Wound

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An injury to the body, often symbolizing sin, spiritual brokenness, or the transformative pain of divine love.

Detailed Definition
The "wound of longing" is a common theme in Sufi and Christian mysticism, where the pain of separation from God is a sweet agony. Christ's wounds are the source of redemption. In poetry, the wound represents a place of vulnerability, a breach in the self through which grace can enter. It can be a symbol of contrition, the piercing of the heart by divine love, or the shared suffering that creates empathy. It is an image of profound transformation through brokenness.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Christian poetry, Wound is redemptive: “Sacred Heart—Wound that pours mercy”; In Sufi verse, Wound is where light enters: “Crack your heart—Wound, so Beloved can enter”; In contemporary poetry, Wound is trauma: “War’s scar—Wound that aches in rain”; Poets transform Wound: “Stitched with gold—Wound, kintsugi of the soul.”
Additional Notes
The Wound appears in mystical theology as the “wound of love” (Bernard of Clairvaux), the stigmata of Francis of Assisi, or the pierced side of Christ; it signifies both brokenness and openness to grace; in poetry, wounds become sites of transformation—where pain yields empathy, and vulnerability allows divine light to enter the soul’s hidden chambers.
Other Meanings of “Wound”
Also Known As
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