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What a magnificent young woman you are!
    How beautiful are your feet in sandals.
The curve of your thighs
    is like the work of an artist.
A bowl is there,
    that never runs out of spiced wine.
A sheaf of wheat is there,
    surrounded by lilies.
Your breasts are like twin deer,
    like two gazelles.
Your neck is like a tower of ivory.
Your eyes are like the pools in the city of Heshbon,
    near the gate of that great city.
Your nose is as lovely as the tower of Lebanon
    that stands guard at Damascus.
Your head is held high like Mount Carmel.
Your braided hair shines like the finest satin;
    its beauty[a] could hold a king captive.

How pretty you are, how beautiful;
    how complete the delights of your love.
You are as graceful as a palm tree,
    and your breasts are clusters of dates.
I will climb the palm tree
    and pick its fruit.
To me your breasts are like bunches of grapes,
    your breath like the fragrance of apples,
    and your mouth like the finest wine.

The Woman

Then let the wine flow straight to my lover,
    flowing over his lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my lover, and he desires me.
11 Come, darling, let's go out to the countryside
    and spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 We will get up early and look at the vines
    to see whether they've started to grow,
    whether the blossoms are opening
    and the pomegranate trees are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
13 You can smell the scent of mandrakes,
    and all the pleasant fruits are near our door.
Darling, I have kept for you
    the old delights and the new.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 7:5 beauty; Hebrew unclear.
  2. Song of Solomon 7:9 Some ancient translations lips and teeth; Hebrew lips of those who sleep.
  3. Song of Solomon 7:11 villages; or fields.

Expressions of Praise

How graceful are your feet in sandals,
    O queenly maiden!
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
    the work of a master hand.(A)
Your navel is a rounded bowl;
    may it never lack mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat,
    encircled with lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle.(B)
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are pools in Heshbon,
    by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon,
    overlooking Damascus.(C)
Your head crowns you like Carmel,
    and your flowing locks are like purple;
    a king is held captive in the tresses.(D)

How fair and pleasant you are,
    O loved one, delectable maiden![a](E)
You are stately[b] as a palm tree,
    and your breasts are like its clusters.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
    and lay hold of its branches.”
O may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
    and the scent of your breath like apples,(F)
and your kisses[c] like the best wine
    that goes down[d] smoothly,
    gliding over lips and teeth.[e]

10 I am my beloved’s,
    and his desire is for me.(G)
11 Come, my beloved,
    let us go forth into the fields
    and lodge in the villages;
12 let us go out early to the vineyards;
    let us see whether the vines have budded,
whether the grape blossoms have opened
    and the pomegranates are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.(H)
13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance,
    and over our doors are all choice fruits,
new as well as old,
    which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 7.6 Syr: Heb in delights
  2. 7.7 Heb This your stature is
  3. 7.9 Heb palate
  4. 7.9 Heb to my lover
  5. 7.9 Gk Syr Vg: Heb lips of sleepers

[Chorus]

(6:13) Come back, come back, girl from Shulam!
Come back, come back to where we can see you!
Why are you looking at the girl from Shulam
as if she were dancing for two army camps?

[He]

(1) How beautiful are your feet in sandals,
you daughter of princes!
The curves of your thighs are like a necklace
made by a skilled craftsman.
(2) Your navel is like a round goblet
that never lacks spiced wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat
encircled by lilies.
(3) Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.
(4) Your neck is like a tower of ivory,
your eyes like the pools in Heshbon
by the gate of Bat-Rabbim,
your nose like a tower in the L’vanon
overlooking Dammesek.
(5) You hold your head like the Karmel,
and the hair on your head is like purple cloth —
the king is held captive in its tresses.

(6) How beautiful you are, my love,
how charming, how delightful!
(7) Your appearance is stately as a palm tree,
with its fruit clusters your breasts.
(8) I said, “I will climb up into the palm tree,
I will take hold of its branches.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
your breath as fragrant as apples,
10 (9) and your mouth like the finest wine.

[She]

May the wine go straight to the man I love
and gently move the lips of those who are asleep.
11 (10) I belong to my darling,
and his desire is for me.

12 (11) Come, my darling, let’s go out to the country
and spend the nights in the villages.
13 (12) We’ll get up early and go to the vineyards
to see if the vines have budded,
to see if their flowers have opened,
or if the pomegranate trees are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
14 (13) The mandrakes are sending out their fragrance,
all kinds of choice fruits are at our doors,
fruits both new and old, my darling,
which I have kept in store for you.

1-9 Shapely and graceful your sandaled feet,
    and queenly your movement—
Your limbs are lithe and elegant,
    the work of a master artist.
Your body is a chalice,
    wine-filled.
Your skin is silken and tawny
    like a field of wheat touched by the breeze.
Your breasts are like fawns,
    twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is carved ivory, curved and slender.
    Your eyes are wells of light, deep with mystery.
    Quintessentially feminine!
Your profile turns all heads,
    commanding attention.
The feelings I get when I see the high mountain ranges
    —stirrings of desire, longings for the heights—
Remind me of you,
    and I’m spoiled for anyone else!
Your beauty, within and without, is absolute,
    dear lover, close companion.
You are tall and supple, like the palm tree,
    and your full breasts are like sweet clusters of dates.
I say, “I’m going to climb that palm tree!
    I’m going to caress its fruit!”
Oh yes! Your breasts
    will be clusters of sweet fruit to me,
Your breath clean and cool like fresh mint,
    your tongue and lips like the best wine.

The Woman

9-12 Yes, and yours are, too—my love’s kisses
    flow from his lips to mine.
I am my lover’s.
    I’m all he wants. I’m all the world to him!
Come, dear lover—
    let’s tramp through the countryside.
Let’s sleep at some wayside inn,
    then rise early and listen to bird-song.
Let’s look for wildflowers in bloom,
    blackberry bushes blossoming white,
Fruit trees adorned
    with cascading flowers.
And there I’ll give myself to you,
    my love to your love!

13 Love-apples drench us with fragrance,
    fertility surrounds, suffuses us,
Fruits fresh and preserved
    that I’ve kept and saved just for you, my love.

[a]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s(A) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
Your breasts(B) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.(C)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(D)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(E)
    looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(F)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful(G) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!(H)
Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts(I) like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,(J)
    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(K)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(L) is for me.(M)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(N)
    to see if the vines have budded,(O)
if their blossoms(P) have opened,
    and if the pomegranates(Q) are in bloom(R)
    there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(S) send out their fragrance,
    and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(T)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
  2. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  3. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes