Posted: Tue 08 Aug 2006 05:19 Post subject: Song of Songs: I am black but beautiful
I just came along the quote and was wondering if anyone is familiar with the quote from the Black Madonna, Song of Songs: "I am black but beautiful" [Negra sum sed formosa]?
Is this supposed to be a quote from the Queen of Sheeba?
Posted: Tue 08 Aug 2006 11:00 Post subject: Re: Song of Songs: I am black but beautiful
triguy wrote:
I just came along the quote and was wondering if anyone is familiar with the quote from the Black Madonna, Song of Songs: "I am black but beautiful" [Negra sum sed formosa]?
Is this supposed to be a quote from the Queen of Sheeba?
I forget if it was the Queen of Sheeba or no. But having a tan in the ancient world was not cool. It implied one was of low social status doing manual labor. Similar to that many slaves in the ancient world supposedly were Black Africans (not all). Black Africa had a loooooong history of trading Black Africans into slavery. Color could correlate with social status and culture more than any thing inherent in a race.
Joined: 10 Mar 2006 {Posts: 235 } Location: Atlanta
Posted: Tue 08 Aug 2006 16:37 Post subject: Re: Song of Songs: I am black but beautiful
e harmoni wrote:
triguy wrote:
I just came along the quote and was wondering if anyone is familiar with the quote from the Black Madonna, Song of Songs: "I am black but beautiful" [Negra sum sed formosa]?
Is this supposed to be a quote from the Queen of Sheeba?
I forget if it was the Queen of Sheeba or no. But having a tan in the ancient world was not cool. It implied one was of low social status doing manual labor. Similar to that many slaves in the ancient world supposedly were Black Africans (not all). Black Africa had a loooooong history of trading Black Africans into slavery. Color could correlate with social status and culture more than any thing inherent in a race.
That's how I understand it at least.
I think that's mostly it. The bride is referring to her tanned skin and saying, in essence, I may be poor and have to work in the sun but I'm still beautiful.
Joined: 04 May 2005 {Posts: 2021 } Location: santiago, chile
Posted: Tue 08 Aug 2006 17:06 Post subject: Black but beautiful
"Black but beautiful" comes from the Bible. From the Song of Solomon.
From the web:
Omar
Quote:
...
Among the books of Holy Scripture is the book the Song of Solomon — a love poem between Solomon and his wife — a book that at times causes Christians to blush and to wonder, “What is the meaning of this book?” This book, if you are acquainted with it, and perhaps this week you can become acquainted with it, is part of the Holy and authoritative Scriptures. In the words of Jesus Christ in John 5:39, “These are they that testify of me.” This book, the Song of Solomon, is written by the Holy Spirit to make plain to us and to make most lovely to us the relationship that exists between Christ, the husband, and us the church, His bride.
The Song of Solomon, I said, is a poem of Solomon’s love for the Shunammite woman. It is a representation through marriage of that beautiful and glorious union that God has made between us (the church, the believer) and Jesus Christ the Lord (the Bridegroom).
The Song of Solomon, in the first chapter, begins with the words of the wife (or the church) as she expresses her love for Solomon her husband. She wants to express this love for him and desires to show forth her love for him. She speaks very swelling words, that she finds in him all things and that his name is as a precious box of ointment (whenever his name is mentioned, it is as if someone has opened a very beautiful box of ointment and the room is filled with pleasant odors).
She goes on in the fourth verse to say that she desires to be drawn after him, that she may run after him and to be brought into his chambers. She says that she is glad and she rejoices in his love.
But then, in verses 5 and 6, the verses that I would like to consider with you, we read the following confession of the bride: “I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.”
It seems to me that she is not calling herself "tanned" but referring to her melanin-rich skin color as "black." Without knowing the original (guessing Aramaic or Hebrew) words that were used and what their literal meaning is I guess it's all speculation.
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