1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.
The Bride Confesses Her Love
She
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine;
3 your anointing oils are fragrant;
your name is oil poured out;
therefore virgins love you.
4 Draw me after you; let us run.
The king has brought me into his chambers.
Others
We will exult and rejoice in you;
we will extol your love more than wine;
rightly do they love you.
She
5 I am very dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
like the tents of Kedar,
like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not gaze at me because I am dark,
because the sun has looked upon me.
My mother's sons were angry with me;
they made me keeper of the vineyards,
but my own vineyard I have not kept!
7 Tell me, you whom my soul loves,
where you pasture your flock,
where you make it lie down at noon;
for why should I be like one who veils herself
beside the flocks of your companions?
Solomon and His Bride Delight in Each Other
He
8 If you do not know,
O most beautiful among women,
follow in the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
beside the shepherds' tents.
9 I compare you, my love,
to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots.
10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
your neck with strings of jewels.
Others
11 We will make for you ornaments of gold,
studded with silver.
She
12 While the king was on his couch,
my nard gave forth its fragrance.
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh
that lies between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
in the vineyards of Engedi.
He
15 Behold, you are beautiful, my love;
behold, you are beautiful;
your eyes are doves.
She
16 Behold, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly delightful.
Our couch is green;
17 the beams of our house are cedar;
our rafters are pine.
Footnotes
[1] 1:2 The translators have added speaker identifications based on the gender and number of the Hebrew words[2] 1:11 The Hebrew for you is feminine singular
“1 The song of songs, which [is] Solomon’s.”
“2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love [is] better than wine. 3 Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name [is as] ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. 4 Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. 5 I [am] black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. 6 Look not upon me, because I [am] black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother’s children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; [but] mine own vineyard have I not kept.”
“7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest [thy flock] to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents. 9 I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots. 10 Thy cheeks are comely with rows [of jewels], thy neck with chains [of gold]. 11 We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.”
“12 While the king [sitteth] at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. 13 A bundle of myrrh [is] my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. 14 My beloved [is] unto me [as] a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi. 15 Behold, thou [art] fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair; thou [hast] doves’ eyes. 16 Behold, thou [art] fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed [is] green. 17 The beams of our house [are] cedar, [and] our rafters of fir.” (Song of Solomon 1:1-17 AV)
Commentary on Song of Solomon
