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Do not stare at me because I am dark,
    for I was scorched by the sun.
My mother’s sons vented their rage against me;
    they forced me to look after the vineyards,
    but my own vineyard[a] I could not watch over.
Tell me, you whom my heart loves,
    where you pasture your flocks,
    and where you rest them at midday,[b]
so that I may not be found wandering
    beside the flocks of your companions.

Companions:

If you do not know,
    O fairest among women,
follow the tracks of the flocks
    and pasture your young goats
    close to the tents of the shepherds.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 1:6 My own vineyard: i.e., her body (see Song 2:15; 8:12). She has given her heart to the bridegroom.
  2. Song of Songs 1:7 The bride is now seeking the bridegroom because they are apart. This theme runs throughout the Book (Song 3:1-4; 4:8; 5:2-8; 6:1), and the resolution occurs at the end of the Book with the mutual possession of the couple (see Song 8:5). Midday: a time for rest in hot climates. It also stands for supreme happiness (see Job 11:17; Ps 37:6; Isa 58:10).