This bilingual edition of St. Teresa of Avila's poems with commentary engages readers with all facets of the Saint's life: the mystic and monastic reformer, the artist and proto-feminist, and the philosopher with a penchant for paradox.
"What a gift then to read Dana Delibovi's translations of St Teresa d'vila's complete poems-sweet treasure!--so elegant and concise, the language lyrical yet simple and accessible, the music of the stanzas and the profundity of her voice carried into English. I also appreciated Delibovi's curation: the short introductions and thematic arrangement of the poems--nothing overly ponderous and academic. It's as if we are on a pilgrimage into the heart and soul and song of this amazing woman and spiritual leader and poet." --Julia Alvarez, poet, novelist, and essayist; author of The Cemetery of Untold Stories
"Saint Teresa has, at last, found an English translator who has deeply penetrated the poet's essence, her revelatory reverence and rapturous beauty." --Christopher Sawyer-Lauanno, Night Suite, Remission, and A Continual Pilgrimage: American Writers in Paris, 1944-1960
St. Teresa of Avila's poems, written in the 16th century, speak to the spiritual longing of our times and invite us to find peace amid turmoil. St. Teresa walked a path of grace, seeking the divine within the human soul, and her poetry lights this path for all of us. This is the first translation of St. Teresa's poetry by a woman poet and captures the saint's spiritual vigor and famously conversational tone in English. That voice is echoed in well-researched commentary strengthened by the translator's willingness to share her spiritual journey.