Man

How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Behind your veil,
your eyes are doves.(A)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
streaming down Mount Gilead.(B)
Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
coming up from washing,
each one bearing twins,
and none has lost its young.[a](C)
Your lips are like a scarlet cord,(D)
and your mouth[b] is lovely.
Behind your veil,
your brow[c] is like a slice of pomegranate.(E)
Your neck is like the tower of David,(F)
constructed in layers.
A thousand shields are hung on it—
all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,(G) that feed among the lilies.
Until the day breaks[d]
and the shadows flee,(H)
I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.(I)
You are absolutely beautiful,(J) my darling;
there is no imperfection in you.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 4:2 Lit and no one bereaved among them
  2. 4:3 Or speech
  3. 4:3 Or temple, or cheek, or lips
  4. 4:6 Lit breathes

The Lover

Look at you! You are beautiful, my darling.
Look at you! You are so beautiful.
Your eyes behind your veil are doves,
    your hair is like a flock of goats
        coming down from Mt. Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep about to be sheared,[a]
    who are coming up from being washed.[b]
All of them are twins,
    not one has lost[c] her young.
Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
    and your mouth is lovely.
Behind your veil,
    your temple is like a slice of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
    built with rows of stones.
A thousand shields are hung upon it,
    all the shields of the warriors.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Until the day breaks[d] and the shadows flee,
    I’ll go to the mountain of myrrh[e]
        and to the hill of frankincense.[f]
My darling, you are altogether beautiful
    and there is no blemish in you.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:2 Or like sheared sheep
  2. Song of Solomon 4:2 Lit. from washing
  3. Song of Solomon 4:2 Lit. been bereaved of; i.e. her teeth match
  4. Song of Solomon 4:6 Or until the cool of the day; lit. until the day breathes;
  5. Song of Solomon 4:6 Myrrh was a fragrant spice used as a perfume.
  6. Song of Solomon 4:6 Frankincense was a fragrant spice used to make incense and perfume.