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Conclusion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 September 2009

Erica Longfellow
Affiliation:
Kingston University, Surrey
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Summary

Among the numerous seventeenth-century verse paraphrases of the Song of Songs is one by Barbara Mackay, Lady Scourie (fl. 1657), a Highland Scotswoman. Her translation is prefaced with the following poem:

O Song off Songs o Song most pretious rare

To speak off the let no song elss compare

O Song that Superlatively exceed

All can be said o sweet song that feed

With Heavnly raptures with inchanted Stoūnds

Off love-sick flames, it both charmes and wounds

The soul that reads it, fixing all its darts

Within the centre off all Heavnly hearts

For majesty, let non with it compare

For melodie it is exceeding rare

For harmonie it is all one intire

For puritie it is the truth most pure

It ravisheth, it captivates, it charmes

All sound affections in the beloveds armes

This sweet dealgoue that point out the Love

Betwixt the creature and his Lord above

No wonder though the wisest off all men

Were chois'd to dip in the his sacred pen

No wonder though his name to this accord

[For] he was born beloved off the Lord

Come then sweet singer with thy heavnly Song

For I intend to heare you all a Long[.]

Like many other translators and commentators, Barbara Mackay's poem plays on the Hebrew title of the Song of Songs, which can be read ‘song above all other songs’ or, as she puts it, ‘Song most pretious rare’.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2004

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  • Conclusion
  • Erica Longfellow, Kingston University, Surrey
  • Book: Women and Religious Writing in Early Modern England
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511483707.009
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  • Conclusion
  • Erica Longfellow, Kingston University, Surrey
  • Book: Women and Religious Writing in Early Modern England
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511483707.009
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Conclusion
  • Erica Longfellow, Kingston University, Surrey
  • Book: Women and Religious Writing in Early Modern England
  • Online publication: 22 September 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511483707.009
Available formats
×