On the Divine Names and the Mystical Theology — trans. C. E. Rolt
The translator’s English as printed (C. E. Rolt). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
CHAPTER II How it is necessary to be united with and render praise to Him
Who is the cause of all and above all.
UNTO this Darkness which is beyond Light we pray that we may come, and may attain unto vision through the loss of sight and knowledge, and that in ceasing thus to see or to know we may learn to know that which is beyond all perception and understanding (for this emptying of our faculties is true sight and knowledge),1 and that we may offer Him that transcends all things the praises of a transcendent hymnody, which we shall do by denying or removing all things that are—like as men who, carving a statue out of marble, remove all the impediments that hinder the clear perception of the latent image and by this mere removal display the hidden statue itself in its hidden beauty.1 Now we must wholly distinguish this negative method from that of positive statements. For when we were making positive statements2 we began with the most universal statements, and then through intermediate terms we came at last to particular titles,3 but now ascending upwards from particular to universal conceptions we strip off all qualities1 in order that we may attain a naked knowledge of that Unknowing which in all existent things is enwrapped by all objects of knowledge,2 and that we may begin to see that super-essential Darkness which is hidden by all the light that is in existent things.
= Gee Intr., p. 27, on the ecstasy. D.’s terminology is always exact though exuberant—or rather exuberant because exact. And, since if the mind, in thinking of any particular thing, gives itself to that thing
CHAPTER II How it is necessary to be united with, and to render praise to, Him
Who is the cause of all and above all.
To this Darkness which is beyond Light we pray that we may come, and may attain to vision through the loss of sight and knowledge, and that in thus ceasing to see or to know we may learn to know that which is beyond all perception and understanding (for this emptying of our faculties is true sight and knowledge),1 and that we may offer Him Who transcends all things the praises of a transcendent hymnody. This we shall do by denying or removing all things that are—like men who, carving a statue out of marble, remove all the impediments that hinder the clear perception of the latent image, and by this mere removal display the hidden statue itself in its hidden beauty.1
Now we must wholly distinguish this negative method from that of positive statements. For when we were making positive statements2 we began with the most universal statements, and then through intermediate terms came at last to particular titles;3 but now, ascending upwards from particular to universal conceptions, we strip off all qualities,1 in order that we may attain a naked knowledge of that Unknowing which in all existent things is enwrapped by all objects of knowledge,2 and that we may begin to see that super-essential Darkness which is hidden by all the light that is in existent things.
1 See Intr., p. 27, on the ecstasy. D.’s terminology is always exact though exuberant—or rather, exuberant because exact. And since, if the mind, in thinking of any particular thing, gives itself to that thing, it thereby belongs to that thing, so, in utterly ceasing to belong to itself, it ceases