Fragmenta in Canticum canticorum

Of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, on the Song of Songs, fragments. Your name is ointment poured out. It also signifies the appellation of the Only-Begotten invoked among all the nations, in that all the nations are fragrant toward him, bearing his name. Therefore, maidens, etc. Paul also was a maiden, saying, I am strong in all things through Christ who strengthens me. Hence he also loved exceedingly, saying, Who will separate us from the love of Christ? How did they draw him? By following in his footsteps and enjoying the ointments of the Gospels. If we run, the word of the maidens says, we will go after the Lord God. This kingdom he calls a treasury in the present context. They placed me as a guard, etc. Perhaps she accuses herself, that she did not guard her own vineyard, having allowed every passerby on the road to ravage it; and it was possible for it to be damaged by a thicket, and for a wild beast to consume it. Perhaps she also glorifies God, that, not having been able to guard her own vineyard, because she neither cultivated nor guarded it, she advanced so far as to be able to guard many vineyards. Or she calls the sons of her mother, the Synagogue, the Scribes and Pharisees who warred against those believing in Christ, commanding them to keep the worship according to the law; for this is the vineyard.

But I, he says, did not keep this; for whatever profits I had, I have considered loss through Christ, as the blessed Paul says. "As one enveloped among the flocks of your companions." He calls his companions the apostles. For he said: "I no longer call you slaves, but friends; for you are friends." And "enveloped" means "covered," as Paul says: "Until this very day, when Moses is read, a veil lies upon their heart." Therefore, the voice is the repentant Synagogue speaking to Christ: "Reveal yourself to me, so that while your companions shepherd the Churches, I may 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 have no fruits of righteousness, remaining barren, and behind the flocks which I established for myself. "I compared you to my horse." That is, having received my faith, O Church, you were likened to the apostles, concerning whom it is said: "You will mount your horses, and your horsemanship is salvation," who were also prepared against the chariots of the spiritual Pharaoh. "Your cheeks are like a turtledove's." That is, through the turtledove she represents the modesty toward the bridegroom; for the cheeks of the turtledove are red.

To the Synagogue, on the contrary, "A harlot's face came to you, you became shameless toward all." He calls the neck the submissive part of the soul; for how is it a beautiful ornament, having practiced bearing the yoke of Christ. Or, silver in Scripture is customarily divine teaching; gold, divine gifts. And all things, before the coming of Christ, were likenesses and shadows of the future good things, according to the Apostle. But Christ, having risen, has bestowed perfect things upon men; before the resurrection we had likenesses, from his praises, both of the law and the prophets. By nard and a bundle of myrrh the burial of Christ is signified; which Nicodemus, bearing, wrapped his body. The bride bears the two Testaments as breasts, between which Christ dwells. He calls her beautiful, not as before, saying only among women, but now also as near him, the bridegroom redoubles his praise of the bride, praising both her contemplative and her practical aspect. He calls eyes those for mind and heart; and of a dove, the sharp-sighted, according to which it is also taken for Spirit. He says, then, that the bride received a mind seeing only God. Eyes are also the innocent and sharp-sighted teachers of the Church. "I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys." The bride, having received the rain from above and given birth to virtue, compares herself to a flower of the plain; and she shows how much the coming of Christ benefited, how it showed even the valleys, unsuitable for any sowing, full of such flowers. For he calls a valley that which was hollowed out by the demons that once inhabited it.

Heap me up with apples." Secure me with the words of the Gospels; for these make Christ fragrant for us. And let me, he says, be counted among his saints; for just as he is an apple, so his fellow members and co-sharers are apples. "His left hand," etc. The Law is the left hand, the Gospel the right. Or also the present life is the left hand, the future life the right, which will embrace me when he says to those on the right: "Come, the blessed of my Father." And he says elsewhere: "Length of life and years of life are on the right of wisdom; on the left are wealth and glory." So the right of her is the knowledge of divine things, from which comes eternal life; the left is the knowledge of human things, from which come wealth and glory. He says, therefore, that my mind surpasses human things; and divine knowledge will cover me. For it is said again: "Honor her, so that she may embrace you." He shows, therefore, that the same one is both our bridegroom and our archer, and the purified soul is both bride and arrow; as an arrow, then, it is directed toward the good target. As a bride, he takes her up into communion of incorruptible eternity, granting length of life and years of life through the right hand; and through the left hand, the wealth of eternal goods and the glory of God, of which those who seek the glory of the world become partakers. For this reason he says that his left hand is upon my head, through which the arrow is directed toward the target; and his right hand, taking hold of me and drawing me to itself, makes me light for upward motion; and being sent there, and not separated from the archer, I rather rest. Then he turns the speech to the daughters of the upper Jerusalem.

