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

Ang kasintahang babae ay nagsalita sa mga anak na babae ng Jerusalem.

Ang awit ng mga awit, (A)na kay Salomon.
Hagkan niya ako ng mga halik ng kaniyang bibig:
(B)Sapagka't ang iyong pagsinta ay maigi kay sa alak.
Ang iyong mga langis ay may masarap na amoy;
Ang (C)iyong pangalan ay gaya ng langis na ibinuhos;
Kaya't sinisinta ka ng mga dalaga.
Batakin mo ako, tatakbo kaming kasunod mo:
(D)Ipinasok ako ng hari sa kaniyang mga silid:
Kami ay matutuwa at magagalak sa iyo.
Aming babanggitin ang iyong pagsinta ng higit kay sa alak:
Matuwid ang pagsinta nila sa iyo.
Ako'y maitim, nguni't kahalihalina,
Oh kayong mga anak na babae ng Jerusalem,
Gaya ng mga (E)tolda sa (F)Cedar,
Gaya ng mga tabing ni Salomon.
Huwag ninyo akong masdan dahil sa ako'y kayumanggi,
Sapagka't sinunog ako ng araw.
Ang mga anak ng aking ina ay nagalit laban sa akin,
Kanilang ginawa akong tagapagingat ng mga ubasan;
Nguni't ang sarili kong ubasan ay hindi ko iningatan.
Saysayin mo sa akin, ikaw na sinisinta ng aking kaluluwa,
Kung saan mo pinapastulan ang iyong kawan,
Kung saan mo pinagpapahinga sa katanghaliang tapat:
Sapagka't bakit ako'y magiging gaya ng nalalambungan
Sa siping ng mga kawan ng iyong mga kasama?
Kung hindi mo nalalaman, (G)Oh ikaw na pinakamaganda sa mga babae,
Yumaon kang sumunod sa mga bakas ng kawan,
At pastulan mo ang iyong mga anak ng kambing sa siping ng mga tolda ng mga pastor.

Paguusap ng magkasuyo.

Aking itinulad ka, Oh aking (H)sinta,
Sa isang (I)kabayo sa mga karo ni Faraon.
10 Pinagaganda (J)ang iyong mga pisngi ng mga tirintas ng buhok,
Ang iyong leeg ng mga kuwintas na hiyas.
11 Igagawa ka namin ng mga kuwintas na ginto
Na may mga kabit na pilak.
12 Samantalang ang hari ay nauupo sa kaniyang dulang,
Ang aking (K)nardo ay humahalimuyak ng kaniyang bango.
13 Ang aking sinta ay gaya ng bigkis ng mira sa akin,
Na humihilig sa pagitan ng aking mga suso.
14 Ang sinta ko ay gaya ng kumpol ng bulaklak ng alhena sa akin
Sa mga ubasan ng En-gadi.
15 Narito, ikaw ay (L)maganda, sinta ko,
Narito, ikaw ay maganda;
Ang iyong mga mata ay gaya ng mga kalapati.
16 Narito, ikaw ay maganda sinisinta ko, oo, maligaya:
Ang ating higaan naman ay lungtian.
17 Ang mga kilo ng ating bahay ay mga sedro,
At ang kaniyang mga bubong ay mga sipres.