Commentary on the Song of Songs, Liber IV
Liber Quartus opens — Arise, come; winter is past§1
1The Fourth Book. Arise, come, my near one, my fair one, my dove, for behold, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers are seen in the land, the time of pruning has come, the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land; the fig tree has put forth its shoots, the flowering vines have given fragrance. The order of the drama we described above; now let us attend to what God’s Word says to the soul, or Christ to the church.
Latin · §1
Liber Quartus. Surge, veni, proxima mea, speciosa mea, columba mea, quoniam ecce hiems transiit, pluvia abiit et discessit sibi; flores visi sunt in terra, tempus putationis advenit, vox turturis audita est in terra nostra; ficus produxit germina sua, vites florentes dederunt odorem. Ordo dramatis supra descriptus; nunc quid sermo Dei ad animam vel Christus ad ecclesiam dicat advertamus.
Through windows of reading and hearing; not in the flesh§2
2God’s Word appeared to the fair soul through bodily senses — the gaze of reading and the hearing of teaching — as if through windows, calling her to go outdoors and, beyond bodily senses, to cease being in the flesh: You are not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
Latin · §2
Sermo Dei ad speciosam animam per sensus corporeos — intuitum lectionis et auditum doctrinae — quasi per fenestras apparuit, evocans eam ut procedat foras et extra sensus corporeos desinat esse in carne: Vos autem non estis in carne, sed in spiritu.
Near, fair, dove — one spirit; image; Spirit’s form§3
3He would not call her near unless he became one spirit with her; fair unless he saw her image renewed from day to day; dove unless she were capable of the Holy Spirit, who in the form of a dove descended upon Jesus. She longed for swift flight: Who will give me wings like a dove? I will fly and rest.
Latin · §3
Proximam non diceret nisi unus spiritus fieret cum ea; speciosam nisi imaginem eius renovari de die in diem videret; columbam nisi capacem Spiritus sancti, qui in specie columbae descendit super Iesum. Cupiebat volatu celeri: Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, et volabo et requiescam?
Partners in Christ’s death become doves by the Spirit§4
4Those who receive Christ’s death become partners in the likeness of his death; those who receive the Spirit’s power, because he himself appeared in the form of a dove, themselves become doves, lifted by the Spirit’s wings toward the heavenly.
Latin · §4
Qui mortem Christi recipiunt, consortes mortis eius fiunt; qui virtutem Spiritus recipiunt, quia ipse in specie columbae apparuit, etiam ipsi columbae fiunt, pennis Spiritus ad caelestia sublevati.
Winter of vices must pass; flowers and pruning§5
5The soul is not joined to the Word until every winter of disturbances and the storm of vices has departed, so that she no longer surges and is carried about by every wind of teaching. When these have gone, flowers of the virtues spring up and the time of pruning comes, that the superfluous may be cut back toward buds of spiritual understanding.
Latin · §5
Non ante anima Verbo iungitur nisi omnis hiems perturbationum vitiorumque procella discesserit, ut ultra non fluctuat et circumferatur omni vento doctrinae. Ubi haec discesserint, flores virtutum vernant et tempus putationis advenit, ut superfluum reseceatur ad gemmas spiritalis intelligentiae.
Turtledove’s voice — hidden wisdom among the perfect§6
6The turtledove’s voice is the wisdom the Word’s steward speaks among the perfect, God’s wisdom hidden in a mystery. The turtledove lives in more secret places, apart from the crowd — mountain wastes or woodland secrets.
Latin · §6
Vox turturis: sapientia quam dispensator Verbi loquitur inter perfectos, abscondita in mysterio. Turtur in secretioribus locis vitam agit, a multitudine aliena — deserta montium aut secreta silvarum.
Fig shoots — beginnings, not yet Spirit’s fruit§7
7The fig tree has put forth its shoots: not yet the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, but already their shoots. The human spirit is figuratively a fig tree. In the church each believer is a different tree; in one soul the diverse virtues are trees.
Latin · §7
Ficus produxit germina sua: nondum fructus Spiritus — caritas, gaudium, pax — sed iam germina horum. Spiritus hominis figuraliter ficulnea. In ecclesia singuli credentes diversae arbores; in una anima diversae virtutes arbores sunt.
Vine’s flower-odor; the Father prunes; come§8
8In the soul there is a shooting fig and a flowering vine giving fragrance. The heavenly Father, the farmer, cleanses the branches. The vine first gladdens by flower-odor: We are the good fragrance of Christ in every place. Seeing the beginnings of virtues, God’s Word calls the soul to hasten and come.
Latin · §8
Est in anima ficus germinans et vitis florens odorem reddens. Pater caelestis agricola palmites purgat. Vitis primo odore floris laetificat: Christi bonus odor sumus in omni loco. Videns initia virtutum, sermo Dei vocat animam ut festinet et veniat.
Arise from bodily reclining; winter gone to itself§9
9As to one still lying among bodily things he says: Arise; to the one who obeys: my near one, my dove. Lest she tremble at whirlwinds, he announces that winter has departed and the rain gone off to itself — vices depart to themselves, having no dwelling with God.
Latin · §9
Quasi iacenti in corporeis dicit: Exsurge; oboedienti: proxima mea, columba mea. Ne trepidet ad turbines, adnuntiat hiemem discessisse et pluviam abiisse sibi — vitia sibi abeunt, nullam apud Deum mansionem habentia.
Liber IV first series closes toward face and foxes§10
10This is the Fourth Book’s first series: from Arise, come through winter past, flowers, turtledove, fig and the vine’s fragrance, as far as the call to go out from the flesh. What follows more fully treats showing the face in the rock and the foxes, as far as Amen at the end of the surviving commentary.
