How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess![a](A)
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
Your navel is a rounded bowl;
it never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat
surrounded by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.(B)
Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(C)
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you[b] like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive(D) in your tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasant,(E)
my love, with such delights!
Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”(F)
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(G)
Your mouth[c] is like fine wine(H)

Woman

flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth![d]
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire(I) is for me.(J)

11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.[e]
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;
let’s see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.(K)
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes(L) give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.

If only I could treat you like my brother,[f]
one who nursed at my mother’s breasts,
I would find you in public and kiss you,
and no one would scorn me.
I would lead you, I would take you,
to the house of my mother(M) who taught me.[g]
I would give you spiced wine to drink
from the juice of my pomegranate.
May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me.(N)
Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.(O)

Young Women

Who is this(P) coming up from the wilderness,
leaning on the one she loves?

Woman

I awakened you under the apricot tree.(Q)
There your mother conceived you;
there she conceived and gave you birth.
Set me as a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm.(R)
For love is as strong as death;(S)
jealousy is as unrelenting as Sheol.
Love’s flames are fiery flames(T)
an almighty flame![h]
A huge torrent cannot extinguish love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If a man were to give all his wealth[i] for love,(U)
it would be utterly scorned.

Brothers

Our sister is young;
she has no breasts.(V)
What will we do for our sister
on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
we will build a silver barricade on her.
If she is a door,
we will enclose her with cedar planks.(W)

Woman

10 I am[j] a wall
and my breasts like towers.
So to him I have become
like one who finds[k] peace.[l]

11 Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.(X)
He leased the vineyard to tenants.(Y)
Each was to bring for his fruit
one thousand pieces of silver.(Z)
12 I have my own vineyard.[m](AA)
The one thousand are for you, Solomon,
but two hundred for those who take care of its fruits.

Man

13 You[n] who dwell in the gardens,
companions(AB) are listening for your voice;
let me hear you!(AC)

Woman

14 Run away with me,[o] my love,
and be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the mountains of spices.(AD)

Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Lit daughter of a nobleman, or prince
  2. 7:5 Lit head upon you is
  3. 7:9 Lit palate
  4. 7:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads past lips of sleepers
  5. 7:11 Or the villages
  6. 8:1 Lit Would that you were like a brother to me
  7. 8:2 LXX adds and into the chamber of the one who bore me
  8. 8:6 Or the blaze of the Lord
  9. 8:7 Lit all the wealth of his house
  10. 8:10 Or was
  11. 8:10 Or brings
  12. 8:10 In Hb, the word for peace sounds similar to Solomon and Shulammite.
  13. 8:12 Lit My vineyard, which is mine, is before me; Sg 1:6
  14. 8:13 In Hb, the word for You is feminine.
  15. 8:14 Lit Flee

[a]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s(A) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
Your breasts(B) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.(C)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(D)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(E)
    looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(F)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful(G) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!(H)
Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts(I) like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,(J)
    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(K)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(L) is for me.(M)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(N)
    to see if the vines have budded,(O)
if their blossoms(P) have opened,
    and if the pomegranates(Q) are in bloom(R)
    there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(S) send out their fragrance,
    and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(T)

If only you were to me like a brother,
    who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!
Then, if I found you outside,
    I would kiss you,
    and no one would despise me.
I would lead you
    and bring you to my mother’s house(U)
    she who has taught me.
I would give you spiced wine to drink,
    the nectar of my pomegranates.
His left arm is under my head
    and his right arm embraces me.(V)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
    Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(W)

Friends

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(X)
    leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;
    there your mother conceived(Y) you,
    there she who was in labor gave you birth.
Place me like a seal over your heart,
    like a seal on your arm;
for love(Z) is as strong as death,
    its jealousy[d](AA) unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
    like a mighty flame.[e]
Many waters cannot quench love;
    rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
    all the wealth of one’s house for love,
    it[f] would be utterly scorned.(AB)

Friends

We have a little sister,
    and her breasts are not yet grown.
What shall we do for our sister
    on the day she is spoken for?
If she is a wall,
    we will build towers of silver on her.
If she is a door,
    we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10 I am a wall,
    and my breasts are like towers.
Thus I have become in his eyes
    like one bringing contentment.
11 Solomon had a vineyard(AC) in Baal Hamon;
    he let out his vineyard to tenants.
Each was to bring for its fruit
    a thousand shekels[g](AD) of silver.
12 But my own vineyard(AE) is mine to give;
    the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon,
    and two hundred[h] are for those who tend its fruit.

He

13 You who dwell in the gardens
    with friends in attendance,
    let me hear your voice!

She

14 Come away, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle(AF)
or like a young stag(AG)
    on the spice-laden mountains.(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
  2. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  3. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes
  4. Song of Songs 8:6 Or ardor
  5. Song of Songs 8:6 Or fire, / like the very flame of the Lord
  6. Song of Songs 8:7 Or he
  7. Song of Songs 8:11 That is, about 25 pounds or about 12 kilograms; also in verse 12
  8. Song of Songs 8:12 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms