Song of Solomon, 1

1. The song of songs, which [is] Solomon's.

1. The Sublime Song: it has come from Solomon.

2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love [is] better than wine.

2. Shower me with kisses of your mouth: your love is more delicious than wine

3. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name [is as] ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.

3. Your oil smells sweeter than any perfume, your name spreads out like balm; no wonder the maidens long for you.

4. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee.

4. Lure me to you, let us fly! bring me, O king, into your room, and be our joy, our excitement. We will praise your caresses more than wine, how rightly are you loved.

5. I [am] black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

5. I am sunburned yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, dark as the tents of Kedar, as the tent curtains of Solomon.

6. Look not upon me, because I [am] black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; [but] mine own vineyard have I not kept.

6. Stare not at my dark complexion; it is the sun that has darkened me. My mother's sons were angry with me and made me work in the vineyards; for I had failed to tend my own.

7. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest [thy flock] to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

7. Tell me, my soul's beloved, where do you graze your flock, where do you rest your sheep at noon? Why must I be wandering beside the flocks of your companions?

8. If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds' tents.

8. If you do not know yourself, most beautiful woman, follow the tracks of the flock and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds' tents.

9. I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh's chariots.

9. To a mare in Pharaoh's chariot would I liken you, my love.

10. Thy cheeks are comely with rows [of jewels], thy neck with chains [of gold].

10. Your cheeks look lovely between pendants, your neck beautiful with strings of beads.

11. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.

11. We will make you earrings of gold and necklaces of silver.

12. While the king [sitteth] at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.

12. While the king rests on his couch, my perfume gives forth its fragrance.

13. A bundle of myrrh [is] my wellbeloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.

13. My lover is for me a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts.

14. My beloved [is] unto me [as] a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.

14. My lover is for me a cluster of henna from the vineyards of Engedi.

15. Behold, thou [art] fair, my love; behold, thou [art] fair; thou [hast] doves' eyes.

15. How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves!

16. Behold, thou [art] fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed [is] green.

16. How handsome you are, my love, how handsome! Our bed is ever green!

17. The beams of our house [are] cedar, [and] our rafters of fir.

17. The beams of our house are cedar, our rafters are fir.