Song of Solomon 1
1 The Song of Songs, that [is] Solomon's.
Solomon's song of songs.
2 Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth, For better [are] thy loves than wine.
Kiss me, kiss me with your mouth again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine.
3 For fragrance [are] thy perfumes good. Perfume emptied out — thy name, Therefore have virgins loved thee!
I love the way you smell from the perfumed oils you use. You have quite a reputation—it spreads like spilled perfumed oil. It's not surprising that all the young women adore you!
4 Draw me: after thee we run, The king hath brought me into his inner chambers, We do joy and rejoice in thee, We mention thy loves more than wine, Uprightly they have loved thee!
Take me by the hand—let's run! (The king has brought me to his bedroom.) Let's be happy together and find pleasure in your love. Your love is far better than wine! Women are right to adore you so!
5 Dark [am] I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.
I'm black, but I'm beautiful, women of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Fear me not, because I [am] very dark, Because the sun hath scorched me, The sons of my mother were angry with me, They made me keeper of the vineyards, My vineyard — my own — I have not kept.
Don't look down on me because I'm black, because the sun has burned me. My brothers were angry with me and made me look after the vineyards, so I couldn't look after my own vineyard.
7 Declare to me, thou whom my soul hath loved, Where thou delightest, Where thou liest down at noon, For why am I as one veiled, By the ranks of thy companions?
My love, please tell me where you're taking your flock. Where will you rest them at noon? For why should I have to wear a veil while looking for you among the flocks of your companions?
8 If thou knowest not, O fair among women, Get thee forth by the traces of the flock, And feed thy kids by the shepherds' dwellings!
If you really don't know, you who are more beautiful than any other woman, then follow the tracks of my flock, and let your goats graze near the shepherd's tents.
9 To my joyous one in chariots of Pharaoh, I have compared thee, my friend,
My darling, to me you're like a mare among Pharaoh's horses that pull his chariots,
10 Comely have been thy cheeks with garlands, Thy neck with chains.
Your beautiful cheeks adorned with ornaments, your neck with strings of jewels.
11 Garlands of gold we do make for thee, With studs of silver!
Let's make you some gold ornaments inlaid with silver.
12 While the king [is] in his circle, My spikenard hath given its fragrance.
As the king lay on his couch, my nard perfume gave off its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh [is] my beloved to me, Between my breasts it lodgeth.
My love is like a pouch of myrrh, lying all night between my breasts.
14 A cluster of cypress [is] my beloved to me, In the vineyards of En-Gedi!
My love is like a bunch of fragrant henna flowers in the vineyards of Engedi.
15 Lo, thou [art] fair, my friend, Lo, thou [art] fair, thine eyes [are] doves!
Look at how very beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are as gentle as doves.
16 Lo, thou [art] fair, my love, yea, pleasant, Yea, our couch [is] green,
And you, my love, are so handsome—how charming you are! The green grass is our bed,
17 The beams of our houses [are] cedars, Our rafters [are] firs, I [am] a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys!
with cedar trees as beams for our “house,” and pine trees for the rafters.
