< Song of Solomon 1 >
1 The Song of Songs, that [is] of Solomon.
2 Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth, For better [are] your loves than wine.
Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,
3 For fragrance [are] your good perfumes. Perfume emptied out—your name, Therefore have virgins loved you!
Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.
4 Draw me: we run after you, The king has brought me into his inner chambers, We delight and rejoice in you, We mention your loves more than wine, Uprightly they have loved you!
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.
5 I [am] dark and lovely, daughters of Jerusalem, as tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.
I am black but beautiful, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Cedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not fear me, because I [am] very dark, Because the sun has scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard—my own—I have not kept.
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.
7 Declare to me, you whom my soul has loved, Where you delight, Where you lie down at noon, For why am I as one veiled, By the ranks of your companions?
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.
8 If you do not know, O beautiful among women, Go forth by the traces of the flock, And feed your kids by the shepherds’ dwellings!
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.
9 To my joyous one in chariots of Pharaoh, I have compared you, my friend,
To my company of horsemen, in Pharao’s chariots, have I likened thee, O my love.
10 Your cheeks have been lovely with garlands, your neck with chains.
Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtledove’s, thy neck as jewels.
11 We make garlands of gold for you, with studs of silver!
We will make thee chains of gold, inlaid with silver.
12 While the king [is] in his circle, My spikenard has given its fragrance.
While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth the odour thereof.
13 A bundle of myrrh [is] my beloved to me, Between my breasts it lodges.
A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me, he shall abide between my breasts.
14 A cluster of cypress [is] my beloved to me, In the vineyards of En-Gedi!
A cluster of cypress my love is to me, in the vineyards of Engaddi.
15 Behold, you [are] beautiful, my friend, Behold, you [are] beautiful, your eyes [are] doves!
Behold thou art fair, O my love, behold thou art fair, thy eyes are as those of doves.
16 Behold, you [are] beautiful, my love, indeed, pleasant, Indeed, our bed [is] green,
Behold thou art fair, my beloved, and comely. Our bed is flourishing.
17 The beams of our houses [are] cedars, Our rafters [are] firs, I [am] a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys!
The beams of our houses are of cedar, our rafters of cypress trees.