Song of Songs
Over the last week, M'Cheyne has appointed readings from the Song of Songs. Providentially, yesterday was also appointed Psalm 45, which I think is one of the keys to understanding the book. Few true Evangelicals would claim that the Song is a handbook of eroticism; but we can fight shy of it because of its erotic imagery and its unusual way of speaking of the relationship between Christ and his church. Extended metaphors are rare in Scripture, and Miss Ros Clarke of Oak Hill possesses far more wisdom on the matter than I can bestow.
There are a few songs based on the Song itself, but not many. I am dissatisfied with my own attempt, to the beautiful tune 'Fragrance' (also called 'Bergers'), which can be found in Praise! at #553. Suggested improvements are welcome.
Ours is a song above all singing,
song of a love much more than wine:
song of a church’s adoration,
song of a mystery divine:
King at your table, give us grace:
we come to you, we take our place.
Winter is past, it rains no longer;
my Lover speaks, he speaks to me.
Like a young stag, but so much stronger,
blossoming like an apple tree:
my Lover calls me by my name,
my life will never be the same.
“Come with me now! Arise, my darling!”
Speaking in love, Christ calls his own.
His mouth is altogether lovely,
his arms are gold, his legs are stone.
Christ is my Lover and my Friend:
Christ the Beginning, Christ the End.
posted by Liam Beadle @ 10:41 PM
6 Comments
6 Comments:
I love this. I've been wanting to write (a) song(s)/poem(s) based on the Song for ages but never quite found an appropriate form. We should definitely be singing the Song as the church, the Bride of Christ, to express our love for him. Why don't you suggest it to the music planning group at church?
And I specially like the focus on the feast which seems to me to be the climax of the song in 4:16-5:1.
At a (fairly) recent communion service at college, David Field had warned a few of us in advance that he was going to be calling for extempore prayers - intercessions, but also eucharistic prayers. I was very tempted by Song 5:1 - 'Eat friends, drink and be drunk with love,' but I thought it might be too obscure and a bit distracting.
I may be showing ignorance of The Song here, but isn't rain a good thing in Scripture? Does the song speak of the end of winter as accompanied by lack of rain? Spring is quite rainy in the UK, isn't it? Is it so in Israel too? Rain is refreshment, blessing, cleansing, relied from sun and dryness for fruitfull abundence - a blessing. If there is a clash here between British cultural attitudes to rain and Bible ones, I suggest we go with the Bible. Could the snow, ice, freeze, hardness etc be ended instead.
'Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold the winter is past; the rain is over and gone...' Song 2:10-11
I think the seasons are more clearly defined in Israel - there's winter when it rains and summer when it doesn't. And occasional droughts when it really doesn't rain at all. And you can see why rain is such an important thing in those kind of situations, especially given the lack of rivers across most of the landscape and the undrinkability of the Dead Sea etc.
But the end of the rainy season is also a good thing because it means summer is coming, and that is the time of fruitfulness - and indeed the time of the bridegroom's return (see Luke 21:25-31 esp v30).
So yes, I think you're just showing your ignorance of the Song! But I don't think you can be entirely blamed for that given the low status accorded to the Song by most of the church today.
Liam
This is beautiful. Definitely do what you can to get people singing it. I wonder, in the final verse, would it be better to go for "our" rather than my? Church as Christ's bride and all that? I'd suggest the same for v.2, but can't think of a rhyme for apple tree!
Blossoming like a large cactus?
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