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Banquet Invitation!
Dear family and friends,
He brings me to his banqueting house,
His banner over me is love.
Song of Solomon 2:4
This last month Steven Dazim, Siria Ransford and I have had the very interesting task of exegetically checking the book of Song of Solomon in the Aruamu language. This fabulous book eloquently celebrates the intimate relationship between husband and wife. It also reflects the love relationship of God and his people, and of Christ and his bride – the Church. The eloquent language, vivid imagery and allusions, the layers of meaning all appeal to our senses and stagger our imaginations, fostering our deep appreciation of God’s gift of married love, the tenderness, affection, and delight is brings to our lives.
Wow. What an adventure this has been! Anytime you translate poetic text into another language, of course, you must make sure you first understand the meaning of each piece of text. Then you want to re-encode the meaning in the target language, in whatever poetic, metaphorical ways of talking which are normal the target language. A text like Song of Solomon is full of double entendre and subtle nuancing. So you have to “peel the onion” entirely down in order to understand those layers of meaning first. Then, you reconstruct the meaning in the modes of expression that are available in the target language. What an adventure this has been, to explore Aruamu terms of endearment, and ways of talking between spouses, and metaphorical language of love. The Aruamus call it “on-top-going-talk.” The words you say on the surface are a picture or shadow of the “underneath meaning” which everyone understands when they hear those words.
We are looking forward to the ULTIMATE BANQUET in heaven, to which we all have a special invitation from the lover of our souls! As we finished working on the Song of Solomon, we noticed that in the very last verse, the Shulamite woman expresses her intense desire for her lover to return: “Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag upon the mountains of spices!” (Song of Solomon 8:14) This yearning is very much like the cry of the Bride of Christ to Jesus in the final chapter of the New Testament: “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ ” (Rev 22:17) How we long for the day when we gather with people from every tribe and tongue and nation around the throne of the Lamb of God.
Thank you for partnering with us this last month!
For Kingdom Expansion,
Marsha Relyea Miles
(for Nathan Miles, as well as Steven Dazim and Siria Ransford)
Speaking of Banquets:
Steven Dazim, Siria Ransford and I have been asked by Pioneer Bible Translators to participate in the “Loving the Least Gala” in Northwest Arkansas on April 21, 7 p.m., at the John Q Hammons Convention Center, 3303 S Pinnacle Hills Pkwy, Rogers, AR 72758. We hope to meet some of you there!
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