Hadewijch: The Queen of Sheba

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The Queen of Sheba

Hadewijch, Hadewijch poetry, Christian, Christian poetry, Catholic poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, poetry

by Hadewijch
(13th Century) Timeline

English version by
Mother Columba Hart

Original Language
Dutch

The Queen of Sheba
Came to Solomon;
     That was in order to gain wisdom.
When she had found him, indeed,
His wonders streamed upon her so suddenly
     That she melted in contemplation.
          She gave him all,
          And the gift robbed her
     Of everything she had within --
          In both heart and mind,
          Nothing remained:
     Everything was engulfed in love.

-- from Hadewijch: The Complete Works (Classics of Western Spirituality) , by Mother Columba Hart

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Themes

Heart

Lover and Beloved

Melting

Recommended Books

	Christian Mystics: Their Lives and Legacies throughout the Ages, by Ursula King
	Hadewijch: The Complete Works (Classics of Western Spirituality) , by Mother Columba Hart
	Meister Eckhart and the Beguine Mystics: Hadewijch of Brabant, Mechthild of Magdeburg, and Marguerite Porete, by Bernard Mcginn
	Sacred Voices: Essential Women's Voices Through the Ages, Edited by Mary Ford-Grabowsky
	The Shambhala Anthology of Women's Spiritual Poetry, Edited by Aliki Barnstone

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Building on the Biblical Song of Songs, this sacred (yet undeniably erotic) poem uses the figures of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon to represent the classic spiritual lover and Beloved. The journeying Queen of Sheba coming to King Solomon is the searching soul approaching God the Beloved.

Keeping this in mind, reread this poem again. Hadewijch is saying that in yielding to God the soul becomes nothing, yet is overwhelmed with love and wonders. This is the great spiritual formula: loss of self/ego leads to the Divine Self; death leads to new Life.

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