Kumi Lach rayati yafati, u’l’chi lach

Arise my friend, oh beautiful one,
go to yourself… (Song of Songs 2:10)

What if every relationship could be an opportunity for us to call each other into the realization of our full potential?

What would it mean to let our gaze penetrate the façade of another and see through to reveal a glimmer of the core, authentic Divine essence; thereby sending that other to her truth. And, what would it mean to receive the gaze of the world as a force of sending, to respond to each and every being by rising up into our full stature and beauty as we take the journey to the center of our being, the place where self and other meet?

To view context from Shir HaShirim through the Love at the Center project, click Shir HaShirm (Shemot).

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• Kumi Lach (melody)  
• Kumi Lach (harmony)  
• Kumi Lach (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Kumi Lach PDF. For the musical notation, click Kumi Lach notation PDF.

Ani chavatzelet hasharon shoshanat ha’amakim

I am the rose of Sharon
A lily of the valleys. (Song of Songs 2:1)

This is a practice of blossoming forth and rooting down. Although we can’t be sure exactly what flowers these are (various translations include rose, lily, tulip, hyacinth, narcissus, lotus, crocus, wildflower), we do know that these flowers have a resonance in the prophetic traditions of Isaiah 35:1-2 (The desert shall be glad, the wilderness shall rejoice and blossom like the rose) and Hosea 14:6-8 (I will be as the dew to Israel who will blossom as the lily).

As I chant these words I am rising towards the sunlight of glory and redemption, and at the same time connecting myself to the deepest places in the world and in myself. The word for valleys (amakim) also means the depths. When we blossom from those depths, our beauty, however transient, is grounded in the fullness and power of our earthly existence.

To view context from Shir HaShirim through the Love at the Center project, click Shir HaShirm (Vayishlach).

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• I Am the Rose of Sharon: melody  
• I Am the Rose of Sharon: harmony  
• I Am the Rose of Sharon: mix  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click I Am the Rose of Sharon PDF.

L’susati b’richvay faro dimitich rayati

I see you, my love, as a mare,
Among Pharaoh’s chariots. (Song of Songs 1:9)

Considering the fact that Shir Hashirim is often read as a midrash on the story of Exodus, this was a shocking image for me. It seemed to call up the power that belonged to our oppressors. I read many commentaries and still was disturbed… until I began chanting these words. I found myself chanting to my own body, that mare who carries me with such nobility and power. Yes, her power feels a bit dangerous, and yet, as I honor that mare among Pharaoh’s chariots, she is radiant in her dignity and resolute in her fierce beauty.

With this practice we affirm the holy animal that we are, honor her power and beauty, while letting go of any shame or fear that might impede the richness and full-realization of embodied love.

To view context from Shir HaShirim through the Love at the Center project, click Shir HaShirm (Chayei Sarah).

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• A Mare Among Pharaoh’s Chariots (melody)  
• A Mare Among Pharaoh’s Chariots (harmony)  
• A Mare Among Pharaoh’s Chariots (mix)  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click A Mare Among Pharaoh’s Chariots — L’susati PDF. For the musical notation, click A Mare Among Pharaoh’s Chariots — L’susati Notation PDF.

Hevi’ani ayl bayt hayayin, v’diglo alai ahavah

He brought me to the tavern,
And his banner over me is Love. (Song of Songs 2:4)

In mystical poetry of many different traditions, the tavern represents the place where we become God-intoxicated. We let go of the illusion of control and surrender to the power of transformation. The boundaries of self, blur as we glimpse the Unity and begin to grasp our place in Oneness Consciousness. The ego or superficial self, loosens its grip. In that tavern, we are drunk with love, and we are claimed by God-as-Love.

To view context from Shir HaShirim through the Love at the Center project, click Shir HaShirm (Miketz).

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• He Brought Me to the Tavern  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click He Brought Me to the Tavern PDF.

Shir Delight: A Journey Through the Song of Songs ©2004 Rabbi Shefa Gold. All rights reserved.

Kol dodi hinay zeh ba

The voice of my beloved: Here it comes! (Song of Songs 2:8)

Many years ago I had these words embroidered on the attarah of my tallit, my prayer shawl. I wanted to live in a state of expectancy, always opening to the unknown.

This is a practice of anticipating the miracle that is about to break through my complacency. With these words, I invite surprise.

To view context from Shir HaShirim through the Love at the Center project, click Shir HaShirm (Vayechi).

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

• The Voice of My Beloved: 1  
• The Voice of My Beloved: 2  
• The Voice of My Beloved: Mix  

To download the PDF file for this chant, click The Voice of My Beloved PDF.