Song of Solomon 1
1 Solomon's song of songs.
The song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
2 Kiss me, kiss me with your mouth again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine.
Let him give me the kisses of his mouth: for his love is better than wine.
3 I love the way you smell from the perfumed oils you use. You have quite a reputation—it spreads like spilled perfumed oil. It's not surprising that all the young women adore you!
Sweet is the smell of your perfumes; your name is as perfume running out; so the young girls give you their love.
4 Take me by the hand—let's run! (The king has brought me to his bedroom.) Let's be happy together and find pleasure in your love. Your love is far better than wine! Women are right to adore you so!
Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers.
5 I'm black, but I'm beautiful, women of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
I am dark, but fair of form, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 Don't look down on me because I'm black, because the sun has burned me. My brothers were angry with me and made me look after the vineyards, so I couldn't look after my own vineyard.
Let not your eyes be turned on me, because I am dark, because I was looked on by the sun; my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vine-gardens; but my vine-garden I have not kept.
7 My love, please tell me where you're taking your flock. Where will you rest them at noon? For why should I have to wear a veil while looking for you among the flocks of your companions?
Say, O love of my soul, where you give food to your flock, and where you make them take their rest in the heat of the day; why have I to be as one wandering by the flocks of your friends?
8 If you really don't know, you who are more beautiful than any other woman, then follow the tracks of my flock, and let your goats graze near the shepherd's tents.
If you have not knowledge, O most beautiful among women, go on your way in the footsteps of the flock, and give your young goats food by the tents of the keepers.
9 My darling, to me you're like a mare among Pharaoh's horses that pull his chariots,
I have made a comparison of you, O my love, to a horse in Pharaoh's carriages.
10 Your beautiful cheeks adorned with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
Your face is a delight with rings of hair, your neck with chains of jewels.
11 Let's make you some gold ornaments inlaid with silver.
We will make you chains of gold with ornaments of silver.
12 As the king lay on his couch, my nard perfume gave off its fragrance.
While the king is seated at his table, my spices send out their perfume.
13 My love is like a pouch of myrrh, lying all night between my breasts.
As a bag of myrrh is my well-loved one to me, when he is at rest all night between my breasts.
14 My love is like a bunch of fragrant henna flowers in the vineyards of Engedi.
My love is to me as a branch of the cypress-tree in the vine-gardens of En-gedi.
15 Look at how very beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are as gentle as doves.
See, you are fair, my love, you are fair; you have the eyes of a dove.
16 And you, my love, are so handsome—how charming you are! The green grass is our bed,
See, you are fair, my loved one, and a pleasure; our bed is green.
17 with cedar trees as beams for our “house,” and pine trees for the rafters.
Cedar-trees are the pillars of our house; and our boards are made of fir-trees.
