The Cloud of Unknowing
The Cloude of Unknowyng
Anonymous (probable Carthusian priest, English)·c. 1380·from the Middle English
A full modern English translation of the work — 1 book, 77 chapters — translated sentence by sentence from the Middle English, with scripture echoes traced and brief notes on the harder turns of phrase. Choose a section to begin reading.
77 chapters1,173 sentences26 scripture echoes
1
The Cloud of Unknowing
- 1.1Here biginneth the preyer on the prologe
- 1.2Here biginneth the prolog
- 1.3The first chapitre. Of foure degrees of Cristen mens leving; and of the cours of his cleping that this book was maad unto.
- 1.4The secound chapitre. A schort stering to meeknes and to the werk of this book.
- 1.5The thrid chapitre. How the werk of this book schal be wrought, and of the worthines of it bifore alle other werkes.
- 1.6The feerthe chapitre. Of the schortnes of this werk, and how it may not be comen to by the corioustee of witte, ne by ymaginacion.
- 1.7The fifthe chapitre. That in the tyme of this werk alle the cretures that ever have ben, ben now, or ever schal be, and alle the werkes of thoo same creatures, scholen be hid under the clowde of forgetyng.
- 1.8The six chapitre. A schort conceyte of the werk of this book, tretid by questyon.
- 1.9The seventh chapitre. How a man schal have him in this werk agens alle thoughtes, and nameli agens alle thoo that risen of his owne coriousté of kunnyng and of kyndely witte.
- 1.10The eight chapitre. A good declaryng of certein doutes that may falle in this werk, tretid bi questyon: in distroiing of a mans owne coriousté of konnyng and of kyndely wit; and in distynging of the degrees and the partyes of actyve levyng and contemplative.
- 1.11The ninthe chapitre. That, in the tyme of this werk, the minde of the holiest creature that ever God maad letteth more then it profiteth.
- 1.12The teenthe chapitre. How a man schal knowe when his thoght is no sinne; and, yif it be synne, when it is deedly and when it is venial.
- 1.13The elleventh chapitre. That a man schuld charge iche thought and iche stering after that it is, and alweis eschewe rechelesnes in venial synne.
- 1.14The twelfthe chapitre. That by vertewe of this werk sinne is not only distroied, bot also vertewes ben getyn.
- 1.15The thritteenth chapitre. What meeknes is in itself, and when it is parfite and when it is inparfite.
- 1.16The fourtene chapitre. That withoute inparfite meeknes coming before, it is inpossible a sinner to come to the parfite vertewe of meeknes in this liif.
- 1.17The fiftene chapitre. A schort profe agens theire errour that seien that ther is no parfiter cause to be mekid under then is the mynde of a mans owne wrechidnes.
- 1.18The sixtene chapitre. That bi vertewe of this werk, a sinner trewly turned and clepid to contemplacion cometh sonner to perfeccion than bi any other werk; and bi it sonnest may gete of God forgevenes of synnes.
- 1.19The seventene chapitre. That a verrey contemplatiif list not medel hym of active liif, ne of anything that is doon or spoken aboute him, ne yit to answere to his blamers in excusing of himself.
- 1.20The eightene chapitre. How that yit into this day alle actyves pleynen hem of contemplatyves, as Martha did on Mary; of the whiche pleynyng ignoraunce is the cause.
- 1.21The ninetene chapitre. A schort excusacion of him that maad this book, teching how alle contemplatives schuld have alle actyves fully excusid of theire pleinyng wordes and dedes.
- 1.22The twenty chapitre. How Almighty God wil goodly answere for alle thoo that, for the excusing of hemself, list not leve the besines aboute the love of Hym.
- 1.23The on and twenty chapitre. The trewe exposicion of this Gospel worde: Mary hath chosen the best partye.
- 1.24The two and twenty chapitre. Of the wonderful love that Crist had to Mari, in persone of alle sinners treuly turned and clepid to the grace of contemplacion.
- 1.25The thre and twenty chapitre. How God wol answere and purvey for hem in sperite, that for besines aboute his love list not answere ne purvey for hemself.
