Beinecke MS 404

[davidjackson]

The olive trees upon the mountain fooled me - I suppose they are meant to be cedars. Thank you for looking it up.
Ah yes - the "song of songs" - by far the most risqué part of the bible. Which gives some of the best pickup lines in history (from the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.):

• Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing.
  
• Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies.
  
• you have stolen my heart, with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace. (You capitalist swine, you)
  

He says:
Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;milk and honey are under your tongue.
 The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.
Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,with every kind of incense tree, with myrrh and aloes and all the finest spices.
You are a garden fountain, a well of flowing water streaming down from Lebanon.

to which she replies

Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.

Am I just a modern cynic or am I starting to understand why my grand-father used to become so engrossed when reading his bible?

But of course, the whole thing is supposed to be an allegory for the love Christ had for his Church, which was as his wife.