Song of Solomon 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 love is better than wine.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 Thine ointments have a goodly fragrance; thy name is as ointment poured forth; therefore do the 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 Draw me, we will run after thee; the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will find thy love more fragrant than wine! sincerely do they love 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 comely, O 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, that I am swarthy, that the sun hath tanned me; my mother's sons were incensed against me, they made me keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.'
[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, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon; for why should I be as one that veileth herself beside 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, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids, beside the shepherds' 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 compared thee, O my love, to a steed in Pharaoh's chariots.
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 Thy cheeks are comely with circlets, thy neck with beads.
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 We will make thee circlets of gold with studs of silver.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 While the king sat at his table, my spikenard sent forth its fragrance.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 My beloved is unto me as a bag of myrrh, that lieth betwixt my breasts.
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 My beloved is unto me as a cluster of henna in the vineyards of En-gedi.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are as 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 beloved, yea, pleasant; also our couch is leafy.
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 houses are cedars, and our panels are cypresses.
[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].
