The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

The Beloved

Behold, (A)you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes behind your veil.
Your hair is like a (B)flock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
(C)Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And none is [a]barren among them.
Your lips are like a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
(D)Your temples behind your veil
Are like a piece of pomegranate.
(E)Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built (F)for an armory,
On which hang a thousand [b]bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
(G)Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.

(H)Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.

(I)You are all fair, my love,
And there is no spot in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
From the top of Senir (J)and Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.

You have ravished my heart,
My sister, my spouse;
You have ravished my heart
With one look of your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister, my spouse!
(K)How much better than wine is your love,
And the [c]scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, O my spouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
(L)Honey and milk are under your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
Is (M)like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden [d]enclosed
Is my sister, my spouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna 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 (N)living waters,
And streams from Lebanon.

The Shulamite

16 Awake, O north wind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
That its spices may flow out.
(O)Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant (P)fruits.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:2 bereaved
  2. Song of Solomon 4:4 Small shields
  3. Song of Solomon 4:10 fragrance
  4. Song of Solomon 4:12 locked or barred

Solomon’s Love Expressed

[a]How beautiful (A)you are, my darling,
[b]How beautiful you are!
Your (B)eyes are like doves (C)behind your veil;
Your (D)hair is like a flock of goats
That have descended from Mount (E)Gilead.
Your (F)teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep
Which have come up from their watering place,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.
Your lips are like a (G)scarlet thread,
And your (H)mouth is beautiful.
Your (I)temples are like a slice of a pomegranate
Behind your veil.
Your (J)neck is like the tower of David,
Built with layers of stones
On which are (K)hung a thousand shields,
All the round (L)shields of the warriors.
Your (M)two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
That (N)graze among the lilies.
(O)Until [c]the cool of the day
When the shadows flee,
I will go my way to the mountain of (P)myrrh
And to the hill of (Q)frankincense.

(R)You are altogether beautiful, my darling,
And there is no blemish on you.
Come with me from (S)Lebanon, my (T)bride,
You shall come with me from Lebanon.
You shall [d]come down from the summit of (U)Amana,
From the summit of (V)Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.
You have [e]enchanted my heart, (W)my sister, my bride;
You have [f]enchanted my heart with a single glance of your eyes,
With a single strand of your (X)necklace.
10 (Y)How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much [g](Z)sweeter is your love than wine,
And the (AA)fragrance of your oils
Than that of all kinds of balsam oils!
11 Your lips (AB)drip (AC)honey, my bride;
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the (AD)fragrance of Lebanon.
12 A locked garden is my sister, my bride,
A locked spring, a (AE)sealed (AF)fountain.
13 Your branches are an [h](AG)orchard of (AH)pomegranates
With (AI)delicious fruits, (AJ)henna with nard plants,
14 (AK)Nard and saffron, spice reed and (AL)cinnamon,
With all the trees of (AM)frankincense,
(AN)Myrrh, and aloes, along with all the finest balsam oils.
15 You are a garden spring,
A well of [i](AO)fresh water,
And flowing streams from Lebanon.”

The Bride

16 “Awake, north wind,
And come, wind of the south;
[j]Make my (AP)garden breathe out fragrance,
May its balsam oils flow.
May (AQ)my beloved come into his garden
And eat its (AR)delicious fruits!”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:1 Lit Behold
  2. Song of Solomon 4:1 Lit Behold
  3. Song of Solomon 4:6 Lit the day blows
  4. Song of Solomon 4:8 Or look
  5. Song of Solomon 4:9 Or stolen
  6. Song of Solomon 4:9 Or stolen
  7. Song of Solomon 4:10 Lit better
  8. Song of Solomon 4:13 Or park; or garden
  9. Song of Solomon 4:15 Lit living; i.e., running
  10. Song of Solomon 4:16 Or Drift through my

Solomon’s Love Expressed

(The Bridegroom)

“How fair and beautiful you are, my darling,
How very beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are like those of a dove;
Your hair is like [the shimmering black fleece of] a flock of [Arabian] goats
That have descended from Mount Gilead [beyond the Jordan].

“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes
Which have come up from washing,
All of which bear twins,
And not one among them has lost her young.

“Your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
Your temples are like a slice of the pomegranate
Behind your veil.

“Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with rows of [glistening] stones,
Whereon hang a thousand shields,
All of them shields of warriors.

“Your two breasts are like two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle
Which feed among the lilies.

“Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
[In my thoughts] I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.


“O my love, you are altogether beautiful and fair.
There is no flaw nor blemish in you!(A)

Come away with me from Lebanon, my [promised] bride,
May you come with me from Lebanon.
Journey down from the top of Amana,
From the summit of Senir and Hermon,
From the dens of lions,
From the mountains of leopards.(B)

“You have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my [promised] bride;
You have ravished my heart and given me courage with a single glance of your eyes,
With one jewel of your necklace.
10 
“How beautiful is your love, my sister, my [promised] bride!
How much better is your love than wine,
And the fragrance of your oils
Than all kinds of balsam and spices.(C)
11 
“Your lips, my [promised] bride, drip honey [as the honeycomb];
Honey and milk are under your tongue,
And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 
“A garden enclosed is my sister, my [promised] bride—
A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.
13 
“Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates,
[A paradise] with precious fruits, henna with fragrant plants,(D)
14 
Fragrant plants and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.
15 
You are a fountain in a garden,
A well of fresh and living water,
And streams flowing from Lebanon.”(E)

(The Shulammite Bride)

16 
“Awake, O north wind,
And come, south wind [blow softly upon my garden];
Make my garden breathe out fragrance, [for the one in whom my soul delights],
Let its spices flow forth.
Let my beloved come into his garden
And eat its choicest fruits.”

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.