< Song of Songs 1 >
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine.
Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better 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.
Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
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.
Draw me: we will run after thee to the odour of thy ointments. The king hath brought me into his storerooms: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, remembering thy breasts more than wine: the righteous love thee.
5 I am black, but beautiful, ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
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.
Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.
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.
Shew me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest in the midday, lest I begin to wander after the flocks of thy companions.
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.
If thou know not thyself, O fairest among women, go forth, and follow after the steps of the flocks, and feed thy kids beside the tents of the shepherds.
9 I have likened thee, my companion, to my horses in the chariots of Pharao.
To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
10 How are thy cheeks beautiful as [those] of a dove, thy neck as chains!
Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
11 We will make thee figures of gold with studs of silver.
We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
12 So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell.
While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
13 My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts.
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
14 My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.
A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my companion; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are doves.
Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.
16 Behold, thou art fair, my kinsman, yea, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.
Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
17 The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.
The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.