Auta de Souza
Auta de Souza, a famous Brazilian poetess, was born in Macaiba on September 12, 1876. She was the only girl among 5 children. Her life was full of trials and difficulties. When she was only 3 years old, her mother died, and when she was 5 her father died. She went to live with her grandparents thatmoved to the city of Recife.
Auta de Souza was extraordinarily brilliant. At the age of 7 (1883) she was already capable of reading stories to the poor children and to the slaves.
In 1887, her brother Irineu, died as a result of a serious fire, which seems to have led her to constantly refer to death and childhood in her poems.
In 1888 she started to study at the School Saint Vincent of Paul, receiving a fine education, especially regarding religious topics. She studied the Gospel deeply. She spoke French fluently, which propitiated her to be in contact with the literary work of her time.
Her health was always delicate, and in 1890 she became seriously ill, from an illness that would wind up taking her life. She returned to Macaiba because of a better climate condition for her health.
At the age of 17 (1893), her first poems were published in local newspapers and magazines.
At the end of 1900, her first and only book, “Horto,” (name of the first poem of the book) was published. Mr. Olavo Bilac, one of the most renowned writers of Brazil, wrote the preface of the book.
Auta de Souza’s fixation with religious topics and death led her to be designated the “Greatest Mystic Poetess of Brazil.” As a true premonition of her last days on Earth, she wrote the poem Fio Partido, that shows the exact notion she had that she would soon
leaving her physical body behind.
On February 27, 1901, the 24 year-old Auta de Souza died, in the city of Natal-RN.
In 1930, Francisco Cândido Xavier received through his mediumship a poem from the young discarnate girl.
Dr. Elias Barbosa, describes in his book “In the World of CHICO XAVIER” (2ª Edition – page 19, the first meeting that Chico had with Auta de Souza.
Dr. Barbosa asked Chico:
“Do you remember in particular any psychography that remained unforgettable to you?”
“Yes, I remember one sonnet entitled “OUR LADY OF SUFFERING” that, if I am not mistaken regarding the date, was published by the Almanaque de Lembranças, of Lisbon, in 1932.
“One night, while I was praying, the Spirit of a young lady radiating intense light approached me. She asked for paper and pencil and she wrote the sonnet that I just mentioned. She cried so hard while writing it that I myself begin to cry as well, with such emotion that at that moment I couldn’t tell if my eyes were hers or if her eyes were mine. Later, the Spirit Emmanuel informed me she was Auta de Souza, the highly regarded poetess of Rio Grande do Norte.”
“Some spiritual authors have not returned to psychograph through
me for a long time, as for example Augusto dos Anjos and Auta de Souza. I missed the latter immensely, because when she wrote through me she would make me experience lofty indescribable emotions. Sometimes, I could feel she was accompanied by a highly evolved Spirit that I learned to be one of those that belong to the great phalanx that collaborates with Celina in her divine mission of love.”
From that year on, with the publication of the Book PARNASSUS OF BEYOND THE GRAVE, in 1931, there are a vast mediumistic production of AUTA OF SOUZA through the hands of Chico Xavier: 89 poems and 27 verses.
Excerpted from the letter of Chico Xavier to M. Quintão. Reformador 1932 – nº 8 – April, p 237.
Along the dedicate individuals of the Spiritist Arena, Auta de Souza is also present. In 1950, NIMPHO OF PAULA CORRÊA (of the Spiritist Center Disciples of Jesus, de Campo Grande-MS) participated of a campaign called “The Kilo Campaign,” and when he moved to São Paulo in 1952, he joined the FEESP, working together with Mr. Jose Gonçalves Pereira in social assistance. Together they created the CAMPAIGN OF FRATERNITY.
From Pedro Leopoldo they received communications of spiritual support, in particular from AUTA OF SOUZA, through a series of poems motivating their work (MIGALHA, ESCUTA, BENDITA SEJAS, DIVIDE, ORAÇÃO DE HOJE, PENSA, SUBLIME ENCONTRO, AOS CARAVANEIROS DO BEM.
Because of that, they decided to name the campaign “CAMPAIGN OF FRATERNITY AUTA OF SOUZA,” a famous spiritist movement that started in the city of São Paulo with the objective of collecting food for the poor, of disseminating Spiritism and to enhancing the practice of charity, that has been spread throughout the world.
Translated by Jussara Korngold
Our Lady of Suffering
Mother of Pains, Lady of Suffering,
I contemplate your lacerate heart.
For the suffering endured by your beloved son,
In a life filled with harshness and ingratitude.
There is in your eyes such tenderness,
So much affection and divine love,
That from your tortured semblance
A lovely and pure light irradiates;
A light that illuminates the most shadowy pathway
A divine light, sublime and splendorous
That enlightens, guides, and supports.
Dear Lady, so beautiful are your tears
That they resemble gleaming stars,
Drops of light in the darkness of anguish.
Auta de Souza
Translated by Jussara Korngold
A Letter to your Heart
Listen, my brother!
Along the way of terrestrial misery there are much pain;
much bitterness, much shadow, and many thorns,
present in the illusory and tempting pleasures.
We see open wounds that do not cease to bleed…
We see the horror of orphans without home, bread and affection,
Let us comfort the unfortunate sufferers,
Longing souls of the Celestial Nest!
Jesus will smile with your smile,
When you are good in the world,
To those who suffer in desperation.
All the good that you sow in this life,
will wait for your redeemed soul
In the pathway of light and redemption!
Auta de Souza
Translated by Jussara Korngold
Charity
Blessed be, wherever you go,
Hands transformed into sun, support and nest
For all the sad spirits along the way,
Hands that remind us of a book full of pain…
Generous hands, hands where I can see
Christ’s message shining,
Hands that transform tears into flowers,
God bless your gestures of kindness.
I have never seen the format of your cult,
I only see you in the light, while happiness fills me
Because the world gets better by just seeing you!
Charity! You are the gift that bonds us together.
God’s Love in human intelligence,
A star crowning another star! …
Auta de Souza
Translated by the Group Mensageiros – Brazil
Listen
Do not reject those who knock at your door…
See the safety of your nest
and notice, out there, the pain
of misery which hurts and brings suffering.
Hunger…Cold…Widowhood…Bitter crying…
Do not answer saying ‘ who cares?
Bring to the pain of the almost dead hope
Some soup…a slice of bread…and a gesture of love…
A drop of milk… a rag… a cake…
This can be a lot to those who suffer without any consolation…
In this valley where anguish roars and rules…
And the crumb that you give to those who cry,
One day, under the Sun of Love, in the Eternal Dawn,
Will be your prize in the Divine Mansion.
Auta de Souza
Translated by the Group Mensageiros – Brazil