Sermon 59 on the Song of Songs — Bernard of Clairvaux
On the Groanings of the Soul Sighing for the Heavenly Homeland, and on the Commendation of Chastity and Widowhood.
1. "The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land" (Song 2:12). I can by no means any longer conceal the fact that behold, for a second time, he who is from heaven speaks of the earth: assuredly so condescendingly, so companionably, as if he were one from the earth. This is the Bridegroom: who, when he had said beforehand that flowers had appeared in the earth, added "our"; and now no less: "The voice," he says, "of the turtledove has been heard in our land." Shall then a manner of speaking so unusual for God, not to say unworthy, be without reason? Nowhere, as I think, will you find him having spoken thus of heaven, nowhere elsewhere of earth. Attend therefore, how great a sweetness it is for the God of heaven to say, "in our land." You also, O earth-born and sons of men, hear; "the Lord has done great things for us" (Ps 125:3). Much has he to do with the earth, much with the bride, whom he was pleased to take to himself from the lands. "In our land," he says. This word plainly does not sound of sovereignty, but of partnership, of familiarity. As a Bridegroom he says this, not as a Lord. What? He is the Creator, and he reckons himself a partner! Love is speaking, which knows no lord. This is indeed a song of love, and it was fitting that it be supported by none other than amatory expressions. God also loves, nor does he have this from elsewhere, but he himself is the source whence he loves. And therefore he loves more vehemently, because he does not so much have love, as he himself is this very thing. But those whom he loves, he has as friends, not as servants. Finally, from a master he becomes a friend: for he would not have called his disciples friends, if they were not such.
2. You see that even majesty yields to love? So it is, brothers; love looks up to no one, but neither does it look down on anyone. It regards all equally, who love one another perfectly, and in itself it tempers together the lofty and the lowly; not only making them equals, but one. Perhaps you still think that God is excepted from this rule of love; but "he who clings to God is one spirit" (1 Cor 6:17). Why do you marvel at this? He himself was made as one of us. I have said too little: not as one, but one. It is a small thing to be equal to men: he is man. Thence he claims our land for himself, but as a homeland, not as a possession. Why should he not claim it? Thence comes his bride, thence the substance of his body; thence the Bridegroom himself; thence "two in one flesh." If one flesh, why not also one homeland? "The heaven of heaven is the Lord's," it says, "but the earth he has given to the sons of men" (Ps 113:16). Therefore as Son of Man he inherits the earth, as Lord he subjects it, as Creator he administers it, as Bridegroom he shares it. For by saying "in our land," he plainly renounced exclusive ownership, but did not refuse partnership. And let this suffice concerning the fact that the Bridegroom used so kindly a word, that he deigned to say, "in our land." Now let us consider the rest.
3. "The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land." This too is a sign that winter has passed, announcing no less that the time of pruning is at hand. This according to the letter. Otherwise, the voice of the turtledove does not sound very sweet, but it signifies sweet things. The little bird itself, if you buy it, is not of great cost; if you examine it, it is not of small worth. And its voice indeed, more like a moaning than a singing, reminds us of our pilgrimage. Gladly do I hear the voice of that teacher: who moves not applause for himself, but lamentation in me. Truly you display the turtledove, if you teach how to groan: and if you wish to persuade, you will need to strive for it by groaning rather than by declaiming. Example indeed, both in many other things and especially in this matter, is more effective than the word. You will give to your voice the voice of power, if what you urge you are recognized to have first persuaded yourself of. The voice of deed is stronger than the voice of mouth. Do as you speak, and not only will you correct me more easily, but you will also free yourself from no slight reproach. It will no longer pertain to you, if someone says: "They bind heavy and unbearable burdens, and lay them on the shoulders of men, but with their own finger they are unwilling to move them" (Mt 23:4). But neither need you fear that saying: "You who teach others, do you not teach yourself?" (Rom 2:21).
