The Way of Lovers

This extraordinary commentary by an anonymous late twelfth-century northern French exegete interprets the Song of Songs solely according to its plain meaning as a story of two young lovers and their developing relationship. The exegete pays attention to every detail of the text, offering many enlightening insights into its meaning, all the while expanding upon the 'way of lovers' – the ways that young people in love go about their lovemaking. The French background of the exegete is made clear by many references to knights, coats of arms, weapons, chivalry, and of course, wine drinking, as well as numerous glosses in Old French. The edition is accompanied by an extensive introduction which analyzes the various exegetical, literary, and linguistic features of the text.