The Dark Night of the Soul

Last weekend Ciggy, Kat, Alix and I were discussing music to travel by. Lots of music- many genre's. I mentioned my current favorite CD is LSD by Enigma- even Kevin asks to listen to his "favret wun" called "Modern Crusaders". Awesome music. So Ciggy throws one out there none of us have heard of: Loreena McKennitt. Said it Gaelic influenced, mystic, that I "had to get some Loreena". Well, how could I resist? I bought the cd last night, and I had to share the lyrics to "Dark Night of the Soul" with you.

It's actually an untitled poem written by a 15th century Spanish poet named St. John of the Cross. Loreena says it's "an equisite, richly metaphoric love poem between himself and his God. It could pass as a love poem between any two at any time." Here it is.....



Upon a darkened night
The flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest

Shrouded by the night
And by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
While all within lay quiet as the dead

Oh night, thou was my guide
Oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
To the beloved one
Transforming each of them into the other

Upon that misty night
In secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
Than that which burned so deeply in my heart

That fire 'twas led me on
And shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
It was a place where no one else could come

Within my pounding heart
Which kept itself entirely for him
He fell into his sleep
Beneath the cedars all my love I gave

From o'er the fortress walls
The wind would brush his hair against his brow
And with its smoothest hand
Caressed my every sense it would allow

I lost myself to him
And laid my face upon my lover's breast
And care and grief grew dim
As in the morning's mist became the light
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair