FROM THE SMALL VOLUME ON THE CANTICLES
A11. Whoever has not perceived the character of the persons in divine Scripture—both of those who speak and of those to whom the words are addressed—finds that the discourse causes him much confusion. He asks which person is speaking, who it is, and what kind of person is addressed; and when the speaking person ceased, while the one to whom the speech is directed is often maintained; and another speaks to the same, or the one to whom the speech is directed no longer hears, but another enters and takes over what is being said, while the speaker remains. There are even times when both change—both the speaker and the one to whom the speech is directed—or when both remain for a longer time, without it being clearly indicated that they are remaining. What need is there to search for examples of each of these, when the prophets are entirely full of such differences? This is no small cause for the lack of distinction in the obscurity of the things said. It is also a custom of Scripture to leap quickly from a discourse about some matters to a discourse about others, and the prophets do this especially, in an obscure and confused manner.PROLOGUE OF JEROME TO POPE DAMASUS
On the exposition of the Song of Songs according to Origen.
JEROME TO THE MOST BLESSED POPE DAMASUS.
Origen, having surpassed everyone in his other books, in the Song of Songs he surpassed even himself. For, having finished ten volumes, which reach to nearly twenty thousand lines, first commenting on the Septuagint translators, then on Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, and finally on the fifth edition which he writes that he discovered at Actium, he discussed it so magnificently and clearly that it seems to me that what is written is fulfilled in him: "The king has brought me into his chamber" (Cant. 1, 5). Therefore, having passed over that work—because it is a matter of immense leisure, labor, and expense to translate such great things into Latin speech, as is worthy—I have translated these two homilies, which he composed in the custom of daily speech for little ones still nursing, more faithfully than ornately, offering you a taste of his thoughts, not the meal itself. May you observe how much those things are to be valued which are great, when even small things can please in this way.
12. Just as we have learned through Moses that there are some things—"my strength, and my refuge, and my deliverer" (Exod. xv, 1)—that are not only holy, but also "Holy of holies" (Exod. xxm, 2), and other things not only Sabbaths, but "Sabbaths of sabbaths"; so now we are taught by what Solomon wrote that there are some things that are not only canticles, but the "Song of songs." Blessed indeed is he who enters the holy places, but more blessed is he who enters the Holy of holies. Blessed is he who sabbatizes the sabbaths, but more blessed he who sabbatizes the "Sabbaths of sabbaths." Blessed likewise is he who understands canticles and sings them—for no one sings them except at festivals—but much more blessed is he who sings the "Song of songs." And just as he who enters into the holy places still needs many things to be able to enter into the Holy of holies, and he who celebrates the Sabbath that was established for the people by the Lord still has many things necessary in order to keep the "Sabbath of sabbaths," in the same way it is difficult to find one who, having traversed all the canticles contained in the Scriptures, is able to ascend to the "Song of songs." You must depart from Egypt, and having departed from the land of Egypt, cross the Red Sea so that you may first sing the canticle, saying: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously magnified" (Exod. xv, 1). However, even if you have said the first canticle, you are still far from the Song of songs. Walk through the land of the desert spiritually, until you come to the well which the kings dug, so that there you may sing the second canticle. After this, come to the regions of the holy land, so that, standing upon the bank of the Jordan, you may sing the canticle of Moses, saying: "Attend, O heaven, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth" (Deut. xxxII, 1). Again, you have a need to be a soldier, and to possess the holy land as an inheritance, and for the bee to prophesy to you, and for the bee to judge you (for Deborah is interpreted as "bee"), so that you may also recite that song which is contained in the book of Judges (Judic. v). Ascending next to the volume of the Kingdoms, come to the canticle when David fled from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul, and said: "The Lord is my firm support" (II Reg. xxII, 2). You must arrive at Isaiah, so that with him you may say: "I will sing a canticle to my beloved for my vineyard" (Isa. v, 1). And when you have passed through all these, ascend to higher things, so that you may be able, as a soul adorned with the spouse, to sing this Song of songs. But how many persons it consists of, I am uncertain. To you who pray, however, and with the Lord revealing it, I seem to have found four persons in these: the man and the bride, with the bride the young girls, and with the man the bands of companions. Some things are said by the bride, some by the spouse, some by the young women, and some by the companions of the spouse. It is indeed fitting that at weddings there is a multitude of young women with the bride, and a crowd of youths with the spouse. Do not seek all these things outside; do not seek them outside those who have been saved by the preaching of the Gospel. Understand Christ as the spouse, and the Church as the bride without spot or wrinkle, of whom it is written: "That he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Ephes. v, 27). But as for those who, while being believers, are nevertheless not of the kind that the aforementioned discourse describes, but seem to have attained salvation according to a certain way, observe that the souls of believers are the young girls with the bride. Understand, however, the angels, and those who have attained unto a perfect man, as the men with the spouse. From this, therefore, there seem to me to be four orders, one man and one woman, two choirs singing in harmony with one another—the bride singing with the young women, the spouse singing with his companions. And when you have understood this, hear the Song of songs, and hasten to understand it and to say with the bride those things which the bride says, so that you may hear what the bride heard. But if you cannot say with the bride what she said, so that you may hear the things that were said to the bride, hasten to be at least with the companions of the spouse. Furthermore, if you are inferior even to them, be with the young girls, who dwell in the delights of the bride. These indeed are the persons in this book, which is at once a story and an epithalamium. From this... we must consider how the bride says: "And because I am ashamed of the looks of others, the sons of my mother fought against me" (Cant. 1, 5), and when the battle of the brothers arose against her. See Paul, the persecutor of the Church, and you will understand how the son of her mother fought against her. The persecutors of the Church did penance, and her adversaries, having been turned back to the standards of the sister, preached the faith which they had previously destroyed. Singing this now with the prophetic spirit, the bride says: "They fought against me, they set me as a keeper in the vineyards. My vineyard I did not keep." I, the Church, I, the bride, I, [the one] without spot, have been set as a keeper of many vineyards by the sons of my mother who had once fought against me. Distracted by such concern and care, while I keep many vineyards, I did not keep my own vineyard. Understand this regarding Paul, and any other of the saints, who is solicitous for the salvation of all; and you will see how, while not keeping his own vineyard, he keeps the vineyards of others; how also, that he might gain others, he himself sustains losses in certain things; for even though he was free from all, he made himself a servant, that he might gain all. "I became," he says, "weak to the weak," "to the Jews a Jew," "to them that were under the law, as if I were under the law" (I Cor. ix, 20-22), and the rest; and let him say: "My vineyard I did not keep." Then she catches sight of the spouse, who, upon being seen, departs. And he does this frequently throughout the whole song, which, unless one experiences it himself, he cannot understand. Often, God is my witness, I have seen the spouse approaching me, and being with me very much; upon his suddenly receding, I could not find what I was seeking. Therefore, I desire his coming again, and sometimes he comes again; and when he has appeared and has been grasped by my hands, he slips away again, and when he has slipped away, he is sought by me again, and he does this often, until I truly hold him and ascend, leaning upon my kinsman, and I begin soon to cover my face. For I am indeed a beautiful bride, and I do not show my naked face to others, except to you alone, whom I have long since kissed. "Announce to me, whom my soul has loved, where you feed, where you lie in the midday, lest perhaps I become like one covered over the flocks of your companions" (Cant. 1, 6). So that I may not suffer these things...