Cânticos 4

¹ Behold, thou [art]Because Christ delights in his Church, he commends all that is in her.fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair; thou [hast] doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair [is] as aHe has respect for the multitude of the faithful, which are many in number.flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

² Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe in good order, which go vp from the washing: which euery one bring out twinnes, and none is barren among them.

³ Thy lippes are like a threede of scarlet, and thy talke is comely: thy temples are within thy lockes as a piece of a pomegranate.

⁴ Thy necke is as the tower of Dauid builte for defence: a thousand shieldes hang therein, and all the targates of the strong men.

⁵ Thy twoIn which are knowledge and zeal two precious jewels.breasts [are] like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

⁶ Vntill the day breake, and the shadowes flie away, I wil go into the mountaine of myrrhe and to the mountaine of incense.

⁷ Thou art all faire, my loue, and there is no spot in thee.

⁸ Christ promises his Church to call his faithful from all the corners of the world.Come with me from Lebanon, [my] spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

⁹ Thou hast ravished my heart, myChrist calls his Church sister in respect that he had taken the flesh of man.sister, [my] spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thyIn that he made his Church beautiful and rich, he loved his gifts in her.eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

¹⁰ My sister, my spouse, how faire is thy loue? howe much better is thy loue then wine? and the sauour of thine oyntments then all spices?

¹¹ ThyBecause of your confession and thanksgiving.lips, O [my] spouse, drop [as] the honeycomb: honey and milk [are] under thy tongue; and the scent of thy garments [is] like the fragrance of Lebanon.

¹² My sister my spouse is as a garden inclosed, as a spring shut vp, and a fountaine sealed vp.

¹³ Thy plantes are as an orchard of pomegranates with sweete fruites, as camphire, spikenarde,

¹⁴ Euen spikenarde, and saffran, calamus, and cynamon with all the trees of incense, myrrhe and aloes, with all the chiefe spices.

¹⁵ The Church confesses that all her glory and beauty comes from Christ who is the true fountain of all grace.A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

¹⁶ Awake, OShe desires Christ to comfort her and to pour the graces of his Spirit on her, which is meant by the North and South wind.north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, [that] its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.