San Juan de la Cruz II

Priest and Doctor of the Church

Today, though impeded this year by the Third Sunday of Advent, is the feastday of St. John of the Cross, friar, reformer, theologian — and poet.

Of Hunger for the Coming

Living in lively hope
with that good news from the sky,
earth saw the drudging days
pass more passably by.

But even as hope increased,
as love burned high and higher,
the bride who yearned for the groom
knew anguish of desire.

Praying and praying again,
sighing and pale with pain,
weeping and weeping again,
night and day to exclaim

that he make up his mind and come,
join with her right away.
You could hear: O lucky love,
if I live to see the day!

You could hear: Oh it's long enough!
You know you must come—then come!
You could hear: If a thunderclap
split heaven this minute, and him

I saw with my very eyes!—
no more misery then.
Oh the earth is a dry mouth begging.
Clouds, deliver the rain!

Let the stern earth open,
finish with thistle and thorn.
The flower that makes all earth floral—
time for the flower to be born.

You could hear : O lucky lucky
lovers to see that day—
with your own eyes your lover
hastening your way;

stand near enough to touch him,
brush by his very side,
when that mysterious stranger
hints what the night will hide.

St. John of the Cross
Poems (3rd edition) pp. 63f
tr. John Frederick Nims

See also San Juan de la Cruz.

P.S. And see also Lex Communis.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sun. 12/14/03 08:28:45 PM
Categorized as Literary & Religious.