Song of Solomon 1
1 This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
2 Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
3 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.
Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
4 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.
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 remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.
5 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.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
6 [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].
Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
7 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.
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 turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
8 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.
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.
9 You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
11 We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
12 While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
13 The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
A bundle of myrrh is my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
14 He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En–gedi.
15 You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.
16 You who love me, you are very delightful/handsome, you are wonderful! This green grass will be [like] a couch [where we lie down].
Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
17 [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].
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
