Hello everyone!

listening to Loreena is always a pleasure. Besides, one can always learn new things thanks to her songs, no matter how many times one listens to them...

I am Spanish, of course I knew San Juan de la Cruz, but I had never read anything written by him. It is one of the most important writers in Spanish Literature, but, you can imagine, a man who was born 400 years ago... it could not seem very fashionable or interesting...

But listening to The Dark Night of the Soul made me look for the original poem in Spanish some weeks ago and, surprisingly... my father had the book with the whole original work by San Juan de la Cruz!

I have been reading it...at the beginning, it is not easy work... but, when one reads it twice, something special can be discovered... I am reading the book (the original in Spanish is "Noche Oscura") for the second time, and I am enjoying it very much... It is so sweet, so beautiful, it goes right to one´s heart and mind...It has a religious sense, but it can be applied to human love as well. Religious and non religious people love it.

I have to thank Loreena (a Canadian) for making me (a Spaniard) discover the wonderful San Juan de la Cruz.

Loreena´s song, her music, is perfect for San Juan´s poem. I am sure that Loreena´s music had been the one that San Juan de la Cruz would have
chosen for his poem.

Bye for now and best wishes for everyone.

Saludos desde España,

MARTÍN

Greetings Martin,
It is heartening to hear comments from another fan of St. John and LMK. Loreena's version of Dark Night(/Noche Oscura) is indeed a masterpiece and also, I agree, a perfect marriage of thought and words/music. Your comments strike a common chord with my thoughts of St. John, and that amazing poem. I have discovered the saints Poetry the same way.
best regards,
Maria

Hi John
It is very thoughtful of you to reply. Perhaps sometimes it's through loss that we recognise what an amazing gift life is. Though it is difficult to understand at the time.

On a different note, last night I had the pleasure of attending my first LMK show in Halifax!!! It was an indescribable pleasure to finally see her live along that amazing group of musicians.


My only sadness is that she did not sing Dark Night... Which is my absolute favourite as well...oh well there is always the next time she arrives.
Thank you for sharing this as well John,
Maria

Dear Maria,

thank you very much for sharing your personal experience with us! I just wanted to tell you that I share almost the same experience and that THE DARK NIGTH OF THE SOUL is by far my all-time LMK favorite for that reason. To be true it is a very rare masterpiece and I´m sure that St. John would have loved it very much :-)! I am very happy that there are more people who have recognized this!

Thank you again, Maria!

JOHN

Greetings all,
Being a newbie to QR forums, I feel the need to express my appreciation and deep respect for the members. It is so rare to enter a site and not feel treatened to express sentiment about meaningful topics. This poem which LM has so masterfully put to music has touched me like no other song. After much personal loss in my family and soul searching for the meaning of life; listening to music at home or in my car on the way to work or hiking(for this is the one true area to find God in all rawness and peace found in nature) This is the one song that still brings me to tears. The beauty in these words have led me to read the writings of St John of the Cross, St Teresa of Avila...and still LM's version only make more beautiful these words.
A grateful member, Maria

Dear Navicularia
You descriebed places in Pastrana which are connected with St. John of the Cross very picturesquely. Did you take photos? Would you like to share them with us?
I can imagine it was the great experience to read ( to hear ) the words of St.John in the cave which had been the cell of medieval Carmelitan.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
By the way, Carmelitan historian Salvador Federico Ruiz OCD says that “Dark Night” was being written in El Calvario, Beas de Segura and Granada.
Greetings from Poland

Dear Martín,
If anytime you have the chance to visit Pastrana, you'd love it. This town of Guadalajara is a lovely place where some historic people lived in, such as the Princess of Eboli, and where Santa Teresa de Jesús, with the help of Saint John of the Cross founded a couple of religious convents.
In one of these convents, Convento del Carmen, there is a monastery hostel called, Hospedería Real de Pastrana. Saint John of the Cross was the first prior of this convent. Inside this place you will find a little museum with relics from these two saints and many others.
Well, a few metres far from this convent there is a stairway carved into stone which goes down the east side of this mount and which ends into a cave, where the tradition attests that Saint John of the Cross wrote "Noche Oscura" while he was moving over from the rest of the people.
I spent a few times at this cave, and I can assure you that it was a magic experience...I had the chance to play "Dark Night of the Soul" by L.M. on my mobile and the scene was absolutely magic!...only a few rays of the sun entering the cave, the verses of Saint John of the Cross and the wonderful melodies by L.M...you have to live it by visiting that magic place!.
I agree with you about the special meaning of the words of Saint John of the Cross.
Best regards.

quote:

Gina~ You have been very blessed!

