INTRODUCTION TO THE SONG OF SOLOMON. persons speaking in this song, to know which is of very great use in the explication of it. I shall add another reason: I believe the Book of Canticles refers more to the Jewish than to the Christian church, and I think the Targumist has made a more rational use of it than any of his successors. I have thus placed within the reach of all my readers THREE especial helps towards a good understanding of this book: 1. The ancient English translation, with its curious dramatis persona: 2. The Gitagovinda, a most curious poem of the spiritual and allegorical kind. 3. The Chaldee Targum, the oldest comment on this song. And I add my prayer, May God guide the reader into all truth, through Christ Jesus! Amen. On this part of the subject it would be almost criminal not to mention, still more particularly, Dr. Mason Good's translation and notes on the Song of Songs. He has done much to elucidate its phraseology, and his notes are a treasury of critical learning. He considers the book to be a collection of Sacred Idyls, twelve in number; and his division is as follows: There have been various opinions on this division; and many will still think that much remains yet to be done. Dr. Good considers it a spiritual allegory; but he does not attempt a spiritual application of any part of it. This perhaps is no mean proof of his good sense and judgment. I have acted in the same way, though not so convinced of its spirituality as INTRODUCTION TO THE SONG OF SOLOMON. Dr. Goode appears to be. If I took it up in this way, I should explain it according to my own creed, as others have done according to theirs; and could I lay it down as a maxim, that it is to be spiritually interpreted in reference to the Christian Revelation, I might soon show my reader that it points out the infinite love of God to every human soul, in the incarnation of Christ; the means he uses to bring all mankind to an acquaintance with himself; the redemption of true believers from all unrighteousness, through the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit; their consequent holy life, and godly conversation; the calling of the Gentiles; the restoration of the Jews; and the final judgment! And my comment on this plan would have just as solid a foundation as those of my predecessors, from Origen to the present day. To conclude: I advise all young ministers to avoid preaching on Solomon's Song. If they take a text out of it, to proclaim salvation to lost sinners, they must borrow their doctrines from other portions of scripture, where all is plain and pointed. And why then leave such, and go out of their way to find allegorical meanings, taking a whole book by storm, and leaving the word of God to serve tables? It is curious to see the manner in which many preachers and commentators attempt to expound this book. They first assume that the book refers to Christ and his Church; his union with human nature; his adoption of the Gentiles; and his everlasting love to elect souls, gathered out of both people; then take the words bride, bridegroom, spouse, love, watchmen, shepherds, tents, door, lock, &c., &c., and, finding some words either similar or parallel, in other parts of the sacred writings, which have there an allegorical meaning, contend that those here are to be similarly understood; and what is spoken of those apply to these; and thus, in fact, are explaining other passages of Scripture in their own way, while professing to explain the Canticles! What eminent talents, precious time, great pains, and industry, have been wasted in this way! One eminent scholar preaches to his congregation one hundred and twenty-two sermons upon the Song of Solomon, while all this time the evangelists and apostles have been comparatively forgotten; except only as they are referred to in illustration of the particular creed which such writers and preachers found on this book. How can they account to God for so much time spent on a tract which requires all their ingenuity and skill to make edifying, even on their own plan; a text of which they are not permitted to allege, in controversy, to prove the truth of any disputed doctrine? This, however, is not the fault of any particular class of ministers exclusively; several of all classes, though of some more than of others, have been found, less or more, labouring at this thriftless craft. Some, having preached on it during the whole of their ministry, have carried it, in a certain way, beyond the grave. An aged minister once told me, in a very solemn manner, that as God had been exceedingly merciful to him in saving his soul, and putting him into the ministry, thus accounting him faithful, he hoped that when called to the Church above, if any funeral sermon were preached for him, it should be from Canticles, chap. i. 8: "Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents." That he could have applied these words to his own state, and the use which should be made of his life and death, I have no doubt; but who, from this text, would have chosen to pronounce the funeral oration? I repeat it, and I wish to be heard by young ministers in particular, take the plainest texts when you attempt to convince men of sin, and build up believers on their most holy faith; and thus show rather your love for their souls