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Chapter 20CanticoEsp.1.20

Canción XVIII

The Soul's Captivity and Its Song

The soul, in the state of spiritual betrothal, laments its captivity in the body and cries out to the Bridegroom, then sings a song asking the sensory part to stay quiet.

Note for the following song In this state of spiritual betrothal, then, as the soul comes to see its own excellences and great riches, and that it doesn't possess and enjoy them as it would wish—because it still dwells in the flesh—it often suffers a great deal, especially when its awareness of this is most vividly awakened. For it sees that it is in the body like a great lord in prison, subject to a thousand miseries, its kingdoms confiscated and all its dominion and riches blocked, and from its estate it receives nothing but a strictly rationed meal—and anyone can readily see what that feels like, especially since even the members of its household are not very subject to it; rather, at every opportunity its servants and slaves turn against it without any respect, even wanting to snatch the bite from its plate. So, then, it is with the soul in the body: for when God grants it some favor by letting it taste some morsel of the goods and riches he has prepared for it, at once some bad servant of appetite rises up in the sensory part—at one moment a slave of disordered impulse, at another moment other rebellions from this lower part—to hinder it from this good.1 In this, the soul feels itself to be as in a land of enemies, tyrannized among strangers, and as if dead among the dead, and it keenly feels what the prophet Baruch means when he presses this misery in Jacob's captivity, saying: What is the reason, O Israel, that you are in the land of the enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land; you have defiled yourself with the dead, and they counted you with those who go down to hell.2 Why is it, Israel, that you are in the land of enemies? You have grown old in a foreign land; you have been defiled with the dead; you have been counted with those who go down into hell. And it wounds still more when the soul feels this wretched treatment it suffers from the captivity of the body, when Jeremiah, speaking to Israel according to the spiritual sense, says: Is Israel a slave, or a houseborn servant?3 Why then has he become prey?4 Lions have roared over him, and they have raised their voice. Is Israel by any chance a servant or a slave, that he should be held captive like this?✦ Lions roared over him, and so on. Here, we take the lions to represent the appetites and rebellions we’ve described as belonging to this tyrant king of sensuality. And so, to show the distress the soul suffers and its desire that this kingdom of sensuality, with all its armies and troubles, may end already or be wholly subjected to it, lifting its eyes to the Bridegroom as to the one who is to do it all, and speaking against these movements and rebellions, the soul says the following song: Oh, nymphs of Judea! While amber scents the flowers and rosebushes, stay out in the outskirts, and don't try to touch our thresholds.56

The Bride's Plea to the Lower Nature

The exposition begins, identifying the bride as the speaker and explaining that 'Judea' represents the sensory part of the soul and 'nymphs' are its movements and affections.

Exposition In this song, the bride is speaking. She sees herself set in her superior spiritual part, amid such rich and outstanding gifts and delights from her Beloved. She wants to remain in the secure and continuous possession of them—the state the Bridegroom has placed her in during the two preceding songs. But she sees that her lower part, the sensory nature, could hinder her, and in fact does hinder and disturb so great a good. So she asks the operations and movements of this lower part to quiet themselves in its faculties and senses, and that the sensory part not cross the limits of its own region to trouble and unsettle the soul's superior and spiritual part. This is so that it may not hinder—even by the slightest movement—the good and sweetness she enjoys. For the movements of the sensory part and its faculties, if they are active when the spirit is rejoicing, trouble and unsettle it all the more, the more active and lively they are.7 So she says: Oh nymphs of Judea! Judea refers to the lower part of the soul, which is the sensory part. She calls it Judea because, like the Jewish people, it is by nature weak, carnal, and blind; she calls all the imaginings, fantasies, movements, and affections of this lower portion nymphs.8 She calls them nymphs because, just as nymphs draw lovers to themselves with their charm and affection, these operations and movements of pleasurable sensuality stubbornly try to pull the will of the rational part toward them, drawing it out of the interior so that it desires the same exterior things they do. They also move the understanding, drawing it to unite and marry them in their low, sensory way, attempting to conform and attract the rational part to the sensory.9 You, then, she says, O sensory operations and movements:

The Stillness of the Senses

The remaining lines of the song are explained: the flowers and rosebushes are virtues and faculties, the amber is the divine Spirit, the outskirts are the sensory faculties, and the thresholds are the first movements of the soul.

