Canción XXXV
The Song of Solitude
The Bridegroom introduces the theme of solitude, describing how the soul's choice to live apart from creatures leads to intimate union with God.
Annotation of the following song The Bridegroom continues, revealing the delight he takes in the good the bride has gained through the solitude she earlier chose to live in—a stable peace and unchanging good. For when the soul becomes confirmed in the quiet of the Bridegroom's one and solitary love, as this soul we're speaking of has done, she settles into such a sweet resting place of love in God, and God in her, that she has no need of any other means or teachers to guide her to God, because God is already her guide and light, fulfilling in her what he promised through Hosea, saying: Ducam eam in solitudinem: et loquar ad cor ejus—that is, I will lead her into solitude, and there I will speak to her heart. In this way he makes it clear that in solitude he communicates himself and unites with the soul, because to speak to her heart is to satisfy her heart—and the heart is not satisfied with less than God. And so the Bridegroom says: In solitude she lived, and in solitude she has already made her nest, and in solitude her Beloved guides her alone—He too in solitude, wounded by love.
The Twofold Fruit of Solitude
The Bridegroom explains that the soul's solitude brings both rest from all toils and direct guidance from God alone.
Explanation In this song, the Bridegroom does two things. First, he praises the solitude in which the soul earlier chose to live, explaining how it helped her, in that solitude, to find and enjoy her Beloved alone, free from all the pain and struggle she once had. Because she chose to sustain herself in solitude—apart from every pleasure, consolation, and support from creatures—in order to reach the company and union of her Beloved, she deserved to find possession of the peace of solitude in her Beloved, in whom she rests freely and alone, apart from all those troubles. Second, because she chose to remain alone, apart from all created things, for her Beloved, he himself—enamored of her for this solitude of hers—has taken her into his care, receiving her in his arms, feeding her in himself with every good, and guiding her spirit to the high things of God. And he not only says that he is already her guide, but that he does it alone, without other means—neither of angels nor of men, neither of forms nor of figures—because through this solitude she already has true freedom of spirit and is not bound to any of these means.1
The Mystical Exposition of Solitude
The commentary unfolds each line of the stanza, showing how the soul's journey from active solitude to perfect rest is guided by the Beloved who is himself wounded by love.
She lived in solitude. That little turtledove—which is the soul—lived in solitude before she found the Beloved in this state of union, because for the soul that desires God, the company of anything brings her no comfort; rather, until she finds Him, everything makes and causes her still more solitude.2 And she has already set her nest in solitude.✦ The solitude she lived in before was wanting, for her Bridegroom's sake, to go without all the things and goods of the world—as we have said of the little turtledove—striving to become perfect by acquiring perfect solitude, in which one comes to union with the Word, and consequently to every refreshment and rest, which is what is meant here by the nest she speaks of. And so it's as if she were saying: In this solitude she used to live in—practicing it with labor and anguish because it was not yet perfect—she has already placed her rest and refreshment, because she has already acquired it perfectly in God. From this, spiritually speaking, David says: Etenim passer invenit sibi domum, et turtur nidum sibi, ubi ponat pullos suos—that is, truly the bird found a home for itself, and the turtledove a nest where she may raise her little ones; that is, a resting place in God where she may satisfy her appetites and faculties.3 And in solitude he guides her. It means: In this solitude the soul keeps from all things—where she is alone with God—he guides her, moves her, and lifts her toward divine things; that is, he lifts her understanding into divine insights, because it is already stripped bare and alone, free of other contrary and foreign insights.4 And her will moves freely toward the love of God, because it is already alone and free of other attachments; and he fills her memory with divine knowledge, because it too is already alone and empty of other imaginations and fantasies. For as soon as the soul clears these faculties and empties them of everything lower and of the abundance of what is higher, leaving them alone without those things, God immediately puts them to work in what is invisible and divine. And it is God who guides her in this solitude—which is what Saint Paul says of the perfect: Spiritu Dei aguntur, etc.✦5 that is, they are moved by the Spirit of God—which is the same as saying, "In solitude he guides her." Alone, her Beloved. This means that he not only guides her in her solitude, but he himself is the one who works in her alone, without any other means. Because this is the nature of the soul's union with God in spiritual marriage: God acts in her and communicates himself to her by himself alone, no longer through angels or natural ability. The outer and inner senses, all creatures, and even the soul itself count for very little in receiving these great supernatural mercies that God works in this state. Rather, because they are beyond the soul's natural ability, work, and diligence, he alone works them in her. The reason is that he finds her alone, as has already been said, and that is why he does not want to give her any other company or entrust it to anyone but himself alone. It is also fitting that, since the soul has already left everything behind and passed through all means, rising above everything to God, God himself should be the guide and the means to himself. And once the soul has risen in solitude above everything, nothing else helps or serves her for climbing higher anymore except the Word himself, the Bridegroom, who, because he is so in love with her, is himself alone the one who wants to grant her these mercies. And so he says next:67 Also wounded by love in solitude. That is, of the bride; for besides the Bridegroom's deep love for the soul's solitude, he is far more wounded by her love, because she wanted to remain alone, apart from all things, since she was wounded by love for him; and so he would not leave her alone, but rather, wounded by her through the solitude she keeps for him, since she is not content with anything else, he alone guides her to himself, drawing her and absorbing her into himself—which he would not do in her if he had not found her in spiritual solitude.
