Journeys of a Mystic Soul in Poetry and Prose by Cecilia del Nacimento (review)

One of the most fascinating literary currents of the Spanish Renaissance and Golden Age is that provided by mystical writers. Inspired by the longstanding spiritual tradition of the Middle Ages and energized by the socio-historical milieu of the time and the religious zeal promulgated by the Counter-Reformation, figures such as Ss. Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross became living examples of what it means to love God with one’s whole heart and mind and soul and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. The articulation of intimacy with God through poetry and prose makes mystical writings a centerpiece of humanistic letters. Partaking in this mysterious itinerarium of faith with God is a little-known Carmelite nun, Cecilia del Nacimento (1570–1646), whose work remained in obscurity until the twentieth century when her manuscripts were first subjected to close critical scrutiny, culminating with this most informative book at hand. This edition provides a bilingual selection of poetry and selected prose into English by the nun-author Cecilia. The editorial work is done by Kevin Donnelly, a specialist in colonial Spanish American studies, and Sandra Sider, whose superb skills as translator have already been manifested in her insightful rendition of the sonnets of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and the poetry of Sappho. The translation of Mother Cecilia’s prose texts include the “Treatise on the Transformation of the Soul in God,” one of the earliest expositions of personal spiritual experiences and ideas regarding mysticism, and the “Treatise on the Union of the Soul in God,” the earliest extant prose piece written by her. As the editors note, this treatise provides the most explicit details of how Mother Cecilia’s love imitated a relationship with God that transcended prayer, meditation, fasting, and works of charity.

The present edition also contains the skillful translation of Cecilia’s “First Account of God’s Favors,” which departs from the description of the soul’s spousal relationship with God and focuses on the revelations experienced by the nun through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, as well as the effects of her spiritual experiences on several aspects of her life with the sisters in the convent and the difficulties she faced during the founding of the Discalced Carmelite convent in Calahorra. Also present in this edition is the translation of Mother Cecilia’s “Second Account of God’s Favors,” in which one finds some rather perceptive and thought-provoking references to the importance of reading and intellectual pursuits.

No scriptural text is as central to Mother Cecilia’s mystic writing as is the Song of Songs, which explains the reason for the request made by Father General Esteban de San José that the nun gloss the sixteenth verse of the second song “Dilectus Meus Mihi, et Ego Illi” (2:16): “He is My Beloved, and I Am His.” Perceptive is the comment made by the editors of this volume that in the gloss of this verse, the nun “wished to highlight the role of the feminine in this discussion of God’s relation to humanity, of how she conceived her subjectivity in relation to the male-dominated, and at times misogynistic, structures of religious life” (p. 165). Also part of the present volume are translations of Mother Cecilia’s “Theological Exposition of the Most Holy Virgin,” a greatly debated issue in early-seventeenth-century Spain, the “Treatise on the Mysteries of Our Holy Faith,” a reaffirmation of the Church’s creed, and the “Letters to her Sister Maria and to her Brothers Antonio and Juan.” These are some of the best examples of the nun’s correspondence showing the profound intellectual and emotional relationships with her siblings.

The second half...