While imprisoned for his attempts to reform the Church, 16th-century Spanish mystic John of the Cross composed many of his now classic poems of the soul's longing for God. Escaping his captors, John fell into a state of ecstasy and finished Dark Night of the Soul, with additional commentary for other seekers. Now, for the first time, a scholar unaffiliated with the Catholic Church has crafted "an engaging and evocative translation of John's most famous treatise." Drawing from Buddhist, Hindu and Judaic traditions, Mirabai Starr's fresh new translation restores the beauty and candor of the original while offering profound new relevance for the 21st-century seeker. New translation and introduction by Mirabai Starr.