The Song of Songs: The World's First Great Love Poem (Modern Library Classics)

The Song of Songs: The World's First Grear Love Poem!!!

Needed this book for class, came in a timely manner.

You want to be scholarly and sexy all at once? Looking for the perfect book for an important anniversary or a gift for that intellectual you have your eye on? Look no further. The very first verse sets the tone: "Kiss me, make me drunk with your kisses! Your sweet loving Is better than wine." In their introduction, the Blochs note that the woman's viewpoint predominates in this amazing collection of love poems. Most of the lines are hers and she is more forceful than her lover. the two of them live in an earthly paradise, thriving in nature, exulting in their youthful sexuality. Later of course, the rabbis justified this book's inclusion in the biblical canon by pretending it was an allegory of love between God and the Jewish people or the Jewish people and the Torah. Christianity saw it as an allegory of the love between Jesus and the church or somesuch nonesense. This translation casts aside these perversions and reclaims this wonderful celebration of human sexuality for what it is. I can't recommend it too highly. For more on me and my book,  The Nazi Hunter: A Novel go to [...]

The Blochs' translation is concise, elegant, and strikes the right balance between contemporary explicitness and classical reserve. Some of the textual choices are debatable, and the translation often departs from literalness, sometimes omitting entire lines -- but the overall result is fresh and exciting; this nuanced rendition really brings the Song to life.One thing to be aware of is that, other than the poem itself, a brief introduction, and some brief remarks by Robert Alter, the text consists mostly of very detailed translators' notes analyzing the verses line by line, even word by word. This material will be of interest to scholars of ancient Hebrew but perhaps not to the general reader. I read the book (sans notes) in about forty minutes -- and I have to wonder if I should have paid [amt] for the privelege. Nothing against the Blochs or their fine work, but I would have preferred more supporting material of more general interest.

I concur that this is an excellent book. The cover displayed by Amazon that is on later editions has a large segment of the wonderful painting by Post-Impressionist artist Henri Rousseau titled (English translation), "The Dream."From Wikipedia, I've gleaned that it was his last painting, is 6' 8 1/2" x 9' 9 1/2", and resides in the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. The contemporary poet and critic Guillaume Appolinaire wrote of it, "The picture radiates beauty, that is indisputable."I would urge anyone to see the original work of art in NYC if they have the opportunity, especially if unconvinced of its sublime nature.

There are so many commentaries & angles on The Song of Songs in Scripture. But this one is translated from the Hebrew by the authors themselves, with more of a literary understanding from the original Hebrew than a spiritual treatise of the book, although that aspect is there. What this book does is take the writing out of the religious realms & down into each of our lives, personal, deep, evocative, & sexually explicit without being sanitized. In other words, it's really real in every sense. It's especially rich for anyone who loves Hebrew & related languages.

Gives great insight and depth unto this mysterious book of the bible. If you are looking for an interpretation that matches the context of the original Hebrew, then this edition is a perfect read.

I am reading this slowly. Expect to use it a lifetime. I love it! I have rested under the branches of the scholarly work done and tasted of the fruit. I return frequently, opening the pages of the text and comments. It is refreshing and provokes me to admire love in all it's forms, both earthly and heavenly. I love Robert Alters contribution and the insights offered by the two authors. I would highly recommend this book.

I bought this on the recommendation of a lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies where I took a course on the Song of Songs. This is a truly beautiful translation which benefits from the husband and wife team, she is a poet and he is a bible scholar and they lend their respective talents to this ancient and multi-layered piece of scripture. It is presented beautifully with the Hebrew text facing the English translation followed by notes and commentary. I especially liked the absence of footnotes to the translation as this preserved the feeling of poetry in the English mirroring the Hebrew (which is in a helpful legible font, fully vowelled). I can't recommend this highly enough.

excellent

Excellent