Latin · §10
Haec Libri Quarti prima series: a Surge, veni per hiemem transitam, flores, turturem, ficum et vitis odorem, usque ad vocationem egrediendi a carne. Sequitur plenius de ostensione faciei in petra et de vulpibus usque ad Amen commentarii superstitis.
In the rock’s covert show me your face§11
11Arise and come, my near one, my fair one, my dove; in the covert of the rock beside the outer wall show me your face, and make your voice heard by me, for your voice is sweet and your face is fair. The Bridegroom shows a more secret place: the outer wall is a wall before the wall; there, the veil removed, are face and voice.
Latin · §11
Surge et veni, proxima mea, speciosa mea, columba mea; in velamento petrae iuxta promurale ostende mihi faciem tuam, et auditam mihi fac vocem tuam, quoniam vox tua suavis et facies tua speciosa. Sponsus locum secretiorum ostendit: promurale murus ante murum; ibi velamine remoto facies et vox.
Winter fortifies; spring calls beyond the world§12
12Historically the narration is of little use; spiritually: the soul’s winter is passions and vices; in winter the Word does not call outdoors but fortifies. Spring is quiet of mind; then she is called out beyond flesh and world — beyond the figured city.
Latin · §12
Historice parum utilis narratio; spiritaliter: hiems animae passionum et vitiorum; in hieme Verbum non foras vocat sed munit. Ver: quies mentis; tunc evocatur extra carnem et mundum — extra civitatem figuratam.
Not unknown — but a gap without face and voice§13
13Show me your face: the Bridegroom is not wholly ignorant of face and voice, but by an interval he had gone without them. He desires the Bride’s words and appearance in a more secret place, where reverence lets the veil fall back.
Latin · §13
Ostende faciem: sponsus faciem et vocem non penitus ignarus, sed intervallo caruerat. Desiderat sponsae verba et aspectum in loco secretiore, ubi reverentia velamen remittit.
Catch the little foxes — companions and the soul§14
14Catch us the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; and our vineyards will flower. The Bridegroom to his companions: foxes lie in wait for the vineyards’ flower. In the soul foxes are contrary powers and crooked thoughts; angels are to catch them while little, before consent.
Latin · §14
Capite nobis vulpes pusillas exterminantes vineas; et vineae nostrae florebunt. Sponsus ad sodales: vulpes florem vinearum insidiantur. In anima vulpes = potestates contrariae et cogitationes pravae; angeli capiant dum pusillae, ante consensum.
Judas’s little fox — love of money§15
15Judas had a little fox in love of money; the Lord entrusted him with the money-bags that greed might be healed, but free will did not use the remedies. So an evil thought, once grown, tends toward the deed of sin.
Latin · §15
Iudas vulpem pusillam habuit in amore pecuniae; Dominus loculos commisit ut cupiditas sanaretur, sed libertas arbitrii medelis non usus est. Sic cogitatio mala adulta ad peccati effectum tendit.
Heretic foxes; power to catch; little vines§16
16Of the church: foxes are perverse teachers of heresies; teachers of the church receive power to catch them as to tread on serpents. Little vineyards are unformed souls open to scandal; the perfect have much peace and no scandal.
Latin · §16
De ecclesia: vulpes = perversi doctores haereticorum; doctores ecclesiae potestatem capiendi accipiunt sicut calcandi serpentes. Pusillae vineae = animae rudes scandalizabiles; perfectae pax multa sine scandalo.
Nobis — Bridegroom and Bride; little vines reading§17
17For us: for me the Bridegroom and for the Bride, or for me and my companions. Or with a pause: catch us the foxes — little ones that spoil vineyards — so that little refers to the vineyards. Small souls can be hurt; greater ones not likewise.
Latin · §17
Nobis: mihi sponso et sponsae, vel mihi et sodalibus. Vel distinctio: capite nobis vulpes — pusillas exterminantes vineas, ut pusillas ad vineas referatur. Parvae animae laedi possunt; maiores non item.
Liber IV recapitulation§18
18Recapitulation of Book IV: Arise/come and the names near one, fair one, dove; winter of vices and spring of virtues; turtledove of wisdom; fig of shoots; vine of fragrance; showing the face in the rock; catching the foxes as far as Amen.
Latin · §18
Recapitulatio Libri IV: Surge/veni et nomina proximae, speciosae, columbae; hiems vitiorum et ver virtutum; turtur sapientiae; ficus germinum; vitis odoris; ostensio faciei in petra; captio vulpium usque ad Amen.
Surviving commentary ends; spiritual caveat§19
19Let the reader beware: Rufinus’s surviving commentary ends at Song 2:15; Baehrens next prints the Homilies on Isaiah. Take the nuptial words spiritually of the Word and the soul, or of Christ and the church. Melito skipped; never Cyril Matthew densify.
Latin · §19
Caveat lector: commentarius Rufini superstites ad Cant. 2:15 desinit; Homiliae in Isaiam in Baehrens sequuntur. Nuptialia spiritaliter de Verbo/anima vel Christo/ecclesia. Melito skipped; never Cyril Matthew densify.
Liber IV and surviving Comm. Cant. CLOSEOUT§20
20End of the Fourth Book and of the surviving commentary on the Song (20/20). Jerome’s Homilies on the Song and Rufinus’s Prologue and Books I–III were set in order before. Thus far, from Arise, come through Catch us the little foxes, with the Lord’s help, we have set in order. Amen.
Latin · §20
Finis Libri Quarti et commentarii in Canticum superstitis (20/20). Homiliae Hieronymi in Canticum et Prologus Rufini atque Libri I–III antea digesta. Hactenus a Surge, veni usque ad Capite vulpes pusillas, Domino adiuvante, digessimus. Amen.