Cyril of Alexandria, Fragments on Song of Songs

Fragmenta in Canticum canticorum OF SAINT CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA ON THE SONG OF SONGS

speaking before only among women, but now also as one near him, the bridegroom doubles the praise of the bride, praising both her contemplative and he

These things for the clarity of what is dramatically introduced, up to, Your voice is sweet, and your appearance is beautiful. And it is clear that th

And perhaps also he who lives not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, in no way having his heart made fat, preserving the varied and

of marble, founded on bases of gold. And pillars of the Church, such as Peter and John, who have Christ, who is called golden, as their foundation. An

Fragmenta in Canticum canticorum OF SAINT CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA ON THE SONG OF SONGS

FRAGMENTS

Your name is ointment poured forth.

It also signifies the name of the Only-Begotten that was invoked upon all nations, by which all nations are made fragrant towards him, bearing his name. For this reason, young maidens, etc. Paul was also a young maiden, saying, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Therefore, he also loved exceedingly, saying: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? But how did they draw him? By following in his footsteps, and having enjoyed the evangelical ointments. But if we run, as the account of the 69.1280 young maidens has it, we shall walk after the Lord God. Which kingdom he calls a chamber in the present passages. They made me a keeper, etc. But perhaps she accuses herself, because she did not keep her own vineyard, allowing everyone passing by on the road to ravage it; and a boar from the wood laid it waste, and a wild beast fed upon it. But perhaps she also glorifies God, because though not being able to keep her own vineyard, by neither cultivating nor keeping it she progressed so far as to be able to keep many vineyards. That is, by the sons of her mother she means the Synagogue, the Scribes and Pharisees who made war on those believing in Christ, commanding them to keep the worship according to the law; for this is a vineyard.

But this, she says, I did not keep; for what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ, as the blessed Paul says. As one veiled among the flocks of your companions. He calls the apostles his companions. For he said: I no longer call you servants, but friends; for you are friends. But by "veiled" she means "covered"; as Paul says, that "to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart." A voice, therefore, of the repenting Synagogue to Christ: Reveal yourself to me, so that while your companions are shepherding the Churches, I do not remain with the veil upon my heart. If you do not know yourself. That is, if you do not repent, he says, you will be found behind the nations; since you do not have fruits of righteousness, remaining fruitless, and behind the flocks which I established for myself. I have compared you to my mare. That is, having received my faith, O Church, you were likened to the apostles; concerning whom it is said, "You will mount upon your horses, and your horsemanship is salvation"; who also were prepared against the chariots of the spiritual Pharaoh. Your cheeks are like a turtledove's. That is, he represents the modesty towards the bridegroom through the turtledove. For the cheeks of the turtledove are red.

But to the Synagogue, on the contrary, "You have a harlot's face, you have been shameless to all." By "neck" he means the submissive part of the soul; for how beautiful an ornament, a neck that has practiced bearing the yoke of Christ. That is, silver in the Scripture is usually the 69.1281 divine teaching; but gold, the divine gifts. And all things, before the coming of Christ, were likenesses and a shadow of the good things to come, according to the Apostle. But Christ, having risen, has bestowed perfect things on men; but before the resurrection we had likenesses, from his praises [ita cod.], of both the law and the prophets. By nard and a bundle of myrrh the burial of Christ is signified; which things Nicodemus, bringing, wrapped his body. But the bride bears as breasts the two Testaments, between which Christ lodges. He says she is beautiful, not as

Fragmenta in Canticum canticorum ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΑΛΕΧΑΝ∆ΡΕΙΑΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΑ ΑΣΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΜΑΤΩΝ

ΑΠΟΣΠΑΣΜΑΤΙΑ

Μῦρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σου.

∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τοῦ Μονογενοῦς κληθεῖσαν ἐπωνυμίαν, καθ' ὃ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη εὐωδιάζουσι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὴν αὐτοῦ φέροντα προσηγορίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο νεάνιδες, κ.τ.λ. Νεᾶνις ἦν καὶ Παῦλος, Πάντα, λέγων, ἰσχύω ἐν τῷ ἐνδυναμοῦντί με Χριστῷ. ∆ιὸ καὶ λίαν ἠγάπησε φάσκων· Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρήσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; Πῶς δὲ αὐτὸν εἵλκυσαν; Ἀκολουθήσασαι τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν ἀπολαύσασαι μύρων. Εἰ δὲ δραμοῦμεν, ἔχων [cod. ἔχον] τῶν 69.1280 νεανίδων ὁ λόγος, κατὰ τὸ ὀπίσω Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ πορευσόμεθα. Ἥντινα βασιλείαν ταμιεῖον ἐν ταῖς παροῦσι προσαγορεύει. Ἔθεντό με φυλάκισσαν, κ.τ.λ. Τάχα δὲ κατηγορεῖ ἑαυτῆς, ὅτι τὸν ἴδιον οὐκ ἐφύλαξεν ἀμπελῶνα, πορθεῖν αὐτὸν ἀφεῖσα πάντα τὸν παραπορευόμενον τὴν ὁδόν· λυμήνασθαί τε αὐτὸν ἦν ἐκ δρυμοῦ, καὶ μονιὸν ἄγριον κατανεμήσασθαι αὐτόν. Τάχα δὲ καὶ δοξάζει τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι μὴ δυνηθεῖσα φυλάξαι τὸν ἴδιον ἀμπελῶνα, τῷ μήτε γεωργῆσαι μήτε φυλάξαι ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον προέκοψεν, ὡς πολλοὺς ἀμπελῶνας δυνηθῆναι φυλάξαι. Ἤγουν υἱοὺς μητρὸς αὐτῆς λέγει τῆς Συναγωγῆς, τοὺς Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαίους οἵτινες ἐπολέμουν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς Χριστὸν, τηρεῖν ἐντελλόμενοι τὴν κατὰ τὸν νόμον λατρείαν· αὕτη γὰρ ἀμπελών.

Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ταύτην, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐφύλαξα· ἅτινα γὰρ ἦν μοι κέρδη, ταῦτα ἥγημαι διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ζημίαν, ὥς φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος. Ὡς περιβαλλομένη ἐπ' ἀγέλαις ἑταίρων σου. Ἑταίρους αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀποστόλους καλεῖ. Ἔφη γάρ· Οὐκ ἔτι λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους, ἀλλὰ φίλους· φίλοι γάρ ἐστε. Περιβαλλομένη δὲ λέγει Καλυπτομένη· λέγοντος Παύλου, ὅτι Ἄχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας, ἡνίκα ἀναγινώσκεται Μωϋσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται. Φωνὴ οὖν, ἡ μετανοοῦσα Συναγωγὴ πρὸς Χριστόν· ∆ήλωσόν μοι σαυτὸν, ὅπως μὴ[cod. μοι] τῶν ἑταίρων σου ποιμαίνων τὰς Ἐκκλησίας, ἐγὼ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν μείνω τὸ κάλυμμα ἔχουσα. Ἐὰν μὴ γνῷς σεαυτήν. Ἤγουν, εἰ μὴ μετανοήσῃς, φησὶν, ὀπίσω τῶν ἐθνῶν εὑρεθήσῃ· ἅτε μὴ ἔχουσα καρποὺς δικαιοσύνης, ἄκαρπος μένουσα, καὶ ὀπίσω ποιμνίων ὧν ἐμαυτῷ συνεστησάμην. Τῇ ἵππῳ μου ὡμοίωσά σε. Ἤγουν δεξαμένη τὴν ἐμὴν, ὦ Ἐκκλησία, πίστιν, τοῖς ἀποστόλοις εἰκάσθης· περὶ ὧν τὸ, Ἐπιβήσῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου, καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία· οἳ καὶ κατὰ τῶν ἁρμάτων εὐτρεπίσθησαν τοῦ νοητοῦ Φαραώ. Σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνος. Ἤγουν τὴν αἰδὼ τὴν πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον παρίστησι διὰ τῆς τρυγόνος. Ἐρυθραὶ γὰρ τῆς τρυγόνος αἱ σιαγόνες.

Τῇ δὲ Συναγωγῇ τοὐναντίον, Ὄψις πόρνης ἐγένετό σοι, ἀπηναισχύντησας πρὸς πάντας. Λέγει τράχηλον τὸ ὑποτακτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς· πῶς γὰρ κόσμος καλὸς, αὐχὴν μελετήσας φέρειν τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν ζυγόν. Ἤγουν ἀργύριον μὲν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ συνήθως, ἡ 69.1281 θεία διδασκαλία· χρυσίον δὲ, τὰ θεῖα χαρίσματα. Πάντα δὲ, πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας Χριστοῦ, ὁμοιώματα ἦν καὶ σκιὰ τῶν μελλόντων, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἀγαθῶν. Ἀναστὰς δὲ Χριστὸς τὰ τέλεια τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δεδώρηται· πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ὁμοιώματα εἴχομεν, παρὰ τῶν ἐπαίνων[ita cod.] αὐτοῦ, τοῦ τε νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Νάρδῳ καὶ ἀποδέσμῳ στακτῆς ὁ ἐνταφιασμὸς σημαίνεται Χριστοῦ· ἃ Νικόδημος φέρων ἐνετύλιξε τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ. Μαστοὺς δὲ φέρει τὰς δύο ∆ιαθήκας ἡ νύμφη, ὧν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀνὰ μέσον αὐλίζεται. Καλὴν αὐτήν φησιν, οὐχ ὡς