The word is an exhortation brought under oath, that love may always increase and grow, until he who wishes all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth makes his will effective. Through the left side, it seems, the goods of the present life are hinted at, the enjoyment of which he already has; through the right, the expectation of future things in promises; the use of which, as has been said, he says lies in promises and hopes. And it is well said that he is embraced by the right hand, while the head rests on the left; for the goods of the present life, even if they are thought to be very pleasant and conspicuous, must be subordinated to the head of the perfect soul, providing only the necessary service to the body, as a pillow does to the head. But the things of the future age, since they are divine and stand above human nature, he hinted at their superiority through the embrace. Perhaps, however, since hands are a symbol of actions, and the actions of the left hand signify those of the body, while those of the right signify those of the soul—the right having received the better lot—the bodily necessities are encompassed. For just as the embracing hand is both above and holds the embraced within its arm, so actions directed toward the goal of the future life, constraining every irrational movement of the body, keep life orderly and bound together, with no one able to plot against the soul embraced by the bridegroom.

These things are for the clarification of what is dramatically introduced, up to the point, "Your voice is sweet, and your appearance is beautiful." And it is clear that the Bride of the Word is the soul, that is, the Church of Christ, which perceives a voice before understanding it as divine, which we the faithful experience, being struck with awe before understanding the legal and prophetic voices as full of divine grace. Such is the meaning of, "The voice of my beloved," commanded from the distant epiphany of the Word; whom, seeing him engaged in great speculations while not disdaining even the lesser ones, she says: "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills." Throughout the discourse, some things are said as if to the bridegroom present; others as if sought by the bride, since sometimes we seek some of the problems, being at a loss for the solution; at other times we enjoy the solution, when the bridegroom Word illuminates our hearts. Then again we are at a loss in other matters, and again he appears to us; and this happens many times, until, perfected, we obtain the bridegroom not only coming to us, but also making his abode. And the Church longs, being abandoned in trials, but he appears to her in gifts. Therefore she says: "Behold," she says, "this one comes leaping upon the mountains.

He also comes upon the nets spread by the Evil One near the Church; and having torn them, he teaches to tread upon them contemptuously. To the Church that has passed through every winter of trial, the signs of the air are shown, and the approach of summer, concerning which it is said in the Psalms: "The summer and the spring." For flowers appeared to her, and the complete purification drew near, the season of the so-called cutting. Peeping through the nets. Perhaps he also indicated the apostles through the art of fishing. So then the Church hears these things from the Word, receiving the radiance of truth through the prophetic windows and the legal nets, while the typological wall of teaching—I mean the law, which casts the shadow of future goods, not showing the very image of things—still stands; behind which the truth, standing and holding to the place, later shines forth. Or he spoke of the cutting of the spiritual harvest, concerning which the Savior says: "The harvest is plentiful." In the shelter of the rock, clinging to the forewall. In the shelter of the rock, clinging to the forewall; security indicated by the forewall; where, having come, she says, you will obtain every assistance. Turn away. She asks the bridegroom to leave behind the barren Synagogue and to come to those who, from the hollow and formerly humbled and idol-worshipping soul, have ascended to heavenly height. "I sought you on my bed in the nights." This indicates the women who came at deep dawn on the first day of the week to the tomb of Jesus and did not find him.

Therefore, when it says "upon the bed" or "from the bed," it calls the Lord's tomb her bed, in which we are buried with him. But she did not find him, having heard: "He is not here; for he has risen." And the watching angels found her, whom she also asks: "Where have you placed the Lord?" But when she had passed by those she questioned, he met her, saying: "Rejoice." Hence it says that she passed a little way from them until she found, and I will not let him go. For he grasped his feet and heard: "Do not touch me." And "house of the mother" means the assembly of the apostles, to which she went and proclaimed the resurrection of Christ. She was perfumed with myrrh and frankincense. Myrrh, when she is buried together through the frankincense; frankincense, when she has risen with him and partaken of his divinity. And the ecclesiastical soul is perfumed not only with these, but also with various speculations of knowledge. For one who distinguishes to the utmost and minutely examines matters even to the smallest detail might be called a perfumer, so to speak, refining and reducing to dust all the words of fragrance with which the bride is said to be perfumed.

Perhaps also the one who does not live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit, never having thickened his heart, preserving the varied and manifold fragrance, makes a fragrance from all the things now called dust of the perfumer. And one might say that the holy and ecclesiastical soul, once a child bereft of God, ascends from the synagogue of the nations, from the desert, having left behind doctrines and words and deeds that are bereft of God, ascending to those of God. And let the spiritual union be understood as gold, precious and divine. For even the ark in the desert, within and without, was smeared with gold for the manifestation of the divine union. And purple is placed upon the multitude of those called to the kingdom. And when someone believes, he receives Christ in his heart, who is a precious pearl. But also the litter, it says, is made from the daughters of Jerusalem for the sake of love alone. For God so loved the world that he sent his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life.

The Church from the Gentiles says: "Come out and see." She calls the day of the passion the day of the wedding, on which she was wedded to the Church through his blood. Her silence signifies obedience in everything, according to: "Be silent and listen, Israel." Or the two fawns are the ethical and doctrinal teaching, the two breasts of the bride; from which those who are nourished see with sharpness toward God. The nose is the fragrance of the apostolic and evangelical words, which we graze upon until the end. "Come from Lebanon, bride." It teaches us whence the bride comes, and that she comes from idolatry. For Mount Lebanon is full of idols; "whence you will come," it says; "you will pass through the law"; for, being ignorant of it, you were catechized in the mystery of Christ. "You have heartened us, my sister bride." That is, you have led us into desire for yourself, by one word of confession, which you held rightly, seeing with your inner eyes. For, having submitted to the yoke of your neck, you made the confession. These things are said to her by the friends of the bridegroom, I mean the angelic powers. For since there is a double visual activity, one seeing the truth and the other wandering about vain things, because the pure eye of the bride has been opened only to the nature of the good, while the other is idle, for this reason the friends bring praise to one of the eyes; calling her sister, through kinship by dispassion; and bride, through union with the Word.

Since, then, it says, your eye is one in looking to the one, and the soul is one because it is not divided among various dispositions, and the position of your neck has perfection, having taken up the divine yoke upon itself (for this is the setting of your neck, that is, the yoke of the Lord), for this reason we confess that you have captivated us with wonders, which is that you have implanted in us a soul and mind for the understanding of the light through yourself. For in you we perceive the sun of righteousness, as in a mirror; and through the repetition they lend credibility to what is said. A garden enclosed. It is closed to the world, but opened to the heavenly bridegroom. The spring is sealed by the Holy Spirit, with which we are anointed after baptism. For the virtues are signified by the spices. The woods of Lebanon, it says, are the prophets. Through the myrrh and the aloe, that Christ, having been entombed, communed with the saints who preceded him; for having descended into Hades, he brought them up. On the cross, it says, he underwent death for the sake of men; the heart keeps watch, in that as God he plundered Hades. Or, what has your little brother done, or what do you have from your little brother? The lips dripping myrrh, it says, are those confessing death. His shins are marble pillars. These would also be bases. For those who are built are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Consequently, it praises the shins after the belly, which it says are pillars.

founded of marble upon golden bases. And pillars of the Church, such as Peter and John, who have Christ as their foundation, called gold. And of marble, as Paul called a foundation; because of their steadfastness and immovability, and by their bright life and sound reason they bear up and support the common body of the Church. But also to love God with the whole heart, and one's neighbor as oneself, as through pillars of marble, to bear up the common body of the Church. For he who is perfected in these two commandments is made a pillar and foundation of the Church; so that by these two achievements the whole body of the Church is supported as on some legs, the golden foundation of the faith-based base instilling in the thoughts unswervingness and immutability and steadfastness in every good. I give him faith, and he gives me the kingdom. And he shepherds in the purity of the Scriptures and the holy doctrines. Turn your eyes away from those who disobey you, and incline them to me; for they, it says, aroused love in me [for you]. Work of a craftsman. And he calls the craftsman the Creator Christ; for as he became obedient, so also the Church. And he speaks of her self-control and her submission; this soul being subject to faith, and the body to self-control. And he also indicates her priesthood, saying: Not lacking in mixture, evidently of the blood of Christ; for this is in the hands of the priests. And he calls her neck the deacons of Christ, because they bear the head of the Church for Christ.

For they bear his holy body in a pure conscience, confessing his mysteries. Therefore he has said "ivory," such as Paul calls dignified deacons, not attending much to wine. A king bound in the courses. Or otherwise, he says that a bond of the people's love is led into the royal priesthood. Or in your delight, in your love, because some even of the righteous are considered. The breasts are likened to grape clusters, which possess spiritual joy. Or that I offer the confession, and his return is upon me; either in the second coming, or also from the people of the Jews. Therefore the food of the bride is sanctified, with Christ feasting together. Or rather, the Church prays that the advent of the Savior into Judea may take place, according to the providence of the one who gives him to men, so that the Theotokos may nurse him. Having found you. Or rather, outside Jerusalem where he was crucified. Or he speaks of the entombment, which Joseph and Nicodemus carried out. And he says "of pomegranates" of the saints. Its wings, wings of fire. The walls, he says, of the Church are fire. A spiritual Solomon became a vineyard; he means the Church. And "Beelamon" is interpreted as "among those who have believed." And who have believed, if not those who have received his commandments? The one sitting in gardens oversees the Churches; the companions attend, and they do not judge, but the Son performs all judgment. The bride desires to hear: "Enter into the joy of your Lord." And she deems it worthy that he also cast out the wicked, saying, "Flee, to come upon the saints.