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TITOLO E PROLOGO

Cantico dei cantici, che è di Salomone.

La sposa

Mi baci con i baci della sua bocca!
Sì, le tue tenerezze sono più dolci del vino.
Per la fragranza sono inebrianti i tuoi profumi,
profumo olezzante è il tuo nome,
per questo le giovinette ti amano.
Attirami dietro a te, corriamo!
M'introduca il re nelle sue stanze:
gioiremo e ci rallegreremo per te,
ricorderemo le tue tenerezze più del vino.
A ragione ti amano!

PRIMO POEMA

La sposa

Bruna sono ma bella,
o figlie di Gerusalemme,
come le tende di Kedar,
come i padiglioni di Salma.
Non state a guardare che sono bruna,
poiché mi ha abbronzato il sole.
I figli di mia madre si sono sdegnati con me:
mi hanno messo a guardia delle vigne;
la mia vigna, la mia, non l'ho custodita.
Dimmi, o amore dell'anima mia,
dove vai a pascolare il gregge,
dove lo fai riposare al meriggio,
perché io non sia come vagabonda
dietro i greggi dei tuoi compagni.

Il coro

Se non lo sai, o bellissima tra le donne,
segui le orme del gregge
e mena a pascolare le tue caprette
presso le dimore dei pastori.

Lo sposo

Alla cavalla del cocchio del faraone
io ti assomiglio, amica mia.
10 Belle sono le tue guance fra i pendenti,
il tuo collo fra i vezzi di perle.
11 Faremo per te pendenti d'oro,
con grani d'argento.

Duetto

12 Mentre il re è nel suo recinto,
il mio nardo spande il suo profumo.
13 Il mio diletto è per me un sacchetto di mirra,
riposa sul mio petto.
14 Il mio diletto è per me un grappolo di cipro
nelle vigne di Engàddi.
15 Come sei bella, amica mia, come sei bella!
I tuoi occhi sono colombe.
16 Come sei bello, mio diletto, quanto grazioso!
Anche il nostro letto è verdeggiante.
17 Le travi della nostra casa sono i cedri,
nostro soffitto sono i cipressi.

Solomon’s Song of Songs.(A)

She[a]

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
    for your love(B) is more delightful than wine.(C)
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;(D)
    your name(E) is like perfume poured out.
    No wonder the young women(F) love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
    Let the king bring me into his chambers.(G)

Friends

We rejoice and delight(H) in you[b];
    we will praise your love(I) more than wine.

She

How right they are to adore you!

Dark am I, yet lovely,(J)
    daughters of Jerusalem,(K)
dark like the tents of Kedar,(L)
    like the tent curtains of Solomon.[c]
Do not stare at me because I am dark,
    because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
    and made me take care of the vineyards;(M)
    my own vineyard I had to neglect.
Tell me, you whom I love,
    where you graze your flock
    and where you rest your sheep(N) at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled(O) woman
    beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends

If you do not know, most beautiful of women,(P)
    follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
    by the tents of the shepherds.

He

I liken you, my darling, to a mare
    among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.(Q)
10 Your cheeks(R) are beautiful with earrings,
    your neck with strings of jewels.(S)
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
    studded with silver.

She

12 While the king was at his table,
    my perfume spread its fragrance.(T)
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh(U)
    resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved(V) is to me a cluster of henna(W) blossoms
    from the vineyards of En Gedi.(X)

He

15 How beautiful(Y) you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes are doves.(Z)

She

16 How handsome you are, my beloved!(AA)
    Oh, how charming!
    And our bed is verdant.

He

17 The beams of our house are cedars;(AB)
    our rafters are firs.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 1:2 The main male and female speakers (identified primarily on the basis of the gender of the relevant Hebrew forms) are indicated by the captions He and She respectively. The words of others are marked Friends. In some instances the divisions and their captions are debatable.
  2. Song of Songs 1:4 The Hebrew is masculine singular.
  3. Song of Songs 1:5 Or Salma

Solomon’s Love for a Shulamite Girl

The (A)song of songs, which is Solomon’s.

The Banquet

The [a]Shulamite

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
(B)For [b]your love is better than wine.
Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
(C)Draw me away!

The Daughters of Jerusalem

(D)We will run after [c]you.

The Shulamite

The king (E)has brought me into his chambers.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will be glad and rejoice in [d]you.

We will remember your love more than wine.

The Shulamite

Rightly do they love you.

I am dark, but lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
Like the tents of Kedar,
Like the curtains of Solomon.
Do not look upon me, because I am dark,
Because the sun has [e]tanned me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,
But my own (F)vineyard I have not kept.

(To Her Beloved)

Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who [f]veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?

The Beloved

If you do not know, (G)O fairest among women,
[g]Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds’ tents.
I have compared you, (H)my love,
(I)To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.
10 (J)Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments,
Your neck with chains of gold.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

11 We will make [h]you ornaments of gold
With studs of silver.

The Shulamite

12 While the king is at his table,
My [i]spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.
14 My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blooms
In the vineyards of En Gedi.

The Beloved

15 (K)Behold, you are fair, [j]my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes.

The Shulamite

16 Behold, you are (L)handsome, my beloved!
Yes, pleasant!
Also our [k]bed is green.
17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:2 A young woman from the town of Shulam or Shunem, Song 6:13. The speaker and audience are identified according to the number, gender, and person of the Hebrew words. Occasionally the identity is not certain.
  2. Song of Solomon 1:2 Masc. sing.: the Beloved
  3. Song of Solomon 1:4 Masc. sing.: the Beloved
  4. Song of Solomon 1:4 Fem. sing.: the Shulamite
  5. Song of Solomon 1:6 Lit. looked upon me
  6. Song of Solomon 1:7 LXX, Syr., Vg. wanders
  7. Song of Solomon 1:8 Lit. Go out
  8. Song of Solomon 1:11 Fem. sing.: the Shulamite
  9. Song of Solomon 1:12 perfume
  10. Song of Solomon 1:15 my companion, friend
  11. Song of Solomon 1:16 couch