Он:

– Как прекрасна ты, милая моя,
    как прекрасна!
    Глаза твои за вуалью, словно голуби.
Твои волосы, как стадо черных коз,
    что сходит с горы Галаад.
Зубы твои белы, как стадо выстриженных овец,
    выходящих из купальни.
У каждого есть свой близнец,
    никто из них не одинок.
Губы твои, словно алая лента,
    уста твои прекрасны.
Щеки твои за вуалью – румяны,
    как половинки граната.
Шея твоя, как башня Давида,
    изящно сложенная,
украшенная тысячью щитов,
    все они – щиты воинов.
Груди твои, как два олененка,
    как двойня газели,
    пасущиеся среди лилий.
Пока не наступил день
    и не скрылись тени,
я пойду на гору мирровую
    и на холм ладана.
Милая моя, ты вся прекрасна,
    в тебе нет изъяна!

Пойдем со мной с Ливана, невеста моя,
    со мной с Ливана.
Спустись с вершины Аманы,
    с вершины Сенира и Хермона[a],
уйди от логовищ львов,
    от горных убежищ леопардов.
Ты похитила сердце мое, сестра[b] моя, невеста моя;
    ты похитила сердце мое
одним взглядом своих очей,
    одной лишь бусинкой своего ожерелья.
10 Как отрадна любовь твоя, сестра моя, невеста моя!
    Насколько слаще вина любовь твоя,
    и аромат благовоний твоих лучше всех ароматов!
11 Из уст твоих сочится сотовый мед, невеста моя,
    мед и молоко под языком твоим.
    Благоухание одежды твоей, как аромат ливанского кедра.
12 Ты запертый сад, сестра моя, невеста моя,
    заключенный источник, запечатанный родник.
13 Ты – сад с гранатовыми деревьями,
    с превосходными плодами,
    с кипером и нардом[c];
14     нардом и шафраном,
    с благовонным тростником и корицей,
    со всякими ладанными деревьями,
    с миррой и алоэ[d] –
    всякими лучшими ароматами.
15 Ты садовый родник,
    источник свежей воды,
    текущей с Ливанских гор.

Она:

16 – Пробудись, северный ветер,
    и приди, южный,
подуй на сад мой
    и разнеси аромат его!
Пусть возлюбленный мой придет в сад свой
    и вкусит плоды его превосходные.

Footnotes

  1. 4:8 Эти четыре горы находятся на севере от Израиля. Сенир и Хермон – это две вершины одного горного кряжа.
  2. 4:9 Сестра – это выражение, как ласковое обращение к невесте или жене, было в обычае на древнем Востоке. Также в ст. 10, 12; 5:1, 2.
  3. 4:13 Нард – растение, произрастающее только в Индии, на Гималаях, с пурпурно-красными цветами, листья которого издают приятный аромат. Из этого растения получали дорогостоящее масло.
  4. 4:14 Алоэ – это источающее ароматную смолу дерево, родиной которого является Индокитай, использовалось как благовоние, а также при бальзамировании. Оно не имеет ничего общего с общеизвестным обыкновенным алоэ.

The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

The Beloved

Behold, (A)you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a (B)flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
(C)Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is [a]barren among them.
Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
(D)Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
(E)Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built (F)for an armory,
On which hang a thousand [b]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
(G)Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

(H)Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

(I)You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir (J)and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
(K)How much better than wine is your love,
And the [c]scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
(L)Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is (M)like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden [d]enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
15 A fountain of gardens,
A well of (N)living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
(O)Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant (P)fruits.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:2 bereaved
  2. Song of Solomon 4:4 Small shields
  3. Song of Solomon 4:10 fragrance
  4. Song of Solomon 4:12 locked or barred

