1:1 The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's.^1:2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth^: for your love has more benefit than wine.^1:3 Because of the scent of your good oils your name is as oil poured out, therefore do the virgins love you.^1:4 Draw me, we will run after you^: the king has brought me into his inner chambers^: we will be glad and rejoice in you, we will remember your love more than wine^: the upright love you.^1:5 I am black [tanned], but beautiful, O you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.^1:6 Look not upon me, because I am black [tanned], because the sun has appeared upon me^: my mother's children were angry with me; they appointed me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard I have not maintained.^1:7 Tell me, O you whom my passions love, where you graze, where you make your flock to rest at noon^: for why am I as one veiled, by the ranks of your companions?^1:8 If you know not, O beautiful one among women, go your way out by the footsteps of the flock, and feed your young female goats beside the shepherds' tents.^1:9 I have compared you, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.^1:10 Your face is befitting with circlets of hair, your neck with [golden] chains.^1:11 Garlands of gold we do make for you, with studs of silver!^1:12 While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth its smell.^1:13 A bundle of myrrh is my loved one to me; he will lie all night between my breasts.^1:14 My loved one is to me as a cluster of henna plant in the vineyards of Engedi.^1:15 Behold, you are beautiful my love; behold, you are beautiful! you have doves' eyes.^1:16 Behold, you are beautiful my beloved, yes, delightful^: also our bed is luxuriant.^1:17 The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

2:1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.^2:2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.^2:3 As the apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my loved one among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.^2:4 He brought me to the wine house, and his banner over me was sexual desire.^2:5 Refresh me with raisin-cakes, comfort me with apples^: for I feel weak from sexual loving.^2:6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand does embrace me.^2:7 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, stir not up nor awaken the dear love until she please!^2:8 The voice of my beloved! behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.^2:9 My loved one is like a gazelle or a young hart^: behold, he stands behind our wall, he looks out at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.^2:10 My beloved spoke and said to me, rise up my love, my beautiful one, and come away.^2:11 For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;^2:12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds has come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;^2:13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a fragrance. Arise my love, my beautiful one, and come away.^2:14 O my dove, you are in the retreats of the stronghold of YHWH, in the Secret Place of the Steep Place, let me see your vision, let me hear your voice; for sweet is your voice, and your appearance is beautiful.^2:15 Seize for us foxes, little foxes - destroyers of vineyards, even our sweet-smelling vineyards.^2:16 My loved one is mine, and I am his^: he feeds among the lilies.^2:17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

3:1 By night on my bed I sought him whom my passions love^: I sought him, but I found him not.^3:2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the open plaza I will seek him whom my passions love^: I sought him, but I found him not.^3:3 The watchmen that go about the city found me^: to whom I said, did you see him whom my passions love?^3:4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my passions loved^: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the inner chamber of her that conceived me.^3:5 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, stir not up nor awake the love until she please!^3:6 Who is this that comes out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant? ^3:7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; 60 valiant men are around it, from the valiant of Israel.^3:8 They all hold swords, being expert in war^: every man has his sword upon his thigh because of the dread of the night.^3:9 King Solomon fashioned himself a chariot from the wood of Lebanon.^3:10 He fashioned its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, the covering of it of purple, its middle being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.^3:11 Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

4:1 Behold, you are beautiful my love; behold, you are beautiful! you have doves' eyes within your locks^: your hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from Mount Gilead.^4:2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep that are evenly shorn, that came up from the washing; of which everyone bears twins, and none are barren among them.^4:3 Your lips are like a thread of scarlet, and your speech is lovely^: your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within your locks.^4:4 Your neck is like the tower of David built for an armory, whereon there hangs a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.^4:5 Your two breasts are like two young gazelles that are twins, that feed among the lilies.^4:6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get myself to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.^4:7 You are all beautiful my love; there is no spot in you.^4:8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon^: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.^4:9 You have ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; you have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck.^4:10 How beautiful is your love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is your love than wine! and the smell of your ointments than all spices! ^4:11 Your lips O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb^: honey and milk are under your tongue; and the smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.^4:12 A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.^4:13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; henna plant, with spikenard,^4:14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices^:4:15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.^4:16 Awake, O North wind; and come, you South; blow upon my garden so that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.

