Devotion to Mary is the clear intent of the great effusion of Renaissance & early Baroque motets and arias on Song of Songs texts with a feminine addressee, that, in one way or another, say O quam tu pulchra es - "How fair you are!" These Marian devotional arias often sound very much like love songs in the human sense, and why should we find that surprising? The Virgin as portrayed in Renaissance & Baroque paintings is often quite like the beautiful women depicted in contemporary portraits or in paintings of goddesses from Greek & Roman myths. Similarly, arias in sacred music written by 19th century Italian composers sound very much like arias in the operas that those same composers wrote. One of the great singers of recent decades offers another striking instance of this continuum between sacred and secular: the Aretha Franklin whose powerful voice spirals up to God in her Gospel music is quite like the Aretha Franklin in popular songs, with all her vocal power trained on a human male (a "guy").



Quam pulchra es English translation

7 Quam pulchra es, et quam decora, carissima, in deliciis! 8 Statura tua assimilata est palmae, et ubera tua botris. 5-6 Caput tuum ut Carmelus; collum tuum sicut turris eburnea. 12-13 Veni, dilecte mi, egrediamur in agrum, et videamus si flores fructus parturiunt, si floruerunt mala Punica; ibi dabo tibi ubera mea. Alleluja.

7 How fair you are and how pleasing, dearest, in delights! 8 Your stature is like a palm tree, & your breasts like grape-clusters. 5-6 Your hear is like Carmel; your neck like a tower of ivory. 12-13 Come, my beloved, let us go out into the field and see if the flowers have given fruit, if the pomegranates have flowered; there I will give you my loves. Hallelujah.


Ecce tu pulchra es English translation

Ecce tu pulchra es, amica mea; oculi tui columbarum. Ecce tu pulcher es dilecte mi et decorus; lectulus noster floridus. Tecta domorum nostrarum cedrina, lqueraria nostra cipresina. Ego flos campi et lilium convallium. Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter filias. Introduxit me rex in cubiculum suum. Ordinavit in me caritatem. Fulcite me floribus, stipate me malis, quia amore langueo.

Lo, you are fair, my love; your eyes are doves'. Lo, you are fair, my beloved, and pleasing; & our bed is verdant. The beams of our house are cedar, our rafers are cypress. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valley. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. The king brought me to his chamber. His banner over me was love. Stay with me, comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love.


O dulcissima English translation

O dulcissima pulchra superni regis amica, que speciosus et super omnes rector est orbis, ille decoram teque vidit esse puellam. Per Salomonem hec tibi sacra cantica misit. O mea sponsa de libano iam cito veni nempe pudoris diadema cara tenebis tu mea dulcis casta columba immaculata. Amen.

O sweetest fair love of the supernal king, who is the splendid and supreme ruler of the world. He saw that you were a seemly maiden. Through Solomon these sacred songs to you he sent. O my bride, from Lebanon now I summon you: come! Surely modesty's crown you will hold, you, my sweet pure dove without blemish. Amen.


Sicut lilium inter spinas English translation

II.2 Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica inter filias Hierusalem. II.5 Fulcite me floribus, stipate me malis; quia amore langueo. IV.9 Vulnerasti cor meum, soror me, sponsa mea.

II.2 Like a lily among the thorns, so is my beloved among Jerusalem's daughters. II.5 Strengthen me with dainties, attend me with apples; for I am sick with love. IV.9 You have wounded my heart, my sister, my spouse.


Pulchra es, amica mea English translation

4 Pulchra es, amica mea, filia Jerusalem, suavis et decora sicut Jerusalem, terribilis ut caastrorum acies. 5 Averte oculos tuos a me, quia ipsi me avolare fecerunt.

4 You are fair, my love, Jerusalem's daughter, pleasing and comely like Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners. 5 Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me.


Nigra sum English translation

I.5 Nigra sum sed formosa, filiae Jerusalem... [Ideo dilexit me rex] I.4 et introduxit me in cubiculum suum II.10 et dixit mihi: Surge amica...et veni. 11 Iam hiems transiit et recessit. 12 Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra, tempus putationis advenit.

1.5 I am black but comely, Jerusalem's daughters... [So the king loved me] I.4 and brought me to his chamber II.10 and said to me: Arise my love...and come away. II.11 The winter is over and gone. II.12 Flowers have appeared in our land; the time of pruning has come.


O dulcissima dilecta mea English translation

O dulcissima dilecta mea, quid moraris, cur cunctaris? Surge, propera, amica mea. Formosa mea, immaculata mea veni, vita, veni, spes animae meae, speciosum faciem tuam videre et vocem tuam suavem audire desidero. Veni, flos paradisi, super lilium convallium. Surge ergo, et noli tardare, tui enim amore ardeo. Alleluja.

O my sweetest beloved, why do you delay, why hesitate? Rise, hurry, my love. My fair one, my undefiled, come, my life, come, my soul's hope -- to see your lovely face & hear your pleasing voice is what I desire. Come, flower of paradise, more than lily of the valley. So rise and do not tarry, for with love for you I burn. Hallelujah.


O quam tu pulchra es English translation

O quam tu pulchra es, amica mea, columba mea, formosa mea. Oculi tui columbarum, capilli tui sicut greges caprarum et dentes tui sicut greges tonsarum. O quam tu pulchra es. Veni de Libano, amica mea, columba mea, formosa mea. O quam tu pulchra es, veni coronaberis. Surge, propera, sponsa mea, dilecta mea, immaculata mea, quia amore langueo.

O how fair you are, my love, my dove, my fair one. Your eyes are doves', your hair like flocks of goats and your teeth like flocks of sheep. O how fair you are. Come from Lebanon, my love, my dove, my fair one. O how fair you are, come and be crowned. Rise, make haste, my spouse, my beloved, my undefiled, because I languish with love.


Tota pulchra es English translation

Tota pulchra es amica mea, macula non est in te. Favus distillans labia tua. Mel et lac sub lingua tua. Odor unguentorum, super omnia aromata. Tota pulchra es. Iam enim hiems transiit, imber abiit et recessit. Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra. Vox turturis audita est. Ficus protulit grossos suos, vineae florentes dederunt odorem suum. Surge propera, amica mea, columba mea, formosa mea, veni de Libano et coronaberis.

You are wholly fair my love, there is no spot in you. Sweetness drops from your lips, milk and honey are under your tongue. The smell of your ointments surpasses all fragrances. You are wholly fair. For lo the winter is past, the rain is over and go\ne. Flowers appear on the earth. The turtle-dove's voice is heard. The fig tree has put forth its green figs, the flowering vines given their scent. Rise, make haste my love, my dove, my fair, come from Lebanon and be crowned.