In his description of his bride, the young man uses many images and metaphors that he has used in his earlier poems of admiration in the Song (Song of Solomon 4:1–15). The implication is that his desire for her and admiration of her have not diminished now that their marriage has been consummated.1 Much has changed, but in other ways the woman is still exactly the same person she was before the young man’s insight into her complexity and the power of her awesomeness. Her hair, teeth, and cheeks have not lost their natural attractiveness.2
4 Tu es belle, mon amie, comme Thirtsa, Agréable comme Jérusalem, Mais terrible comme des troupes sous leurs bannières.