Commentary on the Song of Songs, Liber III
Liber III opens — dove-eyes needed to see the Word§1
1The Third Book. The greatness in the Word cannot first be seen or known unless one first receives dove-eyes — that is, spiritual understanding. The couch she says she shares with the Bridegroom seems to me to indicate this body of the soul, in which, while still placed there, she has been counted worthy to be taken into the Word’s companionship.
Latin · §1
Liber Tertius. Prius perspici nec agnosci potest quanta sit in Verbo magnificentia, nisi prius oculos quis columbae, id est intelligentiam spiritalem, accipiat. Commune sibi cubile quod dicit esse cum sponso, corpus hoc mihi videtur indicari animae, in quo adhuc posita digna habita sit adscisci ad consortium Verbi Dei.
Shaded couch; believers without contemplation§2
2And she recalls it as shaded — not dry, but fruitful and as if wooded with the density of good work. But the Bride says these things — at least the soul that already has dove-eyes. Those who only believe the Bridegroom, yet could not perceive how great is the beauty in God’s Word, say: We saw him, and he had no form.
Latin · §2
Idque umbrosum, utpote non aridum, sed fructuosum memorat et tamquam densitate boni operis nemorosum. Sed haec sponsa dicit, anima dumtaxat, quae columbae iam oculos habet. Hi vero, qui tantummodo credunt sponso, non tamen perspicere potuerunt, in Verbo Dei quanta sit pulchritudo, dicunt: Et vidimus, et non habebat speciem.
Cedar beams and cypress paneling of the house§3
3The beams of our houses are cedar, our paneling cypress. God’s house is the church; the beams apostles and prophets; the paneling the orders of the saints. Cedar is incorruptible: uncorrupted teaching. Cypress has fragrance and height: a life that is fragrant and tends toward heaven.
Latin · §3
Tigna domorum nostrarum cedrina, laquearia cypressina. Domus Dei ecclesia est; tigna apostoli et prophetae; laquearia ordines sanctorum. Cedrus imputribilis: doctrina incorrupta. Cypressus odorem habet et altitudinem: vita redolens et ad caelum tendens.
I am the flower of the field and lily of the valleys§4
4I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys. Christ calls himself the flower of the field, who appeared in the world for all; the lily of the valleys, because he offers himself to the lowly. As a lily among thorns, so is my friend among the daughters: the church bright among piercing tribulations.
Latin · §4
Ego flos campi et lilium convallium. Christus se florem campi dicit, qui in mundo apparuit omnibus; lilium convallium, quia humilibus se praebet. Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter filias: ecclesia candida inter pungentes tribulationes.
As an apple tree among trees of the wood§5
5As an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under his shadow whom I desired I sat, and his fruit was sweet to my throat. The apple tree is Christ; the trees of the wood are other humans. His shadow is protection; his fruit teaching and immortality.
Latin · §5
Sicut malum inter ligna silvarum, sic dilectus meus inter filios. Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi, et fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo. Malum Christus, ligna silvae ceteri homines. Umbra eius protectio; fructus doctrina et immortalitas.
He brought me to the wine cellar; order love§6
6He brought me into the wine cellar; he ordered love in me. The wine cellar is the mysteries of the passion and of the eucharist. He ordered love: not chaotic, but ordered — first God, then neighbor. Stay me with flowers, heap me with apples, for I languish with love.
Latin · §6
Introduxit me in cellam vinariam; ordinavit in me caritatem. Cella vinaria mysteria passionis et eucharistiae. Ordinavit caritatem: non tumultuariam, sed ordinatam — primum Deus, deinde proximus. Fulcite me floribus, stipate me malis, quia amore langueo.
Left hand under my head; I adjure you§7
7His left hand under my head, and his right hand will embrace me. The left is dispensation of temporal things; the right gift of eternal things. I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and stags of the field, not to raise or awaken the beloved until she please.
Latin · §7
Sinistra eius sub capite meo, et dextera illius amplexabitur me. Sinistra temporalium dispensatio; dextera aeternorum donatio. Adiuro vos, filiae Hierusalem, per capreas cervosque camporum, ne suscitetis neque evigilare faciatis dilectam, donec ipsa velit.
The voice of my beloved leaping on the mountains§8
8The voice of my beloved; behold, he comes leaping on the mountains, springing over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle and a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall, looking through the windows, peering through the lattices. The Word’s coming is swift and subtle.
