While traditionally considered an allegorical writing – by the Jews as a metaphor for the relationship between them and God, and by Christians as one for the relationship between Jesus and the Church – modern biblical scholars pretty much agree that this is a work of erotic poetry, without hidden meaning. In fact, it was one of the last books of the Tanakh to ever be canonized, because its inclusion was so controversial, with, for many years, most rabbis considering it a secular work not worthy of inclusion. It wasn’t until the Kabbalists came along and declared it a work of mystical significance that it began to be seen as something more. It is, primarily written in “feminine voice” as a paean to Solomon.
- We plunge right in, metaphorically, and perhaps, literally, as a young woman, clearly besotted with love, reminisces about her night of passion with “the king” (Solomon is only mentioned twice in the entire Song of Songs, and it’s not even 100% clear that he is the king being referred to) in his bedchambers. She recalls his kisses and caresses, and her own in turn. At the same time, she laments the loss of her virginity, as her brothers have turned their backs on her for not preserving it for marriage.
- The young woman continues, imagining herself as a young flower and her lover, for whom she pines away when not with him, as her protector. She muses over their trysts… in gardens… in a “house of wine”… in his own chambers. She admits she is simply besotted with love and desire, and for her, he is a source of boundless energy, a young buck, whom she is happy to be “taken” by, anywhere, anytime. One begins to see why the rabbis might have had some difficulty accepting this as a sacred book.
- The young woman cries out for her lover, and takes to the streets, searching her neighborhood for him until she finds him and takes him back to her family home, to her mother’s bedroom, where they make love yet again. Then suddenly, she waxes poetic about how cool King Solomon looks being carried by in his palanquin. The two passages don’t add up to him being her lover or mucking about in her ‘hood. If feels more fangirl-ish.
- The man winds his way through a description of the young woman’s body, from her hair to her teeth to her neck to her breasts… and on. Mostly he compares her to various desirable animal features, some to other parts of nature. It’s quiet poetic, but to me seems a bit devoid of passion. It’s more creative observation that almost seems like he feels obligated, given how rhapsodic she was about him. As the chapter finishes, we appear to have a third voice joining in the poetry, to be heard on tomorrow’s page.
- A conversation between the young woman and this mysterious third voice, questioning her. She talks about waiting for her lover, but then playing coy with him when he arrives at her door, and he leaves in frustration. She goes after him, but having lost sight of him is accosted by watchmen, who take her for a prostitute and beat her. Later, perhaps next day, she is talking with a group of women and describing her lost lover, while disparaging any other men who these women might be enamored with.
- Intrigued, the group of women with whom our mysterious lass is chatting, offer to help her find her lost lover. And, perhaps, to see just what all the rapturous fuss is about. She declines, stating that she already knows where he is, and spent the night, after the watchmen’s assault, with him. She’s merely still dreaming about that time and wanting to do it all again. I’d opine that if her lover really is King Solomon, and she’d just been assaulted by his own guards, that perhaps he’d have taken a moment to, say, split one of them in half.
- Maybe it’s just me, but as our mystery man lover expounds upon the physical traits of our mystery woman, describing each body part in erotic terms, all I’m reading “between the lines” is that he wants to fondle her breasts and then have her drop to her knees and give him a blowjob. It all reads a bit more pornographic than erotic.
- The young woman expresses how hard their sneaking around has been, and wishes that he were her brother, because then she could bring him home and have sex with him and no one would bat an eye. Suddenly, her brothers join the conversation, with “Ewww… no. And you’re to young to be sleeping around with that guy. We’re going to lock you in your room and go take care of him.” She calls a last plea to her lover, “run, run like a deer”. That this lover would need to be worried about her brothers, to me, seems more evidence that he is not Solomon. The End.