Read • Contests • Groups • Learn • Forums • Store • Help
 

  • ea
    Jul 1 10:19 PM
    Reply

    Chapter 1

    The song of songs, which is Solomon's.
    Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
  • 1 - 50 of 152     1 2 3 4  next >

  • Cynewulf
    July 1
    Reply

    Fertility Writes?

    What do you think the song is really about? My guess it represents something like the Greek Eleusinain mysteries but much, much older. It could be the (alchemical?) marriage of the solar & lunar calendars. Many calendars in Europe were lunar based. The Ancient Celts kept time by the moon. In modern English we have inherited the gaelic term for a half month (moonth) as a 'fortnight' I believe this is an Anglo-Saxon translation of 'fourteen nights' (fouwerteen nichte). Interestingly the word 'four' is still often pronounced 'fower' in dialect in parts of Britain. The two week annual holidays of factory workers in England is still called 'the factory fortnight'.

  • pania
    July 2
    Reply
    # Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

    # Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

    • Cynewulf
      July 2
      Reply

      Shaggy God stories

      I still say there is more to this song that meets the eye.

  • azure85
    July 2
    Reply
    I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

  • pania
    July 2
    Reply
    Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

  • Mairi bheag
    July 3
    Reply
    "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?"

    Pastoral language abounds in the Bible. Here the beloved's flocks stand in an intermediary position, as though the singer is too shy to say directly "Tell me where thou art".

    The Song should never be shorn of its sexuality, its sensuality. Nor should that ever cloud its metaphorical significance as the love between Christ (the Bridegroom) and the church (the Bride). Nor should we ever lose sight of it as simply a verse of love. In the King James Version, it is some of the most beautiful words ever written in the English language.

    Is it about anything deeper? A marriage of Sun and Moon? We can speculate. Nothing comes from nothing. I love the passages where it is arcane and esoteric - what one earth does it mean by "my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept"? Does it matter?

    • Lady Mak
      July 10
      Reply
      "My mothers children were angry with me, they made me keeper of the vineyards." (her brothers)

      When the Shulemmite maiden wants to accompany her shepherd, to protect the chasity of their sister, her brothers try to protect her from temptation.

      Therefore when she wanted to accompany her shepherd in viewing the beauties of early spring 2:8-14 her brothers become angry with her, and taking advantage of the seasonal need, appointed her to guard the vinyards against the little foxes. The Song Of Solommon 2:16

  • cricketjeff
    July 3
    Reply
    If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

    I'm an interloper in this thread for me The King James Bible is not the same as for most here, it is simply the finest piece of English ever written, and incidentally a role model for modern open source software development.

    I adore the intermingling of the Shakespearian language of love with the deepest religious sentiments of the age. I also feel that others have missed something very important to the modern age in this. The heroine is talking to a Black man, and asking his advice and is clearly enamoured of him. She has asked him where she should go to be accepted by his friends, because she does not wish to be separated from the rest of man by her sex, her class or her colour. Feeding her kids works well both literally and on two metaphorical levels, as a woman and therefore a mother either now or in the future or as the church leading its worshippers to intermingle and learn from all others. This version of the Bible was produced by such a co-mingling of poets and scholars from all across England and the continent.

    I would also comment on Marie's question, I have always read that as an attack on "racism", is he not saying I have been downtrodden by my brothers for my colour, but although I have been made to act as servant I have also held my head high and dome as all men should.
    You do not need to believe in a deity to see and understand philosophy, and there's a lot of good stuff hidden in that book

    • Mairi bheag
      July 3
      Reply
      I didn't miss it - I just didn't want to hog the whole philosophical discussion.

    • cricketjeff
      July 14
      Reply
      Surely one contribution from a devout atheist is enough at any bible reading

  • pania
    July 3
    Reply
    I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

    Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

  • ea
    July 3
    Reply
    While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

    A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

  • thelordreigns
    July 3
    Reply
    My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
    Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes.

  • ea
    July 4
    Reply
    Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.

    The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.


    And thus ends Chapter 1 of Song of Solomon (from the Bible.) Chapter 2 anyone?

  • pania
    July 4
    Reply

    Oh Yes!

    I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

    As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

  • LittleAnn
    July 4
    Reply
    As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

    He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

    • Cynewulf
      July 6
      Reply
      Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.

      • pania
        July 6
        Reply

        You gave my most favourite line, right there.

        His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.

        I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

        • ea
          July 6
          Reply

          I guess 'hind' in this context means a peasant.

          The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

          My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.

          • Scott Adelmann
            July 6
            Reply
            Not a red dear?

            • pania
              July 6
              Reply
              No, conservative, dear.

              • Scott Adelmann
                July 6
                Reply

                • ea
                  July 7
                  Reply
                  My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

                  For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;

                  • pania
                    July 7
                    Reply
                    The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

  • Melodies
    July 4
    Reply
    Touch me with sweet sighs from angels' tender mercy and set my feet on true paths to enter God's chambers.

    • Mairi bheag
      July 7
      Reply
      Well worth signing on from an internet cafe to keep up with this thread!

  • thelordreigns
    July 7
    Reply
    The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

  • DyeBieFyre
    July 7
    Reply
    O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

    Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

    • DyeBieFyre
      July 7
      Reply

      How could I stop before:

      I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, he feeds his flock among the lilies.

      The first part of which is one of the most used of the Modern Jews, and most beloved of marrying couples everywhere, and has graced (usually as decoration) every ketubah I've seen. .

  • pania
    July 8
    Reply

    Last verse of Chapter Two

    Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

    • arafura
      July 10
      Reply
      And then there's the most romantic of all...

      My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

  • Lady Mak
    July 10
    Reply
    Chapter 3:1

    By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth; I sought him but I found him not.

  • pania
    July 10
    Reply

    I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

    • pania
      July 14
      Reply
      I was so hoping not to get the sheep verse - as a New Zealander, I'm a little self-conscious about sheep...

  • ea
    July 10
    Reply
    The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

    It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

  • Lady Mak
    July 11
    Reply

    3:5

    I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

  • Lady Mak
    July 11
    Reply

    3:6

    Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

  • ea
    July 12
    Reply

    Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

    They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.


  • pania
    July 13
    Reply
    King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

    He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

  • Lady Mak
    July 13
    Reply
    3:11
    Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown and wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in
    in the day of the gladness of his heart.

  • Lady Mak
    July 13
    Reply
    4.1
    Behold thou art, fair my love, behold, though art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks; thy hair
    hair is s flock of goats; that appear from mount Gilead.

  • pania
    July 14
    Reply
    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.

  • :

1 - 50 of 152     1 2 3 4  next >