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Mankind inquires of the woman
| 1. Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead. |
Dear maiden of grace and beauty, we can feel the purity of your peace and have watched many gather around your mind like a flock to witness your singularly directed purpose.
| 2. Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them. |
This flock you attract is centered, pure, clean, and doubly productive; they do not seem to be able to fail.
| 3. Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks. |
They hear the beautiful Spirit-born message flowing from your lips, and they watch, transfixed by your beauty. Every idea that you share has a dual purpose: to provide sweet sustenance for us now and to propagate abundant seeds of original thought for future generations.
| 4. Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men. |
Every loving thought is defended by the facts, gracious grace defended by an arsenal of Truth.
| 5. Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies. |
Behold the two witnesses delivering the Word as a dual pastor.
| 6. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. |
Until we understand both the milk and the meat of your message — until the day breaks and earth’s shadows flee away — we need to strive to keep the high moral ground.
| 7. Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. |
Dear woman, we can see that you already understand, for your comprehension of Love is without spot.
| 8. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. |
Come to us. Bring your shining poetry, and let us sing praise together so that it may be heard in our land and be our strong defense. (“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” [Isa 52:7].)
| 9. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck. |
We have become captive, my sister, my spouse, by your piercing singular focus, and am overcome by your radiance.
| 10. How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices! |
True womanhood is better than any earthly resemblance or approximation. There really is no comparison.
| 11. Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon. |
However, resplendent spiritual sense has made you the most desirable woman on earth.
| 12. A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed. |
But, from our vantage point, there seems to be a wall of separation between us, like a shell that must be broken.
| 13. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, |
You have access to the motherlode, a spiritual garden of Eden,
| 14. Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices: |
where all God’s creation presents itself for our use and enjoyment.
| 15. A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon. |
Why are you unavailable to us? We can see that you have the fountain of living water. Give it to us!
Womanhood responds
| 16. Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits. |
Take it! I will say to the north, ‘Give up your stubborn resistance to my love,’ and to the south, ‘Come; do not be discouraged.’ Bring your prodigal sons from far and your daughters from everywhere. Love’s rivers are flowing out, encompassing the earth. This is your garden. Wake up to here and now!
| Home | Introduction | Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Listen |
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