Song of Solomon 1

Chapter 1

The Young Shulammite Bride and Jerusalem’s Daughters

¹The ¹Song of ^aSongs, which is Solomon’s.

²“¹May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!

For your ^alove is better than wine.

³“Your ^aoils have a pleasing fragrance,

Your ^bname is like ¹purified oil;

Therefore the ^2cmaidens love you.

⁴“Draw me after you and let us run together!

The ^aking has brought me into his chambers.”

“¹We will rejoice in you and be glad;

We will ²extol your ^blove more than wine.

Rightly do they love you.”

⁵“¹I am black but ^alovely,

O ^bdaughters of Jerusalem,

Like the ^ctents of ^dKedar,

Like the curtains of Solomon.

⁶“Do not stare at me because I am ¹swarthy,

For the sun has burned me.

My ^amother’s sons were angry with me;

They made me ^bcaretaker of the vineyards,

But I have not taken care of my own vineyard.

⁷“Tell me, O you ^awhom my soul loves,

Where do you ^bpasture your flock,

Where do you make it ^clie down at noon?

For why should I be like one who ¹veils herself

Beside the flocks of your ^dcompanions?”

Solomon, the Lover, Speaks

⁸“¹If you yourself do not know,

^aMost beautiful among women,

Go forth on the trail of the flock

And pasture your young goats

By the tents of the shepherds.

⁹“¹To me, ^amy darling, you are like

My ^bmare among the chariots of Pharaoh.

¹⁰“Your ^acheeks are lovely with ornaments,

Your neck with strings of ^bbeads.”

¹¹“¹We will make for you ornaments of gold

With beads of silver.”

¹²“¹While the king was at his ²table,

My ^3aperfume gave forth its fragrance.

¹³“My beloved is to me a pouch of ^amyrrh

Which lies all night between my breasts.

¹⁴“My beloved is to me a cluster of ^ahenna blossoms

In the vineyards of ^bEngedi.”

¹⁵“^12aHow beautiful you are, my darling,

How beautiful you are!

Your ^beyes are like doves.”

¹⁶“¹²How handsome you are, ^amy beloved,

And so pleasant!

Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!

¹⁷“The beams of our houses are ^acedars,

Our rafters, ^1bcypresses.