The 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.
The Labor of the Cloud
The author urges the reader to labor hard in the cloud of unknowing, acknowledging the struggle involved unless aided by special grace or long practice.
So work hard for a while, and keep pressing against this high cloud of unknowing, and then rest. Still, anyone who takes up this work will face a struggle — yes, absolutely! And a very great struggle at that, unless they have been given a more special grace, or else have practiced at it for a long time.
The Nature of the Struggle
The author clarifies that the struggle is not in the stirring of love, which is God's work, but in actively forgetting all creatures under the cloud of forgetting.
But tell me: where will that struggle be? Certainly not in that devout stirring of love that is continually worked in his will — not by himself, but by the hand of Almighty God, who is always ready to do this work in every soul that is disposed to it, and that does all that lies in him, and has long done so beforehand, to make himself capable of this work. But where, then, is this struggle, I ask you? Certainly this struggle is entirely in suppressing every thought of any creature God ever made, and in holding them under the cloud of forgetting mentioned before.1 In this is all the struggle; for this is man's labor, with the help of grace. And the other above — that is to say, the stirring of love — that is the work of God alone. And therefore keep at your work, and certainly I promise you it will not fail on His part.2
Encouragement in the Toil
The author encourages the reader to press on, promising that the initial hardship will give way to rest and joy as God works in the soul.
So press on hard, then; let's see how you bear yourself. Don't you see how He stands and waits for you? For shame! Work hard for just a little while, and you'll soon be relieved of how great and difficult this labor is. For though it's altogether hard and narrow at the beginning, when you have no devotion, still afterward, when you do have devotion, what was so hard before will be made fully restful and easy for you; and you'll have either little labor or none. For then God will sometimes work all by Himself—though not always, and not for any long stretch at a time, but only when He wills, and as He wills. And then it will seem a joy to you to leave Him alone.3
The Gift of Divine Light
The author describes how God may grant a beam of spiritual light and inflamed affection, but concludes by distinguishing this divine work from the human work he is more willing to discuss.
Then He will sometimes, perhaps, send out a beam of spiritual light, piercing this cloud of unknowing that is between you and Him, and show you some of His secrets—which no one may or can put into words. Then you'll feel your affection inflamed with the fire of His love, far more than I can tell you—or may, or will—at this time.4 For of that work that belongs to God alone, I dare not take it on myself to speak with my babbling fleshly tongue; and to put it briefly, even if I dared, I wouldn't. But of that work that belongs to a person when he feels himself stirred and helped by grace, I'm glad to tell you; for in that there is the lesser peril of the two.
Read the original Middle English
And therfore travayle fast awhile, and bete apon this highe cloude of unknowyng, and rest sithen. Nevertheles a travayle schal he have, whoso schal use hym in this werk; ye, sekirly! and that a ful grete travayle, bot yif he have a more special grace, or elles that he have of longe tyme usid him therin.
Bot I pray thee, wherin schal that travayle be? Sekirly not in that devoute steryng of love that is contynuely wrought in his wille, not by himself bot by the hande of Almighty God, the whiche is evermore redy to wirche this werk in iche a soule that is disposid therto, and that doth that in him is, and hath do longe tyme before, to able him to this werk. Bot wherin than is this travayle, I pray thee? Sekirly this travaile is al in tredyng doun of the mynde of alle the creatures that ever God maad, and in holdyng of hem under the cloude of forgetyng namyd before. In this is alle the traveyle; for this is mans travayle, with help of grace. And the tother aboven -- that is to sey, the steryng of love -- that is the werk of only God. And therfore do on thi werk, and sekirly I behote thee it schal not fayle on Hym.
Do on than fast; lat se how thou berest thee. Seest thou not how He stondeth and abideth thee? For schame! Travayle fast bot awhile, and thou schalt sone be esid of the gretnes and of the hardnes of this travayle. For thof al it be hard and streyte in the byginnyng, when thou haste no devocion, nevertheles yit after when thou hast devocion, it schal be maad ful restful and ful light unto thee, that bifore was ful harde; and thou schalt have outher litil travaile or none. For than wil God worche somtyme al by Himself, bot not ever, ne yit no longe tyme togeders, bot when Him lyst, and as Hym list. And than wil thee thenk it mery to late Hym alone.
Than wil He sumtyme paraventure seend oute a beme of goostly light, peersyng this cloude of unknowing that is bitwix thee and Hym, and schewe thee sum of His priveté, the whiche man may not, ne kan not, speke. Than schalt thou fele thine affeccion enflaumid with the fiire of His love, fer more then I kan telle thee, or may, or wile, at this tyme. For of that werke that fallith to only God dar I not take apon me to speke with my blabryng fleschely tonge; and schortly to say, althof I durst, I wolde not. Bot of that werk that falleth to man, whan he felith him sterid and holpin by grace, list me wel telle thee; for therin is the lesse peril of the two.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'mynde of ... creatures' means mental awareness or remembrance of creatures, not the creatures' own minds.
- 2 ↩ME 'fayle on' means fail with respect to someone; here, God will not fail to do His share of the work.
- 3 ↩Middle English 'late Hym alone' means leave God free to work by Himself, not abandon Him; 'mery' is pleasant/delightful, rendered as 'a joy'.
- 4 ↩Keeps affection as the Cloud's technical term for the will/affective faculty drawn toward God, not modern sentimental feeling.
The Cloud of Unknowing companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent