Song of Solomon 1:2–2:7 — The first song

This is still an early look into the drafted text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

Readers’ Version

Literal Version

1:2 The first song

The bride

2 Let him kiss me on the lips,

because your caresses are better than wine.

3 As for the fragrance of your perfumes—they’re good.

Your reputation is like fragrant oil

so the eligible young women love you.

4 Take me with you—let’s run.

May the king has brought me to his bedroom.

Yerushalem’s young women

Let’s be happy and celebrate with you.

We will praise your love more than wine.

The bride

It’s right that they love you.

5 I am black but lovely, daughters of Yerushalem (Jerusalem),

like the tents in Kedar.

Like Shelomoh’s (Solomon’s) palace curtains.

6 Don’t look at me, that I’m black.

That the sun scorched me.

My brothers were angry with me.

They forced me to look after our vineyards—

but I haven’t maintained my own vineyard.

7 Declare to me, you who my heart loves.

Where do you graze?

Where do you make your flocks lie down at noontime?

Why should I be like a woman who covers herself beside your companions’ flocks?

The groom

8 If you don’t know, most beautiful among women,

follow the footprints of the flock,

and graze your young goats beside the shepherds’ tents.

9 ⇔I liken you, my darling,

to a mare walking among Par’oh’s (Pharaoh’s) stallions hitched to chariots.

10 Your cheeks are beautiful with earrings.

≈ Your neck is beautiful with necklaces.

Yerushalem’s young women

11 We’ll make gold earrings

≈ with silver studs.

The bride

12 While the king was on his couch,

my perfume gave off its fragrance.

13 My dearest is like a perfume sachet

that stays between my breasts.

14 My dearest is like a cluster of henna blossoms to me,

in the Eyn-Gedi vineyards.

The groom

15 Wow, you’re beautiful, my darling.

≈ Look at you, beautiful, with your doves’ eyes.

The bride

16 Look at you. You’re handsome, my dearest, truly pleasant.

Indeed, our couch is comfortable.

17 The beams of our house are cedar.

≈ Our rafters are pine.

2 I’m a wildflower of Sharon.

≈ A lily of the valleys.

The groom

2 My darling is among the young women

like a lily among the thorns.

The bride

3 Like an apple tree among the trees in the forest,

so is my dearest among the young men.

In his shadow I greatly delighted, and I sat,

and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

4 He brought me to the house of food and wine

and his desire for me is to show love.

5 Sustain me with raisin cakes.

≈ Refresh me with apples,

because I’m weak with love.

6 His left hand is under my head,

^ and his right arm embraces me.

7 Promise me, you young women from Yerushalem (Jerusalem)

by the female gazelles or the does in the countryside,

don’t awaken or stir love until it’s the right time.

2 Let_him _kiss _me from_the _kisses _of his _mouth _of_his if/because are_good love(s)_of_your more_than _wine.

3 To_odour oils _of_your are_good is_oil which_it _is _poured _out your(ms)_name therefore yes/correct/thus/so young _women they_love _you.

4 Draw_me after_you let _us _run he_has _brought _me the_king chambers _of_his let _us _be _glad and_let _us _rejoice on/over_you(fs) let _us _bring _to _remembrance love(s)_of_your more_than _wine uprightness(es) they_love _you.

5 Am_black I and_lovely Oh _daughters _of Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) like_the _tents _of Qēdār like_the _tent _curtains _of Shəlomoh.

6 Do _not look_at _me who_I am_blackish whom_it_has _looked _on _me the_sun the _sons _of my _mother _of_my they _were _angry with_me they_made _me one _who_keeps DOM the_vineyards vineyard _of_my _own which_belongs_to_me not I _have _kept.

7 Tell to/for_me Oh_ self _of_my _the_one_whom _it _loves where will _you _graze where will _you _make_them_lie _down at_noon(s) which_why will _I _be like_a _veiled_woman with the _flocks _of your(pl)_companions _of_your.

8 If not you _know to/for_you(fs) Oh_beautiful_one among_women go _out to/for_you(fs) in_the _footprints _of the _flock and_pasture DOM goats _of_your _young at the _dwelling _places _of the _shepherds.

9 To_mare _of_my among_the _chariots _of Parˊoh I_liken _you my _friend _of_my.

10 Cheeks _of_your they _are _delightful with _(the)_jewels neck _of_your with_beads.

11 Strings _of _jewels _of gold we _will _make for_you with (the)_studs _of (the)_silver.

12 Until that_the_king was_at_table _of_his nard _of_my it _gave _forth odour _of_its.

13 Is_(the)_bag _of (the)_myrrh lover _of_my to_me between breasts _of_my it _lodges.

14 Is_(the)_cluster _of (the)_henna _blossom lover _of_my to_me in_the _vineyards _of ˊĒyn.

15 Here_you are_beautiful my _friend _of_my here_you are_beautiful eyes _of_your are_doves.

16 Here_you[fn][fn] are_beautiful my _lover _of_my also pleasant also couch _of_our is_luxuriant.

17 The _beams _of our _houses _of are_cedar(s) mmm[fn] are_cypress(es).

1:16 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.

1:16 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently than BHS. Often this notation indicates a typographical error in BHS.

1:17 OSHB variant note: רחיט/נו: (x-qere) ’רַהִיטֵ֖/נוּ’: lemma=7351 n=0.0 morph=HNcmsc/Sp1cp id=222Kt רַהִיטֵ֖/נוּ

Literal Version SNG 2:1

2 I am_the _crocus _of (the)_Shārōn (the)_lily _of the _valleys.

2 Like_a _lily between the_thornbushes is_so friend _of_my between the_daughters.

3 Like_an _apple _tree among_the _trees _of the _forest is_so lover _of_my between the_sons in_shade _of_his I _desired and_I _sat and_fruit _of_his was_sweet to_palate _of_my.

4 He_has _brought _me into the _house _of (the)_wine and_standard _of_his over_me is_love.

5 Sustain_me with_raisin-cakes refresh_me with_apples if/because am_weak _of love I.

6 Hand _of_his _left is_under (to)_head _of_my and_his _right _of_hand it_embraces _me.

7 I _adjure you(pl) Oh _daughters _of Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) by_gazelles or by_the _does _of the_field if you(pl)_will _awaken and_if you(pl)_will _arouse DOM (the)_love until that_it _will _please.

OET by section SNG 1:2

The first song

Readers’ Version

Literal Version Hide marks

Literal Version