Song of Solomon 1
1 This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
This is Solomon’s Song of Songs.
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 your love is more delightful 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.
The fragrance of your perfume is pleasing; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens adore you.
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.
Take me away with you—let us hurry! May the king bring me to his chambers. We will rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. It is only right that they adore you.
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 dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like 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].
Do not stare because I am dark, for the sun has gazed upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me a keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have neglected.
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 one I love, where do you pasture your sheep? Where do you rest them at midday? Why should I be like a veiled woman beside the flocks of your 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 you do not know, O fairest of women, follow the tracks of the flock, and graze your young goats near the tents of the shepherds.
9 You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
I compare you, my darling, to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
11 We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
We will make you ornaments of gold, studded with beads of silver.
12 While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
While the king was at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
13 The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh resting between my breasts.
14 He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms 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.
How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.
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].
How handsome you are, my beloved! Oh, how delightful! The soft grass is our bed.
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 cedars; our rafters are fragrant firs.