Latin · §8
Vox dilecti mei; ecce iste venit saliens in montibus, transiliens colles. Similis est dilectus meus capreae hinnuloque cervorum. En ipse stat post parietem nostrum, respiciens per fenestras, prospiciens per cancellos. Adventus Verbi velox et subtilis.
Arise; winter is past; the turtledove’s voice§9
9My beloved speaks to me: Arise, make haste, my friend, my dove, my fair one, and come. For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers have appeared in the land; the time of pruning has come; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Latin · §9
En dilectus meus loquitur mihi: Surge, propera, amica mea, columba mea, formosa mea, et veni. Iam enim hiems transiit; imber abiit et recessit. Flores apparuerunt in terra; tempus putationis advenit; vox turturis audita est in terra nostra.
Fig and vines; dove in the clefts of the rock§10
10The fig tree has put forth its green figs; the flowering vines have given fragrance. Arise, my friend, my fair one, and come. My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow of the wall. Show me your face; let your voice sound in my ears. This is the Third Book’s first series, from the shaded couch as far as the turtledove’s voice and the cleft of the rock.
Latin · §10
Ficus protulit grossos suos; vineae florentes dederunt odorem. Surge, amica mea, speciosa mea, et veni. Columba mea in foraminibus petrae, in caverna maceriae. Ostende mihi faciem tuam; sonet vox tua in auribus meis. Haec Libri Tertii prima series a cubili umbroso usque ad vocem turturis et foraminis petrae.
Show me your face; beside the outer wall§11
11Show me your face; let your voice sound in my ears, for your voice is sweet and your face is fair. The Bridegroom, who had come leaping on the mountains and looking through the windows, says a second time: Arise, come; now he adds the place: in the covert of the rock beside the outer wall. The outer wall is a wall before the wall — a more secret place where, the veil removed, the face may be shown and the voice heard.
Latin · §11
Ostende mihi faciem tuam; sonet vox tua in auribus meis, quoniam vox tua suavis et facies tua speciosa. Sponsus, qui saliens super montes venerat et per fenestras prospiciebat, secundo dicit: Surge, veni; nunc addit locum: in velamento petrae iuxta promurale. Promurale murus ante murum est; locus secretior, ubi velamine remoto facies ostendatur et vox audiatur.
Winter of the soul; spring and going out§12
12The historical telling of winter and spring is of little consequence; everything must be carried over to spiritual understanding. The soul’s winter is the waves of passions and the storms of vices. In winter God’s Word does not urge going outdoors, but fortifying within the walls. The soul’s spring is quiet and calm; then the Word calls her to go out beyond flesh and world.
Latin · §12
Historica narratio hiemis et veris parum consequens est; cuncta ad spiritalem intelligentiam transferenda. Hiems animae: passionum fluctus et vitiorum procellae. In hieme sermo Dei non foras exitum hortatur, sed intramuralem munitionem. Ver animae: quies et tranquillitas; tunc Verbum vocat ut exeat extra carnem et mundum.
Catch us the little foxes — soul reading§13
13Catch us the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; and our vineyards will flower. The person changes: the Bridegroom speaks to his companions. Foxes in the soul are contrary powers and crooked thoughts destroying the flower of the virtues. Holy angels are to catch them while they are little, before consent and the deed of sin.
Latin · §13
Capite nobis vulpes pusillas exterminantes vineas; et vineae nostrae florebunt. Persona mutata: sponsus ad sodales loquitur. Vulpes in anima: contrariae potestates et cogitationes pravae florem virtutum exterminantes. Angeli sancti capiant eas dum pusillae sunt, ante consensum et effectum peccati.
Foxes as heretics; little vines and the perfect§14
14Of Christ and the church: the foxes are perverse teachers of heresies, who by clever arguments spoil the Lord’s vineyard. Teachers of the church receive power to catch foxes, as to tread on serpents. Little vineyards — unformed souls — can be hurt; the perfect are not easily scandalized. Catch for us: for me the Bridegroom and for the Bride, or for me and my companions.
Latin · §14
De Christo et ecclesia: vulpes perversi doctores haereticorum, qui argumentorum calliditate vineam Domini exterminant. Doctores ecclesiae potestatem capiendi vulpes accipiunt, sicut calcandi serpentes. Pusillae vineae — animae rudes — laedi possunt; perfectae non facile scandalizantur. Capite nobis: mihi sponso et sponsae, vel mihi et sodalibus.
