RNY 1041 - David Lang- For love is strong

DAVID LANG

FOR LOVE IS STRONG

AFTER “THE SONG OF SONGS”

FOR CHAMBER CHOIR, OR 12 SOLO VOICES SCORE

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for love is strong (after the song of songs)

words and music by david lang after the song of songs

for love is strong (after the song of songs) is a setting of a text I made by finding certain things in the Song of Songs. The original text is of course the most passionate and erotic of the ancient Jewish books, and it is always strange to encounter it in the Bible. What is such carnality doing in such a holy place? How can this possibly be a spiritual text? Although it describes the relationship of a man and a woman, the Jewish tradition says that it uses the relationship between lovers as a metaphor for one’s relationship to God. The entire book is not only a metaphor, but it is made of metaphors. What is your love like? Like wine. What is your name like? Like oil pouring forth. How black am I? Like the tents of Kedar. Everything in the book begins with a comparison, leading you to the things you cannot see or feel or know by comparing them to those things you can. For my text I took every comparison in the original – every metaphor, every simile – and listed them, beginning with the word ‘like.’ The title comes from one of the last of these comparisons – “for love is strong as death,’ which seems altogether too terrifying to be only about relationships between people.

for love is strong (after the song of songs) was written for Ars Nova Copenhagen, Paul Hillier, Director.

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for love is strong (after the song of songs) is about 11 minutes long.

for love is strong (after the song of songs)

words and music by david lang after the song of songs

for love is strong

like wine. like oil, pouring like wine like the tents of Kedar like the curtains of Solomon. like one who wanders by the flocks like women like the horses of Pharaoh's chariots. like perfume in the vineyards of Engedi. like doves' eyes. like the rose of Sharon like the lily of the valleys. like the lily among thorns like the apple tree among all other trees like leaping upon the mountains like skipping upon the hills.

for love is strong

like a roe like a young hart like my dove like the foxes like the little foxes like our vines like tender grapes. like a roe like a young hart like the roes like the hinds of the field like pillars of smoke like silver like gold like love, for the daughters of Jerusalem. like doves' eyes like a flock of goats like a flock of sheep that are newly shorn like a thread of scarlet like a pomegranate like the tower of David, where hang the shields of mighty men. like two young roes, which feed among the lilies.

for love is strong

like the mountain of myrrh like the hil l of frankincense. like one chain of your neck. like wine like all spices like the honeycomb like honey and milk like the smell of Lebanon. like a garden enclosed like a spring shut up like a fountain sealed. like a fountain of gardens like a well of living waters like streams from Lebanon. like my garden like the spices thereof like his garden like his pleasant fruits. like my garden like my myrrh like my spice like my honeycomb like my honey like my wine like my milk like my dove like myrrh like my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh for love is strong

like another beloved like women like another beloved like ten thousand. like the most fine gold like a raven. like the eyes of doves like a bed of spices like sweet flowers like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. like gold rings set with beryl like bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. like pillars of marble like fine gold like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. like women like his garden like the beds of spices

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like the gardens like lilies. like the lilies. like Tirzah like Jerusalem like an army with banners. like a flock of goats like a flock of sheep like a piece of a pomegranate like my dove like the morning like the moon like the sun like an army with banners like chariots like the clash of two armies like jewels like a worker’s skillful hands like a round goblet like new wheat set about with lilies. like two young roes like a tower of ivory like ponds like the tower of Lebanon, looking towards Damascus. like Carmel like purple like a palm tree like clusters of grapes. like the palm tree like the boughs thereof like clusters of the vine like apples like the best wine, that goes down sweet, causing the lips of sleepers to speak. like my brother, who sucked my mother’s breasts like the juice of my pomegranate. like a seal upon your heart like a seal upon your arm for love is strong like death like the grave like coals of fire, with a vehement flame. like a wall like a door like a wall like towers like my vineyard, which is mine like a roe like a young hart upon the mountains of spices.