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The Man Speaks to the Woman

How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, you are beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil [C imparting a sense of mystery] are like doves [1:15].
    Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead [C a beautiful site in central Transjordan near the Jabbok river; the image indicates lush, flowing hair].
Your teeth are like ·newly [L a flock of] sheared sheep
    just coming from ·their bath [a washing; C white].
Each one has a twin,
    and none of them is missing [C a compliment in an age before dentistry].
Your lips are like ·red silk [a scarlet] thread,
    and your mouth is ·lovely [or desirable].
Your ·cheeks [or temple] behind your veil
    are like slices of a pomegranate [C reddish orange].
Your neck is like David’s tower [C dignified; strong],
    built ·with rows of stones [in courses].
A thousand shields hang on its walls [C a necklace that enhances her beauty];
    each shield belongs to a ·strong soldier [hero].
Your breasts are like two fawns,
    like twins of a gazelle,
    ·feeding [grazing] among the lilies.
Until the day dawns
    and the shadows ·disappear [flee],
I will go to that mountain of myrrh
    and to that hill of ·incense [frankincense; C referring to the woman].
My darling, everything about you is beautiful,
    and ·there is nothing at all wrong with you [you have no blemish].
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride.
    Come with me from Lebanon,
from the top of Mount Amana,
    from the tops of Mount Senir and Mount Hermon.
Come from the lions’ dens
    and from the leopards’ hills [C apart from him she is in a dangerous place].
My sister [C an ancient term of endearment], my bride,
    you ·have thrilled my heart [drive me crazy];
you ·have thrilled my heart [drive me crazy]
    with ·a [L one] glance of your eyes,
    with one ·sparkle [L jewel] from your necklace.
10 ·Your love is so sweet [L How beautiful is your love], my sister [4:9], my bride.
    Your love is better than wine [C makes one lightheaded],
    and ·your perfume [L the scent of your oils] smells better than any spice.
11 My bride, your lips drip honey;
    honey and milk are under your tongue [C sensuous liquids that he will explore].
    Your clothes smell like the cedars of Lebanon [C the best cedars].
12 My sister [4:9], my bride, you are like a garden locked up [C she has not been entered by a man],
    like a ·walled-in [sealed] spring, a ·closed-up [locked] fountain.
13 Your ·limbs [L shoots; C a botanical term either referring to the woman’s legs or her genital organs] are like an orchard
    of pomegranates with all the best fruit,
filled with ·flowers [henna; 1:14] and nard,
14 nard and saffron [C spicy floral scent], calamus [C woody odor], and cinnamon,
    with trees of incense, myrrh [C aromatic gum from tree bark], and aloes [C a fragrant wood]
    all the best spices.
15 You are like a garden fountain—
    a well of ·fresh [L living] water
·flowing [streaming] down from the mountains of Lebanon.

The Woman Speaks

16 Awake, north wind.
    Come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
    and let its ·sweet smells [spices] flow out.
Let my lover enter the garden
    and eat its best fruits [C she desires physical intimacy].

He

How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes behind your veil(A) are doves.(B)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from the hills of Gilead.(C)
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
    not one of them is alone.(D)
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
    your mouth(E) is lovely.(F)
Your temples behind your veil
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.(G)
Your neck is like the tower(H) of David,
    built with courses of stone[a];
on it hang a thousand shields,(I)
    all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts(J) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle(K)
    that browse among the lilies.(L)
Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(M)
I will go to the mountain of myrrh(N)
    and to the hill of incense.
You are altogether beautiful,(O) my darling;
    there is no flaw(P) in you.

Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,(Q)
    come with me from Lebanon.
Descend from the crest of Amana,
    from the top of Senir,(R) the summit of Hermon,(S)
from the lions’ dens
    and the mountain haunts of leopards.
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;(T)
    you have stolen my heart
with one glance of your eyes,
    with one jewel of your necklace.(U)
10 How delightful(V) is your love(W), my sister, my bride!
    How much more pleasing is your love than wine,(X)
and the fragrance of your perfume(Y)
    more than any spice!
11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;
    milk and honey are under your tongue.(Z)
The fragrance of your garments
    is like the fragrance of Lebanon.(AA)
12 You are a garden(AB) locked up, my sister, my bride;(AC)
    you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.(AD)
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates(AE)
    with choice fruits,
    with henna(AF) and nard,
14     nard and saffron,
    calamus and cinnamon,(AG)
    with every kind of incense tree,
    with myrrh(AH) and aloes(AI)
    and all the finest spices.(AJ)
15 You are[b] a garden(AK) fountain,(AL)
    a well of flowing water
    streaming down from Lebanon.

She

16 Awake, north wind,
    and come, south wind!
Blow on my garden,(AM)
    that its fragrance(AN) may spread everywhere.
Let my beloved(AO) come into his garden
    and taste its choice fruits.(AP)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
  2. Song of Songs 4:15 Or I am (spoken by She)

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves' eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits.