Song of Songs 1
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 And the smell of thine ointments is better than all spices: thy name is ointment poured forth; therefore do the young maidens love thee.
The fragrance of the cologne on your [skin] is [very] sweet/pleasing [CHI]. And your reputation is [very] good and spreads, [like] [SIM] the fragrance of the special oil spread on your skin. That is why the [other] young women are attracted to you.
4 They have drawn thee: we will run after thee, for the smell of thine ointments: the king has brought me into closet: let us rejoice and be glad in thee; we will love thy breasts more than wine: righteousness loves thee.
Take me quickly; take me to your home. [It is as though] you are my king; take me into your room. We are very happy [DOU] about you; we say that your love [for each other] is better than wine. It is not surprising that the other young women adore you.
5 I am black, but beautiful, ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
You women of Jerusalem, I am dark but beautiful; my dark skin is like [SIM] the tents in Kedar, [or] like the beautiful curtains in Solomon’s palace.
6 Look not upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has looked unfavourably upon me: my mother's sons strove with me; they made me keeper in the vineyards; I have not kept my own vineyard.
[But] do not stare at me because of the sun having caused my skin to become dark; my brothers were angry with me, [so] they forced me to work [out in the sunshine] in the vineyards, so I was not able to take good care of my body/skin [CHI, MET].
7 Tell me, [thou] whom my soul loves, where thou tendest thy flock, where thou causest [them] to rest at noon, lest I become as one that is veiled by the flocks of thy companions.
You whom I [SYN] love, where will you take your flock of sheep today? Where will you allow them to rest at noontime? I want to know because it is not right [RHQ] for me to wander around like a prostitute looking for you among the flocks that belong to your friends.
8 If thou know not thyself, thou fair one among women, go thou forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids by the shepherd's tents.
You who are the most beautiful of all the women, if you [search for me and] do not know [where I will take my sheep], follow the tracks/footprints of the sheep. [Then] allow your young goats to (graze/eat grass) near the shepherds’ tents.
9 I have likened thee, my companion, to my horses in the chariots of Pharao.
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 How are thy cheeks beautiful as [those] of a dove, thy neck as chains!
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 We will make thee figures of gold with studs of silver.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts.
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my companion; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are doves.
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 Behold, thou art fair, my kinsman, yea, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.
You who love me, you are very delightful/handsome, you are wonderful! This green grass will be [like] a couch [where we lie down].
17 The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.
[Branches of] cedar [trees] will shade us; [it is as though branches of] juniper/pine [trees] will be like [MET] a roof [over our heads].
