Song of Songs

In a Biblical love story from long ago, written to celebrate the enduring affection of a pastoral king for his bride, could there be a deeper meaning? This is the question that I asked while reading through “Song of Songs” for my World Literature class this semester. We’ve analyzed the ancient Creation/Destruction stories, Epic stories, Romance/Realism stories, and Metaphysical/Speculative stories.

From all the readings, I chose “Song of Songs,” from the Tanakh or Holy Bible to create my scored presentation. I combined photos with music and narration, giving exposition for each selection:

Slide 1 - For the Title sequence of “Song of Songs,” Patrick Patrikios’s “Arabian Night,” evokes an ancient, ethereal, middle eastern vibe to begin this love story.

Slide 2 - In the background of the newly created Garden of Eden, “Echoes of Emir,” by Patrick Patrikios, marks a celebratory, festal tune to commemorate this exhibition of divine creative expression: “A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed” (Song of Songs 4:12).

Slide 3 - The dance beat of “Celestial Caravan,” by Patrick Patrikios demonstrates the harmony of the LORD God in perfect communion with humanity and with all of creation: “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than life” (Song of Songs 1:2).

Slide 4 - In giving the Creation Mandate to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28), the first humans become co-creators with God. “Bazaar Ballad,” by Patrick Patrikios gives a sense of creative energy and excitement at bringing truth, goodness, and beauty into the world, filling the earth with the fragrance of His attributes: “Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, Your name is ointment poured forth” (Song of Solomon 1:3).

Slide 5 - As a sort of interlude, I chose “Yismach Chatoni,” by Ethan Eubanks to slow down the pace and let the reader contemplate the ramifications of a covenantal, loving relationship with God: “You are all fair, my love, and there is no spot in you. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana” (Song of Songs 4:7-8).

Slide 6 - The uncertain, unsettling minor notes of “Oasis Dreams,” by Patrick Patrikios, paired the introduction of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and with it, God giving His people the agency to choose whether or not to reciprocate His love: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases” (Song of Songs 2:7).

Slide 7 - “Sands of Serenity” Patrick Patrikios, continues the mood of unsettling uncertainty. In creating The Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve, God showed He would provide for them, and in turn, they could trust Him, but there is sometimes a deceptive lure for the unknown: “Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates … a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters” (Song of Songs 13, 15).

Slide 8 - “Dune Dancer,” by Patrick Patrikios with its rising minor keys, creates tension as the first people must decide the fate of all humanity. Will they choose to trust and worship the Creator as Lord and do the work He’s given to them to do or will they eat the forbidden fruit and build their own world, ruled mainly by tyrant kings as in the Empire of Babylon: “The mandrakes give off a fragrance, and at our gates are pleasant fruits, all manner, new and old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved” (Song of Songs 7:13).

Slide 9 - In “Sands of Time,” by Patrick Patrikios, a woman vocalizes a seductive call. In the same way, the serpent first seduced Eve to mistrust God: “Where has your beloved gone, O fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned aside…” (Song of Songs 6:1).

Slide 10 – The hypnotic siren of “Twin Lynches,” by The Grey Room conveys the oscillating rhythm of the serpent’s seduction. The devil in disguise singled Eve out, using his wit and charm to lure her into his trap: “I went down to the garden of nuts, to see the verdure of the valley, to see whether the vine had budded and the pomegranates had bloomed … Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you!” (Song of Songs 6:11-13).

Slide 11 - “Arabian Nightfall,” by Doug Maxwell, with the mournful notes of a reed flute, calls for lamentation, as humanity has fallen, plunging the world into the darkness of separation from God and captivity to sin, with no hope, unless God makes a way for humanity to be saved: “Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices” (Song of Songs 8:14).

Slide 12: – “Hine Ma Tov,” by Ethan Eubanks continues the minor tune of the flute, but as a set-up for a quickening of pace, where hope abounds. Though Adam and Eve betrayed God, He would remain faithful to His beloved people. “Love is as strong as death,” but not even death could separate them from His love. “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame” (Song of Songs 8:6).

Slide 13: In “Ya Ribon,” by Ethan Eubanks, the time of singing is demonstrated in vocalization of the Hebrew lyrics with gusto. It is a song of praise to God, the King of kings who shall reign in glory. He fulfilled the prophesy in Genesis 3:15 by sending His chosen divine King. Christians make a strong argument that God sent His own Son, Yeshua or Jesus as a fulfillment of this prophesy. He gave His life to conquer sin, death, and the devil. He was raised back to life and ascended back to His heavenly throne and promises to return one day. Through God’s redemptive love, He initiated in His Church, a new humanity, an echo of the Garden of Eden—with the Church as His living temple, and a real, reciprocal love between Himself and His people: “My beloved spoke, and said to me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come” (Song of Songs 2:10-12).