▼1:8In the historical level of meaning, the bride is dark-skinned and from Africa (a Sulamite, as we later learn). The Latin word ‘pelles’ is here used to refer to tents, or hangings in tents, made from animal skins. The tents of Kedar were literally black, made from black animal hair. This must be the bride speaking because the feminine form of the words ‘nigra’ and ‘formosa’ are used (both words have a masculine form which could have been used if this was the groom speaking). +The Church says to those who are immature in the Faith (some are members of the Church, others are formally outside the Church, but are attracted to Her teachings and holiness) that the Church is attractive, but dark. The darkness of the Church is found in the mysteries of the Church which can never be fully understood by the human mind, and also in the darkness (lack of understanding) that the world has toward the Church, so that the Church seems dark to the world. The tents symbolize the Church as a shelter, a home, a place of worship, and a place of wisdom (the tents of Solomon, a wise king).(Conte)