Song of Solomon 1

Title

¹The Song of Songs, which is for Solomon.[#This construction conveys a superlative connotation, e.g., “The most exquisite song”; #Or “by Solomon” or “about/concerning Solomon”]

Maiden’s Soliloquy

²May you kiss me passionately with your lips,[#In the maiden’s soliloquy, she thinks about her beloved in her thoughts (“May he kiss me!”), then poetically speaks to him as if he were in her presence (“for your love is better than wine”). To avoid confusion, the translation uses the second-person form throughout vv. 2–4; #Literally “May he kiss me”; #Literally “with the kisses of his mouth”]

³As fragrance, your perfumes are delightful;[#Literally “your oil lotions”; #Literally “good”]

⁴Draw me after you, let us run!

Let us be joyful and let us rejoice in you;

Maiden’s Self-Description

⁵I am black but beautiful, O maidens of Jerusalem,[#Or “black and beautiful”; #Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”]

⁶Do not gaze at me because I am black,[#This is figurative for the maiden’s physical appearance; her skin was darkly tanned]

The sons of my mother were angry with me;

Dialogue between Shepherdess and Shepherd

⁷Tell me, you whom my heart loves,[#Literally “soul”]

For why should I be like one who is veiled

⁸If you do not know, O fairest among women,

Man’s Poetic Praise of His Beloved

⁹To a mare among the chariots of Pharaoh,[#Or “my mare”; #Or “chariot horses”]

¹⁰Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments,

¹¹We will make ornaments of gold for you

Maiden’s Poetic Praise of Her Beloved

¹²While the king was on his couch,

¹³My beloved is to me a pouch of myrrh,[#Literally “the bag”]

¹⁴My beloved is to me a cluster of blossoms of henna

Mutual Admiration

¹⁵Look! You are beautiful, my beloved.

¹⁶Look! You are beautiful, my beloved,

Truly our couch is verdant;