The Poems of St. John of the Cross

The Poems of Saint John of the Cross is one of my all-time favorite books of poetry. If you want to understand the source of the writings of San Juan de la Cruz, you should read a bit of his history and the circumstances under which much of his poetry was written. It will amaze you.

The poems of st John of the Cross are very moving and here they are both in the original Spanish and a fluent new translation - highly recommended!

Nims' translation is nothing short of miraculous. I've read the poems in at least three different translations and Nim's were the only ones which made me cry like when I read the Spanish for the first time. There is something plaintive and erotic about John of the Cross that other tranlators edit out for propriety's sake, but Nims left it in as one should. John was a lover of the Song of Songs and his pursuit of God was the pursuit of one painfully in love and desirous of consummation. Nims brings that aspect to the fore. Gorgeous. But remember, the poems are not enough. One must still read John's commentaries.

John of the Cross is often associated only with the spiritual condition he called the dark night of the soul, experienced as a cold, dry, confusing place. But when you read his poem "On a Dark Night", you realize what wonderful intimacies are hidden for lovers under cover of darkness. For me, this poem, both in its original Spanish and its rich English translation, is itself worth the price of this attractive hardback book.This is a book that celebrates the soul's love for her Divine Lover in images and language that transcend the limitations of physical gender. When the mystics subliminated, they truly made the energy of loving sublime!

Barnstone has done a magnificent job of presenting the poems of St John of the Cross in English with side-by-side Spanish original text. I read Spanish, and have read more than one English translation of St. John of the Cross over the years. Barnstone's is the only one which to my mind maintains the 'alive' quality of the original. His English version of 'Noche Oscura' is particularly inspired. Barnstone also provides informative background information in his introduction to the poems. He has done a wonderful piece of work to make the life and the meaning behind these poems accessible to English speakers.