by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
En una noche oscura
Language: Spanish (Español)
Our translations: ITA
En una noche oscura, con ansias, en amores inflamada, ¡oh dichosa ventura!, salí sin ser notada, estando ya mi casa sosegada. A oscuras y segura, por la secreta escala, disfrazada, ¡oh dichosa ventura!, a oscuras y en celada, estando ya mi casa sosegada. En la noche dichosa, en secreto, que nadie me veía, ni yo miraba cosa, sin otra luz y guía, sino la que en el corazón ardía. Aquesta me guiaba más cierto que la luz de mediodía, adonde me esperaba quien yo bien me sabía, en parte donde nadie parecía. ¡oh noche que guiaste! ¡oh noche amable más que la alborada! ¡oh noche que juntaste Amado con amada, amada en el Amado transformada! En mi pecho florido, que entero para él solo se guardaba, allí quedó dormido, y yo le regalaba, y el ventalle de cedros aire daba. El aire de la almena, cuando yo sus cabellos esparcía, con su mano serena en mi cuello hería, y todos mis sentidos suspendía. Quedeme y olvideme, el rostro recliné sobre el Amado; cesó todo y dejeme, dejando mi cuidado entre las azucenas olvidado
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Text Authorship:
- by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Manuel Garcia Morante (b. 1937), "En una noche oscura", 1987, from Cuatro canciones de San Juan de la Cruz, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Goffredo Petrassi (1904 - 2003), "Noche oscura" [ chorus and orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Plant , "Canciones del alma", first performed 1999 [ voice and string quartet ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Ryelandt (1870 - 1965), "La noche oscura", op. 25 (1899) [ medium voice and piano or orchestra ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jordi Sabatés (b. 1948), "Noche oscura" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Armand Godoy (1880 - 1964) , first published 1937 ; composed by Gabriel Charpentier.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Maximiliane Brentano, née Maximiliane Euphrosine von La Roche (1756 - 1793) , no title [an adaptation] ; composed by Bettina von Arnim, née Brentano.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Melchior, Freiherr von Diepenbrock (1798 - 1853) , "Die dunkle Nacht der Seele" ; composed by Fartein Valen.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Plant) , "Songs of the soul", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "In una notte oscura", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Steven Cox
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-06
Line count: 40
Word count: 183
The Dark Night of the Soul
Language: English after the Spanish (Español)
On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings – oh, happy chance! – I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest. In darkness and secure, By the secret ladder, disguised – oh, happy chance! – In darkness and in concealment, My house being now at rest. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me, Nor I beheld aught, Without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart. This light guided me More surely that the light of noonday To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me – A place where none appeared. Oh, night that guided me, Oh, night more lovely than the dawn, Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved! Upon my flowery breast, Kept wholly for himself alone, There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him, And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze. The breeze blew from the turret As I parted his locks; With his gentle hand he wounded my neck And caused all my senses to be suspended. I remained, lost in oblivion; My face I reclined on the Beloved. All ceased and I abandoned myself, Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Spanish (Español) by Saint John of the Cross, né Juan de Yepes Alvarez (1542 - 1591)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Galina Grigorjeva (b. 1962), "The Dark Night of the Soul", 2016 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-03-04
Line count: 36
Word count: 207