Song of Solomon 1
1 This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
The Song of Songs, which pertaineth to Solomon.
2 Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
[SHE] Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! [THEY] For better are thy caresses 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.
Like the fragrance of thy precious oils, Oil poured out, is thy name, For this cause, 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.
[SHE] Draw me! [THEY] After thee, will we run! [SHE] The king, hath brought me, into his chambers. [THEY] We will exult and rejoice in thee, we will mention thy caresses, beyond wine, Sincerely they 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.
[SHE] Swarthy, I am but comely, ye daughters of Jerusalem. [THEY] 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].
[SHE] Do not look on me, because, I, am so swarthy, because the sun hath scorched me, —My mother’s sons, were angry with me, they set me to keep the vineyards, 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, thou loved of my soul! Where wilt thou pasture thy flock? Where wilt thou let them recline at noon? For why should I be as one that wrappeth a veil about her, 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.
[HE] If thou know not of thyself, most beautiful among women! get thee forth in the footsteps of the flock, and pasture thy kids by the huts of the shepherds. …
9 You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
To a mare of mine, in the chariots of Pharaoh, have I likened thee, my fair one!
10 Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
Comely are thy cheeks, with bead-rows, thy neck, with strings of gems.
11 We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
[THEY] Rows of golden ornaments, will we make thee, with studs of silver.
12 While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
[SHE] By the time the king is in his circle, my nard, will have given out its fragrance:
13 The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
A bag of myrrh, is my beloved to me, between my breasts, shall it tarry the night!
14 He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
A cluster of henna, is my beloved to me, 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.
[HE] Lo! thou art beautiful my fair one, lo! thou art beautiful, Thine eyes, [are] 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].
[SHE] Lo! thou art beautiful, my beloved, Yea delightful! [BOTH] Yea! our couch, is covered with leaves:
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 fretted ceiling, is cypress-trees.
