Song of Solomon 4 · The Lantern

[HE] Lo! thou art beautiful, my fair one, Lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, are doves, from behind thy veil,—Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, which are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead:

But Christ, beholding his church, for whom he himself, as you find in the book of the prophet Zechariah, had put on filthy garments, now clothed in white raiment, seeing, that is, a soul pure and washed in the laver of regeneration, says, "Behold, you are fair, my love, behold you are fair, your eyes are like a dove's," in the likeness of which the Holy Spirit descended from he…

So they say that these eyes have fainted after the Lord's salvation, because of the holy coming of the incarnation, which they bore with such longing that it could allow them no rest. So they were right to faint, because they had no period of leisure.

Because we have explained these things above (Chapter 2, n. 35), as best we could, we now avoid repeating the same things for the sake of preserving brevity. But because there is added 'Apart from what lies hidden within', we must briefly consider how it is connected with what precedes.

Thy teeth, are like a flock, evenly grown, which have come up from the washing-place,—whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is none among them:

"Your teeth are like a flock of ewes to be shorn." A sincere confession is a spiritual shearing! And further: "all of them big with twins," signifying the twofold grace, either that perfected by water and the Spirit, or that announced in the Old and in the New Testament.

He says to the church, his spouse, "Your teeth are like a flock of sheep that are shorn, which come up from the washing, all with twins, and there is none barren among them." By this twin offspring the twofold object of love is meant, namely, God and the neighbor: "On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

Where the words of Scripture signify things of creation, or the conduct of the Israelite people, there one should seek from another passage of Scripture what each thing signifies, and then derive its signification through words plainly signifying the truth of faith, or the uprightness of morals as well; as for example if it is said: The sheep bring forth twin offspring, one sho…

Like a cord of crimson, are thy lips, and, thy mouth, is lovely,—Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, behind thy veil:

Like the tower of David, is thy neck, built for war,—A thousand shields, hung thereon, all, equipment of heroes:

As the tower of David, your neck, etc. And we have said above about the neck, which signifies the holy teachers who continuously enrich the Church by nourishing it with spiritual sustenance and strengthen it in faith through the words of holy exhortation.

For we stretch out the neck when we wish to see farther ahead. Therefore the holy preachers are fittingly called eyes for one reason, teeth for another, cheeks for yet another, and the neck for still another.

"Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is built with bulwarks: a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armor of valiant men." This was said to the bride or mother Church, whose neck is like the tower of David. It is called the neck, whence the doctrine of truth goes forth. The neck serves us for two things, namely, for receiving food and for expressing words.

Thy two breasts, are like two young roes, twins of a gazelle,—which pasture among lilies.

And in the song of the bride, hair, teeth, lips, cheeks, the neck, and breasts, are praised by the bridegroom. The bride is either the soul of man, which enters into marriage with Christ, or the church. The parts of the body are interpreted figuratively: if they are said of the soul, then they apply to its powers.

Your two breasts, etc. The same mysteries of Christ and the Church are repeated in various ways and in many forms, but repeated they always bring something new, which either provides an explanation for the same mysteries or through the novelty itself, delights the minds of the listeners further.

By the two breasts, two orders of preachers are designated: one in circumcision, the other in uncircumcision. They are fittingly called like two fawns of a doe, because they are children of the Synagogue and feed on the mountains of contemplation. They are called twins because they preach in harmony and think in harmony.

Until the day, breathe, and the shadows, be lengthened, I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, and unto the hill of frankincense.

Thou art, all over, beautiful, my fair one, and, blemish, is there none in thee.

This is indeed true beauty, to which nothing is wanting, which alone is worthy to hear the Lord saying, "You are all fair, my love, and no blemish is in you. Come hither from Lebanon, my spouse, come hither from Lebanon.

You are entirely beautiful, my friend, etc. You are beautiful not only in the distinguished members of the elect, which I have specifically enumerated, but also in those who seem small and fragile, and you shine with the beauty of virtues, and you are free from the stain of vices. For He has blessed all those who fear the Lord, small and great alike (Psalm 113).

That is reserved for you at the end of all things, when I shall take you, all glorious, to myself, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing. Do you not know that as long as you live in the body you are exiled from the light? With your beauty still incomplete how can you consider yourself fit to gaze on beauty in its totality?

With me, from Lebanon, O bride, with me, from Lebanon, shalt thou enter,—Thou shalt look round from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir, and Hermon, from the dens of lions, from the mountains of leopards.

This teaches us the bride's place of origin, that she comes from the worship of idols. For Mount Lebanon is full of idols, whence you come, it says, hastening past through the law. Without knowing the law, you were taught the mystery of Christ.

Come from Lebanon, etc. Lebanon, if we follow the Hebrew etymology, is interpreted as whiteness; if the Greek, incense. Finally, above, where we read, To the hill of frankincense, some codices have, To the hill of Lebanon. However, both names evidently sound out the industry of virtue.

For Lebanon is interpreted as "whitening." What then is understood by Lebanon if not baptism, in which holy Church is washed with water and is whitened from the blackness of sins through the Holy Spirit whom she receives and through faith in Christ? Whence it is written: "You will sprinkle me, Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed" (Psalm 50:9).

Thou hast encouraged me, my sister, bride,—thou hast encouraged me, with one [glance] of thine eyes, with one ornament of thy neck.

Flee, he says, from the lions' dens, flee from the pride of devils, that when you have been consecrated to me, I may be able to say unto you, "You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck." What he says is something like this—I do not reject marriage: you have a second eye, the left, which I have…

You have wounded my heart, my sister, etc. This statement can be understood simply, as he might have wished to express the greatness of the love he has toward the Church through the remembrance of the wounded heart.

It is not the intellect that can go in there, but the heart. Hence again in the Canticle: "You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes"—for the heart reaches down into the depths of Christ—"with one hair of thy neck"—for the hair refers to the height of mental thoughts.

How beautiful are thy caresses, my sister, bride,—how much more delightful thy caresses, than wine, and the fragrance of thine oils, than all spices:

Christ, then, feeds his church with these sacraments, by means of which the substance of the soul is strengthened, and seeing the continual progress of her grace, he rightly says to her, "How comely are your breasts, my sister, my spouse, how comely they are made by wine, and the smell of your garments is above all spices.

How beautiful are your breasts! etc. Just as in the neck, eyes, and teeth, so too in the breasts are understood the teachers of the Church; but this is different in that they are to be regarded with these names either when they speak wisdom among the perfect or when they refute those who contradict; indeed, when they become weak for the weak in order to gain the weak, they are…

What we said above concerning the breasts of the bridegroom, we consider can also be understood here when he speaks of the bride. 'And the fragrance of your ointments is above all spices.' By ointments, indeed, are understood those very virtues which arise from charity.

With sweetness, thy lips do drip, O bride,—Honey and milk, are under thy tongue, and, the fragrance of thy garments, is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

"Fragrance of your garments like the fragrance of frankincense." We said before that the bridegroom himself became her garment, and blessed Paul confirms it in the words, "All of you who were baptized into Christ put on Christ." Now, the bridegroom is both God eternal and was born a man from the holy Virgin in the last days.

The preachers of the Church are rightly said to be the lips of the bride, because through them she speaks to the peoples, and through them the little ones are instructed in the faith, since through them the hidden things of divine Scripture, as if secrets of the heart, are made manifest. Now in a honeycomb, the honey lies hidden and the wax is seen.

Sacred Scripture is a tongue, hence: "Sweetmeats and milk are under your tongue." This tongue enjoys the taste of food, wherefore these same Scriptures are compared to loaves of bread that nourish and are pleasant to the taste.

A garden barred, is my sister, bride,—a spring barred, a fountain sealed:

But that the Church is one, the Holy Spirit declares in the Song of Songs, saying, in the person of Christ, "My dove, my undefiled, is one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her." Concerning which also He says again, "A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring sealed up, a well of living water." But if the spouse of Christ, which…

He so departed from the abode of the womb that the virginal door did not open, and what is sung in the Canticle of Canticles was fulfilled: "My sister, my spouse, is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up."

For the soul is a paradise in which Scripture is planted, and it has marvelous aspects of sweetness and beauty. Hence in the Canticle: My sister, my spouse is a garden enclosed, a garden enclosed, a fountain sealed up. Thy plants are a paradise of pomegranates.

Thy buddings forth, are a paradise of pomegranates, with precious fruits,—henna bushes, with nard blossoms:

In order that we may know the plants that the Word cultivates in believers, the Song calls the trees he planted "pomegranates." These issue from the bride's mouth. The pomegranate is difficult for a thief to grasp because of its thorny branches, and its fruit is surrounded and protected by a rind bitter and harsh to the taste.

Your branches are a paradise of pomegranates, etc. Because the early Church, which was at Jerusalem, produced many people for God from water and the Spirit, it is rightly said that the sacred garden, assisted by the irrigation of the divine fountain, emitted a paradise, not of any kind of trees, but of pomegranates with the fruits of apples.

Nard and saffron, sweet cane and cinnamon, with all woods of frankincense,—myrrh and aloes, with all the chiefs of spices:

The place of his burial was a garden.… What is he going to say who was buried in the garden? "I gather my myrrh, and my spices"; and again, "Myrrh and aloes with all the finest spices." These were the tokens of his burial, and in the Gospels it is said, "The women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared," and "there also came Nicodemus, bringing a mixture of myrrh…

Pipe and cinnamon, etc. The pipe, which is also called cassia, is counted among aromatic trees. It has a robust and purple bark, which is said to be very beneficial for curing internal ailments.

For what is designated by these diverse species of spices, if not the fragrance and progress of holy virtues, which is found in the saints? From these species, indeed, royal ointments are prepared; from these, healings of bodies are obtained.

A garden fountain, a well of living waters,—and flowings from Lebanon.

Now who is the "fountain sealed," or who is signified by the "wellspring of living water"? It is the Savior himself, of whom it is written: "For with you is the fountain of life."

[This garden] also contains "a spring" and "a well of water alive and babbling from Lebanon." It contains not only the gospel teaching that flows openly but also the "well" of the law, which is "a well of water alive" that also holds hidden streams that babble, emit a sound and flow from Lebanon.

Rightly in the sendings forth, she is described as a fountain of gardens and a well of living waters. For what is designated by the fountain and the well, if not Holy Scripture? Which so generates the water of wisdom that it both always refreshes those who drink and yet does not cease to flow.

[SHE] Awake, O north wind, and come in, thou south, Fan my garden—its balsams, will flow out,—Let my beloved enter his garden, and eat his precious fruits.

Arise, O north wind, and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out (Canticles iv. 16). As Joseph was delighted with these spices, he is designated the King's son by God; as the Virgin Mary was anointed with them, she conceived the Word: then new secrets, and new truth, and a new kingdom, and also great and inexplicable mysteries, are made manif…

By exalting the kingdom of the north above all kingdoms of the world, therefore, Almighty God commands what is [now] the kingdom of the Romans to arise.

For what is designated by the North wind, which constricts with cold and makes things numb, if not the unclean spirit, who, while he possesses all the reprobate, makes them numb to good work?

Song of Solomon4