Psalm 84:1-12
Song of Solomon 2:8-13, 4:1-11
Luke 19:41-48
Song of Solomon is a short book, so it will only knock around the lectionary for a few days. So enjoy it while we can. One thing to consider, how odd some of the images are. First, girl talks about boy:
The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."
The images flow from sound – the voice of my beloved – no reason to say more – on to sight – “look,”here he is, compared to a deer. Then he’s hanging out, sort of a peeping Tom. That should be creepy, no? But with the mutual desire, it’s intense and passionate. However, don’t necessarily try this at home. Then the whole environment, the change of seasons, becomes the lover’s attributes, and we end this bit with scent. These lines are so large: 3 sensory realms, and an immense change of scale that locates the lover in the entire environment. This does start to sound like God, but it’s also undeniably the human realm. One true aspect of love is the way the beloved occupies an immense place in the lover’s inner life.
When boy talks about girl, more odd images come up.
How beautiful you are, my love, how very beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. Your lips are like a crimson thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses…
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distil nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.
My wife likes goats, but I’m not sure she wants to be compared to a flock of ‘em. Or have her teeth compared to shorn ewes – have you ever seen shorn sheep – they look kind of scrawny and uncomfortably naked.
Then he conflates bride and sister. From Peeping Tom to incest. It reminds me of that telephone ad: “Didn’t you think there was a connection…[no response]…Like brother and sister,… not that I would make out with my sister.” In the midst of passion transgression becomes attractive. I think that’s true to human life. Everything gets swept up in it. On this one, I’m not sure it tells you much about the relationship with the divine, other than to encourage you to let yourself go with these passions.
More great poetry in the morning Psalm. A lot of time the Psalms don’t read in a highly musical way – this is poetry in translation after all. But Psalm 84 practically scans. It’s not iambs, but it has more traces of line rhythm in English than many do. Earlier this year I adapted the Psalm for an anthem at church, and I didn’t change much to give it rhythmic pace.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Finally, it’s not really poetry, but lovely lines from Jesus: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’” The Bible contains many such lines that seem perfectly fitted to the situation today. You feel like these are your words to the U.S. Administration and their cheerleaders. And you feel Jesus does weep when he looks at what these people are doing. Not that it matters, but some of them profess to be followers of Jesus. Christians don’t have a higher duty to behave justly, with love and compassion. It’s incumbent on everyone to do so. But they do have a greater reason to listen to Christ’s words.
Song of Solomon 2:8-13, 4:1-11
Luke 19:41-48
Song of Solomon is a short book, so it will only knock around the lectionary for a few days. So enjoy it while we can. One thing to consider, how odd some of the images are. First, girl talks about boy:
The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away."
The images flow from sound – the voice of my beloved – no reason to say more – on to sight – “look,”here he is, compared to a deer. Then he’s hanging out, sort of a peeping Tom. That should be creepy, no? But with the mutual desire, it’s intense and passionate. However, don’t necessarily try this at home. Then the whole environment, the change of seasons, becomes the lover’s attributes, and we end this bit with scent. These lines are so large: 3 sensory realms, and an immense change of scale that locates the lover in the entire environment. This does start to sound like God, but it’s also undeniably the human realm. One true aspect of love is the way the beloved occupies an immense place in the lover’s inner life.
When boy talks about girl, more odd images come up.
How beautiful you are, my love, how very beautiful! Your eyes are doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, moving down the slopes of Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes that have come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them is bereaved. Your lips are like a crimson thread, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built in courses…
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride, you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride! how much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice! Your lips distil nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your tongue; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.My wife likes goats, but I’m not sure she wants to be compared to a flock of ‘em. Or have her teeth compared to shorn ewes – have you ever seen shorn sheep – they look kind of scrawny and uncomfortably naked.
Then he conflates bride and sister. From Peeping Tom to incest. It reminds me of that telephone ad: “Didn’t you think there was a connection…[no response]…Like brother and sister,… not that I would make out with my sister.” In the midst of passion transgression becomes attractive. I think that’s true to human life. Everything gets swept up in it. On this one, I’m not sure it tells you much about the relationship with the divine, other than to encourage you to let yourself go with these passions.
More great poetry in the morning Psalm. A lot of time the Psalms don’t read in a highly musical way – this is poetry in translation after all. But Psalm 84 practically scans. It’s not iambs, but it has more traces of line rhythm in English than many do. Earlier this year I adapted the Psalm for an anthem at church, and I didn’t change much to give it rhythmic pace.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Finally, it’s not really poetry, but lovely lines from Jesus: “As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.’” The Bible contains many such lines that seem perfectly fitted to the situation today. You feel like these are your words to the U.S. Administration and their cheerleaders. And you feel Jesus does weep when he looks at what these people are doing. Not that it matters, but some of them profess to be followers of Jesus. Christians don’t have a higher duty to behave justly, with love and compassion. It’s incumbent on everyone to do so. But they do have a greater reason to listen to Christ’s words.
No comments:
Post a Comment