Liber III historical recapitulation§15
15Historical recapitulation of Book III: from the shaded couch and dove-eyes through cedar beams and the flower of the field, the apple among the trees, the wine cellar, left hand and right, the leaping voice, winter past, the fig and the hollow of the rock, as far as the showing of the face and the catching of the foxes.
Latin · §15
Recapitulatio Libri III historica: a cubili umbroso et oculis columbae per tigna cedrina et florem campi, malum inter ligna, cellam vinariam, sinistram et dexteram, vocem salientem, hiemem transitam, ficum et foramen petrae, usque ad ostensionem faciei et captionem vulpium.
Liber III spiritual recapitulation§16
16Spiritual recapitulation: dove-eyes are spiritual understanding; the couch a fruitful body; cedar and cypress incorruptible teaching and life; flower and lily Christ for the lowly; the apple the Word’s sweetness; the cellar the mysteries; ordered charity; winter of vices and spring of virtues; the rock the Word’s secret; foxes little thoughts and heresies to be caught.
Latin · §16
Recapitulatio spiritalis: oculos columbae — intelligentia spiritalis; cubile — corpus fructuosum; cedrus/cypressus — doctrina et vita imputribilis; flos/lilium — Christus humilibus; malum — dulcedo Verbi; cella — mysteria; ordo caritatis; hiems vitiorum et ver virtutum; petra — secretum Verbi; vulpes — cogitationes et haereses pusillae capiendae.
Daughters of Jerusalem and going out§17
17In Book III the daughters of Jerusalem receive teaching about the soul’s going out: not to go outdoors in the winter of passions, but after calm to obey the Word. Those without dove-eyes think the drama’s letter empty; those who have them recognize winter and spring, rock and foxes in the soul.
Latin · §17
Filiae Hierusalem in Libro III eruditionem recipiunt de egressu animae: non in hieme passionum foras ire, sed post tranquillitatem Verbo oboedire. Qui oculos columbae non habent, dramatis litteram inanem putant; qui habent, hiemem et ver, petram et vulpes in anima agnoscunt.
Order of love closing Liber III§18
18The order of love in Book III: from sharing the couch to praise of the flowers, from the apple’s shadow to the cellar of charity, from guarded sleep to the leaping voice, from winter enclosures to showing the face in the rock, from the vineyard’s flower to catching the foxes. Here the steps of the one who progresses are closed.
Latin · §18
Ordo amoris in Libro III: a communione cubilis ad laudem florum, ab umbra mali ad cellam caritatis, a somno custodiae ad vocem salientem, a claustris hiemalibus ad ostensionem faciei in petra, a flore vineae ad captionem vulpium. Gradus proficientis hic clauduntur.
Caveat — Liber III/IV MSS and spiritual reading§19
19Caveat: Baehrens notes that most manuscripts do not separate the Fourth Book from the Third; the edition inserts [LIBER QUARTUS] at Arise, come. Let us warn the reader that the nuptial words are to be understood spiritually of the Word and the soul, or of Christ and the church, lest the letter cause scandal.
Latin · §19
Caveat: Baehrens notat plerasque HSS Librum Quartum a Tertio non distinguere; editio [LIBER QUARTUS] ad Surge, veni inserit. Lectorem moneamus nuptialia verba spiritaliter de Verbo et anima sive Christo et ecclesia intellegenda, ne littera scandalum faciat.
Liber III CLOSEOUT — toward Liber Quartus§20
20End of the Third Book (our series 20/20). The Fourth Book follows editorially from Arise, come and winter past, where Rufinus expounds more fully, as far as Catch the foxes and Amen at the end of the surviving commentary. Thus far, from the shaded couch through the hollow of the rock and the little foxes, with the Lord’s help, we have set in order. Amen.
Latin · §20
Finis Libri Tertii (series nostra 20/20). Sequitur Liber Quartus editorialiter a Surge, veni et hieme transita, ubi Rufinus plenius exponit, usque ad Capite vulpes et Amen in fine commentarii superstitis. Hactenus a cubili umbroso usque ad foramen petrae et vulpes pusillas, Domino adiuvante, digessimus. Amen.