Dark night of the soul…

Still reading St John of the Cross and his “dark night of the soul”…

Into the darkness of the night
With heartache kindled with love,
O blessed chance!
I went out unobserved,
My house being wrapped in sleep.

In the darkness, and yet safe,
By secret ladder and in disguise,
O blessed chance!
In darkness, and in secret, I crept out,
My house being wrapped in sleep.

Into the happy night
In secret, seen of none,
Nor saw I aught,
Without other light or guide,
Save that which in my heart did burn.

This fire it was that guided me
More certainly than the midday sun,
Where he did wait,
He that I knew imprinted on my heart,
In place, where none appeared.

O night, that led me, guiding night,
O night far sweeter than the dawn;
O night, that did so then unite
The lover with his Beloved.

On my blossoming breast,
Alone for him entire was kept,
He fell asleep,
Whilst I caressed,
And fanned him with the cedar fan.

The breeze blew from the battlements,
And then it tossed his hair about,
With his fair hand
He touched me lightly on the neck,
So in a swoon were my senses left.

I lay quite still, all memory lost,
I reclined on my Loved One’s breast;
I knew no more, in my abandonment
I threw away all care,
And left it all forgotten among the lilies fair.