Reflections on the Song of Songs – “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away…”
Reflections on the Song of Songs
The spiritual people read this book and grow in their love for God. But the carnal need guidance when reading it, lest they misunderstand it and descend from its lofty meaning to worldly interpretations.
The subject of our meditation today is the divine saying in the Song of Songs:
“The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills… 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 pruning has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land… Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.’” (Song 2:10–14)
“Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away…”
“The voice of my beloved, leaping upon the mountains…”
The voice of God often appears in a person’s life. The Lord calls out to the soul, saying: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away…”
This voice reached many who lived in sinful environments.
The Lord wanted to comfort their souls, to deliver them from the sights and influence of evil surroundings. He said to each soul: “Enough weariness in this corrupt place… Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
This was the voice that Abraham, the father of fathers, heard. He lived in a pagan environment and heard God’s voice saying to him: “Get out of your country, from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you… and you shall be a blessing.” (Gen 12:1–2)
God saw His servant Abraham’s soul in a dangerous environment and lovingly called to it: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Leave your father’s house, for it is no longer a holy dwelling. Come to the holy mountain I will show you. There you will offer sacrifices, there I will bless you and magnify your name, and “I will show you My love.”
The same happened with Lot.
He was in the land of Sodom, a corrupt place, and his righteous soul was tormented daily by the deeds of the wicked. Lot suffered every day, and his spirituality was weary from Sodom’s immorality. Then God’s voice reached Lot’s tired soul, saying: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Arise, flee for your life. Do not look back, lest you perish.
Lot’s soul was precious to God, so He sent two angels to pull Lot and his family out, saving them from Sodom’s fire. And God’s gentle voice echoes in the heart, saying tenderly: “How long, O weary soul, will you dwell in Sodom? How long will you sit in the seat of scoffers, walk in the path of sinners? How long will you cling to the grassy land, losing your spirituality? Enough time and effort have been wasted—arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
The same voice, amid corruption, reached our father Noah.
Evil filled the earth, and God planned to destroy all living things. But He looked at Noah’s righteous soul and said: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Come, enter the holy, safe ark—which symbolizes the Church—protected by God’s care, rising above the waves of the world, untouched by the flood that destroyed all else.
It is a call to depart from corrupt surroundings and bad company that can spoil good morals. A call to leave behind the stumbling blocks of the senses—the sights, sounds, and thoughts that stir unworthy feelings. “Enough toil, O soul—arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Arise, my beloved and fair one. Your spiritual beauty cannot coexist with the corruption around you. Rise and come to a purer, holier place fitting your nature—created in God’s image and likeness.
This may also be said to one wasting time watching immoral shows, listening to idle songs, or indulging in vain talk and places of amusement. All of this plants in both the conscious and subconscious mind images that require effort to erase.
Often, a voice rises within: “How long will you remain in this place or state?” And you recall the Lord’s ancient words: “You have dwelt long enough at this mountain.”
Leave this place—it will bring rest to your soul, your conscience, and your thoughts.
You realize that God’s call to you is not merely a command but a word of love from the Lord who desires your salvation. A phrase full of affection and appreciation—a call to relationship with Him: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
God calls the soul and shows His appreciation for it, saying: “O my fair one.”
Despite all that surrounds you, you are beautiful in God’s eyes, and your beauty belongs to Him alone. Therefore, He says: “O my fair one.”
The phrase “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away” may not only be a call to leave a corrupt environment—it can also be a call to service.
God may say to the soul: “Come, join Me in building the Kingdom. Come, I will send you to the nations as I sent Paul before. Come, let us work together—I send you to preach, for how shall they hear without a preacher?”
Why remain far from the blessing of service? Arise and come. Work with Me, as Paul said of himself and Apollos: “We are God’s fellow workers.” Come, beloved soul, and share with the Holy Spirit in the work of the Kingdom; enter the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and save souls by all means.
This voice once reached the prophet Moses, who was then tending sheep in the wilderness, living quietly, far from the noise of Pharaoh’s palace.
God looked upon Moses’ gentle, humble soul and said: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Come, I send you to Pharaoh to carry My message and fulfill My will.
Moses, who loved peace and quiet, who had tasted their beauty for forty years, wished to decline, saying: “I am not eloquent… I am slow of speech and tongue. Send someone else.” But God insisted on His call, saying to this humble soul that apologized for lack of gifts: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
If you lack gifts, I will give you Aaron to be your mouth. My Holy Spirit will speak through you, for He is “the One who speaks in the prophets.”
Forty years in the wilderness have taught you meekness and patience and how to shepherd. Now it is time to bear fruit in others’ lives. You have been trained and prepared long enough; go forth to lead. If Pharaoh or Israel weary you, I will be with you—“I will not leave you nor forsake you.” My rod will be in your hand, Moses, and you shall perform wonders. Service does not depend on the servant’s gifts, but on those granted by the Holy Spirit to whomever God sends. “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Another soul heard this same call and also hesitated for lack of gifts—Jeremiah the prophet. The Lord said: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Jeremiah replied: “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the Lord said: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ for you shall go to all to whom I send you… Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.”
This call of God is a swift one—therefore it is said of the Lord: “He comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.”
The Lord leaps over the mountains, running swiftly to save a soul precious to Him. His tender heart cannot bear for that soul to remain away from Him even a day—or an hour, or a moment. He hastens to her, leaping upon the mountains and skipping on the hills, so that the soul says: “My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.”
The stag or gazelle is strong and swift, leaping over mountains to reach the soul—“a brand plucked from the fire” (Zech 3:2)—snatched quickly from the flames before being consumed.
It is a swift call: “Now it is high time to awake out of sleep.”
“Today I must stay at your house.”
“I will arise now and go to my Father.”
A quick call from the Lord—leaping upon the mountains, skipping on the hills—running swiftly, saying: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.”
Enough of the seven lean years; enough of the three and a half years when Elijah shut the heavens from rain and dew. Enough of the bitterness that filled your cup—enough! How long will you flee? Arise and come.
Come, for the fields are white for harvest.
The winter is past, the rain is over and gone, spring has come, and the fields are white for harvest. “I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” Therefore, arise—for the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Come, for the service needs many.
Come, O soul that will labor with Christ.
For winter has passed—the season of spiritual coldness—and warmth has entered the heart. Nothing now hinders you from coming, for the rain is over and gone.
Come, for the flowers appear on the earth,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
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Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – Al-Keraza Magazine, Year 5, Issue 12, December 21, 1974
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