How does the night search lead into the picture of Solomon’s wedding?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

After an unsuccessful night search, the speaker finds her beloved just beyond the watchmen and holds him. The song then turns to Solomon’s guarded bed, splendid litter, and wedding crown.

Chapter breakdown

At night, the speaker searches for her beloved in bed but cannot find him. She resolves to rise and look in the streets and broad ways of the city. The search is still unsuccessful. The city watchmen meet her, and she asks whether they have seen him. Shortly after passing them, she finds him and holds him. She intends to bring him into her mother’s house and the room where her mother bore her. She then asks Jerusalem’s daughters not to awaken the beloved until she pleases.

Challoner interprets the dark search as the Gentiles seeking God before receiving Christ’s teaching. He identifies the watchmen with apostles and teachers. He reads holding the beloved as the Church’s firm faith and bringing him into the mother’s house as a future Jewish reception of that faith. These are the edition’s interpretations of the poem.

The scene changes to a figure coming through the desert like smoke scented with myrrh, frankincense, and a perfumer’s powders. Sixty skilled warriors surround Solomon’s bed, each armed with a sword because of fears in the night. Solomon’s wooden litter has silver pillars, a gold seat, purple steps, and a center covered with charity for Jerusalem’s daughters. Sion’s daughters are invited to see him wearing the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, a day of joy.

The story inside

The speaker cannot find her beloved in bed, so she goes out into the city streets. The watchmen meet her, and she asks whether they have seen him. Soon afterward she finds him and resolves to bring him to her mother’s house. The scene changes to a richly scented procession and the king’s wedding celebration.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The search moves from the bed to the streets, and finding the beloved follows the encounter with the watchmen (3:1–4).
2
Sixty armed men guard Solomon’s bed because of fears in the night (3:7–8).
3
The final invitation directs Sion’s daughters to the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day (3:11).

Test your recall

Where does the speaker find her beloved, and why do armed men guard Solomon’s bed?

Show answer

She finds him shortly after passing the city watchmen. Sixty skilled warriors surround Solomon’s bed, each with a sword, because of fears in the night (3:3–4, 7–8).

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 71141–71142
3:1. In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not.
Lines 71160–71162
3:4. When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that bore me.
Lines 71172–71173
3:7. Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounded the bed of Solomon?