Summary: The dialogue in this script was adapted from the original Song of Songs in the Bible. A woman (the Beloved) is emaciated from a terminal illness and is close to death. She interacts with Jesus (the Lover), who is unseen to the two nurses that attend to her. They treat her kindly as they believe she is delirious.
Style: One act play with 6 or more characters
Duration: 30 mins
Scripture: Song of Songs 1-8
Setting: The hospital room of a terminally ill woman
Characters: The Beloved, the Lover, two nurses, two orderlies/security guards
Scene: In the Beloved’s hospital room, the only constant props throughout the play are the bed and other items such as an IV bag on a post, electronic monitors and the like. The periphery of the set should remain in shadows to represent the patient’s tenuous contact with material reality and her very real contact with “the other side”. From where Jesus appears as the “Lover” to her “Beloved.” An unobtrusive plaque on the wall reads “Jerusalem Hospital.” As the play opens, two nurses are attending the terminally ill woman who is apparently enduring a considerable amount of pain. They deliver an injection into her arm, a painkiller such as morphine, while they speak to her.
Beloved: (delirious with pain) Let Him kiss me with the kiss of His mouth! His love is more soothing than wine. His name is a fragrance of perfume poured out upon my bed…
(She looks up suddenly and sees Jesus, who has moved into the periphery of light around her bed, but is never seen by anyone but her)
No wonder so many love you!
(The nurses react to this, looking at each other knowingly)
(The Beloved struggles to arise as the nurses hold her down)
Take me away with you now! Hurry!
(to the nurses) Let the King of Heaven take me into His chambers!
Nurses: (kindly but patronizingly) We’re delighted that you’re in love…we’ll tell your family about your Lover… that your love is better than wine… that He’s a handsome King…
Lover: No wonder they adore you, my Beloved.
Dark are you, but lovely…
Beloved: (to the nurses) Dark am I, yet lovely! I am as dark as these curtains…
(There are no visible curtains - the nurses react)
Don’t stare at me because my complexion is darkening - I am being darkened by the light of the son.
(The nurses stroke her gently, then move away into the periphery of the light, Jesus moves closer and kneels at her bedside.)
Beloved: Tell me, my love, where do you feed your lambs?
Where do your lambs go to rest and cool off
In the noonday heat?
Why are you keeping me veiled and hidden
From the other lambs in your flock
On the faraway hillside?
Nurses: (quietly and compassionately) If you really don’t know…
(to one another) Such a beautiful young woman!
…then just follow the footprints of the lambs
Who have gone before you…
Lie down in peace beside the shepherd angels…
Lover: My darling child, you’re like a beautiful mare
Harnessed to one of the chariots of solomon;
On your cheeks lay crystal earrings
(He touches the perspiration on her face)
On your neck, strings of jewels;
I will give you a necklace of gold and silver!
How beautiful you are, my Beloved!
Oh, how beautiful are your eyes,
Like white doves.
Beloved: And how handsome you are, my dearest!
Oh, how your grace transforms my deathbed
Into a verdant meadow of flowers.
Lover: (going along with the idyllic fantasy) Yes, and the walls of our house are the cedar trees and the rafters of our ceiling are the branches of the fir trees…
Beloved: (continuing excitedly) And I am a Rose of Sharon
A simple lily of the valley.
Lover: My Beloved is different than other women
She is a lily among the thorns
Beloved: You are like an apple tree
Among the fruitless trees of the forest;
I love to sit in your shade
Because the fruit of your love
Tasted sweet…
(The nurses enter again just as Jesus is beginning to lead her away from her bed. He releases her hand gently and moves back into the periphery)
(to the nurses) He’s taking me to the banquet hall
Where His love is above me as a banner above my table…
(to Jesus) Wait! Strengthen me with grapes
And refresh me with apples and pears!
I am…faint with love…faint…
(She begins to collapse. The nurses struggle to carry her back to bed, supporting her underneath her arms, while Jesus, unseen by them, supports the back of her neck. His hand remains under her neck as she is returned to bed.)