- 1.26The foure and twenty chapitre. What charité is in itself, and how it is sotely and parfitely contened in the werk of this book.
- 1.27The five and twenty chapitre. That in the tyme of this werk a parfite soule hath no special beholding to any o man in this liif.
- 1.28The six and twenty chapitre. That withoute ful specyal grace, or longe use in comoun grace, the werk of this book is right travelous; and in this werk, whiche is the werk of the soule holpen by grace, and whiche is the werk of only God.
- 1.29The seven and twenty chapitre. Who schuld worche in the gracious werk of this book.
- 1.30The eight and twenty chapitre. That a man schuld not presume to worche in this werk before the tyme that he be lawfuly clensid in consience of alle his specyal dedes of synne.
- 1.31The nine and twenty chapitre. That a man schuld bidingly travaile in this werk, and suffre the pine therof, and deme no man.
- 1.32The thritty chapitre. Who schuld blame and reprove other mens defautes.
- 1.33The one and thritty chapitre. How a man schuld have hym in beginning of this werk agens alle thoughtes and steringes of sinne.
- 1.34The two and thritty chapitre. Of two goostli sleightes that ben helpli to a goostli beginner in the werk of this book.
- 1.35The thre and thritty chapitre. That in this werk a soule is clensid bothe of his special sinnes and of the pine of hem, and yit how ther is no parfite rest in this liif.
- 1.36The foure and thritty chapitre. That God geveth this grace freely withouten any mene, and that it may not be comen to with menes.
- 1.37The five and thritty chapitre. Of three menes in the whiche a contemplatiif prentise schuld be ocupied: in reding, thinkyng, and preiing.
- 1.38The six and thritty chapitre. Of the meditacions of hem that contynuely travailen in the werk of this book.
- 1.39The seven and thritty chapitre. Of the special preiers of hem that ben contynowel worchers in the werk of this book.
- 1.40The eight and thritty chapitre. How and whi that schort preier perceth heven.
- 1.41The nine and thritty chapitre. How a parfite worcher schal preie, and what preier is in itself; and yif a man schal preie in wordes, whiche wordes acorden than moste to the propirté of preier.
- 1.42The fourty chapitre. That in the tyme of this work, a soule hath no special beholding to any o vice in itself ne to any o vertew in itself.
- 1.43The on and fourty chapitre. That in alle other werks binethe this, men schuld kepe discrecion; bot in this, none.
- 1.44The two and fourty chapitre. That by indiscrecion in this men schal kepe discrecion in alle other thinges; and sekerly elles never.
- 1.45The thre and fourty chapitre. That alle wetyng and felyng of a mans owne being must nedelynges be lost, yif the perfeccion of this werk schal verrely be felt in any soule in this liif.
- 1.46The foure and fourty chapitre. How a soule schal dispose it on the owne partie for to distroie alle wetyng and feling of the owne being.
- 1.47The five and fourty chapitre. A good declaring of somme certein disseites that mowen falle in this werk.
- 1.48The six and fourty chapitre. A good teching how a man schal flee thees disseites, and wirche more with a listines of spirite then with any boistousnes of body.
- 1.49The seven and fourty chapitre. A sleygh teching of this werk in purté of spirite; declaryng how that on o maner a soule schuld schewe his desire unto God, and on the contrary unto man.
- 1.50The eight and fourty chapitre. How God wol be servid bothe with body and with soule, and reward men in bothe; and how men schul knowe when alle thoo sounes and swetnes that fallen into the body in tyme of preier ben bothe good and ivel.
- 1.51The nine and fourty chapitre. The substaunce of alle perfeccion is not elles bot a good wile; and how that alle sounes, counfortes, and swetnes, that mowe falle in this liif, ben to it bot as it were accidentes.
- 1.52The fifty chapitre. Whiche is chaste love; and how in som creatures soche sensible counfortes ben bot seelden, and in som right ofte.
- 1.53The one and fifty chapitre. That men schuld have grete warnes, so that thei understonde not bodili thing that is ment goostly; and namely it is good to be war in understonding of this worde IN and of this worde UP.
