< 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 your breasts are better than wine.
Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy loue is better then wine.
3 And the smell of your ointments is better than all spices: your name is ointment poured forth; therefore do the young maidens love you.
Because of the sauour of thy good ointments thy name is as an ointment powred out: therefore the virgins loue thee.
4 They have drawn you: we will run after you, for the smell of your ointments: the king has brought me into closet: let us rejoice and be glad in you; we will love your breasts more than wine: righteousness loves you.
Drawe me: we will runne after thee: the King hath brought me into his chabers: we will reioyce and be glad in thee: we will remember thy loue more then wine: the righteous do loue thee.
5 I am black, but beautiful, you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am blacke, O daughters of Ierusalem, but comely, as the tentes of Kedar, and as the curtaines of Salomon.
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.
Regard ye me not because I am blacke: for the sunne hath looked vpon mee. The sonnes of my mother were angry against mee: they made me the keeper of ye vines: but I kept not mine owne vine.
7 Tell me, [you] whom my soul loves, where you tend your flock, where you cause [them] to rest at noon, lest I become as one that is veiled by the flocks of your companions.
Shewe me, O thou, whome my soule loueth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noone: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the flockes of thy companions?
8 If you know not yourself, you fair one among women, go you forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed your kids by the shepherd's tents.
If thou knowe not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee foorth by the steps of the flocke, and feede thy kiddes by the tents of the shepheards.
9 I have likened you, my companion, to my horses in the chariots of Pharao.
I haue compared thee, O my loue, to the troupe of horses in the charets of Pharaoh.
10 How are your cheeks beautiful as [those] of a dove, your neck as chains!
Thy cheekes are comely with rowes of stones, and thy necke with chaines.
11 We will make you figures of gold with studs of silver.
We will make thee borders of golde with studdes of siluer.
12 So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell.
Whiles the King was at his repast, my spikenard gaue the smelll thereof.
13 My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts.
My welbeloued is as a bundle of myrrhe vnto me: he shall lie betweene my breasts.
14 My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.
My welbeloued is as a cluster of camphire vnto me in the vines of Engedi.
15 Behold, you are fair, my companion; behold, you are fair; your eyes are doves.
My loue, beholde, thou art faire: beholde, thou art faire: thine eyes are like the doues.
16 Behold, you are fair, my kinsman, yes, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.
My welbeloued, beholde, thou art faire and pleasant: also our bed is greene:
17 The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.
The beames of our house are cedars, our rafters are of firre.