Song of Solomon 1
1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, The woman speaking to the man for your love is better than wine.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 Your anointing oils have a delightful fragrance; your name is like flowing perfume, so the young women love you.
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.
4 Take me with you, and we will run. The woman speaking to herself The king has brought me into his rooms. The woman speaking to the man We are glad; We rejoice about you; let us celebrate your love; it is better than wine. It is natural for the other women to adore you.
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.
5 I am dark but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem— dark like the tents of Kedar, lovely like the curtains of Solomon.
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.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark, because the sun has scorched me. My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.
[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].
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves, where do you feed your flock? Where do you rest your flock at noontime? Why should I be like someone who wanders beside the flocks of your companions?
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.
8 If you do not know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of my flock, and pasture your young goats near the shepherds' tents.
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.
9 I compare you, my love, to a mare among Pharaoh's chariot horses.
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 We will make for you gold ornaments with silver studs.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 While the king lay on his couch, my nard emitted its fragrance.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 My beloved is to me like a bag of myrrh that spends the night lying between my breasts.
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me like a cluster of henna flowers in the vineyards of En Gedi.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Listen, you are beautiful, my love; listen, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves.
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 Listen, you are handsome, my beloved, how handsome. The lush plants are our bed.
You who love me, you are very delightful/handsome, you are wonderful! This green grass will be [like] a couch [where we lie down].
17 The beams of our house are cedars; our rafters are firs.
[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].
