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Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth,
Where thou feedest thy flock,
Where thou makest it to rest at noon:
For why should I be as one that is veiled
Beside the flocks of thy companions?

If thou know not, O thou fairest among women,
Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock,
And feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.

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Dialogue between Shepherdess and Shepherd

Tell me, you whom my heart[a] loves,
    where do you pasture your flock,
        where do your sheep lie down at the noon?
For why should I be like[b] one who is veiled[c]
    beside the flocks of your companions?
If you do not know, O fairest among women,
    follow the tracks[d] of the flock,
        and pasture your little lambs[e] beside the tents of the shepherds.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:7 Literally “soul”
  2. Song of Solomon 1:7 Literally “For to what will I be like”
  3. Song of Solomon 1:7 The reading of the MT (“like one who is veiled”) is supported by the LXX. However, several ancient versions (Syriac Peshitta, Latin Vulgate, Symmachus) reflect an alternate Hebrew textual tradition in which two letters are transposed, resulting in the reading “like one who wanders about.” This makes good sense contextually, since the maiden does not know where her beloved would be at noon
  4. Song of Solomon 1:8 Literally “in the tracks”
  5. Song of Solomon 1:8 Or “your kids”