Song of Solomon 1
1 The Song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; for your love is better than wine.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 Your oils have a pleasing fragrance. Your name is oil poured out, therefore the virgins 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 away with you. Let’s hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Friends We will be glad and rejoice in you. We will praise your love more than wine! Beloved They are right to love 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, like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains.
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 Don’t 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. I haven’t kept my own vineyard.
[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 you graze your flock, where you rest them at noon; for why should I be as one who is veiled 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 don’t know, most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the sheep. Graze your young goats beside 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 have compared you, my love, to a steed in Pharaoh’s chariots.
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 earrings, 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 you earrings of gold, with studs of silver.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 While the king sat at his table, my perfume spread its fragrance.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh, that lies 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 a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love. Behold, you are beautiful. Your eyes are like doves.
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, yes, pleasant; and our couch is verdant.
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].