5:1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse^: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk^: eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved.^5:2 I sleep, but my heart awakens^: it is the voice of my loved one that knocks saying, open to me my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled^: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.^5:3 I have put off my coat; how will I put it on? I have washed my feet; how will I defile them?^5:4 My loved one put in his hand by the opening of my legs, and my inward parts were stirred for him.^5:5 I arose to be opened to my loved one; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.^5:6 I opened up to my loved one; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone^: my passions failed when he spoke^: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.^5:7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they hit me, they wounded me; the guards of the walls took away my veil from me.^5:8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, that you tell him, that I am weakened from loving.^5:9 What is your loved one more than another beloved, O you beautiful among women? what is your loved one more than another beloved, that you do so charge us?^5:10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chief one among 10,000.^5:11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.^5:12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and well set.^5:13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers^: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.^5:14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl^: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.^5:15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold^: his appearance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.^5:16 His mouth is most sweet^: yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

6:1 Where has your loved one gone, O beautiful one among women? where is your beloved turned aside? that we may find him with you.^6:2 My loved one has gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.^6:3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine^: he feeds among the lilies.^6:4 You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, beautiful as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.^6:5 Turn away your eyes from me, because they have overcome me^: your hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.^6:6 Your teeth are as a flock of sheep that go up from the washing, of which everyone bears twins, and there is not one barren among them.^6:7 As a piece of a pomegranate are your temples within your locks.^6:8 There are 60 queens, and 80 concubines, and virgins without number.^6:9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that gendered her. The daughters saw her and blessed her; yes, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.^6:10 Who is she that looks forth as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners?^6:11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.^6:12 Before I was aware, my passions made me like the chariots of Amminadib.^6:13 Return, return, O Shulamite (the Peaceful); return, return, that we may look upon you. What will you behold in the Shulamite (the Peaceful)? As it were the dance of the [seven] bands [Pleiades].

7:1 How beautiful are your feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of your thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.^7:2 Your navel is like a round goblet, that lacks not liquor^: your belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.^7:3 Your two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.^7:4 Your neck is as a tower of ivory; your eyes like the fish-pools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim^: your nose is as the tower of Lebanon that looks toward Damascus.^7:5 Your head upon you is like Carmel, and the hair of your head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.^7:6 How beautiful and how delightful you are, O love, for exquisite delights!^7:7 Your height is likened to a palm tree, and your breasts to clusters of grapes.^7:8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its boughs^: now also your breasts will be as clusters of the vine, and the scent of your nose like apples;^7:9 And the roof of your mouth like the best wine for my loved one, that goes down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.^7:10 I am my beloved's, and his craving is toward me.^7:11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.^7:12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth^: there I will give you my loves.^7:13 The mandrakes give a fragrance, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, that I have laid up for you, O my loved one.

8:1 O that you were as my brother, that sucked the breasts of my mother! when I should find you outside, I would kiss you; yes, I should not be despised.^8:2 I would lead you, and bring you into my mother's house, who would instruct me^: I would cause you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.^8:3 His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.^8:4 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, How you stir up, and how you awake the love until she please! ^8:5 Who is this that comes up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I raised you up under the apple tree^: there your mother brought you out^: there she brought you out that gendered you.^8:6 Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm^: because love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as Sheol^: the coals of it are coals of fire, that have a most vehement flame.^8:7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it^: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.^8:8 We have a little sister, and she has no breasts^: what will we do for our sister in the day when she will be spoken for?^8:9 If she is a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver^: and if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.^8:10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers^: then was I in his eyes as one that found favor.^8:11 Solomon had a vineyard at Baalhamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; everyone for its fruit that was to bring 1000 pieces of silver.^8:12 My vineyard - my own - is before me, the 1000 is for you O Solomon. And the 200 for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!^8:13 You that live in the gardens, the companions listen to your voice^: cause me to hear it.^8:14 Hurry, my beloved, and be like to a gazelle or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

Copyright 2001 Dallas E. James