Song of Songs 1

A man and a woman who love each other

1This is Solomon's most beautiful song.

2Please kiss me with your lips! Your love makes me happier than wine does.

3You have put perfume on your body. It has a lovely smell. The sound of your name causes pleasure everywhere, like sweet perfume. All the young women love you!

4Take me away with you. Come quickly. I want the king to take me into his rooms. We are very happy! You make us happy. We praise your love, because it is better than wine. I agree! The young women are right to praise you like that.

5Young women of Jerusalem, my skin is dark but I am beautiful. My skin is dark, like the tents of Kedar. It is beautiful, like the curtains of King Solomon's tent.

6The sun has caused my skin to become dark. Please do not look at me as if I am strange. My brothers were angry with me. They caused me to work outside in the sun. I took care of the vineyards, and I could not take care of my own vineyard, my body.

The man and the woman praise each other

7I love you, my dear one. Tell me where you take your sheep to eat grass. Where will you take them to rest at midday? I do not want to look for you everywhere among the sheep of your friends. They might not understand what I am doing.

8You are the most beautiful woman of all. If you do not know where to find me, follow the marks from the feet of my sheep. Take your young goats to eat grass among the tents of the shepherds.

9My dear friend, you are very beautiful. You seem to me like a beautiful horse that pulls one of Pharaoh's chariots.

10Your face is beautiful with jewels. A necklace makes your neck beautiful too.

11We will use gold to make ear rings for you, and we will add pieces of silver.

12While the king was eating a meal, the sweet smell of my perfume was in the air.

13My lover is like a bag of myrrh that lies between my breasts.

14He is like a group of henna flowers that grow in the vineyards at En Gedi.

15My dear friend, I see that you are very beautiful! Yes, you are beautiful and your eyes are like doves.

16My lover, I see that you are very handsome! Yes, you are lovely! This field of fresh, green grass is our comfortable bed.

17The cedar trees above us are the beams of our bedroom. The pine trees cover us like a roof.