The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s.(A)

Woman

Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your caresses[a] are more delightful than wine.(B)
The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating;(C)
your name is perfume poured out.(D)
No wonder young women[b] adore you.
Take me with you(E)—let’s hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring[c] me to his chambers.

Young Women

We will rejoice and be glad in you;
we will celebrate your caresses more than wine.

Woman

It is only right that they adore you.

Daughters of Jerusalem,(F)
I am dark like the tents of Kedar,(G)
yet lovely(H) like the curtains of Solomon.
Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me;(I)
they made me take care of the vineyards.(J)
I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

Tell me, you whom I love:(K)
Where do you pasture your sheep?(L)
Where do you let them rest at noon?(M)
Why should I be like one who veils herself[d]
beside the flocks of your companions?(N)

Man

[e]If you do not know,
most beautiful of women,(O)
follow[f] the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.

I compare you, my darling,(P)
to a[g] mare among Pharaoh’s chariots.(Q)
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry,(R)
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

Woman

12 While the king is on his couch,[h]
my perfume[i] releases its fragrance.(S)
13 The one I love is a sachet of myrrh to me,(T)
spending the night between my breasts.
14 The one I love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me,(U)
in the vineyards of En-gedi.(V)

Man

15 How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.(W)

Woman

16 How handsome you are, my love.(X)
How delightful!
Our bed is verdant;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses.[j]
I am a wildflower[k] of Sharon,
a lily[l] of the valleys.(Y)

Man

Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.

Woman

Like an apricot[m] tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banquet hall,[n](Z)
and he looked on me with love.[o](AA)
Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,[p]
for I am lovesick.(AB)
May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(AC)
Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.[q](AD)

Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,(AE)
bounding over the hills.
My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.(AF)
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:

Man

Arise,(AG) my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing[r] has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.(AH)
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;(AI)
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.(AJ)
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.

14 My dove,(AK) in the clefts of the rock,(AL)
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,[s]
let me hear your voice;(AM)
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.(AN)

Woman

15 [t]Catch the foxes for us(AO)
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.(AP)

Woman

16 My love is mine and I am his;(AQ)
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks[u]
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag(AR) on the divided mountains.[v](AS)

Footnotes

  1. 1:2 Or acts of love
  2. 1:3 Or wonder virgins
  3. 1:4 Or The king has brought
  4. 1:7 Or who wanders
  5. 1:8 Some understand the young women to be the speakers in this verse.
  6. 1:8 Lit go out for yourself into
  7. 1:9 Lit my
  8. 1:12 Or is at his table
  9. 1:12 Lit nard
  10. 1:17 Or firs, or pines
  11. 2:1 Traditionally rose
  12. 2:1 Or lotus
  13. 2:3 Or apple
  14. 2:4 Lit the house of wine
  15. 2:4 Or and his banner over me is love
  16. 2:5 Or apples
  17. 2:7 Lit until it pleases
  18. 2:12 Or pruning
  19. 2:14 Or form
  20. 2:15 The speaker could be the woman, the man, or both.
  21. 2:17 Lit breathes
  22. 2:17 Or the Bether mountains, or the mountains of spices; Hb obscure

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.

She[d]

I am a rose[e](AC) of Sharon,(AD)
    a lily(AE) of the valleys.

He

Like a lily among thorns
    is my darling among the young women.

She

Like an apple[f] tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved(AF) among the young men.
I delight(AG) to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.(AH)
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,(AI)
    and let his banner(AJ) over me be love.
Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples,(AK)
    for I am faint with love.(AL)
His left arm is under my head,
    and his right arm embraces me.(AM)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(AN)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(AO)

Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.(AP)
My beloved is like a gazelle(AQ) or a young stag.(AR)
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.
11 See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;(AS)
    the blossoming(AT) vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

14 My dove(AU) in the clefts of the rock,
    in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
    let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is lovely.(AV)
15 Catch for us the foxes,(AW)
    the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,(AX)
    our vineyards that are in bloom.(AY)

She

16 My beloved is mine and I am his;(AZ)
    he browses among the lilies.(BA)
17 Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(BB)
turn, my beloved,(BC)
    and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag(BD)
    on the rugged hills.[g](BE)

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
  4. Song of Songs 2:1 Or He
  5. Song of Songs 2:1 Probably a member of the crocus family
  6. Song of Songs 2:3 Or possibly apricot; here and elsewhere in Song of Songs
  7. Song of Songs 2:17 Or the hills of Bether