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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591)
Translation © by Mac McClure

Cantar del alma
 (Sung text for setting by M. Garcia Morante)
 See original
Language: Spanish (Español) 
Our translations:  ENG
 ... 

Aquella eterna fuente está escondida, 
Qué bien sé yo do tiene su manida.
Aunque es de noche.

Su origen no lo sé, pues no le tiene,
Mas sé que todo origen de ella viene,
Aunque es de noche.

Sé que no puede ser cosa tan bella.
Y que cielos y tierra beben de ella,
Aunque es de noche.

 ... 

Sé ser tan caudalosas sus corrientes,
Que infiernos, cielos riegan, y a las gentes,
Aunque es de noche.

El corriente que nace de esta fuente
Bien sé yo que es tan capaz y omnipotente,
Aunque es de noche.

El corriente que de estas dos procede
Sé que ninguna de ellas le precede,
Aunque es de noche.

 ... 

Aquesta viva fuente, que deseo,
En este pan de vida yo la veo,
Aunque es de noche.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-4,7-9,12 of the original text.

Composition:

    Set to music by Manuel Garcia Morante (b. 1937), "Cantar del alma", 1987, stanzas 2-4,7-9,12, from Cuatro canciones de San Juan de la Cruz, no. 2

Text Authorship:

  • by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591), "Cantar del alma"

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (Mac McClure) , "Song of the soul", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 222

Song of the soul
 (Sung text translation for setting by M. Garcia Morante)
 See original
Language: English  after the Spanish (Español) 
 ... 

That eternal fountain is hidden, 
I know well where it lies, 
even though it is night.

I do not know its origin, since it has none,
But i know that every origin comes from it,
Even though it is night.

I know there cannot be anything as beautiful
And heaven and earth drink from it,
Even though it is night.

 ... 

I know its streams to be so full
that they water Hell, Heaven and people
Even though it is night.

The stream that pours forth from this fountain
I know who capable it is, and how strong,
Even though it is night

...
...

 ... 

This living fountain that that I desire 
I see it in this bread of life
Even though it is night.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-4,7-9,12 of the original text.

Note: this translates the stanzas used by Mompou.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from Spanish (Español) to English copyright © 2003 by Mac McClure, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in Spanish (Español) by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591), "Cantar del alma"
    • Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 148

Gentle Reminder

This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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