than your dexterity in finding out spiritual meanings for obscure passages, on the true signification of which few, either among the learned or pious, are agreed. I now, according to my promise, lay before my readers a transcript from my own MS. Bible, which is most probably the first translation of this Song that was ever made into the English language. I have added, for the sake of reference, the figures for the present division into verses, in the margin: these are not in the MS. The dramatis persona, here in black letter, are in red in the MS. The orthography is scrupulously followed. THE BOOK OF CANTICLES. [Carefully transcribed from a MS. of the fourteenth century in the Editor's possession.] The Chirche seyth of Crist. Brogte me in the king into his celers. We schul ful out joyen and gladen in thee, myndful of thi tetis upon wyn, rigtmen loven thee. The Chirche, of hir tribulacyouns. 5. O zee dogtris of Jerusalem, blac I am bot schappli, as the tabernaculis of cedar, as the 6. skynnes of Salomon. Willith not beholden that I be broun; for discolord me hath the sunne. The sones of my modir fogten agein me: thei setiden me keper in vynes: my vyne gerde I kepte not. The boice of the Chirche to Crist. 7. Schewe thou to me whom lovith my soule, where thou gevest leswe, where thou ligge in myd day: lest to gou vagraunt I begynne aftir the flockis of thi felawes. The boice of Crist to the Chirche. 8. Gif thou knowest not thee, O thou fair most among wymmen; go oute, and go awei after the steppis of thi flockis and feed thi goot beside 9. the tabernaculis of schepperdis. To my ryding in charis of Pharao, I licned thee, O my leef!! The boice of Crist to the Chirche. Loo thou art fair my leef, loo thou fair: thin eegen of culveris. The boice of the Chirche to Crist. Loo thou art fair my lemman, and seemli; our bed is schynynge. The trees of oure hous as cedre; oure couplis cypresse. The boice of the Chirche, of Crist. CANTICLES. 8. The voice of my lemman: Loo, this commith lepinge in mounteynes, and over lepinge hilles. 9. Liic is my lemman to an capret and to an hert, calf of hertis. Loo, he stant behinden our wall beholding by the wyndowis a fer loking thurg 10. the latises. Loo my lemman spekith to me: Riis go thou my leef, my culver my schappli 11. and cum. Now forsothe wynter passide, wedir 12. geed fro, and is gon awei. Floures appeereden in our lond-tyme of cutting is cummen; the 13. voice of the turtur is herd in oure londe. The fiige tree brogt forth his first fiigs: The vynes flouryng geven their smell. The voice of Crist to the Chirche. 14. Riis, go my leef, my schaply and cum thou my culver, in the hoolis of the stoon wal. Schewe thou to me thi face, and soun thi voice in my eris; thi voice forsoth is sweet, and thi face seemli. The voice of Crist to the Chirche agein herytikis. 15. Take gee to us litil foxis that distruyen vynes: for oure vyne flourede. The voice of the Chirche, of Crist. 16. My loved to me, and I to him, that is fed among lilies, to the tyme that the day springe, and 17. schadewis ben bowed in. Turne agein; liic be thou O my lemman to a capret, and to the hert, calf of hertis, upon the mounteynes of Bether. CAP. III. The boice of the Chirche gedred togyder of Gentilis. 1. In my litil bed bi nigtis, I sougt whom lovede 2. my soule: I sogte him, and I founde not. I schal riisen and gon about the cytee, by tounes and streetis: I schal sechen whom loveth my soule. I sogt him and found not. There founden me the wacheris that kepen the cytee. The Chirche seith of Crist, to the Apostlis. 4. Wheyther whom loveth my soule, gee seegen? A litil whann I hadde passid hem, I foond whom lovith my soule; I heeld him and I schal not leven to the tyme that I bringe him into the hous of my moder: and into the bed of hir that gat me. The boice of Crist, of the Chirche. 5. I adjure gou ge dogtris of Jerusalim, by capretis and hertis of feeldis, ne reire gee, ne make gee my leef to waken to the tyme that sche wille. The Synagoge, of the Chirche. The voice of the Chirche, of Crist. 7. Loo the litil bed of Salomon; sixti stronge men compassen, of the most strong men of Israel; 8. the whiche alle ben holdinge swerdis; and to bataile best tagt. Of eche oon the swerd upon his hip, for the nigt dredis. 9. 10. 11. Of Crist, and of the Chirche chosen of Gentilis. A chaier king Salomon maad to him of the trees of Liban. His pileers, he maade sylveren; the lenying place, golden; the steiging up, purpure; the myddis he enournede with charite, for the dogteris of Jerusalem. The boice of the Chirche, of Crist. Goth out and seeth gee dogtris of Syon, Kyng Salomon, in the dyademe in the whiche crowned him his modir, in the dai of spousing of him; and in the dai of gladnesse of his herte. CAP. IV. The boice of Crist to the Chirche. 