(to the nurses) His left arm is under my head…
And His right arm is embracing me…
Women of Jerusalem -
(gravely) Do not disturb my love
Or awaken my love
Until its time has come…
(She begins to fall asleep, and Jesus recedes into the periphery again. Suddenly she bolts upright and reaches out toward Him.)
Listen! It’s my Lover.
Do you hear Him?
Look! He’s coming for me.
Soaring over the mountains and hills;
My Lover is like a swift young stag or a gazelle!
Look! There He is, standing behind that wall,
Gazing through the windows,
Peering at us through the doorways…
Lover: Arise, my darling,
My beautiful one,
And come with me.
See? The winter is past;
The cold rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear everywhere
And the season of singing has begun.
Doves are cooing their songs,
The fig trees are bearing their fruit,
And the blossoming vines spread their perfumes.
Arise, come, my darling,
My beautiful one,
Come with me.
Beloved: Show me your face!
Let me hear your voice again
For your voice is like the sound of rushing waters
And your face is like the sun shining brightly at midday…
(to the nurses) My Lover is mine and I am His!
He waits for me in His garden
Until the daylight comes
And all the shadows of the night fly away…
(She falls into sleep and the nurses leave, whispering softly to themselves about her. Jesus approaches her bed, kisses her on the forehead, and then leaves. A moment after He is gone, she abruptly wakes up and anxiously looks around for Him, realizing He is not visibly present, she rises up from her bed with great difficulty and paces across the floor.)
All night long on my bed
I waited for the one my soul loves;
I waited for Him but could not see Him.
I will get up now, leave this room,
And wander through Jerusalem…
(The lights fade on her bedside and she is illuminated by a single spot)
…through the hallways and the wards…
(Almost frantic) I will search for the one my soul loves…
I look for Him, but I can’t find Him!
I can’t find Him!
(With this, two uniformed security guards appear in the light, and approach her with an air of concern)
(To the guards) Have you seen the one my soul loves?
Do you know where He is?
(As they reach out to take hold of her arms, to lead her back to her bed, the nurses enter and help them. Lights come up on the bed again, and as the guards release her, the nurses examine her carefully and ease her back onto the bed.)
I want to hold Him and never let Him go!
This was where my mother died
This was the room of the one who conceived me.
Women of Jerusalem,
I beg you not to arouse or awaken my love
Until its time has come.
(The nurses leave the room)
Look! I see a chariot
Escorted by four horsemen
Each with a sword at His side
Preparing for the battles of the night;
The chariot is made of the cedars of lebanon
And within its frame of silver and gold
Is a throne upholstered in purple;
Come back, women of Jerusalem,
Come back and see King Jesus wearing the crown
Not the crown of thorns that pierced His brow
As His mother watched
But the crown of glory
Given to Him by the heavenly Father
For His wedding day
The wedding of the lamb
When the bride is prepared
For His coming.
Lover: This is the day my heart is overjoyed!
How beautiful you are, my Beloved!
Oh how beautiful!
Behind those veils…
(her eyes are closed momentarily)
…your eyes are white as doves
And your hair is like a cascade of water
Coming down from the mountain;
Your lips are a scarlet ribbon
Across the loveliness of your mouth;
Your neck is like a delicate tower
Or a smooth sculpture;
And your arms are like two fawns,
Like the twin fawns of a gazelle
That browse in a garden of lilies…
Beloved: Until the break of day
When the shadows fly away
I will go with you to the mountain of myrrh and incense
Where you are transfigured
In the sight of Peter, James and john.
Lover: How wonderful is your love,
My bride, my sister!
Your love for me
Is more delicious than wine
And the fragrance of your faith
Has more perfume
Than any spice!
Milk and honey are the words of your tongue
And you are clothed in a garment of diaphanous silk;
You are like a tropical garden
That is enclosed and concealed,
My Beloved!
