El Cantar de los Cantares de Fray Luis de León

The Romance translation of the Song of Songs by Fray Luis de León has received countless eulogies by scholars from different fields. The Augustinian monk's genius has proved even offensive. However, it seems unlikely that such a perfect rendering had been the first of its kind. Fray Luis was well acquainted with a long tradition of judaic-romance Biblical versions which shaped the basis of his own translation. The comparison that I offer in this article, if not exhaustive, is clarifying enough in that direction, and it leaves little room for doubt, in spite of the obvious discredit this could entail for the frequently praised originality of the translation by the Salamanca master. In any case — and I think this was his real accomplishment — the legacy to later humanists of that rare branch of knowledge, rooted in the most learned Judaism, was a task worthy of praise

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