He

How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes behind your veil(A) are doves.(B)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from the hills of Gilead.(C)
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
    not one of them is alone.(D)
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
    your mouth(E) is lovely.(F)
Your temples behind your veil
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.(G)
Your neck is like the tower(H) of David,
    built with courses of stone[a];
on it hang a thousand shields,(I)
    all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts(J) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle(K)
    that browse among the lilies.(L)
Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(M)
I will go to the mountain of myrrh(N)
    and to the hill of incense.
You are altogether beautiful,(O) my darling;
    there is no flaw(P) in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,(Q)
    come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the crest of Amana,
    from the top of Senir,(R) the summit of Hermon,(S)
from the lions’ dens
    and the mountain haunts of leopards.
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;(T)
    you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
    with one jewel of your necklace.(U)
10 How delightful(V) is your love(W), my sister, my bride!
    How much more pleasing is your love than wine,(X)
and the fragrance of your perfume(Y)
    more than any spice!
11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
    milk and honey are under your tongue.(Z)
The fragrance of your garments
    is like the fragrance of Lebanon.(AA)
12 You are a garden(AB) locked up, my sister, my bride;(AC)
    you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.(AD)
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates(AE)
    with choice fruits,
    with henna(AF) and nard,
14     nard and saffron,
    calamus and cinnamon,(AG)
    with every kind of incense tree,
    with myrrh(AH) and aloes(AI)
    and all the finest spices.(AJ)
15 You are[b] a garden(AK) fountain,(AL)
    a well of flowing water
    streaming down from Lebanon.

She

16 Awake, north wind,
    and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,(AM)
    that its fragrance(AN) may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved(AO) come into his garden
    and taste its choice fruits.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Song of Songs 4:15 Or I am (spoken by She)

Solomon Admires His Bride's Beauty

He

Behold, (A)you are beautiful, my love,
    behold, you are beautiful!
(B)Your eyes are doves
    (C)behind your veil.
(D)Your hair is like a flock of goats
    leaping down (E)the slopes of Gilead.
Your (F)teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
    that have come up from the washing,
all of which bear twins,
    and not one among them has lost its young.
Your lips are like (G)a scarlet thread,
    and your mouth is (H)lovely.
Your (I)cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
    (J)behind your veil.
Your (K)neck is like the tower of David,
    built in (L)rows of stone;[a]
on it (M)hang a thousand shields,
    all of (N)them shields of warriors.
Your (O)two breasts are like two (P)fawns,
    twins of a gazelle,
    that (Q)graze among the lilies.
(R)Until the day breathes
    and the shadows flee,
I will go away to the mountain of (S)myrrh
    and the hill of (T)frankincense.
(U)You are altogether beautiful, my love;
    there is no (V)flaw in you.
(W)Come with me from (X)Lebanon, my (Y)bride;
    come with me from (Z)Lebanon.
Depart[b] from the peak of Amana,
    from the peak of (AA)Senir and (AB)Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
    from the mountains of leopards.

You have captivated my heart, my (AC)sister, my bride;
    you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes,
    with one (AD)jewel of your necklace.
10 How beautiful is your love, my (AE)sister, my bride!
    How much (AF)better is your love than wine,
    and (AG)the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
11 Your (AH)lips drip nectar, my bride;
    (AI)honey and milk are under your tongue;
    the fragrance of your garments is (AJ)like the fragrance of (AK)Lebanon.
12 A garden locked is my (AL)sister, my bride,
    a spring locked, (AM)a fountain (AN)sealed.
13 Your shoots are (AO)an orchard of pomegranates
    with all (AP)choicest fruits,
    (AQ)henna with (AR)nard,
14 nard and saffron, (AS)calamus and (AT)cinnamon,
    with all trees of (AU)frankincense,
(AV)myrrh and (AW)aloes,
    with all (AX)choice spices—
15 a garden fountain, a well of (AY)living water,
    and flowing streams from (AZ)Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind,
    and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my (BA)garden,
    let its spices flow.

Together in the Garden of Love

She

(BB)Let my beloved come to his (BC)garden,
    and eat its (BD)choicest fruits.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  2. Song of Solomon 4:8 Or Look