You are like a font
From which living springs of water flow;
The fruits of your garden
Have the sweetest nectar
And all the finest spices grow in you;
Henna and nard
Saffron and cinnamon
Myrrh and aloe
And every kind of incense tree;
For you are a fountain and a garden
And you have captured my heart
With one glance of your eyes
(touching a tear on her face)
With one jewel of your necklace;
Come away with me, my Beloved,
Come away with me to the crest of the hill
Away from the lion’s dens
And the haunts of the tigers
To the mountain of transfiguration
The summit of life!
Beloved: Awaken the north wind and the south wind so that they may blow across my garden and spread the fragrance of my love
Around the world;
The fruits of my garden belong to you, my lord,
They are yours to taste and to test
Lover: I am in your garden,
My bride and my sister;
I have gathered up your myrrh and your spices
I have tasted the honey from your honeycombs
I have drunk your wine and your milk
(the nurses enter, carrying a tray with pills and juices)
Nurses: Eat this…
And drink this…
Drink as much as you can…
Lover: The lovers will drink their fill
Of each other, and yet thirst for more.
(the Beloved falls asleep)
Look! She sleeps, but her heart is awake!
(trying to rouse her) Open yourself to me,
My darling, my flawless Beloved -
Your Lover is knocking at your doorway…
(She does not wake, so Jesus recedes outside the periphery of light)
(She awakens)
Beloved: (wiping her brow) My head is drenched with dew
And my hair with the dampness of the night.
I have taken off my robe -
Must I put it on once more?
I have bathed my feet -
Must I walk across the earth again?
Now I remember!
My Lover thrust His hand
Into my soul, and made my heart pound for Him;
I dreamt that I arose to open the door for my Lover
But my fingers were coated with flowing myrrh
And I could not turn the handle of the lock;
Then when I finally opened for my Lover,
It was too late;
My Lover had left; He was gone;
My heart sank with sorrow;
I looked for Him
But didn’t find Him;
I called out to Him
But He didn’t answer;
(As she recreates this dream in her mind two dark figures attired in black hoods, seize her roughly, and throw her onto her bed)
The watchers of the walls found me wandering
As they patrolled their city;
They beat me; they bruised me;
They tore off my robe!
(The lights come down as the watchers are replaced by the nurses, who are attempting to restrain their patient as she is hallucinating)
Women of Jerusalem! If you find my Lover,
What will you tell Him?
Tell Him I am becoming weak and faint from love!
Nurses: Such a beautiful young woman!
Why are you so in love with this Lover?
Why are you so in love with Him
That you want us to find Him?
Beloved: My Lover is red and radiant,
Better than ten thousand men;
His head is like the purest gold
And His hair is wavy and black;
His eyes are washed in milk
And mounted like jewels;
His cheeks are like beds of spice
Which emanate perfume;
His lips are like lilies
Dripping words of myrrh from His mouth;
His arms are like rods of gold
His body is like polished ivory
And His legs are like pillars of marble
On bases of the purest gold;
In every way He is lovely to behold -
This is my Lover,
This is my friend,
Women of Jerusalem.
Nurses: Where is this Lover of yours?
So sad — such a beautiful woman!
Where has your Lover gone?
We’ll help you look for Him.
Beloved: My Lover has gone into His garden
(smiling) He is wandering in His garden
Through the beds of spices
Gathering lilies for me;
I am my Lover’s
And my Lover is mine
Lover: (standing apart from others, isolated)
You are so beautiful, my darling, my child;
Turn your eyes away from me;
They overwhelm me;
Of all the women in the world,
My dove, my flawless dove,
Is unique;
She was the only daughter of her mother
The favorite of the one who gave birth to her;
The most humble of women call her blessed
And the greatest of women lavish praise on her.
Nurses: (whispering) When she opens her eyes, they shine like morning…
Yet she’s as pale as the moon…
…but bright as sunlight…
…her eyes are as deep as an endlessly starry sky…
Lover: I went down into Gethsemane
To see the new growth of life
In the valley of death
To see if my vines had budded
To see if my fruits had ripened;
But before I realized it,
I was longing for the company
Of my angels…
(While Jesus is speaking the Beloved has a seizure and the nurses begin working on her. They become very emotional as they work)
Nurses: Come back! Come back!
Come back to us! Please!
Come back! We want to see you alive again!
Lover: Why do you want to see her alive again?
As if she should dance between two worlds for you!
(The Beloved rises from the bed, yet the nurses do not see this as it is the embodiment of her soul that is rising. As the nurses continue to mourn, and then wheel the bed out of the room, the Beloved moves around the room with strength and gracefulness, surprised at her new life. She examines her new body as Jesus praises her.)
How beautiful are your slippered feet!
You are the daughter of the King!
Your graceful legs have become jewels,
Carved by the hands of the master craftsman;
Your neck is a tower of ivory,
And your eyes are pools
Of baptismal water;
Your head is your crown
And your hair, the royal tapestry;
Your father, the King,
Is captivated by you;
He says, “How beautiful you are
And how pleasing to me!”
Beloved: You were crucified on the tree;
You may gather all its fruits.
Lover: You are the clusters of my living vine;
The scent of your breath is like apples to me
And the words of your mouth like vintage wine.
Beloved: Then drink my wine, you who are the Lover of my soul,
For you have given your wine to me,
The wine that flows gently
Across the lips of sleepers;
I belong to my Lover
And His desire is for my soul;
Come, my Lover, let us go through the fields
And into the churches;
We can wait there till morning
And see if your other vines have budded
And if their blossoms have opened
And if the orchards are ripe with your fruits;
There I will worship you
And give you my love.
Lover: The gardens send forth their fragrance,
And at the doorway (He gestures toward an unseen door)
And the rarest and most delicious fruits,
The new as well as the old,
That I have saved for you,
My Beloved.
Beloved: (overjoyed) If only you were like a little brother -
I’d kiss you in front of everyone
Without being embarrassed!
I’d take you back to my childhood home,
The home where my mother taught me about You.
(She reflects on this for a fraction of a moment as the nurses return to gather her belongings)
Lover: (putting His arm around her shoulders, as if to lead her away)
I will give you a spiced wine to drink,
The nectar of my orchards.
Beloved: (to the nurses) His left arm is under my head
And His right arm embraces me;
Women of Jerusalem,
Do not disturb or awaken your love
Until its time has come.
(As one nurse is leaving the room ahead of the other, the other nurse is startled by a vision of the Lover and Beloved standing together)
Nurses: Oh!
(She tries to call the other nurse back with a gesture but is unnoticed)
Who is this? A young woman…embracing her Lover…
…going out of an arid desert…into a lush garden…
Lover: Did you know that I awakened your soul
At the moment your mother conceived you?
That I was there when she was in labor
And gave birth to you?
Beloved and Lover:
(Either in unison or antiphonal)
Place me as a seal of betrothal over your heart
For love is stronger than death
Its passion as unyielding as the grave
Its flashes are the flashes of fire
From the almighty flame
Many waters cannot quench love
Nor can many rivers wash it away…
Nurses: (The other nurse re-enters the room and also sees the vision of the Lover and Beloved, who are standing under a different spotlight. The nurses stand beneath a spot which fades as they speak and finally blacks out after their last word is spoken)
(To the Beloved) You’re like a young sister to us.
Like a dear little sister -
What would you have us do to eulogize you?
What should we say on the day you are remembered?
(one to the other) She should have a…
Lover: You who dwell in the gardens
The archangels
And all hosts of heaven -
Let us now hear your voices!
(The strains of “Adagio” begin, but very softly)
Arise my Beloved, my beautiful one,
And come with me.
See? The winter is past;
The cold rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear everywhere
And the season of singing has begun.
Arise, my Beloved, my beautiful one!
(The lights black out abruptly, but the music continues, slowly increasing in volume. When the lights come up again, the stage is empty except for a few spring flowers on the stage floor.)
End
Dedicated to my mother, Ethel Fern Bailey
…………………………………….
©G a r t h v o n B u c h h o l z , All rights reserved.
This script may be used free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged to a performance. In exchange, the author would appreciate being notified of any occasion the poem is used in public performance. He may be contacted at: