Canticle of Canticles – 7

A further description of the graces of the church the spouse of Christ.

1 What shalt thou see in the Sulamitess but the companies of camps? How beautiful are thy steps in shoes, O prince’s daughter! The joints of thy thighs are like jewels, that are made by the hand of a skillful workman. 2 Thy navel is like a round bowl never wanting cups. Thy belly is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies. 3 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins. 4 Thy neck as a tower of ivory. Thy eyes like the fishpools in Hesebon, which are in the gate of the daughter of the multitude. Thy nose is as the tower of Libanus, that looketh toward Damascus. 5 Thy head is like Carmel: and the hairs of thy head as the purple of the king bound in the channels.

6 How beautiful art thou, and how comely, my dearest, in delights! 7 Thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 8 I said: I will go up into the palm tree, and will take hold of the fruit thereof: and thy breasts shall be as the clusters of the vine: and the odour of thy mouth like apples. 9 Thy throat like the best wine, worthy for my beloved to drink, and for his lips and his teeth to ruminate. 10 I to my beloved, and his turning is towards me.

11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field, let us abide in the villages. 12 Let us get up early to the vineyards, let us see if the vineyard flourish, if the flowers be ready to bring forth fruits, if the pomegranates flourish: there will I give thee my breasts. 13 The mandrakes give a smell. In our gates are all fruits: the new and the old, my beloved, I have kept for thee.

Commentary

[1] “How beautiful are thy steps”: By these metaphors are signified the power and mission of the church in propagating the true faith.

[5] “Thy head is like Carmel”: Christ, the invisible head of his church, is here signified.