Song of Songs 1

₁This is Solomon's

most beautiful song.

₂Kiss me tenderly!

Your love is better than wine,

₃and you smell so sweet.

All the young women adore you;

the very mention of your name

is like spreading perfume.

_4-5Hurry, my king! Let's hurry.

Take me to your home.

We are happy for you!

And we praise your love

even more than wine.

Young women of Jerusalem,

it is only right

that you should adore him.

My skin is dark and beautiful,

like a tent in the desert

or like Solomon's curtains.

₆Don't stare at me

just because the sun

has darkened my skin.

My brothers were angry with me;

they made me work in the vineyard,

and so I neglected

my complexion.

Don't let the other shepherds

think badly of me.

₇I'm not one of those women

who shamelessly follow

after shepherds.

My darling, I love you!

Where do you feed your sheep

and let them rest at midday?

₈My dearest, if you don't know,

just follow the path

of the sheep.

Then feed your young goats

near the shepherds' tents.

₉You move as gracefully

as the pony that leads

the chariot of the king.

₁₀Earrings add to your beauty,

and you wear a necklace

of precious stones.

₁₁Let's make you some jewellery

of gold, woven with silver.

₁₂My king, while you

were on your couch,

my love was a magic charm.

₁₃My darling, you are perfume

between my breasts;

₁₄you are flower blossoms

from the gardens of En-Gedi.

₁₅My darling, you are lovely,

so very lovely—

your eyes are those of a dove.

₁₆My love, you are handsome,

truly handsome—

the fresh green grass

will be our wedding bed

₁₇in the shade of cedar

and cypress trees.