Song of Solomon 1
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
The Song of Songs, which pertaineth to Solomon.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.
[SHE] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! [THEY] For better are thy caresses than wine:
3 Thine oils have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is [as] oil poured forth; Therefore do the virgins love thee.
Like the fragrance of thy precious oils, Oil poured out, is thy name, For this cause, virgins love thee.
4 Draw me; we will run after thee: The king hath brought me into his chambers; We will be glad and rejoice in thee; We will make mention of thy love more than of wine: Rightly do they love thee.
[SHE] Draw me! [THEY] After thee, will we run! [SHE] The king, hath brought me, into his chambers. [THEY] We will exult and rejoice in thee, we will mention thy caresses, beyond wine, Sincerely they love thee.
5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.
[SHE] Swarthy, I am but comely, ye daughters of Jerusalem. [THEY] Like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Look not upon me, because I am swarthy, Because the sun hath scorched me. My mother’s sons were incensed against me; They made me keeper of the vineyards; [But] mine own vineyard have I not kept.
[SHE] Do not look on me, because, I, am so swarthy, because the sun hath scorched me, —My mother’s sons, were angry with me, they set me to keep the vineyards, Mine own vineyard, have I not kept. …
7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest [thy flock], Where thou makest [it] to rest at noon: For why should I be as one that is veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?
Tell me, thou loved of my soul! Where wilt thou pasture thy flock? Where wilt thou let them recline at noon? For why should I be as one that wrappeth a veil about her, by the flocks of thy companions?
8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
[HE] If thou know not of thyself, most beautiful among women! get thee forth in the footsteps of the flock, and pasture thy kids by the huts of the shepherds. …
9 I have compared thee, O my love, To a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
To a mare of mine, in the chariots of Pharaoh, have I likened thee, my fair one!
10 Thy cheeks are comely with plaits [of hair], Thy neck with strings of jewels.
Comely are thy cheeks, with bead-rows, thy neck, with strings of gems.
11 We will make thee plaits of gold With studs of silver.
[THEY] Rows of golden ornaments, will we make thee, with studs of silver.
12 While the king sat at his table, My spikenard sent forth its fragrance.
[SHE] By the time the king is in his circle, my nard, will have given out its fragrance:
13 My beloved is unto me [as] a bundle of myrrh, That lieth betwixt my breasts.
A bag of myrrh, is my beloved to me, between my breasts, shall it tarry the night!
14 My beloved is unto me [as] a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of En-gedi.
A cluster of henna, is my beloved to me, in the vineyards of En-gedi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold thou art fair; Thine eyes are [as] doves.
[HE] Lo! thou art beautiful my fair one, lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, [are] doves!
16 Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: Also our couch is green.
[SHE] Lo! thou art beautiful, my beloved, Yea delightful! [BOTH] Yea! our couch, is covered with leaves:
17 The beams of our house are cedars, [And] our rafters are firs.
The beams of our house, are cedars, Our fretted ceiling, is cypress-trees.
