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The Bride’s Troubled Dream

[a]On my bed night after night I sought him
(A)Whom my soul loves;
I (B)sought him but did not find him.
[b]I must arise now and [c]go about the city;
In the (C)streets and in the squares
[d]I must seek him whom my soul loves.’
I sought him but did not find him.
(D)The watchmen who go about the city found me,
And I said, ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
(E)Scarcely had I passed them by
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I (F)seized him and would not let him go
Until I had (G)brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the chamber of her who conceived me.”

[e]I (H)call you to solemnly swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (I)gazelles or by the hinds of the field,
That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until [f]she pleases.”

Solomon Arrives on His Wedding Day

[g](J)Who is this coming up from the wilderness
Like (K)columns of smoke,
As rising incense of (L)myrrh and (M)frankincense,
With all scented powders of the merchant?
Behold, it is the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty mighty men around it,
Of the mighty men of Israel.
All of them are those who seize the sword,
(N)Learned in war;
Each man has his (O)sword at his side,
Guarding against the [h](P)dreadful things of the night.
King Solomon has made for himself a sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [i]back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior inlaid with love
By the (Q)daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth and see, O (R)daughters of Zion,
King Solomon with the [j]crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the (S)day of his wedding,
And on the day of his gladness of heart.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:1 BRIDE
  2. Song of Songs 3:2 Or Let me arise
  3. Song of Songs 3:2 Or Let me go about
  4. Song of Songs 3:2 Or Let me seek
  5. Song of Songs 3:5 BRIDEGROOM
  6. Song of Songs 3:5 Or it
  7. Song of Songs 3:6 CHORUS
  8. Song of Songs 3:8 Lit dreadful thing
  9. Song of Songs 3:10 Or support
  10. Song of Songs 3:11 Or wreath

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

She Speaks

At night on my bed,
    I look for the man I love.
I looked for him,
    but I could not find him.
I will get up now!
    I will go around the city.
In the streets and squares,
    I will look for the man I love.

I looked for him,
    but I could not find him.
The guards patrolling the city found me.
    I asked them, “Have you seen the man I love?”

I had just left the guards
    when I found the man I love!
I held him and would not let him go,
    while I took him to my mother’s house,
    to the room of one who bore[a] me.

She Speaks to the Women

Women of Jerusalem, promise me
    by the gazelles and wild deer,
don’t awaken love,
    don’t arouse love, until I am ready.[b]

The Women of Jerusalem Speak

Who is this woman
    coming from the desert[c]
    with this large group of people?
The dust rises behind them
    like clouds of smoke from burning myrrh and frankincense and other spices.[d]

Look, Solomon’s traveling chair.[e]
    There are 60 soldiers guarding it,
    strong soldiers of Israel.
All of them are trained fighting men
    with their swords at their side,
    ready for any danger of the night.

King Solomon made a traveling chair for himself.
    The wood came from Lebanon.
10 The poles were made from silver,
    and the supports were made from gold.
The seat was covered with purple cloth.
    It was inlaid with love by the women of Jerusalem.

11 Women of Zion, come out
    and see King Solomon.
See the crown[f] his mother put on him
    the day he was married,
    the day he was so happy!

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 3:4 bore Or “taught.” See 8:2.
  2. Song of Solomon 3:5 until I am ready Literally, “until it desires.”
  3. Song of Solomon 3:6 woman coming from the desert See 8:5.
  4. Song of Solomon 3:6 spices Literally, “powders of the trader.” These were imported spices and incense.
  5. Song of Solomon 3:7 traveling chair A kind of chair that the rich traveled in. These chairs were covered and had poles that slaves used to carry them. Also in verse 9.
  6. Song of Solomon 3:11 crown This might be a wreath of flowers he wore on his head at his wedding.

En mi cama, por la noche,
busqué al amor de mi vida,
lo busqué y no lo encontré.
Entonces me levanté
y recorrí la ciudad;
por las calles y las plazas
busqué al amor de mi vida,
lo busqué y no lo encontré.
Me descubrieron los guardias
que hacían ronda en la ciudad:
“¿Habéis visto vosotros
al amor de mi vida?”.
Y a poco de pasarlos
hallé al amor de mi vida;
lo agarré y no lo solté
hasta meterlo en casa de mi madre,
en la alcoba de la que me engendró.

Amado

Juradme, muchachas de Jerusalén,
por las gacelas y ciervas del campo,
que no despertaréis ni turbaréis
al amor hasta que él quiera.

Tercer cantar

Coro

¿Qué es eso que sube del desierto
como columna de humo
con olor a incienso y mirra
y a mil aromas exóticos?

Amada

Esa es la litera de Salomón,
escoltada por sesenta valientes,
de lo más escogido de Israel:
todos van armados con espadas,
como expertos guerreros;
cada uno con su espada al flanco
ante amenazas nocturnas.
El rey Salomón se hizo un palanquín
con maderas del Líbano:
10 sus columnas son de plata,
su respaldo de oro,
sus asientos de púrpura
y su interior está decorado con amor
por las muchachas de Jerusalén.
11 Salid a admirar,
muchachas de Sión,
al rey Salomón
con la corona que le ciñó su madre
el día de su boda,
un día feliz para él.