"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth."

Keiron and I on our wedding day.

Surprised by the title? Want some more?

"...your love is more delightful than wine."

He says to her:

  "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves."

I don't think those doves were crying. Continuing, she says in response:

 "How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant."

Alright, so we've got some making out, lots of compliments and even some lush lovemaking. Can you guess from where I pulled these quotes? 

Nope, not "Romeo & Juliet" or "Othello". 

 

If you said the Bible, you are correct. Those are verses from the very first chapter of the Old Testament book of the Song of Solomon (New International Version). I remember as a child sitting through a seemingly endless (and boring) Sunday morning sermon, stumbling upon this titillating collection of romantic prose. I wasn't even sure what sex was, but I knew this part of the Bible was far different from the Noah's Ark, Sunday School- type stories I usually read. 

Fast forward to the first year or so of my marriage, and I was trying to think up ways to let my husband, K, know I was thinking of him throughout the day. I started including little love notes in his lunch bag with various verses from the Song of Solomon. Here are a few of my favorite:

"All night long on my bed

I looked for the one my heart loves;

I looked for him but did not find him.

I will get up now and go about the city,

through its streets and squares;

I will search for the one my heart loves.

So I looked for him but did not find him.

The watchmen found me

as they made their rounds in the city.

“Have you seen the one my heart loves?”

Scarcely had I passed them

when I found the one my heart loves.

I held him and would not let him go..."

(From chapter 3)

"Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for love is as strong as death,

its jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

like a mighty flame.

Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

all the wealth of one’s house for love,

it would be utterly scorned."

(From chapter 8)

You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;

you have stolen my heart

with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.

How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!

How much more pleasing is your love than wine,

and the fragrance of your perfume

more than any spice!

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.

(From chapter 4)

Next week will mark five years of marriage for me and K. It hasn't been easy, and it's been necessary to turn to the Bible for help on a number of occasions. Along with the more discussed passages on marriage, I've learned the importance of referencing Solomon's luscious love song. Who needs '"Fifty Shades" when you've got the Good Book?

On our second anniversary.