Libro Segundo — Capítulo 11
The Enkindling of Divine Love
The soul experiences a profound, spiritual enkindling of love that differs from sensory experience as the spirit differs from the body.
This begins the explanation of the second verse of the first song. It tells how the soul, as the fruit of these severe straits, finds itself with a vehement passion of divine love. 1. In this verse, the soul reveals the fire of love we have discussed, which, like a physical fire catching on wood, gradually kindles within the soul during this night of painful contemplation. Although this enkindling is similar in some ways to the one we described earlier occurring in the soul's sensory part, it is as different from that first one—the one the soul now speaks of—as the soul is from the body, or the spiritual part from the sensory.1 For this is an enkindling of love in the spirit in which, in the midst of these dark distresses, the soul feels itself livingly and keenly wounded with strong divine love, in a certain sense and inkling of God—though without understanding any particular thing, because, as we say, the understanding is in darkness.2
Passive Union and Purgative Detachment
God purges the soul's appetites to prepare it for a passive, infused union of love that demands the total dedication of all human faculties.
2. Here the spirit feels deeply impassioned with love, because this spiritual inflammation produces a passion of love. Since this love is infused, it is more passive than active, and so it engenders in the soul a strong passion of love.3 This love is already beginning to have some measure of union with God, and so it shares in His properties, which are more actions of God than of the soul itself; these settle into the soul passively, though the soul does give its consent. But as for the heat, strength, tempering, and passion of love—or inflammation, as the soul calls it here—only the love of God that is uniting itself with her attaches itself to her.45 This love finds all the more room and readiness in the soul to unite with her and wound her, the more shut in, alienated, and disabled her appetites are from taking pleasure in anything of heaven or of earth. 3. And this, in this dark purgation, as has already been said, happens to a great degree, for God has so weaned the tastes and so gathered them in that they cannot take pleasure in anything they want. All of this God does so that, by setting them apart and gathering them all to himself, the soul may have more strength and capacity to receive this strong union of God's love, which by this purgative means he is already beginning to give it—a union in which the soul is to love with great force from all the spiritual and sensory powers and appetites of the soul: which could not be if they poured themselves out in taking pleasure in something else. This is why, so that David might be able to receive the strength of the love of this union with God, he said to Him (Ps. 58:10): I will keep my strength for you—that is, all the capacity, appetites, and powers of my faculties, not wanting to direct their operation or delight toward anything outside of you.6 4. From this, one can in some way consider how great and how strong this inflammation of love can be in the spirit, where God has gathered all the soul's forces, powers, and appetites—spiritual as well as sensory—so that this whole harmony may put its strength and power into this love, and so truly come to fulfill the first commandment, which, casting aside nothing of the human person and excluding nothing that belongs to it from this love, says (Deut. 6:5): You shall love your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.
The Restless Longing of the Soul
The soul suffers a restless, multi-faceted longing because it is wounded by divine love yet remains in the darkness of purgation.
5. So then, with all the soul's appetites and powers gathered into this inflammation of love—the soul wounded, touched, and impassioned in every way—what restless movements and wanderings can we expect from these powers and appetites, when they find themselves inflamed and wounded by a strong love, yet without possession of it or satisfaction in it, left in darkness and doubt?7 Without a doubt, suffering hunger, like the dogs David speaks of (Ps. 58:7, 15–16) that went around the city; and, not finding themselves satisfied with this love, they kept howling and moaning.8 The touch of this love and divine fire so dries the spirit and kindles its appetites to satisfy its thirst for this divine love that it turns a thousand ways within itself, behaving toward God in a thousand modes and manners, driven by the craving and desire of the appetite.9 David makes this very clear in a psalm (62:2), saying: My soul thirsted for you; how many ways my flesh behaves toward you!10 —that is, in desires. And another translation says: My soul thirsted for you; my soul is lost, or perishes, for you.11 6. This is why the soul says in the verse “with longings in loves,” and not “with longings inflamed in love”: because in everything and every thought it turns over within itself, and in every affair and thing that comes its way, it loves in many ways; and it desires, and suffers in that desire, in the same way—in many ways, at every time and place—finding rest in nothing, feeling this longing in the inflamed wound, as the prophet Job (7:2-4) makes clear when he says: As the servant longs for the shade, and as the hired worker longs for the end of his work, so I had empty months and counted the long, wearisome nights as mine.12 If I lie down to sleep, I’ll say: When will I get up?✦ And then I’ll wait for evening, and I’ll be filled with pain until the darkness of night.✦ Everything becomes narrow and confining for this soul: she cannot contain herself; she cannot find room in heaven or on earth; and she is filled with pains up to the darkness Job speaks of here—taking it spiritually and as it applies to us: waiting and suffering without the comfort of any sure hope of some light and spiritual good, as the soul suffers it here.✦ So the soul's longing and pain in this inflammation of love are even greater, because they are multiplied from two sides: first, from the spiritual darkness in which she finds herself, which afflicts her with doubts and misgivings; second, from the love of God, which inflames and spurs her, and with its loving wound already terrifies her in a marvelous way.13
The Dual Nature of Spiritual Suffering
The soul endures a dual suffering of darkness and longing, sustained by a passive strength that reveals the soul's dependence on God's active touch.
7. These two ways of suffering in such a season Isaiah (26:9) makes quite plain, saying: My soul longed for you in the night—that is, in misery; and this is the one way of suffering that comes from this dark night. But with my spirit, he says, in my inmost depths I will keep watch for you until morning; this is the second way of suffering—in desire and longing on the side of love in the depths of the spirit, which are the spiritual affections.✦14 But in the midst of these dark and loving sufferings, the soul feels a certain companionship and strength within, which stays with it and strengthens it so much that when this weight of crushing darkness lifts, it often feels alone, empty, and weak. The reason is this: since the soul's strength and efficacy were attached to it and communicated passively from the dark fire of love that was assailing it, it follows that when that fire stops assailing the soul, the darkness, the strength, and the heat of love in the soul cease as well.15
Read the original Latin
Comiénzase a explicar el segundo verso de la primera canción. Dice cómo el alma, por fruto de estos rigurosos aprietos, se halla con vehemente pasión de amor divino
1. En el cual verso da a entender el alma el fuego de amor que habemos dicho, que, a manera del fuego material en el madero, se va prendiendo en el alma en esta noche de contemplación penosa. La cual inflamación, aunque es en cierta manera como la que arriba declaramos que pasaba en la parte sensitiva del alma, es en alguna manera tan diferente de aquélla ésta que ahora dice, como lo es el alma del cuerpo, o la parte espiritual de la sensitiva. Porque ésta es una inflamación de amor en el espíritu en que, en medio de estos oscuros aprietos, se siente estar herida el alma viva y agudamente en fuerte amor divino en cierto sentimiento y barrunto de Dios, aunque sin entender cosa particular, porque, como decimos, el entendimiento está a oscuras.
2. Siéntese aquí el espíritu apasionado en amor mucho, porque esta inflamación espiritual hace pasión de amor; que, por cuanto este amor es infuso, es más pasivo que activo, y así engendra en el alma pasión fuerte de amor. Va teniendo ya este amor algo de unión con Dios, y así participa algo de sus propiedades, las cuales son más acciones de Dios que de la misma alma, las cuales se sujetan en ella pasivamente; aunque el alma lo que aquí hace es dar el consentimiento; mas al calor y fuerza, y temple y pasión de amor o inflamación, como aquí la llama el alma, sólo el amor de Dios que se va uniendo con ella se le pega. El cual amor tanto más lugar y disposición halla con el alma para unirse y herir en ella, cuanto más encerrados, enajenados e inhabilitados le tiene todos los apetitos para gustar de cosa del cielo ni de la tierra.
3. Lo cual en esta oscura purgación, como ya queda dicho, acaece en gran manera, pues tiene Dios tan destetados los gustos y tan recogidos, que no pueden gustar de cosa que ellos quieran. Todo lo cual hace Dios a fin de que, apartándolos y recogiéndolos todos para sí, tenga el alma más fortaleza y habilidad para recibir esta fuerte unión de amor de Dios, que por este medio purgativo le comienza ya a dar, en que el alma ha de amar con gran fuerza de todas las fuerzas y apetitos espirituales y sensitivos del alma: lo cual no podría ser si ellos se derramasen en gustar de otra cosa. Que, por eso, para poder David recibir la fortaleza del amor de esta unión de Dios, decía a Dios (Sal. 58, 10): Mi fortaleza guardaré para ti, esto es, de toda la habilidad y apetitos y fuerzas de mis potencias, no queriendo emplear su operación ni gusto fuera de ti en otra cosa.
4. Según esto, en alguna manera se podría considerar cuánta y cuán fuerte podrá ser esta inflamación de amor en el espíritu, donde Dios tiene recogidas todas las fuerzas, potencias y apetitos del alma, así espirituales como sensitivas, para que toda esta armonía emplee sus fuerzas y virtud en este amor, y así venga a cumplir de veras con el primer precepto, que, no desechando nada del hombre ni excluyendo cosa suya de este amor, dice (Dt. 6, 5): Amarás a tu Dios de todo tu corazón, y de toda tu mente, y de toda tu alma, y de todas tus fuerzas.
5. Recogidos aquí, pues, en esta inflamación de amor todos los apetitos y fuerzas del alma, estando ella herida y tocada, según todos ellos, y apasionada, ¿cuáles podremos entender que serán los movimientos y digresiones de todas estas fuerzas y apetitos, viéndose inflamadas y heridas de fuerte amor y sin la posesión y satisfacción de él, en oscuridad y duda? ; sin duda, padeciendo hambre, como los canes, que dice David (Sal. 58, 7, 15-16) rodearon la ciudad, y, no se viendo hartos de este amor, quedaron ahullando y gimiendo. Porque el toque de este amor y fuego divino de tal manera seca al espíritu y le enciende tanto los apetitos por satisfacer su sed de este divino amor, que da mil vueltas en sí y se ha de mil modos y maneras a Dios con la codicia y deseo del apetito. David da muy bien a entender esto en un salmo (62, 2), diciendo: Mi alma tuvo sed de ti: ¡cuán de muchas maneras se ha mi carne a ti! , esto es, en deseos. Y otra translación dice: Mi alma tuvo sed de ti, mi alma se pierde o perece por ti.
6. Esta es la causa por que dice el alma en el verso que “con ansias en amores” y no dice: “con ansias en amor inflamada”, porque en todas las cosas y pensamientos que en sí revuelve y en todos los negocios y cosas que se le ofrecen ama de muchas maneras, y desea y padece en el deseo también a este modo en muchas maneras en todos los tiempos y lugares, no sosegando en cosa, sintiendo esta ansia en la inflamada herida, según el profeta Job (7, 2-4) lo da a entender, diciendo: Así como el siervo desea la sombra y como el mercenario desea el fin de su obra, así tuve yo los meses vacíos y conté las noches prolijas y trabajosas para mí. Si me recostare a dormir, diré: ¿cuándo me levantaré? Y luego esperaré la tarde, y seré lleno de dolores hasta las tinieblas de la noche.
Hácesele a esta alma todo angosto, no cabe en sí, no cabe en el cielo ni en la tierra, y llénase de dolores hasta las tinieblas que aquí dice Job, hablando espiritualmente y a nuestro propósito: esperar y padecer sin consuelo de cierta esperanza de alguna luz y bien espiritual, como aquí lo padece el alma. De donde el ansia y pena de esta alma en esta inflamación de amor es mayor, por cuanto es multiplicada de dos partes: lo uno, de parte de las tinieblas espirituales en que se ve, que con sus dudas y recelos la afligen; lo otro, de parte del amor de Dios, que la inflama y estimula, que con su herida amorosa ya maravillosamente la atemoriza.
7. Las cuales dos maneras de padecer en semejante sazón da bien a entender Isaías (26, 9), diciendo: Mi alma te deseó en la noche, esto es, en la miseria; y ésta es la una manera de padecer de parte de esta noche oscura. Pero con mi espíritu, dice, en mis entrañas hasta la mañana velaré por ti; y ésta es la segunda manera de penar en deseo y ansia de parte del amor en las entrañas del espíritu, que son las afecciones espirituales.
Pero en medio de estas penas oscuras y amorosas siente el alma cierta compañía y fuerza en su interior, que la acompaña y esfuerza tanto, que, si se le acaba este peso de apretada tiniebla, muchas veces se siente sola, vacía y floja. Y la causa es entonces que, como la fuerza y eficacia del alma era pegada y comunicada pasivamente del fuego tenebroso de amor que en ella embestía, de aquí es que, cesando de embestir en ella, cesa la tiniebla y la fuerza y calor de amor en el alma.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Job.7.2-Job.7.4 — As a servant longs for shade, and as a hired worker waits for his wages, Job.7.3 — So I have inherited months of emptiness, and nights of toil have been assigned to me. Job.7.4 — When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I rise?' But the evening drags on, and I am filled with tossing until dawn." "Drags on" is clearer and more oral than "stretches on.
- ↩Job.7.4 — When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I rise?' But the evening drags on, and I am filled with tossing until dawn." "Drags on" is clearer and more oral than "stretches on.
- ↩Job.7.2-Job.7.4 — As a servant longs for shade, and as a hired worker waits for his wages, Job.7.3 — So I have inherited months of emptiness, and nights of toil have been assigned to me. Job.7.4 — When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I rise?' But the evening drags on, and I am filled with tossing until dawn." "Drags on" is clearer and more oral than "stretches on.
- ↩Isa.26.9 — My soul has desired you in the night; even my spirit within me seeks you diligently. For when your judgments are upon the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.
Notes
- 1 ↩Spanish inflamación kept as enkindling (not medical inflammation): the soul's being set on fire with love. parte sensitiva / parte espiritual names the classic sensory vs. spiritual division of the soul.
- 2 ↩barrunto rendered as inkling: a dim presentiment or first sense of God, not clear conceptual knowledge. aprietos rendered as distresses (tight pressures/straits of the night).
- 3 ↩Spanish *infuso* is the technical term for infused love (given by God, not produced by the soul's own effort); kept as "infused" rather than paraphrased.
- 4 ↩Spanish *temple* here means the soul's interior temper or attuning under love's heat, not modern "temper" as anger; rendered "tempering" to keep that sense.
- 5 ↩*se le pega* is the fire-image of love clinging or catching hold; rendered "attaches itself" to preserve the passive reception of God's action after the soul's consent.
- 6 ↩Source cites Sal. 58, 10 (Vulgate/LXX numbering), commonly Psalm 59:9 in Hebrew/modern Protestant numbering; wording follows the Spanish quotation rather than a later English Bible version.
- 7 ↩digresiones: rendered as “restless wanderings”; the sense is the powers’ agitated turnings and digressions when love is unfulfilled, not mere rhetorical digression.
- 8 ↩ahullando: archaic/variant form of aullando, “howling.”
- 9 ↩codicia here is spiritual craving/covetous hunger for God, not pejorative worldly greed; se ha de mil modos = conducts/behaves itself toward God in many ways.
- 10 ↩Sal. 62, 2 follows Vulgate numbering (≈ Ps 63:1–2 Hebrew/English).
- 11 ↩se pierde o perece: alternative renderings of the psalm variant (“is lost” / “perishes”); both kept as in the Spanish.
- 12 ↩The contrast turns on plural amores (“loves”) versus singular amor (“love”): San Juan reads the poem’s wording as naming love’s many simultaneous forms of desiring and suffering, not one single fixed mode of love.
- 13 ↩herida amorosa rendered as 'loving wound' to keep San Juan's paradox of love that both inflames and terrifies; atemoriza kept as 'terrifies' (awe-struck fear), not mere anxiety.
- 14 ↩entrañas is rendered as inmost depths / depths of the spirit (not physical bowels); afecciones espirituales is kept as spiritual affections for the interior motions of love.
- 15 ↩Spanish 'pegada y comunicada pasivamente del fuego tenebroso de amor' keeps John's passive mystical sense: strength is not self-generated but received from the dark fire of love that rushes upon the soul ('embestía').
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