Song of Solomon 1
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
2 Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,
Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, The woman speaking to the man for your love is better than wine.
3 Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
Your anointing oils have a delightful fragrance; your name is like flowing perfume, so the young women love you.
4 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.
Take me with you, and we will run. The woman speaking to herself The king has brought me into his rooms. The woman speaking to the man We are glad; We rejoice about you; let us celebrate your love; it is better than wine. It is natural for the other women to adore you.
5 I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am dark but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem— dark like the tents of Kedar, lovely like the curtains of Solomon.
6 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.
Do not stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has scorched me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.
7 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.
Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you feed your flock? Where do you rest your flock at noontime? Why should I be like someone who wanders beside the flocks of your companions?
8 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.
If you do not know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of my flock, and pasture your young goats near the shepherds' tents.
9 To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses.
10 Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
We will make for you gold ornaments with silver studs.
12 While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
While the king lay on his couch, my nard emitted its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
My beloved is to me like a bag of myrrh that spends the night lying between my breasts.
14 A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En Gedi.
15 Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.
Listen, you are beautiful, my love; listen, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
16 Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
Listen, you are handsome, my beloved, how handsome. The lush plants are our bed.
17 The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.
The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.
