An [a]Excellent Song Which Was Solomon’s

1 The familiar talk and mystical communication of the spiritual love between Jesus Christ and his Church. 5 The domestical enemies that persecute the Church.

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

Because of the [c]savor of thy good ointments, thy name is as an ointment poured out: therefore the [d]virgins love thee.

[e]Draw me: we will run after thee: the King hath brought me into his [f]chambers: we will rejoice and be glad in thee: we will remember thy love more than wine: the righteous do love thee.

I am [g]black, O daughters of Jerusalem, but comely, as the tents of [h]Kedar, and as the [i]curtains of Solomon.

Regard ye me not because I am [j]black: for the [k]sun hath looked upon me. The [l]sons of my mother were angry against me: they made me the keeper of the vines: but I [m]kept not mine own vine.

Show me, [n]O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou liest at noon: for why should I be as she that turneth aside to the stocks of [o]thy companions?

[p]If thou know not, O thou the fairest among women, get thee forth by the steps of the flock, and feed thy kids by the tents of the shepherds.

I have compared thee, O my love, to the troupe of horses in the [q]chariots of Pharaoh.

Thy cheeks are comely with rows of stones, and thy neck with chains.

10 We will make thee borders of gold with floods of silver.

11 [r]While the King was at his repast, my spikenard gave the smell thereof.

12 My well-beloved is as a bundle of myrrh unto me: he shall lie between my [s]breasts.

13 My well-beloved is as a cluster of camphire unto me in the vines of En Gedi.

14 My love, behold, thou art [t]fair: behold, thou art fair: thine eyes are like the doves.

15 My well-beloved, behold, thou art fair, and pleasant: also our [u]bed is green.

16 The beams of our house are cedars, our rafters are of fir.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 1:1 Hebrew, a song of songs: so called because it is the chiefest of those 1005, which Solomon made, as is mentioned, I Kings 4:32.
  2. Song of Solomon 1:1 This is spoken in the person of the Church, or of the faithful soul inflamed with the desire of Christ, whom she loveth.
  3. Song of Solomon 1:2 The feeling of thy great benefits.
  4. Song of Solomon 1:2 They that are pure in heart and conversation.
  5. Song of Solomon 1:3 The faithful confess that they cannot come to Christ, except they be drawn.
  6. Song of Solomon 1:3 Meaning, the secret joy that is not known to the world.
  7. Song of Solomon 1:4 The Church confesseth her spots and sin, but hath confidence in the favor of Christ.
  8. Song of Solomon 1:4 Kedar was Ishmael’s son, of whom came the Arabians that dwelt in tents.
  9. Song of Solomon 1:4 Which within were all set with precious stones and Jewels.
  10. Song of Solomon 1:5 Consider not the Church by the outward appearance.
  11. Song of Solomon 1:5 The corruption of nature through sin and afflictions.
  12. Song of Solomon 1:5 Mine own brethren, which should have most favored me.
  13. Song of Solomon 1:5 She confesseth her own negligence.
  14. Song of Solomon 1:6 The spouse feeling her fault fleeth to her husband only for succor.
  15. Song of Solomon 1:6 Whom thou hast called to the dignity of pastors, and they set forth their own dreams instead of thy doctrine.
  16. Song of Solomon 1:7 Christ speaketh to his Church, bidding them that are ignorant, to go to the pastors to learn.
  17. Song of Solomon 1:8 For thy spiritual beauty and excellency there was no worldly treasure to be compared unto thee.
  18. Song of Solomon 1:11 The Church rejoiceth that she is admitted to the company of Christ.
  19. Song of Solomon 1:12 He shall be most dear unto me.
  20. Song of Solomon 1:14 Christ accepteth his Church, and commendeth her beauty.
  21. Song of Solomon 1:15 That is, the heart of the faithful, wherein Christ dwelleth by his Spirit.

Solomon’s Song of Songs.(A)

She[a]

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
    for your love(B) is more delightful than wine.(C)
Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;(D)
    your name(E) is like perfume poured out.
    No wonder the young women(F) love you!
Take me away with you—let us hurry!
    Let the king bring me into his chambers.(G)

Friends

We rejoice and delight(H) in you[b];
    we will praise your love(I) more than wine.

She

How right they are to adore you!

Dark am I, yet lovely,(J)
    daughters of Jerusalem,(K)
dark like the tents of Kedar,(L)
    like the tent curtains of Solomon.[c]
Do not stare at me because I am dark,
    because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother’s sons were angry with me
    and made me take care of the vineyards;(M)
    my own vineyard I had to neglect.
Tell me, you whom I love,
    where you graze your flock
    and where you rest your sheep(N) at midday.
Why should I be like a veiled(O) woman
    beside the flocks of your friends?

Friends

If you do not know, most beautiful of women,(P)
    follow the tracks of the sheep
and graze your young goats
    by the tents of the shepherds.

He

I liken you, my darling, to a mare
    among Pharaoh’s chariot horses.(Q)
10 Your cheeks(R) are beautiful with earrings,
    your neck with strings of jewels.(S)
11 We will make you earrings of gold,
    studded with silver.

She

12 While the king was at his table,
    my perfume spread its fragrance.(T)
13 My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh(U)
    resting between my breasts.
14 My beloved(V) is to me a cluster of henna(W) blossoms
    from the vineyards of En Gedi.(X)

He

15 How beautiful(Y) you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes are doves.(Z)

She

16 How handsome you are, my beloved!(AA)
    Oh, how charming!
    And our bed is verdant.

He

17 The beams of our house are cedars;(AB)
    our rafters are firs.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 1:2 The main male and female speakers (identified primarily on the basis of the gender of the relevant Hebrew forms) are indicated by the captions He and She respectively. The words of others are marked Friends. In some instances the divisions and their captions are debatable.
  2. Song of Songs 1:4 The Hebrew is masculine singular.
  3. Song of Songs 1:5 Or Salma