- 1.54The two and fifty chapitre. How theese yong, presumtuous dissiples misunderstonden this worde IN; and of the deseites that folowen theron.
- 1.55The thre and fifty chapitre. Of diverse unseemly continaunces that folowen hem that lacken the werk of this book.
- 1.56The foure and fifty chapitre. How that bi vertewe of this werk a man is governid ful wisely and maad ful seemly, as wel in body as in soule.
- 1.57The five and fifty chapitre. How thei ben disseived, that folowen the fervour of spirite in reprovyng of sinne withouten discrecion.
- 1.58The six and fifty chapitre. How they ben disseived that lenen more to the coriousté of kyndely witte, and of clergie leerned in the scole of men, than to the comoun doctrine and counsel of Holi Chirche.
- 1.59The seven and fifti chapitre. How thees yong, presumptuous dissiples misunderstonden this other worde UP; and of the deseites that folowen theron.
- 1.60The eight and fifty chapitre. That a man schal not take ensaumple of Seinte Martyn and of Seinte Steven, for to streine his ymaginacion bodily upwardes, in the tyme of his preier.
- 1.61The nine and fifty chapitre. That a man schal not take exsaumple at the bodily assencion of Criste, for to streine his ymaginacion upwardes bodily in the tyme of preier; and that tyme, stede, and bodi, theese thre schulden be forgeten in alle goostly worching.
- 1.62The sixty chapitre. That the heighe and the next wey to heven is ronne bi desires, and not bi pases of feet.
- 1.63The on and sixty chapitre. That alle bodili thing is soget unto goostli thing, and is rewlid therafter bi the cours of kinde, and not agensward.
- 1.64The two and sixty chapitre. How a man may wite when his goostly werk is bineeth him or withouten him, and when it is even with him or withinne him, and when it is aboven him and under his God.
- 1.65The thre and sixty chapitre. Of the mightes of a soule in general; and how minde in special is a principal might, comprehending in it alle the other mightes and alle thoo thinges in the whiche thei worchen.
- 1.66The foure and sixty chapitre. Of the other two principal mightes, reson and wil; and of the werk of hem bifore sinne and after.
- 1.67The five and sixty chapitre. Of the first secondary might, ymaginacion bi name; and of the werkes, and of the obedience of it unto reson bifore sinne and after.
- 1.68The six and sixty chapitre. Of the other secondari might, sensualité bi name; and of the werkes, and of the obedience of it unto wille bifore sinne and after.
- 1.69The seven and sixty chapitre. That whoso knoweth not the mightes of a soule and the maner of here worching may lightly be disseived in understonding of goostly wordes and of goostly worching; and how a soule is maad a god in grace.
- 1.70The eight and sixty chapitre. That noghwhere bodili is everywhere goostly; and how oure utter man clepith the werk of this book nowght.
- 1.71The nine and sixty chapitre. How that a mans affeccion is merveylously chaunged in goostly felyng of this nought, when it is noghwere wrought.
- 1.72The seventy chapitre. That right as bi the defailing of oure bodely wittes, we bigine redeliest to kom to knowing of goostli thinges, so by the defailing of oure goostly wittes we biginne moste redeliest to com to the knowing of God, soche as is possible bi grace to be had here.
- 1.73The on and seventy chapitre. That som may not come to fele the perfeccion of this werk bot in tyme of ravisching, and som mowe have it when thei wil, in the comoun state of mans soule.
- 1.74The two and seventy chapitre. That a worcher in this werk schuld not deme ne think of another worcher as he feleth in himself.
- 1.75The thre and seventy chapitre. How that after the licnes of Moyses, of Beseleel, and of Aaron, medeling hem aboute the Arke of the Testament, we profite on thre maners in this grace of contemplacion; for this grace is figured in that Arke.
- 1.76The foure and seventy chapitre. How that the mater of this book is nevermore red or spoken, ne herde red or spoken, of a soule disposid therto, withouten feling of a verrey acordaunce to the effecte of the same werk; and of rehersing of the same charge that is wretin in the prolog.
- 1.77The five and seventy chapitre. Of somme certein tokenes bi the whiche a man may prove whether he be clepid of God to worche in this werk.