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IV. L 0 ve f S I" _ ___________________ 6 7from "The Song 0 0 omon n __ -

. -------------------------- 69Echo and Narc1ssus _n nn _

Th . b - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 2Pyramus and .1S e n __

---------------- 73The Prodigal Son- -- -- - n __ - - - - n -- n - n n -- ---

d Ab h - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 74Isaac an ra am u __

Poetry: Dickinson, Owen-- -- - -- - -- - -- - - -- -- n -- -- -- - - - - _n - - n -- -- n 75

· .'

from The Song of Solomon ­from the Bible

The voice of my beloved!Behold, he comes,

leaping upon the mountains,bounding over the hills.

My beloved is like a gazelle,or a young stag.

Behold, there he standsbehind our wall,

gazing in at the windows,looking through the lattice.

My beloved speaks and says to me:'Arise, my love, my fair one,

and come away;for 10, the winter is past,

the rain is over and gone.The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of singing has come,and the voice of the turtledove

is heard in our land.The fig tree puts forth its figs,

and the vines are in blossom;they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one,and come away.

o my dove, in the clefts of therock,

in the covert of the cliff,let me hear your voice,

for your voice is sweet,and your face is comely,

Catch us the foxes,the little foxes,

that spoil the vineyards,for our vineyards are III

blossom."

LOVE

My beloved is mine and I am hishe pastures his flock among the

lilies.Until the day breathes

and the shadows flee,tum, my beloved, be like agazelle, .

or a young stag upon ruggedmountains -What is your beloved more thananother beloved,

o fairest among women?What is your beloved more thananother beloved,

that youths adjure us?

My beloved is all radiant andruddy,

distinguished among tenthousand.His head is the finest gold;

his locks are wavy,black as a raven.

His eyes are like dovesbeside springs of water,bathed in milk,fitly set.

His cheeks are like beds of spices,yielding fragrance.

His lips are lilies,distilling liquid myrrh.

His arms 'lr~ rounded gold,set with jewels.

His body i" ivory work,encruste(~ with sapphires.

His legs are alabaster columns,set upon bases of gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,choice as the cedars.

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'----

His speech is most sweet,and he is altogether desirable.

This is my beloved and this is myfriend,

o daughters of Jerusalem.

Whither has your beloved gone,o fairest among women?

Whither has your beloved turned,that we may seek him with

you?

My beloved has gone down to hisgarden,

to the beds of spices,to pasture his flock in the gardens,

and to gather lilies.You are beautiful as Tirzah, mylove,

comely as Jerusalem,terrible as an army with

banners.Turn away your eyes from me,

for they disturb me -Your hair is like a flock of goats,

moving down the slopes ofGilead.Your teeth are like a flock ofewes,

that have come up from thewashing;all of them bear twins,

not one among them IS

bereaved.Your cheeks are like halves of apomegranate

behind your veil.There are sixty queens and eightyconcubines,

and maidens without number.My dove, my perfect one, is onlyone,

the darling of her mother,

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flawless to her that bore her.The maidens saw her and calledher happy

the queens and concubines also,and

they praised her."Who is this that looks forth likethe dawn,

fair is the moon, bright as thesun,

terrible as an army withbanners?"

I went down to the nut orchard,to look at the blossoms of the

valley,to see whether the vines hadbudded,

whether the pomegranates werein bloom.Before I was aware, my fancy setme

in a chariot beside my prince.

/

Echo and Narcissus

At times it pleased great Zeus to take some earthly fonn, and so descendfrom Olympus to amuse himself among the mortals. But Hera, his queen,was jealous of these pleasures, and whenever she learned he had gone, shewould follow and search until she found him. Then she would weary himwith angry words and reproaches until, for the sake of peace, he would .return with her to his high place on Olympus.

But once, when Hera followed him to earth, Zeus hid himself in a deepwood and bade the nymph Echo go to meet his queen and keep her in talkuntil he could escape unseen back to Olympus.

This Echo did. Of all the nymphs, she was the wittiest and kindest, andshe possessed a hauntingly musical voice. She hastened forth and, meetingHera, began at once to pour into her ears a curious tale of something shehad lately seen. So fascinating was this story that, although Hera was inhaste to fmd Zeus, she stayed to listen. When the story had reached its end,she would have gone again upon her way, but now Echo had some evenstranger tale to tell, and in this way she kept Hera listening until Zeus wassafely back upon Olympus. When she returned at last, wearied from hersearching upon the earth, she found him there, enthroned again in his highhall in all his majesty and glory.

But Hera guessed the trick that had been played on her and she cried inwrath, "Never again shall Echo's cunning tongue be used for deceivingothers. Her silvery voice shall avail her nothing, for she shall never againbe able to put her thoughts into words." And she took from Echo allpower of speech except that of repeating the words spoken by others.

Now piteous indeed was Echo's case, and the more piteous because sheloved a youth named Narcissus. He was the fairest youth on all the earth;so beauteous, indeed, that many a nymph pined for love of him. ButNarcissus scorned them all and fled from their sighs and tender looks.Echo might, perhaps, in time have won his love by her wit, but now shecould not put it into words, and he fled from her as from the others.

One day she hid herself among the bushes in a wood where he oftencame, with the hope that he, thinking himself alone, might breathe outsome tender word or sigh she could repeat to him.

It was not long before she saw him come. He was weary and threwhimself down beneath a tree to rest. "Heigh ho!" he sighed.

"Heigh ho!" Echo repeated softly."Who is there?" cried Narcissus, jumping up."Is there!" answered Echo."Is it a friend?""A friend!" replied the nymph.

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"\

"Then come to me.""Come to me," Echo cried joyously, and springing from he thicket

where she had lain hidden, she ran to him with outstretched arms.But Narcissus drew back from her with frowning brows. "I know thee

now," he cried. "Thou art one of those who have followed me, wailing oflove. I do not want thy love."

"Want thy love," the nymph repeated piteously, holding out her arms tohim.

But Narcissus answered still more sharply, "Away and touch me not,and never follow me again!"

"Follow me again!" cried Echo. But already Narcissus had fled moreswiftly than she could follow, and from that day he hid from her and shecould not find him.

Then the poor nymph grieved bitterly. Day after day she spent in tearsand sadness, until at last her sorrow melted her flesh away. At last nothingwas left of her but a wandering voice that haunted caves and cliffs,answering the calls and cries of others. But before she quite vanished, thenymph breathed a silent prayer to Aphrodite that someday Narcissushimself might feel a sorrow like to hers, might pine with love for someonewho neither could nor would return his love.

Her silent prayer was granted. It came to pass that Narcissus onceentered a lonely wood where he had never been before, and he came upona pool as still and bright as polished silver. Thirsty after his wanderings,he knelt to drink. As he bent his head to the water, he saw an image anddid not realize it was his own reflection. He blinked his eyes and lookedagain. It was still there - the most beautiful face he had ever seen, asbeautiful, he felt sure, as his own, but with a nimbus of light behind it sothat the golden hair was blurred and looked as long as a girl's. He gazedand gazed and knew he could look upon this face forever and still not besatisfied. He put out his hand to touch her. The water trembled and shedisappeared.

Narcissus drew back with beating heart and breathlessly waited, hopingshe would appear again, yet fearing he had frightened this lovely waternymph away forever. '

Then as the pool grew still, the image showed again in the water. Moregently now, Narcissus stooped toward it, and as he leaned nearer, the imageseemed to rise toward him, until it was as though in a moment their lipswould meet; but when he thought to kiss those lips, it was only the chillwater that he touched.

Again and still again he tried to grasp the image, but always at his touchit disappeared. And now the unhappy youth spent all his days there by theforest pool, filled with hopeless Jove for his own image. He neither ate norslept, but pined with love, even as Echo had, until at last he pined his life

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away.Then, from the fields and woods, arose a sound of mourning. Voices

cried, "Narcissus, the beautiful, is dead!" Nymphs and dryads lamentedover his death, while Echo repeated every sigh and sad complaint sheheard.

A funeral pyre was built on which to lay the body of Narcissus, butwhen they went to look for it, they found, in the spot where he had lain,only a snow-white flower. It was a flower different from any they hadseen before and, guessing the gods had changed him into this form, theycalled it by his name.. Ever since, that flower has been known as thenarCiSSUS.

And in the woods and hills, when all is still, if you call in a certain way,Echo will answer your call.

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Pyramus and Thisbe

Pyramus and Thisbe, the handsomest youth and the most beautiful girlin Babylon, lived in adjoining houses They fell in love and wanted tomarry, but their parents were opposed to this and forbade them to see eachother. However, they managed to keep their love alive by means of a chinkin the wall that separated their two houses. They would stand on theirrespective sides of this small hole in the wall and whisper to each other, geta slight glimpse of the other, and even feel each other's breath. Finallythey decided to defy their parents and to elope. They agreed to meetsecretly near a certain mulberry tree outside the city. On the appointedevening, Thisbe stole out of her house and was the first to arrive at thetrysting place. As she waited for Pyramus, she was frightened by a lionesswhose jaws were dripping with the blood of a recent kill. Thisbe ran tohide in a nearby cave, dropping her veil as she ran. The lioness, afterdrinking her fill at a spring, saw the veil on the ground, ripped it with herbloody mouth, tossed it aside, and padded into the woods.

When Pyramus arrived and saw the tracks of a large animal and theblood stained veil crumpled on the ground, he was sure that some beast hadkilled his beloved. Blaming himself for having asked Thisbe to meet himin this remote place, and wild with grief, he drew his sword and plunged itinto his heart. As he lay dying, his blood soaked into the roots of themulberry tree.

When Thisbe felt it was safe to emerge from the cave in which she hadbeen biding, she discovered Pyramus in the last throes of death. Realizingwhat had happened, she embraced him and resolved to die by his side. Sheseized the sword with which Pyramus had stabbed himself and fell on itspoint. The lovers, separated in life, were fmally united when their grief­stricken parents placed their ashes in a common urn.

And mulberries, which until then had been white, have forever afterbecome a dark blood red when ripe.

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LOVE

The Prodigal Son - from the Gospel According to Luke - the Bible

And Jesus said: There was a man who had two sons: and the younger ofthem said to his father, "Father, give me the share of property that falls tome." And the man divided his living between his sons. Not many dayslater, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a farcountry, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And whenhe had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he beganto be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of thatcountry, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladlyhave fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. Butwhen he came to himself he said, "How many of my father's hired servantshave bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will ariseand go to my father, and I will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned againstheaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treatme as one of your hired servants.' " And he arose and came to his father.But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion,and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him,"Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longerworthy to be called your son." But the father said to his servants, "Bringquickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, andshoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat andmake merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, andis found." And they began to make merry.

Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to thehouse, he heard music and dancing. And he called to one of the servantsand asked what this meant. And he said to him, "Your brother has come,and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safeand sound." But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came outand entreated him, but he answered his father, "Lo, these many years Ihave served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gaveme a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this' son ofyours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for himthe fatted calf!" And his father said to him, "Son, you are always with me,and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, forthis your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found."

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Isaac and Abraham - from Genesis 22 - the Bible

After these things, God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!"And he said, "Here am 1." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac,whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as aburnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his ass, and took two ofhis young men with him, and his son Isaac; and he cut the wood for theburnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off.Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the ass; I and the ladwill go yonder and worship, and come again to you." And Abraham tookthe wood of the burnt offering, and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took inhis hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. AndIsaac said to his father Abraham, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I,my son." He said, "Behold, the fire and the wood; but where is the lambfor a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide himself the lambfor a burnt offering, my son." So they went, both of them together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham builtan altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laidhim on the altar, upon the wood. Then Abraham put forth his hand, andtook the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him fromheaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am 1." Hesaid, "Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now Iknow that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your onlyson, from me." And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold,behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns; and Abraham wentand took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord will provide; as it issaid to this day, "On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided."

And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time fromheaven, and said, "By myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because youhave done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I willindeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars ofheaven and as the sand which is on the seashore. And your descendantsshall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your descendants shall all thenations of the earth bless themselves, because you have obeyed my voice."

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Abraham to kill him - by Emily Dickinson

Abraham to kill himWas distinctly told ­Isaac was an Urchin ­Abraham was old -

Not a hesitation ­Abraham complied ­Flattered by ObeisanceTyranny demurred -

Isaac - to his childrenLived to tell The tale ­Moral - with a MastiffManners may prevail.

The Parable of the Old Men and the Young - Wilfred Owen

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,And took the ftre with him, and a knife.And as they sojourned both of them together,Isaac the first-born spake and said, "My father,Behold the preparations, fire and iron,But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?"Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,And builded parapets and trenches there,And stretched forth the knife to slay his son.When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,Saying, "Lay not thy hand upon the lad,Neither do anything to him. Behold,A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him."But the old man would not so, but slew his son, ­And half the seed of Europe, one by one.

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