloved!
6. 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. 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. 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.”
Image: John_of_the_Cross_crucifixion_sketch
‘Tibi Christe splendor Patris’ = ‘To you, Christ, is the splendor of the Father’
>>> youtube.com/watch?v=uYaS4XL4z1U
Lyrics in English:
Thee, o Christ, the Father's splendour,
life and virtue of the heart,
in the presence of the angels
sing we now with tuneful art,
meetly in alternate chorus
bearing our responsive art.
Thus we praise with veneration
all the armies of the sky,
chiefly him, the warrior primate,
of celestial chivalry,
Michael, who in princely virtue
cast Abaddon from on high.
By whose watchful care repelling,
King of everlasting grace,
every ghostly adversary,
all things evil, all things base,
grant us of thine only goodness,
in thy paradise place.
Laud and honour to the Father,
laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit,
ever three, and ever one,
consubstantial, co-eternal,
while unending ages run.
Amen.