The Poems of St. John of the Cross (English and Spanish Edition)

I hate this translation! I find it so clunky and difficult to comprehend. I have another translation of the poems of John of the Cross which I don't like either (by Ken Krabbenhoft), but which is better than this one. Krabbenhoft's translation is not so poetic, much more like taking poetry and turning it into clipped prose. That's not bad for communicating the literal meaning of a poem, which is where you have to start in understanding it, though it does stunt the beauty of a poem when the verbiage is too utilitarian.But it communicates the literal meaning - something that I don't think Nims does. Nims can't even get me to the baseline literal meaning of the poems. I find the English verse to be very halting and full of holes. I'm not saying that it should be super literal like Krabbenhoft (in fact, it definitely shouldn't be like Krabbenhoft). But the fact remains that Nims got in the way of the poems he was translating. Rather than reveal their treasures he concealed them. Even poems that are very familiar to me and on which I have meditated frequently (e.g. The Dark Night of the Soul, I Live but Do Not Live in Me) were difficult to slog through in Nims translation.By contrast, the best translation of the Dark Night into English that I have ever read is by A.Z. Foreman. Google it - it is simply beautiful.

loved the original Spanish and the English

I have 5 translations of the poems of John of the Cross, and am working on making my own. This is the only translation which rivals the original in poetic quality, but it is very far removed from the original in phraseology and occasionally in overall meaning. It does not even deserve the name "translation"; it is more of a broad paraphrase. Robert Frost defined poetry as "what is lost in translation", and this tries to make up for that by creating poetry of its own. If you want good mystical Christian poetry, I heartily recommend this. If you can't read the 16th Spanish (which is included), and want to know what John of the Cross wrote, you will want to look elsewhere.

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!

perfecto

I love the poem: what I like the most it's this version been bilingo.

Very interesting

Great book of Poems.

St John of the Cross writes of the meeting with God, and of God's approach to us. His choice of metaphor and illustration have helped many readers in their lives of prayer, in their understanding of the mystery of the relationship between creator and creature. Roy Campbell has an affinity with the Carmelites whom he met during the Spanish Civil War, and it is easy to believe him when he says that the saint helped him in his translating.In this volume you have the Spanish and English texts set out in parallel, in a beautifully produced volume. I'm very glad to have it.Anna Mary O.P.