The six chapitre. A schort conceyte of the werk of this book, tretid by questyon.
Loved, Not Thought
The author confesses ignorance of God's essence, explains that God can be loved but not thought, and urges the reader to pierce the cloud of unknowing with a loving desire.
But now you ask me and say: "How am I to think of Him Himself, and what is He?" And to this, I can only answer: "I don't know."1 For with your question you've brought me into that same darkness, and into that same cloud of unknowing that I would have you be in yourself. For of all other creatures and their works—yes, and of the works of God himself—a person may through grace have fullness of knowing, and know how to think well on them; but of God Himself no one can think. And therefore I'll leave everything I can think, and choose for my love that which I cannot think. For He may well be loved, but not thought. By love He may be gotten and held; but by thought, neither. And therefore, though it's sometimes good to think of the kindness and the worthiness of God in particular, and though that is a light and a part of contemplation, nevertheless in this work it must be cast down and covered with a cloud of forgetting.2 And you must step above it stoutly but lightly, with a devout and pleasing stirring of love, and try to pierce that darkness above you.3 And strike upon that thick cloud of unknowing with a sharp dart of longing love, and don't go from there for anything that happens.
Read the original Middle English
But now thou askest me and seiest: "How schal I think on Himself, and what is Hee?" And to this I cannot answere thee bot thus: "I wote never."
For thou hast brought me with thi question into that same derknes, and into that same cloude of unknowyng that I wolde thou were in thiself. For of alle other creatures and theire werkes -- ye, and of the werkes of God self -- may a man thorou grace have fulheed of knowing, and wel to kon thinke on hem; bot of God Himself can no man thinke. And therfore I wole leve al that thing that I can think, and chese to my love that thing that I cannot think. For whi He may wel be loved, bot not thought. By love may He be getyn and holden; bot bi thought neither. And therfore, thof al it be good sumtyme to think of the kyndnes and the worthines of God in special, and thof al it be a light and a party of contemplacion, nevertheles in this werk it schal be casten down and keverid with a cloude of forgetyng. And thou schalt step aboven it stalworthly, bot listely, with a devoute and a plesing stering of love, and fonde for to peerse that derknes aboven thee. And smyte apon that thicke cloude of unknowyng with a scharp darte of longing love, and go not thens for thing that befalleth.
Notes
- 1 ↩ME 'wote never' is emphatic: not mere present ignorance, but 'I do not know at all' / 'I have no knowledge of it.' Rendered as the plain contemporary 'I don't know' to keep the bluntness of the reply.
- 2 ↩Rendered as kindness (beneficence/goodness). ME kyndnes can also mean nature/kind, but with worthines the kindness/goodness sense is the stronger reading.
- 3 ↩Rendered as lightly, contrasting with stalworthly (stoutly). ME listely/listily can also shade toward eagerly or skillfully.
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.
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