Song of Solomon 6:4–8:4 — The fifth 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

6:4 The fifth song

The groom

4 You are beautiful, my darling, like Tirtsah,

≈ lovely like Yerushalem (Jerusalem),

≈ awe-inspiring like armies marching with banners.

5 Turn your eyes away from me, because they excite me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats that hop down from Mt. Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes that have come up from the washing,

all of which have twin lambs and none of them have died.

7 Your cheeks are like a slice of a pomegranate

from behind your veil.

8 He has sixty queens, and eighty concubines,

≈ and young women without number.

9 She’s special, my dove, my perfect one.

≈ She’s special to her mother—perfect to the woman who bore her.

The young women saw her and called her blessed.

≈ The queens and the concubines praised her:

10 “Who is that, the woman who looks down like the dawn,

beautiful like the moon,

pure like the sun,

awe-inspiring like armies marching with banners?”

11 I went down to the nut tree garden to look at the green shoots of the valley

to see if the grapevine had budded?

≈ Had the pomegranates bloomed?

12 Before I realised it,

my desire had put me among my people’s chariots, a leading citizen.

Yerushalem’s young women

13 Return, return, woman from Shulam.

Return, return and let us look at you.

The bride

Why do you look at the Shulamit

like the dance of two armies?

7 The groom

7 Your feet are so beautiful in sandals, daughter of a noble.

The curves of your thighs are like ornaments—the work of a craftsman’s hands.

2 Your navel is like a round bowl

that never lacks spiced wine.

Your belly is like a pile of threshed wheat

encircled with lily flowers.

3 Your two breasts are like two fawns—

a gazelle’s twins.

4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory.

Your eyes are pools in Heshbon

by the gate of Bat Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Levanon,

looking to the face of Damesek (Damascus).

5 Your head crowns you like Mt. Karmel,

and the loose hair of your head is like purple robes—

a king is held captive in their tresses.

6 You’re so beautiful and so lovely—

you’re love with added delights!

7 You’re tall like a palm tree,

and your breasts like its clusters of dates.

8 I said, “I’ll go up the palm tree.

I’ll grab hold of its stalks of fruit.”

And, please, let your breasts be like the clusters on the grapevine,

and let the fragrance of your nose be like apples,

9 and let your mouth be like the best wine

going down smoothly for my dearest—

gliding over the lips of those who sleep.

The bride

10 I belong to my dearest

and his longing is for me.

11 Come, my dearest, let’s go out to the countryside.

Let’s spend the night in the villages.

12 Let’s go early to the vineyards.

We’ll see if the grapevine has budded,

if the blossoms have opened,

and if the pomegranates have bloomed.

There I’ll give my love to you.

13 The mandrakes give off a scent,

and over our doors are all kinds of choice dried fruits—

new ones and also old ones.

My dearest, I’ve stored these up for you.

8 Who will give you to me like a brother,

who nursed at my mother’s breasts?

If I found you outside, I would kiss you.

Yes, they wouldn’t despise me.

2 I would lead you.

I would bring you to my mother’s house—she who taught me.

I would have you drink some spiced wine,

≈ and some of my pomegranate juice.

3 His left hand is under my head

≈ and his right hand embraces me.

4 I adjure you, young women of Yerushalem (Jerusalem),

don’t awaken and stir up love until it desires.

4 Are_beautiful you my _friend _of_my like_Tirʦāh lovely like_Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) majestic like _(the)_soldiers/messengers_banners.

5 Turn eyes _of_your from_before_me that_they[fn] they_have _confused _me hair _of_your is_like _(the)_flock _of (the)_she-goats which_they _have _descended from (the)_Gilˊād.

6 Teeth _of_your are_like _(the)_flock _of (the)_ewes which_they _have _come _up from the_washing which_all _of_of _them are_bearing _twins and_one_deprived _of _offspring there_is_not among_them.

7 Is_like _(the)_slice _of (the)_pomegranate temple _of_your from_behind to_veil _of_your.

8 Are_sixty they queens and_eighty concubines and_young _women there_is_not number.

9 Is_one she dove _of_my my _perfect _of_one is_one_daughter she of_mother _of_her is_a _pure_daughter she of_the_one _of_who_bore _her they_saw _her daughters and_they_called _her _blessed queens and_concubines and_they_praised _her.

10 Who this is_the_one _who_looks _down like the_dawn beautiful like_moon pure like_sun majestic like _(the)_soldiers/messengers_banners.

11 To a _garden _of nut[s] I _went _down to_see on_the _green _shoots _of the _wadi to_see had_ the_vine _it _budded the_pomegranates had _they _bloomed.

12 Not I _knew desire _of_my it_set _me the _chariots _of Ammi-_-[fn] of _Ammi-.

6:5 OSHB note: We read one or more accents in L differently from BHQ.

6:12 OSHB exegesis note: WLC has this word divided as עַמִּי

Literal Version SNG 7:1

7 [fn] Return return Oh_Shulammite_woman return return so_that _we _may _look on/over_you(fs) why will _you(pl)_look on_woman like_the _dance _of the _two _groups.

2 [fn] How feet _of_your they _are _beautiful in_sandals Oh _daughter _of a _noble_person the _curves _of your _two’s _thighs _of_your are_like ornaments the_work _of the_hands _of a _master-craftsman.

3 [fn] Navel _of_your is_(the)_bowl _of (the)_roundness not (the)_mixed_wine may _it _lack belly _of_your is_a _heap _of wheat(s) which_is_fenced _around with_lilies.

4 [fn] The _two _of breasts _of_your are_like_two _of fawns twins _of a _gazelle.

5 [fn] Neck _of_your is_like _(the)_tower _of (the)_ivory eyes _of_your are_pools in_Ḩeshbōn at the _gate _of Bath- Rabbim nose _of_your is_like_the _tower _of (the)_Ləⱱānōn which_watches the _face _of Damascus.

6 [fn] Head _of_your on_you is_like_Karmel/(Carmel) and_the _hair _of your _head _of_your is_like _(the)_wool the_king is_bound by_tresses.

7 [fn] How you _are _beautiful and_how you _are _lovely Oh _love with_delights.

8 [fn] This stature _of_your it _is _like (to)_a_palm _tree and_breasts _of_your (to)_clusters.

9 [fn] I _say I _will _climb _up on_the_palm _tree I _will _take _hold on_fruit-stalks _of_its and_may _they _be please breasts _of_your like_the _clusters _of (the)_vine and_the _odour _of your _nose _of_your like_apples.

10 [fn] And_mouth _of_your be_like _(the)_wine _of (the)_good which_goes for_lover _of_my to_smoothness(es) which_flows _gently the_lips _of sleepers.

11 [fn] I belong_to_lover _of_my and_is_towards_me his/its_longing/desire.

12 [fn] Come my _lover _of_my let _us _go the_field let _us _pass _the _night in_villages.

13 [fn] Let _us _rise _early to_vineyards let _us _see if the_vine it _has _budded the_blossom it _has _opened the_pomegranates they _have _bloomed there I _will _give DOM love(s)_of_my to/for_you(fs).

14 [fn] The_mandrakes they _have _given _forth an _odour and_will _be_over doorway(s)_of_our all _of excellent _things new also old my _lover _of_my I _have _stored _up to/for_you(fs).

7:1 Note: KJB: Song.6.13

7:2 Note: KJB: Song.7.1

7:3 Note: KJB: Song.7.2

7:4 Note: KJB: Song.7.3

7:5 Note: KJB: Song.7.4

7:6 Note: KJB: Song.7.5

7:7 Note: KJB: Song.7.6

7:8 Note: KJB: Song.7.7

7:9 Note: KJB: Song.7.8

7:10 Note: KJB: Song.7.9

7:11 Note: KJB: Song.7.10

7:12 Note: KJB: Song.7.11

7:13 Note: KJB: Song.7.12

7:14 Note: KJB: Song.7.13

Literal Version SNG 8:1

8 Who will_he _give _you like_a _brother to_me the _sucking _child of _the _breasts _of my _mother _of_my I_will _find _you on_outside I_will _kiss _you[fn][fn][fn] also not people _will _despise to_me.

2 I_will _lead _you I_will _bring _you to the _house _of my _mother _of_my who_she_taught _me I_will _give _you _to _drink some_(the)_wine of _(the)_spice some_of _the _juice _of my _pomegranate _of_my.

3 Hand _of_his _left is_under my_head and_his _right _of_hand it_embraces _me.

4 I _adjure you(pl) Oh _daughters _of Yərūshālaim/(Jerusalem) why will _you(pl)_awaken and_why will _you(pl)_arouse DOM (the)_love until that_it _will _please.

8:1 OSHB note: Marks a place where we agree with BHQ against BHS in reading L.

8:1 OSHB note: Marks an anomalous form.

8:1 OSHB note: We read punctuation in L differently from BHS.

OET by section SNG 6:4

The fifth song

Readers’ Version

Literal Version Hide marks

Literal Version