Song of Solomon 1
The Song of Songs, which pertaineth to Solomon.
2 Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,
[SHE] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! [THEY] For better are thy caresses than wine:
3 Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved 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 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.
[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 beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, 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 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.
[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 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, 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 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.
[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 To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
To a mare of mine, in the chariots of Pharaoh, have I likened thee, my fair one!
10 Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
Comely are thy cheeks, with bead-rows, thy neck, with strings of gems.
11 We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
[THEY] Rows of golden ornaments, will we make thee, with studs of silver.
12 While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
[SHE] By the time the king is in his circle, my nard, will have given out its fragrance:
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
A bag of myrrh, is my beloved to me, between my breasts, shall it tarry the night!
14 A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
A cluster of henna, is my beloved to me, 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.
[HE] Lo! thou art beautiful my fair one, lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, [are] doves!
16 Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
[SHE] Lo! thou art beautiful, my beloved, Yea delightful! [BOTH] Yea! our couch, is covered with leaves:
17 The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.
The beams of our house, are cedars, Our fretted ceiling, is cypress-trees.
