If you do not know yourself: goats, not sheep
After these words the Bridegroom threatens her and says: either you will know yourself, that you are a king’s bride and beautiful and made beautiful by me — for I have presented to myself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle — or know that if you do not know yourself and do not know your dignity, you will suffer what follows. If you do not know yourself, O beautiful among women, go out upon the tracks of the flocks, and pasture your goats. For he will set the sheep on the right and the goats on the left. If you do not know yourself, O beautiful among women, go out upon the tracks of the flocks, and pasture your goats in the shepherds’ tents. On the shepherds’ tracks, he says, you will be last — not among the sheep, but among your goats; and dwelling with them you will not be able to be with me, that is, with the good shepherd.
Latin
Post haec verba sponsus ei comminatur et dicit: aut cognosces temet ipsam quoniam regis es sponsa et formosa et a me facta formosa — ego siquidem exhibui mihi gloriosam ecclesiam non habentem maculam neque rugam —; aut scito quia, si te non cognoveris et tuam nescieris dignitatem, patieris haec quae sequuntur. Si non cognoveris temet ipsam, o pulchra in mulieribus, egredere tu in vestigiis gregum, et pasce haedos tuos. Statuet quippe oves a dextris et a sinistris haedos. Si non cognoveris temet ipsam, o pulchra in mulieribus, egredere tu in vestigiis gregum, et pasce haedos tuos in tabernaculis pastorum. In vestigiis inquit pastorum novissima fies, non inter oves, sed inter haedos tuos, cum quibus habitans non poteris mecum, id est cum bono esse pastore.
About this text
Origen’s Homilia I on the Song of Songs (Jerome’s Latin). Complete on this page: §§1–10.
English follows Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII (GCS 33, 1925), Jerome’s Latin of Homilia I. Lawson ACW 26 was not used as wording. This page is Homilia I §§1–10 (closeout).
Witnesses
- Copy-text Baehrens, Origenes Werke VIII = GCS 33 (1925) (Latin · Homilia I §§1–10)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Latin on each section (or the Latin source witness link) for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.