Les Cinq Vierges by Thomas Merton

Alla Nazimova performs the dance of the seven veils in Charles Bryant’s Beardsley-inspired Salomé (1923)

This month marks fifty years since the death of Thomas Merton who has been described as the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. This poem - one of four written in French - appears to bring the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids into the twentieth century in more ways than one.

In it, Merton swaps oil lamps for petrol tanks and imagines the five foolish but party-loving bridesmaids as bikers. Unlike the parable however, the petrol-headed pretties are all admitted to the wedding banquet - apparently on account of their ability to liven up the party with their display of dancing. The poem brought to mind images of the provocative and deadly dance of the seven veils by Aubrey Beardsley, for Oscar Wilde's play. Is this about-turn part of Merton's modernisation - bringing the parable in line with an anything goes age? 

This helpful essay on the Merton Centre website provides some context to the poem, which may help to shed light on its intended meaning. The text (with translation below, taken from this site) was written on October 6th and 7th 1966 after Merton (who was born in France) was visited by the French philosopher and writer Jacques Maritain (the Jacques in the title of the poem) during which they discussed the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which authorised the use of languages other than Latin during Mass. 

According to Robert E. Daggy's essay, Merton and Maritain considered a new French translation of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins; Maritain taking exception to the use of the phrase "les vierges etourdies" (confused or dizzy) to describe the virgins. This conversation inspired Merton to pen the poem (which he initially titled "Les Dix Vierges"). Daggy states:

"So what if the foolish virgins ran out of oil. They can party anyway in our society. Is this another of his comments on our consistent refusal to take responsibility for ourselves or to expect responsibility in others, even in preparation for Christ's presence?"

Robert Daggy's analysis of Merton's poem reminds us of the challenges of contemporary reading of biblical texts:

"Though he undoubtedly meant "Les Cinq Vierges" to be funny on one level, [Merton] gave serious expression to the absurdity that can result when we reduce our language and action to today's terms and ideas."

Les Cinq Vierges  – Pour Jacques

Il y avait cinq vierges

Hurluberlues

Qui sont venues aux Noces de l’Agneau

Avec leur motos en panne

Et leurs bidons de petrole

Vides

Mais puisq’elles savaient

Danseur

On leur dit quand meme

De rester:

Et viola: il y avait

Cinq vierges hurluberlues

Sans petrole

Mais bien engagees

Dans le mouvement.

Il y avait donc dix vierges

Aux Noces de l’Agneau.

The Five Virgins 

There were five howling virgins

who came

to the wedding of the lamb

with their disabled motorcycles

and their oil tanks

empty

but since they knew how

to dance

a person says to them

to stay anyhow

and there you have it

there were five noisy virgins

without gas

but looking good in the traffic of the dance

consequently

there were ten virgins

at the wedding of the lamb