4. "The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land." As long as men received for the worship of God a reward only on earth, and only earth, namely that land flowing with milk and honey, they by no means recognized themselves as pilgrims upon earth, nor did they groan after the manner of the turtledove as if remembering their homeland; but rather, using their exile as a homeland, they gave themselves to eating rich foods and drinking sweet wine. Thus for so long the voice of the turtledove was not heard in our land. But when the promise of the kingdom of heaven was made, then men understood that they did not have here an abiding city, but began to seek the future one with all eagerness; and then for the first time the voice of the turtledove sounded clearly in the land. For while each holy soul was sighing for the presence of Christ, bearing with difficulty the delay of the kingdom, greeting from afar the desired homeland with groans and sighs: does it not seem to you that any soul that had so acted on earth was fulfilling the role of the groaning and most chaste turtledove? From that time therefore and henceforth the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land. Why should not the absence of Christ move me to frequent tears and daily groaning! "Lord, before you is all my desire, and my groaning is not hidden from you" (Ps 37:10). "I have labored in my groaning," you know; but blessed is he who was able to say: "I will wash my bed every night, with my tears I will drench my couch" (Ps 6:7). And not only for me, but also for all who love his coming, these groanings have been experienced. For this is what he himself was saying. "Can the sons of the bridegroom mourn," he says, "as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then they will mourn" (Mt 9:15); as if he were saying: And then the voice of the turtledove will be heard.
5. So it is, good Jesus, those days have come. For "creation itself groans and travails until now, awaiting the revelation of the sons of God. And not only it, but we ourselves also groan within ourselves, awaiting the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body" (Rom 8:22-23): knowing this, that "as long as we are in this body, we are pilgrims from the Lord" (2 Cor 5:1-6). Nor are the groanings vain, to which such a merciful answer is given from heaven: "Because of the misery of the helpless and the groaning of the poor, now I will arise, says the Lord" (Ps 11:6). There was also in the time of the Fathers this voice of those groaning; but it was rare, and each one's groaning was kept to himself. Whence also someone would say: "My secret is mine, my secret is mine" (Is 24:16). But also he who said: "My groaning is not hidden from you," surely showed that it was hidden from all, since it was not hidden from God alone. And therefore it could not then be said: "The voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land"; because the secret, still belonging to a few, had not yet gone out to the multitude. But when it was openly proclaimed: "Seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1), this turtle-like groaning began to pertain to all, and there was one reason for groaning for all, because all knew the Lord, according to what is read in Jeremiah: "And they shall all know me, from the least to the greatest, says the Lord" (Jer 31:34).
6. But if many are groaning, what does the mention of one signify? "The voice of the turtledove," it says. Why not "of turtledoves"? Perhaps the Apostle resolves this, where he says that "the Spirit himself intercedes for the saints with unutterable groanings" (Rom 8:26). So it is. He himself is introduced as groaning, who makes others groan. And however many they be whom you hear groaning thus, the voice of one sounds through the lips of all. Why not his, who forms that very voice in the mouth of each according to the needs of each? Finally, "to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for profit" (1 Cor 12:7). His own voice makes each one manifest and indicates his presence. And hear from the Gospel, that the Holy Spirit has a voice. "The Spirit," he says, "breathes where he wills, and you hear his voice; and you do not know whence he comes or where he goes" (Jn 3:8). Even if that one did not know, who, a dead teacher, was teaching the dead the letter that kills [namely Nicodemus]; let us know, who, having been translated from death to life through the life-giving Spirit, prove by certain and daily experience, with him illuminating us, that our prayers and groanings come from him, and go to him, and there find mercy in the eyes of God. For when would God make void the voice of his own Spirit? But he himself knows what the Spirit desires, because he intercedes according to God for the saints.
7. Nor do groanings alone commend the turtledove; chastity also commends it. By the merit of this chastity indeed it was worthy to be given as an offering for the virginal birth. For so you have it: "A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Lk 2:24). And although elsewhere indeed the Holy Spirit is usually designated by a dove; yet because it is a lustful bird, it was not fitting that it be offered in sacrifice to the Lord, except at that age when it would not know lust. But no age is specified for the turtledove, because its chastity is recognized at every age. For it is content with a single mate; and when that one is lost, it no longer admits another, reproving the multiplicity of marriages among humans. For even if perhaps the fault is venial on account of incontinence, yet such great incontinence itself is shameful. It is a cause for shame that reason in a human being cannot accomplish for the matter of honor what nature can accomplish in a bird. For one may observe the turtledove in the time of its widowhood, strenuously and tirelessly carrying out the work of holy widowhood. You will see it everywhere solitary, everywhere you will hear it groaning; nor will you ever observe it perching on a green branch, so that you may learn from it to avoid the poisonous greenery of pleasures. Add that on the ridges of mountains and on the tops of trees its dwelling is more frequent: so that, what especially befits the commitment of chastity, it may teach us to despise earthly things and to love heavenly things.
8. From these things it is gathered that the voice of the turtledove is also the preaching of chastity. For in the beginning this voice was not heard on earth, but rather that one: "Increase and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen 1:28). In vain indeed would the voice of chastity have sounded, when the homeland of those rising again had not yet been revealed: in which far more happily "men will neither marry nor be given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Lk 20:35-36). You would say that there was a time for that voice, when every barren woman in Israel was subject to a curse, when the Patriarchs themselves had several wives at the same time, when a brother was compelled by the law to raise up offspring for a brother who had died without children. But when the commendation of those eunuchs "who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God" (Mt 19:12) sounded from the mouth of the heavenly turtledove; and likewise the counsel of another, that same most chaste turtledove, concerning virgins everywhere prevailed (1 Cor 7:25), then for the first time it could be truly said, that "the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land."
9. Therefore, if in our land both flowers have appeared and the voice of the turtledove has been heard, then assuredly the truth has been ascertained both by sight and by hearing. For a voice is heard, a flower is seen. A flower is a miracle, as our earlier interpretation has it, which, coming to the voice, brings forth the fruit of faith. Even if faith comes from hearing, yet from sight comes confirmation. A voice sounded, a flower shone forth, and "truth has sprung from the earth" (Ps 84:12) through the confession of the faithful, with word and sign alike concurring in testimony of faith. These testimonies have been made exceedingly credible, since the flower testifies to the voice, the eye to the ear. Things heard are confirmed by things seen, so that the testimony of the two (I speak of the ear and the eye) may be established. For this reason the Lord was saying: "Go, report to John" (for he was speaking to his disciples) "what you have heard and seen" (Lk 7:22). Nor could the certainty of faith have been conveyed to them more briefly or more clearly. The same persuasion was indeed made in a short time to the whole earth as well, and by the same shortcut of argument. "What you have heard," he says, "and seen." O abbreviated word, yet living and effective! Without doubt I surely assert what I have perceived with my ears and eyes. The trumpet of salvation sounds, miracles flash forth, and the world believes. What is said is quickly believed, when what causes astonishment is shown. But you have it that the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs that followed" (Mk 16:20). You have him on the mountain transfigured with stupendous brightness, and no less attested by a voice from above (Mt 17:2-5). You have at the Jordan likewise both a dove designating, and a voice testifying (Mt 3:16-17). Thus these two things everywhere equally, voice and sign, concur from divine bounty for the introduction of faith: so that a wide entrance to the soul through both windows may lie open for the truth.
10. There follows: "The fig tree has put forth its green figs." Let us not eat of them: for they are not fit for eating on account of their unripeness. They have the appearance of good figs, but the likeness, not the flavor, perhaps designating hypocrites. Let us not cast them away, however; perhaps at another time we will have need of them. Otherwise they will fall of themselves easily enough, and before their time, "like grass upon the rooftops, which withers before it is plucked up" (Ps 128:6); which I believe is said of hypocrites. Not without reason, however, was mention made of them in the wedding song. They will without doubt be of some use, even if not for eating. Many things besides food are necessarily provided at weddings. I indeed consider this matter so far from something to be passed over, that whatever it is, I am unwilling to discuss it within the constraints of the closing of this sermon; but I defer it to another day and a freer hour. Whether indeed it is necessary, you will then be able to judge: only let your prayers obtain for me the opportunity and the ability to set forth what I think, for your own edification, to the praise and glory of the Bridegroom of the Church, Jesus Christ the Lord, who is over all things God blessed forever. Amen.
Translated from the Latin by AI. Source: Migne, Patrologia Latina 183.