While among the flowers and the rosebushes. The flowers, as we've said, are the virtues of the soul, and the rosebushes are its faculties—memory, understanding, and will—which carry within themselves and bring forth flowers of divine conceptions, acts of love, and those same virtues. So then, insofar as in these said virtues and faculties of the soul10 The amber gives off a fragrance. By amber here, he means the divine Spirit of the Bridegroom who dwells in the soul. And for this divine amber to perfume the flowers and rosebushes is for it to pour itself out and communicate itself most gently in the powers and virtues of the soul, giving the soul in them the fragrance of divine sweetness.11 So then, while this divine Spirit is giving spiritual sweetness to my soul, Live on the outskirts. In the outskirts of Judea, which we call the lower, or sensory, part of the soul. And its outskirts are the interior sensory faculties—memory, fantasy, and imagination—in which the forms of images and phantasms of objects are stored and collected, and through which sensuality stirs its appetites and cravings.12 And these forms are what he calls nymphs here; when they are quiet and at rest, the appetites also sleep.13 These forms enter those outskirts—the interior senses—through the doors of the external senses: sight, hearing, smell, and so on. So we can call all the faculties and senses of this sensory part, whether interior or exterior, outskirts, because they are the neighborhoods that lie outside the city walls; for what is called the city within the soul is what lies further inward—namely, the rational part, which has the ability to communicate with God, and whose operations are contrary to those of sensuality. But because there is a natural connection between the inhabitants of these outskirts of the sensory part (and those inhabitants are the nymphs we speak of) and the higher part, which is the city—so that what is done in this lower part is usually felt in the other, interior part, and so causes it to take notice and disturbs it from the spiritual work and presence it has in God—for that reason she tells them to dwell in their outskirts: that is, to quiet themselves in their interior and exterior sensory faculties.14 And don't wish to touch our thresholds. That is, don't even let the first movements touch the superior part; because the first movements of the soul are the entrances and thresholds for entering into the soul, and when they pass from being first movements into the reason, they're already crossing the thresholds. But when they're only first movements, it's only said that they touch the thresholds or knock at the door—which happens when there are assaults on the reason from sensuality toward some disordered act. For here the soul says not only that these shouldn't touch her, but even that there shouldn't be any of the notices that don't serve the quiet and good she enjoys.1516

Read the original Spanish

Anotación para la canción siguiente

En este estado, pues, de desposorio espiritual, como el alma echa de ver sus excelencias y grandes riquezas, y que no las posee y goza como querría, causa de la morada que hace en carne, muchas veces padece mucho, mayormente cuando más se le aviva la noticia de esto; porque echa de ver que ella está en el cuerpo como un gran señor en la cárcel, sujeto a mil miserias, confiscados sus reinos e impedido todo su señorío y riquezas, y no se le da de su hacienda, sino muy por tasa la comida; en lo cual lo que podrá sentir cada uno lo echará bien de ver, mayormente aún los domésticos de su casa, no le estando muy sujetos; sino que, a cada ocasión, sus siervos y esclavos, sin algún respeto se enderezan contra él, hasta querer cogerle el bocado del plato. Así, pues, se ha el alma en el cuerpo, pues cuando Dios le hace alguna merced de darle a gustas de algún bocado de los bienes y riquezas que le tiene aparejadas, luego se levanta en la parte sensitiva algún mal siervo de apetito, ahora un esclavo de desordenado movimiento, ahora otras rebeliones de esta parte inferior, a impedirle este bien.

En lo cual se siente el alma estar como en tierra de enemigos, y tiranizada entre extraños, y como muerta entre los muertos, y sintiendo bien lo que da a entender el profeta Baruch cuando encarece esta miseria en la cautividad de Jacob, diciendo: ¿Qué es la causa, oh Israel, para que estés en la tierra de los enemigos? Envejecístete en la tierra ajena, contaminástete con los muertos, y estimáronte con los que descienden al infierno. Quid est Israel quod in terra inimicorum es? Inveterasti in terra aliena, coinquinatus es cum mortuis: deputatus es cum descendentibus in infernum. Y hiere más sintiendo este mísero trato que el alma padece de parte del cautiverio del cuerpo, cuando, hablando Jeremías con Israel, según el sentido espiritual, dice: Numquid servus est Israel, aut vernaculus? Quare ergo factus est praedam? Super eum rugierunt leones, et dederunt vocem suam; ¿Por ventura Israel es siervo o esclavo, porque así esté preso? Sobre él rugieron los leones, etc.