Terr, thank you for that; you are blessed as well. I believe and feel that everyone on this message board is blessed and are more in the spiritual side of life. That is why we are so attracted by Loreena's music.

Thanks Jolanta for the suggestions. I will start off with "Living Flame of Love". I love that image!!!

Blessings of Love,
Gina

Also Sufi poets like Rumi describe these experiences.

St John of the Cross's commentary on the poem is very profound and difficult to follow, but rewarding if one makes the effort and reads with the heart and not the mind. Sometimes it is better to absorb something without the commentary, just to get the feel of it and to use the intuition!

I should imagine that reading it in the original Spanish is much more satisfying. There is much lost in translation!

quote:

Originally posted by Terr:
King Solomon similarly describes meeting with the Lord in his Song of Songs in the Old Testament.

Terr;

This is a bit off-topic, but here goes... Are you referring to "The Song of Solomon", the Book between Ecclesiastes and Isaiah? If so, it is not from Solomon to his God; I can e-mail you the reason why if you wish. Let me know, please.

For the record, I greatly enjoy that particular poem myself.

--Artúr

King Solomon similarly describes meeting with the Lord in his Song of Songs in the Old Testament.

The gurus in the Gaudiya Vaisnava disciplic line from Lord Chaitanya (who appeared 500 years ago in India & taught love of God in union & in separation) also describe similar mystical experiences.

Gina~ You have been very blessed! =]

I would also like to get this book of St. John of the Cross in English.

Martin, your email is not working properly. I wrote before. See if you can get any account such as mines.

Take care.

Alex

This posts (from Martin and St.-John-of-the-Cross) are balsam for my heart because Saint John of The Cross are my lovely Master of spiritual life. I have read all His work.
For Gina I list English tittles:
"Ascent of Mt Carmel"
"Dark Night of The Soul"
"Spiritual Canticle"
"Living Flame of Love"
"A collection of Spiritual Maxims"
and some instructions and precautions on matters spiritual, letters and poems.
I suggest the first to read "Living Flame of Love".
The reading of this books have had deep, important influence on me, my soul, my relationship with God and with people.
I am very glad that Loreena wrote the music for St John`s poem and many people can touch works this Great Spanish Mystic.
Greetings from my heart to all.

Feliz Martín,

you have discovered one of the most precious books of spiritual literature and I totally agree with you that Loreena has put the poem of St. John in a wounderful and mystic musical version! It is by far my absolute and all-time favorite and it means very, very much to me!

But what is more important: There are some people who have made the experience which St. John describes in his poem! And such experience being so unique and not possible to describe in ordinary words one can´t express it but in a musical or poetic way. All this is hardly to explain but I have the feeling that you will understand.

What was very interesting to me when I read St. John was the fact that his book "Dark night of the soul" is in fact a theological or better mystical commentary on the poem. This is to say that every poem line is explained and the whole thing comes out as a truely spiritual universe!

Finally there is a very rewarding book of US-author (and former monk!) Thomas Moore with the title "Dark nigts of the soul". I wrote to Thomas and he knows Loreena´s Song!! Isn´t that truely mystical!

Best wishes from John

quote:

I have been reading it...at the beginning, it is not easy work... but, when one reads it twice, something special can be discovered... I am reading the book (the original in Spanish is "Noche Oscura") for the second time, and I am enjoying it very much... It is so sweet, so beautiful, it goes right to one´s heart and mind...It has a religious sense, but it can be applied to human love as well. Religious and non religious people love it.

Dear Martin,
What is the title in English? I have had a spiritual experience that mirrors the song and you have intregued me to read the book. I love that song!!!
May your soul be filled with love,
Gina