For your love is more delightful than wine. I need to take some issue with this of course, "more delightful than wine". Perhaps its the letter "vav" thing which here should be "and" instead of "but" or "or". Love is beautiful AND wine is beautiful and together they are sublime. I'm pretty sure that the intent of Song of Songs...
OK Mr Winery — HEARD! it’s not an either/or here.. don’t forget this song begins with the lines - ‘he brought me into the wine house’.. this entire scene of seduction is happening in the winery - with wine to lubricate the love.. so it’s all sublime already.. L’chayim!
Black is always a mystery but it is always beautiful. Mystery intrigues and invites us but ignorance perverts and makes us idiots while intelligence opens up the love gate. The Shulamite is black and beautiful because she is the one Solomon loves. It speaks volumes because black is always less esteemed. The dictionary describes black as anything but desirable but an individual's beauty should never be judged by the color of her skin before the content of her character. Perhaps this is what Solomon and those who came across this enchanting woman remember most. Regardless, if she is black because of being out in the sun as she mentions or her skin is naturally dusky, it is her character and charm that allowed her to have maidens questioning and retrieving her commands in regards to her beloved. She is also called fair which is usually referred to as a skin shade but it can also mean impartial and just, to a high degree, and a beautiful woman. I am truly enjoying these articles on Shir HaShirim. Blessed be.
I'm a bit behind but catching up now. This is a fantastic opening to the book and I'm so looking forward to reading the rest! It's a relief to read the slightly less difficult Hebrew and actually understand it as opposed to Job that I needed the translation for. The tone and subject are a relief to me after the length and heaviness of Job!
Regarding the title, Shir Hashirim Asher Lishlomo: I don't find the emendation "Ashir" convincing at all. There's no evidence for it; the text doesn't need emending; and it's unpoetic and awkward in a book that is otherwise filled with elegant poetry.
Similarly, the original Hebrew doesn't even say "...by Solomon." As I explain in my book on Bible translation:* "The original Hebrew is vague about the connection between the Song of Songs and Solomon himself. All we know from the text is that the Song is Solomon's. We don't know if he wrote it, liked it, sung it, commissioned it, compiled it, or something else." It could have been "Solomon's" because someone sung it to him.
One reasonable translation — taking into account the sibilance of "asher" — is "The Song of Songs Sung by Solomon." Equally possible is "The Song of Songs Sung to Solomon." Or "Solomon's Song of Songs." (None of these is great, though, because "song of songs" is superlative in Hebrew but not in English. The point is, "the BEST song." Song of Songs is exceptional poetry. We should hardly be surprised that translating even a few words is difficult and nuanced.)
(*) "And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original meaning" https://amzn.to/4aYSMWh
Thank you Joel - fascinating! I defer to your grammatical knowledge and translation skills. I like the suggestion that it is sung TO Solomon as a feminist and creative trope giving her voice more presence - ASHER with its wink to Ashera can go a long way. even if just Midrash..:) Appreciating the scholarship and your helpful research!
For your love is more delightful than wine. I need to take some issue with this of course, "more delightful than wine". Perhaps its the letter "vav" thing which here should be "and" instead of "but" or "or". Love is beautiful AND wine is beautiful and together they are sublime. I'm pretty sure that the intent of Song of Songs...
OK Mr Winery — HEARD! it’s not an either/or here.. don’t forget this song begins with the lines - ‘he brought me into the wine house’.. this entire scene of seduction is happening in the winery - with wine to lubricate the love.. so it’s all sublime already.. L’chayim!
Black is always a mystery but it is always beautiful. Mystery intrigues and invites us but ignorance perverts and makes us idiots while intelligence opens up the love gate. The Shulamite is black and beautiful because she is the one Solomon loves. It speaks volumes because black is always less esteemed. The dictionary describes black as anything but desirable but an individual's beauty should never be judged by the color of her skin before the content of her character. Perhaps this is what Solomon and those who came across this enchanting woman remember most. Regardless, if she is black because of being out in the sun as she mentions or her skin is naturally dusky, it is her character and charm that allowed her to have maidens questioning and retrieving her commands in regards to her beloved. She is also called fair which is usually referred to as a skin shade but it can also mean impartial and just, to a high degree, and a beautiful woman. I am truly enjoying these articles on Shir HaShirim. Blessed be.
I'm a bit behind but catching up now. This is a fantastic opening to the book and I'm so looking forward to reading the rest! It's a relief to read the slightly less difficult Hebrew and actually understand it as opposed to Job that I needed the translation for. The tone and subject are a relief to me after the length and heaviness of Job!
all i gotta say is... I smile.
Regarding the title, Shir Hashirim Asher Lishlomo: I don't find the emendation "Ashir" convincing at all. There's no evidence for it; the text doesn't need emending; and it's unpoetic and awkward in a book that is otherwise filled with elegant poetry.
Similarly, the original Hebrew doesn't even say "...by Solomon." As I explain in my book on Bible translation:* "The original Hebrew is vague about the connection between the Song of Songs and Solomon himself. All we know from the text is that the Song is Solomon's. We don't know if he wrote it, liked it, sung it, commissioned it, compiled it, or something else." It could have been "Solomon's" because someone sung it to him.
One reasonable translation — taking into account the sibilance of "asher" — is "The Song of Songs Sung by Solomon." Equally possible is "The Song of Songs Sung to Solomon." Or "Solomon's Song of Songs." (None of these is great, though, because "song of songs" is superlative in Hebrew but not in English. The point is, "the BEST song." Song of Songs is exceptional poetry. We should hardly be surprised that translating even a few words is difficult and nuanced.)
(*) "And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible's Original meaning" https://amzn.to/4aYSMWh
Thank you Joel - fascinating! I defer to your grammatical knowledge and translation skills. I like the suggestion that it is sung TO Solomon as a feminist and creative trope giving her voice more presence - ASHER with its wink to Ashera can go a long way. even if just Midrash..:) Appreciating the scholarship and your helpful research!