Read the original Spanish
Anotación de la canción siguiente
Va prosiguiendo el Esposo dando a entender el contento que tiene del bien que ha conseguido la esposa por medio de la soledad en que antes quiso vivir, que es una estabilidad de paz y bien inmutable; porque, cuando el alma llega a confirmarse en la quietud del único y solitario amor del Esposo, como ha hecho ésta de quien hablamos aquí, hace tan sabroso asiento de amor en Dios, y Dios en ella, que no tiene necesidad de otro medio ni maestros que la encaminen a Dios, porque es ya Dios su guía y luz, cumpliendo en ella lo que prometió por Oseas, diciendo: Ducam eam in solitudinem: et loquar ad cor ejus; esto es: Yo la llevaré a la soledad, y allí hablaré a su corazón. En lo cual da a entender que en la soledad se comunica y une en el alma, porque hablarle al corazón es satisfacerle el corazón, el cual no se satisface con menos que Dios, y así, dice el Esposo:
En soledad vivía, Y en soledad ha puesto ya su nido, Y en soledad la guía A solas su querido También en soledad de amor herido.
DECLARACIÓN
Dos cosas hace en esta canción el Esposo: la primera, alabar la soledad en que antes el alma quiso vivir, diciendo cómo fue medio para en ella hallar y gozar a su amado a solas de todas las penas y fatigas que antes tenía; porque, como ella se quiso sustentar en soledad de todo gusto y consuelo y arrimo de las criaturas por llegar a la compañía y junta de su Amado, mereció hallar la posesión de la paz de la soledad en su Amado, en que reposa ajena y sola de todas las dichas molestias. La segunda es decir que por cuanto ella se ha querido quedar a solas de todas las cosas criadas por su Querido, él mismo, enamorado de ella por esta su soledad, se ha hecho cuidado de ella, recibiéndola en sus brazos, apacentándola en sí de todos los bienes, guiando su espíritu a las cosas altas de Dios; y no sólo dice que él es ya su guía, sino que a solas lo hace sin otros medios, ni de ángeles ni de hombres, ni de formas ni de figuras; por cuanto ella, por medio de esta soledad, tiene ya verdadera libertad de espíritu y no se ata a ninguno de estos medios.
En soledad vivía.
La dicha tortolica, que es el alma, vivía en soledad antes que hallase al Amado en este estado de unión; porque el alma que desea a Dios, la compañía de ninguna cosa le hace consuelo; antes, hasta hallarle, todo le hace y causa más soledad.
Y en soledad ha puesto ya su nido.
La soledad en que antes vivía era querer carecer por su Esposo de todas las cosas y bienes del mundo, según habemos dicho de la tortolica, procurando hacerse perfecta, adquiriendo perfecta soledad, en que se viene a la unión del Verbo, y por consiguiente a todo refrigerio y descanso, lo cual es aquí significado por el nido que dice. Y así, es como si dijera: En esta soledad que antes vivía, ejercitándose en ella con trabajo y angustia, porque no estaba perfecta, en ella ha puesto ya su descanso y refrigerio, por haberla ya adquirido perfectamente en Dios. De donde, hablando espiritualmente, David, dice: Etenim passer invenit sibi domum, el turtur nidum sibi, ubi ponat pullos suos; esto es: De verdad que el pájaro halló para sí casa, y la tórtola nido donde criar sus pollicos; esto es, asiento en Dios, donde satisfacer sus apetitos y potencias.
Y en soledad la guía.
Quiere decir: En esta soledad que el alma tiene de todas las cosas, en que está sola con Dios, él la guía, mueve y levanta a las cosas divinas; conviene a saber, su entendimiento en las divinas inteligencias, porque ya está desnudo y solo de otras contrarias y peregrinas inteligencias. Y su voluntad mueve libremente al amor de Dios, porque ya está sola y libre de otras aficiones, y llena su memoria de divinas noticias, porque también está ya sola y vacía de otras imaginaciones y fantasías; porque luego que el alma desembaraza estas potencias, y las vacía de todo lo inferior y de la prosperidad de lo superior, dejándolas a solas sin ellos, inmediatamente se las emplea Dios en lo invisible y divino, y es Dios el que la guía en esta soledad, que es lo que dice San Pablo de los perfectos: Spiritu Dei aguntur, etc. ; que son movidos del espíritu de Dios; que es lo mismo que decir «En soledad la guía».
A solas su querido.
Quiere decir que, no sólo la guía en la soledad de ella, más que él mismo es el que a solas obra en ella sin otro algún medio, porque esta es la propiedad de esta unión del alma con Dios en matrimonio espiritual, hacer Dios en ella y comunicársele por sí solo, y no ya por medio de ángeles ni por medio de la habilidad natural; porque, los sentidos exteriores e interiores y todas las criaturas, y aun la misma alma, muy poco hacen al caso, para ser parte para recibir estas grandes mercedes sobrenaturales que Dios hace en este estado; antes, porque no caben en habilidad y obra natural y diligencia del alma, él a solas las hace en ellas; y la causa es porque la halla a solas, como está dicho ya; y por eso no le quiere dar otra compañía, fiándolo de otro que de sí solo; y también es cosa conveniente que, pues el alma ya lo ha dejado todo, y pasado por todos los medios, subiéndose sobre todo a Dios, que el mismo Dios sea la guía y el medio para sí mismo; y habiéndose el alma ya subido en soledad en todo, sobre todo, ya todo no le aprovecha ni sirve para más subir, sino el mismo Verbo Esposo; el cual, por estar tan enamorado de ella, él a solas es el que la quiere hacer las dichas mercedes; y así, dice luego:
También en soledad de amor herido.
Es a saber, de la esposa; porque, demás de amar mucho el Esposo la soledad de el alma, está mucho más herido del amor de ella, por haberse ella querido quedar a solas de todas las cosas, por cuanto estaba herida de amor de él; y así, él no quiso dejarla sola, sino que, herido de ella por la soledad que por él tiene, viendo que no se contenta con otra cosa, él sólo la guía a sí, trayéndola y absorbiéndola en sí; lo cual no hiciera él en ella si no la hubiera hallado en la soledad espiritual.
Scripture echoes
Notes
- 1 ↩«apacentándola» carries pastoral/shepherding force (feeding/pasturing); rendered as 'feeding' to keep the nourishment sense without flattening the biblical shepherd register.
- 2 ↩Spanish 'antes' here means 'rather / on the contrary' (contrastive), not temporal 'before'; the earlier 'antes que' is temporal.
- 3 ↩Source Latin citation reads "el turtur"; rendered as the intended Vulgate "et turtur" ("and the turtledove"), which matches the Spanish gloss that follows.
- 4 ↩Spanish inteligencias here means mystical intellections or acts of understanding, not angelic "intelligences" as persons.
- 5 ↩prosperidad de lo superior rendered as "the abundance of what is higher": the higher spiritual goods/favors from which the faculties must also be emptied, parallel to emptying of lo inferior.
- 6 ↩Golden Age más que here functions as mas que ("but that"), continuing no sólo...: not a comparative "more than."
- 7 ↩Mercedes rendered as mercies for the divine favors granted in spiritual marriage; not generic kindness, and not the sacramental term Mercy alone.
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