St. Therese of Lisieux - The Poetry of Saint Therese of Lisieux

The Poetry

of

Saint Thrse of Lisieux

Complete Edition
Texts and Introductions

Translated by

Donald Kinney, O.C.D.

ICS Publications
Institute of Carmelite Studies
Washington, DC

Critical Edition of the Complete Works

of

Saint Thrse of the Child Jesus
and of the Holy Face

Centenary Edition

(18731973)

A critical edition of all the poems written by St. Thrse according to the autographs and different copies.

This edition was prepared by Sister Ccile of the Carmel of Lisieux and Jacques Lonchampt, with the assistance of Sister Genevive, O.P., of the Clairefontaine Monastery, Jeanne Lonchampt, Fr. Bernard Bro, O.P., and Fr. Guy Gaucher, O.C.D.

POETRY OF ST. THRSE OF LISIEUX is a translation of volume I of Posies, with selected passages from volume II (Les ditions du Cerf / Descle de Brouwer, 1979). Photos used with permission of Office Central de Lisieux.

Cover design by Nancy Gurganus of Grey Coat Graphics.

Copyright Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 1995, 2020

ICS Publications
2131 Lincoln Road, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002-1199
www.icspublications.org

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Thrse, de Lisieux, Saint, 18731897

[Poems. English]

The poetry of Saint Thrse of Lisieux / translated by Donald

Kinney. Complete ed.

p. cm. (Critical edition of the complete works of Saint

Thrse of Lisieux)

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents: [1] Texts and introductions.
ISBN paper: 978-0935216561 (v. 1)
ISBN epub: 978-1939272072

1. Thrse, de Lisieux, Saint, 18731897Translations into English. 2. Christian poetry, FrenchTranslations into English. I. Title. II. Series: Thrse, de Lisieux, Saint, 18731897. Works. English. 1982.
PQ2450.TZZ16A25 1995
841'.8dc20 95295

CIP

Contents

Translator's Note

The complete edition of the works of St. Thrse is the remarkable achievement of twenty-five years of close collaboration by a team of eminent specialists: Jacques Lonchampt, Sr. Ccile of the Lisieux Carmel, Sr. Genevive, O.P., Jeanne Lonchampt, Fr. Bernard Bro, O.P., and Fr. (now Bishop) Guy Gaucher, O.C.D. In 1992 their edition was reprinted in eight volumes, and that same year the Acadmie franaise awarded it its Cardinal Grente Prize for excellence in a critical edition.

The team named above spent five of those twenty-five years meticulously preparing the original edition of St. Thrse's poetry, which was first published in two volumes in 1979. The editors of the Institute of Carmelite Studies and I decided to include in this English version only selected passages of the second volume, because the original contains very specialized material which would be of little interest to most readers.

In my translation, I have tried to retain the same key words and phrases as Fr. John Clarke used in his fine translations of Story of a Soul, Her Last Conversations, and the (two-volume) Letters. I have left the melody titles for each poem in French, however, since it is often impossible to translate them accurately out of context.

In an appendix I have provided the poems in French for those who wish to read St. Thrse's originals.

Translating poetry means taking a risk. The poetry of St. Thrse, so simple, fresh, and pure, is particularly challenging to render into another language. But I have wanted to take this risk because her poetry reveals wonderful new aspects of her life and thought, which English-speaking readers might otherwise miss.

My goal in this book has been to remain faithful to St. Thrse's vocabulary, style, and message. This unfortunately has meant sacrificing the meter and rhyme, but I hope that a certain lyric quality lingers still.

In one of St. Thrse's most beautiful poems, Living on Love (that St. Thrse's poetry is a great treasure in an earthen vase. Translating it is like shattering the vase! Yet I hope that the essence of its precious perfume still wafts out to us, and, especially, that it consoles his Holy Face.

I would like to express my gratitude to all those who so generously helped me with this book: Fr. Daniel Chowning, O.C.D., first began this translation with the Institute of Carmelite Studies, but he had to give it up because of new responsibilities in his Province. He and I have collaborated on this book, and he translated the General Introduction. Fr. Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D., kindly advised me on translating poetry. Mlle. Claudette Tricoire and the Carmelite nuns allowed me to research the poetry at the Centre de documentation thrsienne at the Carmel of Lisieux. Profs. Janine and Robert Kreiter of the University of the Pacific and Helen Taylor are long-time friends who, in different ways, have been instrumental in my Carmelite vocation. They each proved their friendship once more by proofreading and correcting my manuscript. Wendy-Marie Teichert, and Theresa Thomas, O.C.D.S., read and made suggestions for improving the final draft. Sr. Marie-Ccile, O.C.D., of the Carmelite Monastery in Carmel-by-the-Sea, helped me render difficult Carmelite monastic vocabulary into English. Terry Schack gave me much-needed computer assistance. I also wish to thank my Provincial, Fr. Gerald Werner, O.C.D., and my superiors, Fr. Bernard Perkins, O.C.D., and Fr. William Fenton, O.C.D., for their continuing support.

At the ICS, I am indebted to Fr. Regis Jordan, O.C.D., and Jude Langsam, O.C.D.S., for their editing of the manuscript. Fr. Steven Payne, O.C.D., has especially encouraged me all during this project.

Prof. Joyce Rogers, outstanding Secular Order Carmelite, teacher, author, and scholar of St. Thrse, first suggested that I take on this translation. She was a source of inspiration through-out. Joyce died very suddenly just a few weeks after I completed my work. I would like to dedicate this book to her memory.

Donald Kinney, O.C.D.

Abbreviations

These four abbreviations are frequently used in this volume. All refer to the ICS translations by Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D.:

The following abbreviations refer either to poetry terminology or to French titles cited in the complete critical edition of the Posies, from which this volume is translated: