Song 1 | HCSB | STEP | Solomon’s Finest Song .

Song of Solomon 1

Song of Songs

1 Solomon’s Finest Song. ^{▼▼Or The Song of Songs, which is Solomon’s
,} ^b

2 W : ^{▼▼The W: , M: , Y: , N: , and B: indicate the editors’ opinions of the changes of speakers: W: = Woman, M: = Man, Y: = Young women of Jerusalem, N: = Narrator, B: = Brothers. If a letter is in parenthesis (W): , there is a question about the identity of the speaker.}Oh, that he would kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your ^{▼▼Unexpected change of grammatical persons, here from he and his to your, is a Hb poetic device.} love is ^{▼▼Or your caresses are, or your lovemaking is} more delightful than wine. ^f
3 The fragrance of your perfume is intoxicating; ^g
your name is perfume poured out. ^h
No wonder young women ^{▼▼Or wonder virgins} adore you.
4 Take me with you ^j – let us hurry.
Oh, that the king would bring ^{▼▼Or The king has brought} me to his chambers.

Y : We will rejoice and be glad for you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

W : It is only right that they adore you.

5 Daughters of Jerusalem, ^l
I am dark like the tents of Kedar, ^m
yet lovely ⁿ like the curtains of Solomon.
6 Do not stare at me because I am dark,
for the sun has gazed on me.
My mother’s sons were angry with me; ^o
they made me a keeper of the vineyards. ^p
I have not kept my own vineyard. ^{▼▼Lit my vineyard, which is mine}

7 Tell me, you, the one I love: ^r
Where do you pasture your sheep? ^s
Where do you let them rest at noon? ^t
Why should I be like one who veils herself ^{▼▼Or who wanders
,} ^{▼▼To express shame or grief, or to conceal identity as a prostitute would; Gn 38:14-15}
beside the flocks of your companions? ^w

8 M : ^{▼▼Some understand the young women to be the speakers in this verse.}If you do not know,
most beautiful of women, ^y
follow ^{▼▼Lit go out for yourself into} the tracks of the flock,
and pasture your young goats
near the shepherds’ tents.

9 I compare you, my darling, ^aa
to a ^{▼▼Lit my} mare among Pharaoh’s chariots. ^{▼▼Pharaoh’s chariot horses were stallions.
,} ^ad
10 Your cheeks are beautiful with jewelry, ^ae
your neck with its necklace.
11 We will make gold jewelry for you,
accented with silver.

12 W : While the king is on his couch, ^{▼▼Or is at his table}
my perfume ^{▼▼Lit nard} releases its fragrance. ^ah
13 My love is a sachet of myrrh to me, ^ai
spending the night between my breasts.
14 My love is a cluster of henna blossoms to me, ^aj
in the vineyards of En-gedi. ^{▼▼= Wellspring of the Young Goat
,} ^al

15 M : How beautiful you are, my darling.
How very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves. ^am

16 W : How handsome you are, my love. ^an
How delightful!
Our bed is lush with foliage;
17 the beams of our house are cedars,
and our rafters are cypresses. ^{▼▼Or firs, or pines}