SNG 5:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) I have come to my garden, my girlfriend, my bride.
⇔ I’ve plucked my myrrh with my spice.
⇔ I’ve eaten my honeycomb with my honey.
⇔ I’ve drunk my wine with my milk.
⇔ Eat, friends,
⇔ drink, and drink freely, dear ones.

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καταβήτω ἀδελφιδός μου εἰς κῆπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ φαγέτω καρπὸν ἀκροδρύων αὐτοῦ· εἰσῆλθον εἰς κῆπόν μου ἀδελφή μου νύμφη· ἐτρύγησα σμύρναν μου μετὰ ἀρωμάτων μου, ἔφαγον ἄρτον μου μετὰ μέλιτός μου, ἔπιον οἶνόν μου μετὰ γάλακτός μου· φάγετε πλήσιοι καὶ πίετε, καὶ μεθύσθητε ἀδελφοί.
(Katabaʸtō adelfidos mou eis kaʸpon autou, kai fagetō karpon akrodruōn autou; eisaʸlthon eis kaʸpon mou adelfaʸ mou numfaʸ; etrugaʸsa smurnan mou meta arōmatōn mou, efagon arton mou meta melitos mou, epion oinon mou meta galaktos mou; fagete plaʸsioi kai piete, kai methusthaʸte adelfoi. )

BrTr Let my kinsman come down into his garden, and eat the fruit of his choice berries. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spices; I have eaten my bread with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; yea, brethren, drink abundantly.

ULT I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
⇔ I have plucked my myrrh with my spice.
⇔ I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
⇔ I have drunk my wine with my milk.
⇔ 
¶  Eat, friends;
⇔ drink, and be drunk, beloved ones.
⇔ 

UST You who are as dear to me as a sister, my bride,
⇔ I am ready to go away with you now and enjoy making love with you.
⇔ It will be delightful, delightful like when I gather my myrrh with my other spices,
⇔ as wonderful as eating my honey and honeycomb,
⇔ and as enjoyable as drinking my wine with milk.
⇔ Friends, enjoy making love;
⇔ fully enjoy all that you do with each other.

OEB No OEB SNG book available

WEBBE I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
⇔ I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
⇔ I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
⇔ I have drunk my wine with my milk.
⇔ Eat, friends!
⇔ Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET I have entered my garden, O my sister, my bride;
⇔ I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice.
⇔ I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
⇔ I have drunk my wine and my milk!
⇔ Eat, friends, and drink!
⇔ Drink freely, O lovers!

LSV I have come to my garden, my sister-spouse,
I have plucked my myrrh with my spice,
I have eaten my comb with my honey,
I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink,
Indeed, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!

FBV I enter my garden, my sister, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spice. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Let us eat our fill of love! Let us be drunk with love![fn]

5:1 Some take this last line as being spoken by the women of Jerusalem, in which case it could be translated, “Friends, eat and drink, and become drunk with love.”

T4T My bride, you who are dearer to me than my sister,
⇔ I have come to cuddle up to you [MET, EUP];
⇔ it will be as though I will be gathering myrrh with my other spices,
⇔ and eating my honey and my honeycomb,
⇔ and drinking my wine and my milk.
⇔ You two who love each other, enjoy your lovemaking;
⇔ enjoy all that you want to.

LEB No LEB SNG 5:1 verse available

BBE I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; to take my myrrh with my spice; my wax with my honey; my wine with my milk. Take meat, O friends; take wine, yes, be overcome with love.

Moff “My own, my bride, I come e* into my garden
⇔ to gather me balsam and myrrh,
⇔ to eat my honey in the comb
⇔ to drink my wine and milk.”
¶ 
⇔ (Eat away, dear ones, drink your fill of love!)
¶ 

JPS I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

ASV I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:
⇔ I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
⇔ I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
⇔ I have drunk my wine with my milk.
⇔ Eat, O friends;
⇔ Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

DRA Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.

YLT I have come in to my garden, my sister-spouse, I have plucked my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, Yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!

Drby I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, beloved ones!

RV I AM come into my garden, my sister, my bride: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
(I AM come into my garden, my sister, my bride: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, Oh friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, Oh beloved. )

SLT I Came to my garden, my sister, O spouse: I gathered my myrrh with my spices; I ate my droppings with my honey; I drank my wine with my milk: Eat, O friends; drink ye, and drink to the full, O beloved ones.

Wbstr I have come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh, with my spice; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved.

KJB-1769 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.[fn]
(I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, Oh friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, Oh beloved. )

5.1 yea…: or, and be drunken with loves

KJB-1611 ¶ [fn]I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I haue gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I haue eaten my honie combe with my hony, I haue drunke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke, yea drinke abundantly, O beloued!
(¶ I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrhe with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, Oh friends, drink, yea drink abundantly, Oh beloved!)

5:1 Or, and be drunken with loues.

Bshps I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I haue gathered my Myrre with my spice: I haue eate hony with my hony combe, I haue drunke my wine with my milke: Eate O ye frendes, drinke and be merie O ye beloued.
(I am come into my garden, Oh my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my Myrrh with my spice: I have eat honey with my honeycomb, I have drunk my wine with my milk: Eat Oh ye/you_all friends, drink and be merry Oh ye/you_all beloved.)

Gnva I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I gathered my myrrhe with my spice: I ate mine hony combe with mine hony, I dranke my wine with my milke: eate, O friends, drinke, and make you merie, O welbeloued.
(I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I gathered my myrrh with my spice: I ate mine honeycomb with mine honey, I drank my wine with my milk: eat, Oh friends, drink, and make you merie, Oh well-beloved. )

Cvdl Come in to my garden o my sister, my spouse: I haue gathered my Myrre wt my spyce. I wil eate my hony and my hony cobe, I wil drynke my wyne & my mylk Eate o (ye frendes) drynke and be mery, o ye beloued.
(Come in to my garden o my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my Myrrh with my spice. I will eat my honey and my honeycomb, I will drink my wine and my milk Eat o (ye friends) drink and be merry, o ye/you_all beloved.)

Wycl Mi derlyng, come in to his gardyn, to ete the fruyt of hise applis. Mi sister spousesse, come thou in to my gardyn. Y have rope my myrre, with my swete smellynge spices; Y haue ete an hony combe, with myn hony; Y haue drunke my wyn, with my mylk. Frendis, ete ye, and drynke; and derewortheste frendis, be ye fillid greetli.
(My darling, come in to his garden, to eat the fruit of his apples. My sister spouse, come thou/you in to my garden. I have rope my myrrh, with my sweet smelling spices; I have eat an honeycomb, with mine honey; I have drunk my wine, with my milk. Friends, eat ye/you_all, and drink; and dear/preciousste friends, be ye/you_all filled greatly.)

Luth Ich komme, meine Schwester, liebe Braut, in meinen Garten. Ich habe meine Myrrhen samt meinen Würzen abgebrochen; ich habe meines Seims samt meinem Honig gegessen; ich habe meines Weins samt meiner Milch getrunken. Esset, meine Lieben, und trinket, meine Freunde, und werdet trunken!
(I come, my sister, love(v) bride, in my garden. I have my Myrrhen together_with my seasoning cancelled; I have my Seims together_with my honey eaten; I have my wine together_with mine milk drank. Esset, my loved_(one), and drinking, my friends, and become drink!)

ClVg [Veniat dilectus meus in hortum suum, et comedat fructum pomorum suorum. Sponsus Veni in hortum meum, soror mea, sponsa; messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis; comedi favum cum melle meo; bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo; comedite, amici, et bibite, et inebriamini, carissimi.[fn]
([Let_him/it_come beloved mine in/into/on hortum his_own, and to_eat fruit of_apples of_his_own. The_spouse I_came in/into/on hortum mine, sister my, bride; messui myrrham of_mine when/with spices mine; I_ate favum when/with honey mine; bibi wine mine when/with milk mine; eat, friends, and he_dranke, and inebriamini, carissimi. )

5.1 Veniat dilectus. Qui promisit se futurum mecum usque ad consummationem sæculi, modo cum magis indigeo majori gratia, me visitet. Veniat dilectus. Audiens Ecclesia se tentationibus probandam, provisioni dilecti non contradicit: sed ne superetur, auxilium illius quærit, qui non patitur nos tentari supra id quod possumus. I Cor. 10. Vel, potest ex voce perfectorum sic intelligi. Veniat dilectus. Quasi: Sicut eum semper diligimus, ei et servire curamus: sic ipse in tentationibus non sinat nos usque ad defectum concuti, sed jam reddet nobis mercedem piæ devotionis. Veni in hortum. Sponsus desiderio Ecclesiæ respondens, eadem quæ petebantur, se jam fecisse testatur: unde extranei multum in amorem ipsius possunt accendi. Veni, errantes corrigendo, infirmos sublevando, bona agentes confirmando, maturos mecum in requie collocando. Messui. Quadam falce mortis ab hac vita præcidi, et in cellaria beatitudinis perduxi. Comedi favum. Per favum, qui in Scripturis dulcedinem spiritualis intelligentiæ quærunt, et aliis dilucidant; per mel, qui epulas divini verbi sibi appositas libenter gustant, et his insatiabiliter vesci desiderant; per vinum, fortes cœlestium prædicatores; per lac, infirmi adhuc auditores, qui licet diversis studiorum modis discrepent, una tamen supernæ retributionis spe communes, supernus arbiter approbat. Comedite, amici. Non solum ipse piis electorum actibus delectatur: sed etiam hortatur fideles ad congaudendum super tali convivio, ut amplius inter se mutuam dilectionis curam exhibeant, et minores quod in majoribus viderint, memoriter imitari satagant. Inebriamini, charissimi. GREG. Post potum gaudii, ipsas virtutes bonorum retractando, torporem mentis discutite, et ad amorem æternorum accensi, temporales pœnas non sentiatis; sicut ebrius, qui obliviscitur omnium temporalium; comedit, nec satiatur: qui epulas Scripturarum didicit, justorum exempla novit, nec tamen vitam correxit; bibit, et non inebriatur, qui præcepta vitæ lætabundus audit, sed ad implenda piger remanet.

5.1 Let_him/it_come beloved. Who promised himself future with_me until to completion of_the_world/of_the_ages, just/only when/with more indigeo older grace, me visitet. Let_him/it_come beloved. Listenens Assembly/Church himself temptations probandam, provisioni beloved not/no contradicts: but not superetur, help/aid(n) of_that seeks, who/which not/no suffers us tentari above that that we_can. I Cor. 10. Or, can from voice perfectorum so to_be_understood. Let_him/it_come beloved. Quasi: Like him always diligimus, to_him and to_serve careus: so exactly_that/himself in/into/on temptations not/no sinat us until to defectum concuti, but already will_return us a_reward pious devotion. I_came in/into/on hortum. The_spouse desire Assemblies/Churches responding, the_same which petebantur, himself already have_done testifies: from_where/who outsidenei a_lot in/into/on love of_his/her_own they_can accendi. I_came, they_are_wanderinges corrigendo, sick sublevando, good(s) agentes confirmando, maturos with_me in/into/on rest neckcando. Messui. Quadam sickle of_death away this_way life beforecidi, and in/into/on cellaria of_happiness perduxi. Comedi favum. Per favum, who/which in/into/on Scripturis sweetnessm spiritual intelligence they_seek, and to_others dilucidant; through honey, who/which epulas divine words to_himself appositas willingly gustant, and his insatiabiliter to_eat they_desire; through wine, strong heavenly preachers; through lac, sick still listeners, who/which although different studiorum in_ways discrepent, together nevertheless above of_retribution with_hope common/communitys, supernus arbiter approbat. Comedite, friends. Not/No only exactly_that/himself piis of_the_elect acts is_delighted: but also encourages faithful to congaudendum over such convivio, as more between himself mutuam of_love care exhibeant, and minors that in/into/on to_the_elders they_saw, memoriter to_imitate satagant. Inebriamini, charissimi. GREG. After drink of_joy, themselves by_virtues of_goods retractando, torporem of_the_mind discutite, and to love eternalrum accensi, temporal punishments not/no feelis; like ebrius, who/which forgets of_all temporal; he_ate, but_not satiatur: who/which epulas Scripturarum learnt, of_the_righteous examples he_knows, but_not nevertheless life correxit; he_drank, and not/no inebriatur, who/which commands(n) of_life joyful listens, but to implenda lazy/reluctant remains.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:6–5:1: The man and woman married and the man praised her

