for from wickedness there is roughness on the bride's neck; but it no longer said concerning the dead, who feed among the lilies; for they had become above the lilies that are among the thorns; and he wants us, being lovers of learning, to have the soul be a daughter of many wise things and to be at the introductions of many lessons, which he called gates; so much, he says, grace of knowledge is present in your teachers, that not only those with you enjoy their instruction, but now also those from without and from afar enjoy their benefit. Your nose, as a tower of Lebanon watching the face of Damascus; your head upon you as Carmel, and the lock of your head as purple, a king bound in the tresses. But he who has pure breathing, and through the sense of the divine word is able to run after him to the smell of his ointments, is a nose perceiving spiritual fragrance; watching if any distinguished doctrine appears among the nations; for Damascus represents the nations; and the face is a symbol of what is distinguished and beautiful; and Lebanon is referred to the altar of God; and Carmel is interpreted as knowledge of circumcision; and he knows circumcision who is able to say with boldness 17.284 we are the circumcision; and from the head, that is Christ, the knowledge of spiritual circumcision was born. How beautiful you have become and how you have been made sweet, O love, in your delights? this is your stature; you were likened to the palm tree, and your breasts to the clusters of grapes; because your mind is lofty; and nothing of earthly things is brought upon it. For the bridegroom says these things, marveling at her change for the better; for as the good temperament of the elements produces health of bodies, so from the impulses and aversions, a kind of health and beauty comes to the soul; and as the bride, being somehow shameful because of wickedness, changed through virtue into beauty, so being bitter, she has become most pleasant and sweet to him; therefore he says, as in bodily delights the lavish banquet is much desired, so for those who delight in spiritual delight, is love; and with your pronoun being placed beside the others, it would mean, you delight in love more than the other fruits of the spirit; so as to bear all things, to endure all things for its sake; and just as there is shortness of bodies, and stature of others, so also of the soul according to what it accomplishes. That is, your thoughts, he says, are both food and drink, and in no way unripe. Then I will go up to the palm tree; I will take hold of its high branches, and your breasts shall be as clusters of the vine; and the smell of your nose as apples, and your throat as good wine, going to my kinsman in uprightness, being sufficient for my lips and teeth. Having been likened to a palm tree, she calls the bridegroom a palm tree, having understood the height and stature of the Word; to which she also hoped to ascend at the end