1. Hou fair art thou my leef, hou fair ert thou! Thyn eegen of culveris, with out it that with ine forth is hid. Thin heris as the flockis of Got, that steigiden up fro the hill of Galaad, 2. Thi teeth as the flockis of clippid scheep that steigeden up fro the wasching place. Alle with double lombis in the wombe; and bareyn is not 3. there among hem. Als a furrede sylken fylet, thi lippis, and thi fair speche swote. Als the brekyng of a powmgarnet, so thi cheekis; 4. without it, that withine forth litt hid. Als the tour of David thi neck that is bild out with pynaclis. A thousand scheeldis hangen of it al 5. the armour of strong men. Thi two tetis as two yunge capretis twynglingis of the capret, that 6. ben fed in lilies: to the tyme that the day brethe out, and the schadewis ben in bowid. I schal gou to the mount of mirre, and to the hill of 7. cens. Al fair thou art my leef, and wemm is 8. not in thee. Cumm thou fro Libane my spouse, cumm fro Liban; cum thou schalt ben crowned fro the heued of Amana; fro the front of Sannir, and of Ermon: fro the couchis liours, 9. and the hill of Paradise. Thou hast woundid myn herte myn suster, my spouse, thou hast woundide myn herte in oon of thin eegen: and in oon here of thi neck. Hou fair ben thi tetis my suster, my spouse, fairer ben thi tetis than wyne: and the smell of thin oynmentis, over alle spices. A dropping honycomb thi lippis, spouse: honey and mylc undir thi tunge; and the smell of thi clothing is, as the smell of cens. 12. A closid garden my suster, spouse; a closid 13. gardyn, a welle selid. Thyn out sendingis is paradis of paumgarnetis: with thi fruytis of applis. Of cypre tree with narde; and narde with safrun, and fystula and canel, with alle the trees of Liban, mirre and aloes, with alle the first oynmentis. The welle of gardynes, the pit of 10. 11. 6. What is sche this that stiegith up by desert, as 14. a litil gerde of smoke of the swote spyces of mirre and of cense, and of al pymentarie poudre ? 15. CANTICLES. lyvyng wateris that flowen with burre fro Liban. Riis North, and cum South, blow thurg my gardyn, and thei schul flowen swote spyces of it. CAP. V. The Chirche seith of Crist. 1. Cum my leef into his gardyn; and ete he the fruyt of his applis. Crist seith to the Chirche. 1. Cum into my gardyn, my sister, my spouse; I have gadered my mirre with my swote spices; I eete myn hony comb with myn hony. I dranke my wyne with my myle. Crist to the Apostolis seith. Etith gee freendis and drinkith: and gee most 2. derworth beth inwardli maad drunken. I sleep and myn herte wakith. The voice of the Chirche, of Crist. The voice of my Lemman knockyng, open thou to me my sustir, my leef, my culver, my unwemmynd, for my heud is ful of dewe, and 3. my temple heris of the droopis of nigtis. I spoylide me my coote; hou schal I be clothid it? I waschide my feet, hou schal I befoulen 4. hem? My lemman putte his hond bi the hool; my wombe inwardly trembled at the touching of 5. him. I rose that I scholde opennen to my lemman. My hondis droppiden mirre; and my 6. fingris ful of best proved mirre. The lacche of my dore, I opened to my lemman; and he hadde bowid asyde and passide. My soule is moltyn as my lemman spac. I sogte and founde not him. I clepid and he answerd not to me. 7. There founden me keperis that gon about the cytee. Thei smyten me, and woundiden me; 8. takin my mantill the keperis of the wallis. I adjure gou ye dogtris of Jerusalem, gif gee schul fynden my lemman that gee telle to him, for I languisch for love. The voice of freendis seith to the Chirche. 9. Whiche is thi lemman of the loved, O thou most fair of wymmen? Whiche is thi lemman of the loved? Forsoth thou hast adjured us. The voice of the Chirche of Christ seith to the freendis. 30. My lemman whiit and roodi chosen of thous11. andis. His heued, best gold; his her as bunchis 12. of palmys, thick leved blac as a crowe. His eegen as culveris upon litil ryvers. Of wateris that ben waschid with mylk; and sitte by the 13. most full flowing of wateris. The cheekis of litil flouris of swote spices plaunted of pimenta14. ries. His lippis dropping the first myrre; the hondis of him able to turnen about, golden and full of jacynctis. His wombe is yvren depertid 15. by saphiris. His lippis marbil pileeris, that ben foundid upon golden feet. His fairness as of 16. Lyban, and chosen as of cedre. The throot of him most swote; and he al desirable. Siche is my loved, and this is my lemman, gee dogtris of Jerusalem. CAP. VI. The voice of holi soulis of the Chirche. 1. Whider grede awei thi lemman? O thou most fair of wymmen? Whither bowiden doun thi leef, and we schul sechen him with thee? The voice of the Chirche, of Crist. 2. My leef went doun into his gardyne to the floore of swote spices: that there he fed in the gar3. dynes, and lilies he gadired. I to my leef, and my self, and my leef to me, that is fed among lilies. The voice of Crist to the Chirche. 4. Fair thou art my leef; swote and fair as Jerusalem; ferful as the scheltrun of tentis ordeyned. 5. Turne awei thin eegen fro me; for thei maden me to fleen awei. Thin heris as the flockis of 6. sche got, that apeereden fro Galaad. Thi teeth as a floc of scheep that steigeden up fro the wasching place; al with double fruyt of wombe 7. and bareyn there is not in hem. As the rynde of powmgarnet; so thi cheekis without thin hid 8. thingis. Sixty ben queenes, and eigty ben secundane wiives; and of yunge waxe wymmen 9. there is no noumbre. Oon is my culver, my perfite: oon is to her modir, chosen of hir modir, chosen of hir that gat hir. There seegen hir the dogtris of Syon, and most blisful preisiden hir: the queenes and secundarie wiives preisiden hir. What is sche this that goth forth as the morewtide, riising fair as the mone, chosen as the sunne; ferful as of tentis scheltrun ordeyned. 10. |