Entendiendo aquí por los leones los apetitos y rebeliones que decimos de este tirano rey de la sensualidad. De lo cual, para mostrar el alma la molestia que recibe, y el deseo que tiene de que este reino de la sensualidad con todos sus ejércitos y molestias se acabe ya o se le sujete del todo, levantando los ojos al Esposo, como quien lo ha de hacer todo, hablando contra los dichos movimientos y rebeliones, dice la canción siguiente:

¡Oh ninfas de Judea! En tanto que en las flores y rosales El ámbar perfumea, Morá en los arrabales, Y no queráis tocar nuestros umbrales.

DECLARACIÓN

En esta canción la esposa es la que habla, la cual, viéndose puesta según la porción superior espiritual en tan ricos y aventajados dones y deleites de parte de su Amado, deseando conservarse en la seguridad y continua posesión de ellos, en la cual el Esposo la ha puesto en las dos canciones precedentes; viendo que de parte de la porción inferior, que es la sensualidad, se le podría impedir, y que de hecho impide y perturba tanto bien, pide a las operaciones y movimientos de esta porción inferior que se sosieguen en las potencias y sentidos de ella, y no pase los límites de su región la sensual a molestar e inquietar la porción superior y espiritual del alma, porque no la impida, aun por algún mínimo movimiento, el bien y suavidad de que goza; porque los movimientos de la parte sensitiva y sus potencias, si obran cuando el espíritu goza, tanto más le molestan e inquietan, cuanto ellos tienen de más obra y viveza. Dice, pues, así:

¡Oh ninfas de Judea!

Judea llama a la parte inferior del alma, que es la sensitiva. Y llámala Judea porque es flaca y carnal y de suyo ciega, como lo es la gente judaica; y llama ninfas a todas las imaginaciones, fantasías y movimientos y aficiones de esta porción inferior. A todas estas llama, ninfas, porque como las ninfas, con su afición y gracia atraen para sí a los amantes, así estas operaciones y movimientos de la sensualidad sabrosa y porfiadamente procuran atraer a sí la voluntad de la parte racional, para sacarla de lo interior, a que quiera lo exterior que ellas quieren y apetecen, moviendo también al entendimiento, y atrayéndole a que se case y junte con ellas en su bajo modo de sentido, procurando conformar y atraer la parte racional con la sensual. Vosotras, pues, dice, oh sensuales operaciones y movimientos:

En tanto que en las flores y rosales.

Las flores, como habemos dicho, son las virtudes del alma, y los rosales son sus potencias, memoria, entendimiento y voluntad; las cuales llevan en sí y crían flores de conceptos divinos y actos de amor y las dichas virtudes. En tanto, pues, que en estas virtudes y potencias del alma dichas

El ámbar perfumea.

Por el ámbar entiende aquí el divino Espíritu del Esposo que mora en el alma. Y perfumear este divino ámbar en las flores y rosales es derramarse y comunicarse suavísimamente en las potencias y virtudes del alma, dando en ellas al alma perfume de divina suavidad. En tanto, pues, que este divino Espíritu está dando suavidad espiritual a mi alma,

Morá en los arrabales.

En los arrabales de Judea, que decimos ser la porción inferior o sensitiva del alma. Y los arrabales de ella son los sentidos sensitivos interiores, como son la memoria, fantasía e imaginativa, en las cuales se colocan y recogen las formas de imágenes y fantasmas de los objetos, por medio de las cuales la sensualidad mueve sus apetitos y codicias. Y estas formas son las que aquí llama ninfas; las cuales, quietas y sosegadas, duermen también los apetitos. Éstas entran a éstos sus arrabales de los sentidos interiores por las puertas de los sentidos exteriores, que son ver, oír, oler, etc. De manera que todas las potencias y sentidos, interiores o exteriores, de esta parte sensitiva las podemos llamar arrabales, porque son los barrios que están fuera de los muros de la ciudad; porque lo que se llama ciudad en el alma es allá lo de más adentro, conviene a saber, la parte racional, que tiene capacidad para comunicar con Dios, cuyas operaciones son contrarias a las de la sensualidad. Pero, porque hay natural comunicación de la gente que mora en estos arrabales de la parte sensitiva (la cual gente es las ninfas que decimos) con la parte superior, que es la ciudad, de tal manera, que lo que se obra en esta parte inferior ordinariamente se siente en la otra interior, y por consiguiente la hace advertir y desquietar de la obra y asistencia espiritual que tiene en Dios; por eso les dice que moren en sus arrabales, esto es, que se quieten en sus sentidos sensitivos interiores y exteriores.

Y no queráis tocar nuestros umbrales.

Esto es, ni aun por primeros movimientos toquéis a la parte superior; porque los primeros movimientos del alma son las entradas y umbrales para entrar en el alma, y cuando pasan de primeros movimientos en la razón, ya van pasando los umbrales; pero cuando sólo son primeros movimientos, sólo se dice tocar a los umbrales o llamar a la puerta; lo cual se hace cuando hay acometimientos a la razón de parte de la sensualidad para algún acto desordenado, pues no solamente dice el alma aquí que éstos no le toquen, pero aun las advertencias que no hacen a la quietud y bien de que goza no ha de haber.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Jer.2.14-Jer.2.15 — Is Israel a slave? Is he a homeborn servant? Why then has he become plunder? Jer.2.15 — Against him young lions have roared; they have raised their voice. They have laid waste his land; his cities are burned, without inhabitant.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source reads "darle a gustas"; rendered as the likely intended "darle a gustar" ("letting it taste").
  2. 2 ↩Spanish 'infierno' renders Latin 'infernum' (Sheol/the pit). Kept as 'hell' for traditional cadence; underworld/pit would also be faithful.
  3. 3 ↩'vernaculus' rendered as 'houseborn servant' (homeborn slave), contrasting hired/foreign slavery with birth-slavery in the household.
  4. 4 ↩Source has accusative 'praedam'; the intended Jeremiah reading is nominative 'praeda' ('become prey'). Translated the plausible intended sense.
  5. 5 ↩ámbar: the amber/ambergris fragrance of the Bridegroom among the flowers (virtues); not fossil amber as a gemstone.
  6. 6 ↩Morá is an archaic plural imperative of morar (dwell/stay). Rendered as stay to keep the command force without archaic diction.
  7. 7 ↩Spanish sensualidad / la sensual / parte sensitiva here is San Juan's technical name for the soul's lower, sensory part—not erotic "sensuality" in the modern sense. Rendered as "sensory nature" / "sensory part" to keep that anthropology clear.
  8. 8 ↩San Juan allegorizes "Judea" / "the Jewish people" as a figure of the weak, carnal, naturally blind sensory soul; the comparison is retained for fidelity to the source allegory.
  9. 9 ↩Spanish "gracia" here is the nymphs' alluring charm/gracefulness, not divine grace; rendered "charm" to avoid doctrinal confusion.
  10. 10 ↩Incomplete transitional clause continuing the verse gloss 'En tanto que…'; left open to match the Spanish syntax, which does not close the thought in this section.
  11. 11 ↩Spanish potencias rendered as powers (the soul's faculties); virtudes as virtues. Suavísimamente / suavidad kept as most gently / sweetness to preserve mystical register without archaic diction.
  12. 12 ↩fantasmas is the Scholastic 'phantasms' (mental sense-images), not ghosts; sensualidad is the sensory appetite/faculty, not modern sexual 'sensuality' alone.
  13. 13 ↩duermen también los apetitos can be read as the quiet forms putting the appetites to sleep, or as the appetites also sleeping when the forms are quiet; sense is equivalent.
  14. 14 ↩asistencia espiritual rendered as spiritual presence/attendance with God; desquietar de as unsettling/drawing away from that work and presence.
  15. 15 ↩Spanish 'advertencias' can mean notices, warnings, or admonitions that draw the soul's attention; rendered as 'notices' for the sense of things brought to mind that interrupt contemplative quiet without serving it.
  16. 16 ↩'Primeros movimientos' (first movements) are the initial stirrings of appetite before deliberate consent; kept as the traditional technical term.

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