Dark

Night of the Soul

OriginalSpanishpoem:St.JohntheCross
Vietnamesetranslation:VinhN.Pham
Ngytn,mnmbungxung
Rcchytrongtimtngnlatnhyu
nlng,lntheonhsng
Lntrnkhiaitronggicngbnhyn.
Giutheobngmen
Lnxungcythangbmttinhchn
Chonguphlpimi
Ngingicnchttrongsaygcgicmngm.
ipkhc
imngiahngli
imyukiuhnkhihngng
imtrnemminhntnh
nbntnhnhn
Honhptritimyu,ttcvotrongnhau.

Vrimsngmy
Huynbxanixoinhmtphmnhn
Nocnmtaidtli
Cntritimsaytrongngnlatnhyu.
Chiusoilitii
Lachicontimhntranngvngdng
ngvngingyntrng
Hnhchykhngaillaivnggn.
ipKhc
Rnrngnhptimsaym
Dnhhttmtringchmingithi
Dungivoyntronggic
Tnhthmtraonhaudibngtuyttngreo.

VinhN.Pham

VinhN.Pham

Dichnthpphocanh
Ngngimnmanvuttcrxomi
Nhnhngthonggivuntay
Githmcmxcmxoadu,runthalng.
ipKhc
Gnngihntiqunht
ubnchivitrngingctnhnhn
Subunilotanbin
Tacnhsngphaitrongnhsngbnhminh.
Mmchngtanigiabngknhoa
Mmchngtanigiabngknhoa
Mmchngtanigiabngknhoa

Englishtranslationandmusic:LoreenaMcKennitt(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MclLF473XtA)
Uponadarkenednight
theflameoflovewasburninginmybreast
Andbyalanternbright
Ifledmyhousewhileallinquietrest
Shroudedbythenight
andbythesecretstairIquicklyfled
Theveilconcealedmyeyes
whileallwithinlayquietasthedead
Chorus
Ohnightthouwasmyguide
Ohnightmorelovingthantherisingsun
Ohnightthatjoinedthelover
tothebelovedone
transformingeachofthemintotheother

Uponthatmistynight
insecrecy,beyondsuchmortalsight
Withoutaguideorlight
thanthatwhichburnedsodeeplyinmyheart

VinhN.Pham

Thatfiret'wasledmeon
andshonemorebrightthanofthemiddaysun
Towherehewaitedstill
itwasaplacewherenooneelsecouldcome
Chorus
Withinmypoundingheart
whichkeptitselfentirelyforhim
Hefellintohissleep
beneaththecedarsallmyloveIgave
Andbythefortresswalls
thewindwouldbrushhishairagainsthisbrow
Andwithitssmoothesthand
caressedmyeverysenseitwouldallow
Chorus
Ilostmyselftohim
andlaidmyfaceuponmyloversbreast
Andcareandgriefgrewdim
asinthemorningsmistbecamethelight
Theretheydimmedamongsttheliliesfair
Theretheydimmedamongsttheliliesfair
Theretheydimmedamongsttheliliesfair

Translator Notes:

DarkNightoftheSoulisapoembya16thcenturySpanishmonkSt.JohntheCross.Itisa
metaphoricpoemofadirectlovebetweenhimandhisgod.Toexplainthispoem,St.Johnalsowrote2
booksAscentofMountCarmelandDarkNightoftheSoul.

OnenoteisthattheexperienceofdarknightisnotChristianalone.Numerousaccountsare
writteninTaoism,Buddhism,andmorerecentlyinKrishnamurtisteaching.Eachhasitsownunique
peculiarsthatwillnotbeelaboratedhere.Regardlesswhatreligion,ornonreligiononeis,Ithinkthis
poemhasspiritualimportance.Andcertainly,itsartisticmasteryisundeniable.

SinceIdonotknowSpanish,mytranslationisbasedonseveralEnglishversions,most
importantlytheonefromLoreenaMcKennittsincemytranslationcanalsobeusedaslyrictohersong.
Thereare3otherEnglishtranslationsatthefollowingwebsite:
1. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/john_cross/dark_night.vi.html

VinhN.Pham

2. http://www.catholictreasury.info/books/dark_night/dn1.php
3. http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.com/2009/09/saintjohnofcrossdarknightofsoul.html
TheoriginalbookDarkNightoftheSoulalsohelpswithunderstandingthemetaphoriclanguage
behindthepoem.Unfortunately,itisincomplete,andleftmepuzzlingaboutthelast3stanzas,
especiallythe7thwhereLoreenaMcKennittstranslationdivergessharplywiththetranslationsincluded
inthebookDarkNightoftheSoulthatIhereonreferasoriginals.Inthelyric,shewrote:
Andbythefortresswalls
thewindwouldbrushhishairagainsthisbrow
Andwithitssmoothesthand
Caressedmyeverysenseitwouldallow
Inoneoftheoriginal,thestanzais:
ThebreezeblewfromtheturretAsIpartedhislocks;
WithhisgentlehandhewoundedmyneckAndcausedallmysensestobesuspended
Intheother,itis:
Whenthebreezeblewfromtheturret,
asIpartedhishair,
itwoundedmyneck
withitsgentlehand,
suspendingallmysenses.
Now,theactorsin3versionsaredifferent.InLMsversion,itisdefinitelythewind.Inthefirst
original,itisgod;andinthesecondoriginal,itiseitherthewindorthehair.Ifgodistheactor,this
wouldbeconsideredakindoftoughlovethatdestroystheego.Ifitisthewindorthehair,thenit
wouldbemerelyartisticexpression.ThesecondinterpretationwouldbeclosertoLMsversion.InLMs
version,thewordcaressedisusedinsteadofsuspended.Asaresult,onewouldbetemptedto
thinkthatitisaromanticizedversion.Tobefair,itisdifficulttoexpressthisviolentloveandnotstartle
theaudiencetosuspicionofthedeepermeaning.Duringthetranslationprocess,whenIgotstuckin
thisstanza,Iveaskedvariousindividualsandforumsforexplanationbutnoonereplied.Asaresult,I
wentaheadandusedLMsversiontofinish.Iloveitregardlessofthesmalldivergence.
Afterawhile,onepersoncameforwardandansweredmyquestion.Hereishisreply
AsIpartedhishairisthesoulsdesiretoseethefaceofGod.

ThebreezeistheHolySpirit,timeissuspended,youdonotgettolookaroundasyourneckis
wounded.

Thisisquiteaninsightfulexplanation,soIthinkitwouldbeappropriatetotranslateaseparate
stanzamorefittingformoreausterereligioussetting.Inthisversion,Iusetheimageoffishinginstead
ofwoundingtheneck.Itsquiteviolentenough.

Dichnthpphocanh
Trmthydungnhanvuttcrxomi
Nhnhngngilivuntay
Ginghncmxctrongsungkhngthigian.

VinhN.Pham