Trahe me post te

General information

Source of text is Song of Songs 1:3 & 7:6-8.

Settings by composers

• Francisco Guerrero SSATB (adds vv.7:6-8)
• Jacobus de Kerle SSATTB (vv.2-3 only)
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATTB
• Tomás Luis de Victoria SAATTB

Text and translations

Latin text 1:3  Trahe me post te[, virgo Maria]: curremus in odorem unguentorum tuorum. Introduxit me rex in cellaria sua: exultabimus et laetabimur in te, memores uberum tuorum super vinum: Recti diligunt te. 7:6  Quam pulchra es et quam decora, carissima in delitiis, 7:7  Statura tua assimilata est palmae et ubera tua botris 7:8  Dixi: ascendam in palmam et apprehendam fructum eius: et erunt ubera tua sicut botri vineae, et odor oris tui sicut odor malorum.

English translation 1:3  Draw me after you[, Virgin Mary]: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee. 7:6  How beautiful art thou, and how comely, my dearest, in delights! 7:7  Thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes. 7:8  I said: I will go up into the palm tree, and will take hold of the fruit thereof: and thy breasts shall be as the clusters of the vine: and the odour of thy mouth like apples.