of the songs; when the bride is perfect; when she will also take hold of the bridegroom's breasts, signifying the condensed teachings; for which reason they are also likened to clusters of a vine; about which the Savior said: I am the true vine; and the things proceeding from the hidden places of the Word, both direct and gladden to such a degree, as to speak when one must, and to whom one must, and as much as one must; for the lips signify the word; and the teeth indicate discretion; according to the saying, "6Make a door and a bolt for your mouth, and for your words a measure and a weight;"6 And of such people not only are the thoughts secure, but also the lips are bound by perception; and the good wine is that which is brought forth from the good treasure of the heart. I am my kinsman's; and his turning is toward me. She having been perfected, the word is, that he will nowhere find all manner of rest, to which he may turn, as with me. Come, my kinsman; let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages; let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine has blossomed, the henna-flower has bloomed, the pomegranates have flowered. The bride exhorts concerning those who are inferior; so as from the innermost and blessed pursuits to go out to the oversight of these; for these are the field and villages and vineyards and pomegranates 17.285 CHAPTER 8. Finding you outside, I will kiss you; and indeed they will not despise me;

γὰρ ἀπὸ κακίας τραχὺ ἐν τῷ τῆς νύμφης τραχήλῳ· οὐκέτι δὲ περὶ τῶν νεκρῶν εἶπεν, οἱ νεμόμενοι ἐν κρίνοις· ὑπεράνω γὰρ ἐγεγόνεισαν κρίνων τῶν ἐν μέσῳ ἀκανθῶν· βού λεται δὲ ἡμᾶς καὶ φιλομαθεῖς ὄντας πολλῶν ἔχειν τὴν ψυχὴν θυγατέρα σοφῶν καὶ ἐν εἰσαγωγαῖς γενέσθαι μαθημάτων πολλῶν, ἃς ἐκάλεσε πύλας· τοσοῦτον, φη σὶν, γνώσεως τοῖς ἐν σοὶ διδασκάλοις περίεστι χάρις, ὡς μὴ μόνον τοὺς παρὰ σοὶ ἀπολαύειν αὐτῶν τῆς παιδεύσεως, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ τῆς ἔξωθεν καὶ πόῤῥωθεν τῆς αὐτῶν ἀπολαύειν ὠφελείας. Μυκτήρ σου, ὡς πύργος τοῦ Λιβάνου σκοπεύων πρόσωπον ∆αμασκοῦ· κεφαλή σου ἐπὶ σὲ ὡς Κάρμηλος, καὶ πλόκιον κεφαλῆς σου ὡς πορ φύραν βασιλεὺς δεδεμένος ἐν παραδρομαῖς. Ὁ δὲ καθαρὰν ἔχων τὴν διαπνοὴν, καὶ διὰ τῆς αἰ σθήσεως τοῦ θείου λόγου δυνάμενος ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρων αὐτοῦ δραμεῖν, μυκτήρ ἐστιν αἰσθανό μενος εὐωδίας πνευματικῆς· σκοπεύων εἴ τι ἐπιφανὲς ἐν ἔθνεσι δόγμα δοκεῖ· ∆αμασκὸς γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη παρ ίστησι· τοῦ δὲ ἐπιφανοῦς καὶ καλοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον σύμ βολον· ὁ δὲ λίβανος ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὁ δὲ Κάρμηλος ἐπίγνωσις περιτομῆς ἑρ μηνεύεται· γινώσκει δὲ περιτομὴν ὁ μετὰ παῤῥησία 17.284 λέγειν δυνάμενος· ἡμεῖς ἐσμὲν ἡ περιτομή· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς κεφαλῆς, τουτέστι Χριστοῦ, ἐπίγνωσις πνευματικῆς ἐγεννήθη περιτομῆς. Τί ὡραιώθης καὶ τί ἡδύνθης, ἀγάπη, ἐν τρυφαῖς σου; τοῦτο μέγεθός σου· ὡμοιώθης τῷ φοίνικι, καὶ οἱ μαστοί σου τοῖς βότρυσι· διότι ὑψηλόν σου τὸ φρόνημα· καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν γηΐνων ἐπιφε ρόμενον. Ὅτι ταῦτά φησιν ὁ νυμφίος ἀποθαυμάζων αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολήν· ὡς γὰρ ἡ τῶν στοιχείων εὐκρασία σωμάτων ὑγείαν ἐμποιεῖ, οὕτως ἐκ τῶν ὁρμῶν καὶ ἐκκλίσεων, ὑγεία πως καὶ κάλλος ἐπιγίνεται τῇ ψυχῇ· ὡς δὲ αἰσχρά τίς οὖσα διὰ κακίαν ἡ νύμφη, μετέβαλεν ἐξ ἀρετῆς εἰς ὡραιότητα, οὕτως οὖσα πικρὰ, γέγονεν ἡδίστη τε αὐτῷ καὶ γλυκεῖα· φησὶ τοίνυν, ὡς ἐν ταῖς σωματικαῖς τρυφαῖς ἡ πολυτελὴς εὐωχία περιπόθητος, οὕτω τοῖς τὴν πνευματικὴν τρυφῶσι τρυφὴν, ἡ ἀγάπη· τῆς δὲ σοῦ ἀντωνυμίας κειμένης παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις, λέγοι ἂν, τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐντρυφᾷς πλέον τῶν ἄλλων τοῦ πνεύματος καρπῶν· ὡς πάντα δι' αὐτὴν στέγειν πάντα ὑπομένειν· ὥσπερ δὲ σωμάτων ἐστὶ βραχύτης, καὶ μέγεθος ἑτέρων, οὕτω καὶ ψυχῆς ἀναλόγως οἷς διαπράττεται. Ἤγουν τὰ νοήματά σου, φησὶν, τρόφιμά τε καὶ πότιμα, καὶ οὐδαμῶς ὀμφακίζοντα. Εἶτα ἀναβήσομαι ἐν τῷ φοίνικι· κρατήσω τῶν ὕψεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται δὴ μαστοί σου ὡς βότρυες ἀμπέλου· καὶ ὀσμὴ ῥινός σου ὡς μῆλα, καὶ λάρυγξ ὡς οἶνος ἀγαθὸς, πορευόμενος τῷ ἀδελφιδῷ μου εἰς εὐθύτητα, ἱκανούμενος ἐν χείλεσί μου ὀδοῦσιν. Ἀπεικασθεῖσα φοίνικι, φοίνικα τὸν νυμφίου καλεῖ, τὸ ὕψος καὶ μέγεθος τοῦ λόγου κατανοήσασα· ἐφ' ἃ καὶ ἤλπισεν ἀνελθεῖν ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ᾀσμάτων· ὅτε τελεία ἐστὶν ἡ νύμφη· ὅτε καὶ ἀντιλήψεται τῶν τοῦ νυμφίου μασθῶν, δηλούντων τὰ πυκνώματα· διὸ καὶ ἀμπέλου βότρυσιν ἀπεικάζονται· περὶ ἧς εἶπεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή· τὰ δὲ ἐκ τῶν τοῦ λόγου κρυπτῶν ἐκπορευόμενα, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἰθύνει τε καὶ εὐφραίνει, ὥστε λέγειν ὅτε δεῖ, καὶ οἷς δεῖ, καὶ ὅσου δεῖ· τὰ μὲν γὰρ χείλη τὸν λόγον· οἱ δὲ ὀδόν- τες τὴν ἐχεμυθίαν ἐμφαίνουσι· κατὰ τὸ, "6τῷ στόματί σου ποίησον θύραν καὶ μοχλὸν, καὶ τοῖς λόγοις σου μέτρον καὶ σταθμόν·"6 τῶν δὲ τοιούτων οὐ μόνον ἀσφα- λῆ τὰ νοήματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ χείλη αἰσθήσει δέδεται· οἶνος δὲ ὁ ἀγαθὸς, ὁ ἐξ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ τῆς καρδίας προσφερόμενος. Ἐγὼ τῷ ἀδελφιδῷ μου· ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ αὐτοῦ. Τελειωθείσης ὁ λόγος, ὅτι μηδαμοῦ παντοδαπῆ ἀνάπαυσιν εὑρήσει, ὅπου ἑαυτὸν ἐπιστρέψει, ὡς παρ' ἐμοί. Ἐλθὲ, ἀδελφιδέ μου· ἐξέλθωμεν εἰς ἀγρόν· αὐλι σθῶμεν ἐν κώμαις· ὀρθρίσωμεν εἰς ἀμπελῶνας· ἴδωμεν εἰ ἤνθησεν ἡ ἄμπελος, ἤνθησεν ὁ κυ πρισμὸς, ἤνθησαν αἱ ῥόαι. Περὶ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων ἡ νύμφη παρακαλεῖ· ὡς ἐκ τῶν ἐνδοτάτων καὶ μακαρίων διατριβῶν εἰς τὴν τούτων ἐπισκοπὴν ἐξελθεῖν· οὗτοι γὰρ ἀγρὸς καὶ κῶμαι καὶ ἀμπελῶνες καὶ ῥόαι 17.285 ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Ηʹ. Εὑροῦσα ἔξω φιλήσω σε· καί γε οὐκ ἐξουδενώ σουσί με·