Canticum Canticorum 1
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 osculetur me osculo oris sui quia meliora sunt ubera tua vino
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 fraglantia unguentis optimis oleum effusum nomen tuum ideo adulescentulae dilexerunt te
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 trahe me post te curremus introduxit me rex in cellaria sua exultabimus et laetabimur in te memores uberum tuorum super vinum recti diligunt te
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 nigra sum sed formonsa filiae Hierusalem sicut tabernacula Cedar sicut pelles Salomonis
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 nolite me considerare quod fusca sim quia decoloravit me sol filii matris meae pugnaverunt contra me posuerunt me custodem in vineis vineam meam non custodivi
[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 indica mihi quem diligit anima mea ubi pascas ubi cubes in meridie ne vagari incipiam per greges sodalium tuorum
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 si ignoras te o pulchra inter mulieres egredere et abi post vestigia gregum et pasce hedos tuos iuxta tabernacula pastorum
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 equitatui meo in curribus Pharaonis adsimilavi te amica mea
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 pulchrae sunt genae tuae sicut turturis collum tuum sicut monilia
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 murenulas aureas faciemus tibi vermiculatas argento
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 dum esset rex in accubitu suo nardus mea dedit odorem suum
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 fasciculus murrae dilectus meus mihi inter ubera mea commorabitur
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 botrus cypri dilectus meus mihi in vineis Engaddi
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 ecce tu pulchra es amica mea ecce tu pulchra oculi tui columbarum
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 ecce tu pulcher es dilecte mi et decorus lectulus noster floridus
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 tigna domorum nostrarum cedrina laquearia nostra cypressina
[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].