In 3:6 a new section begins. The author indicates this by several obvious changes from (3:1–5):

The scene changes from a nighttime dream to a public daytime event.
There is a change of speaker.
The search theme in the preceding verses changes to a wedding theme in this section.
The mood changes from anxious searching to joyful celebration.

In this section the author describes the couple’s wedding day. The section has several parts:

3:6–11 The man and woman came to their wedding in a grand procession

4:1–15 The man described his beautiful bride

4:16–5:1 The man and woman consummated their marriage

Paragraph 4:16–5:1 The man and woman united in marriage

These two verses (4:16 and 5:1) can be considered the climax of the Song. In 4:16 the woman spoke for the first time since 3:5. She responded to the man’s praise in 4:1–15, and she indirectly invited him to enter the “garden.” Here the garden is a poetic way for the woman to refer to herself. The woman invited the man to come “into her garden,” and in 5:1 he did come in.

In Hebrew the word used for “awake” in 4:16 is the same word that was used in 2:7c–d. There the woman told the other women not to stir up nor awaken love until the right time. In 4:16–5:1 the time became right for love to awaken. The man and woman were married, and it was time to fulfill their desires for each other.

5:1

A new chapter begins here, but the original Hebrew text did not indicate chapter breaks. In the final verse of chapter 4, the woman spoke to the man, and in 5:1 he responded. Because of that, it is more natural to include 5:1 in the same section as 4:16. It is recommended that you not begin a new section until the beginning of 5:2.

5:1a–d

In 5:1a–d the man gladlyThe BSB and many other versions fail to fully capture the excitement on the man’s part. In those versions he seemed to respond in a plain, unemotional way that is almost anticlimactic. But in Hebrew there are several indicators that the man was probably expressing himself with deep emotion:1) The heavy use of 1^st person possessive forms contrasts sharply with the previously locked garden.2) The perfective aspect probably functions in an emphatic way, suggesting complete satisfaction or fulfillment.3) The emotional force of the metaphors adds strong impact to the verse.The man’s emotion in this verse is probably at least as intense as when he was describing the woman in 4:1–15. This is, after all, the climax of his longings. accepted the woman’s invitation to enter her garden. He referred back to the way he described her and the garden in 4:9–15. At that time, the woman was like a locked garden that the man could not enter. But here in 5:1 he said “my” eight times. He implied that now the woman was his wife, and he was free to enjoy the sensual pleasures that she offered him. The garden with its fruit and spices symbolizes the woman.

I have come…I have gathered…I have eaten…I have drunk: There are several ways to translate the Hebrew form of the verbs come, gathered, eaten, and drunk.All four Hebrew verbs in 5:1a–d are in the perfect aspect. This form does not indicate whether the actions are past, present or future.In terms of time, the Hebrew text does not focus on time nor does it indicate time of action. Rather it focuses on the event itself; on its beginning, as well as the assured continuation, of this whole and fulfilling event. There is no time indicated by the perfective aspect marker. Here the verbs probably refer to what the man was about to do. He implied that he will now have sexual relations with his wife to complete their marriage.This sense is in keeping with the semantic nature of the verbal metaphors that deal ultimately with emotional or romantic satisfaction. The nuanced significance of the perfective marker relies on contextual (including semantic) factors. Several other facts support it:(a) In 5:1e–f the wedding guests blessed the man and woman, saying: “Eat, O friends, and drink deeply.” This blessing implies that the couple will soon enjoy sexual union, but they have not yet experienced it.(b) The guests were at the wedding when they blessed the man and woman. They used commands to tell the couple to begin to freely enjoy sexual love. Past tense forms do not fit the context or the moral standards of the OT.(c) The present tense verbs do not imply that the couple began to have sexual relations at the moment when the guests blessed them. After the blessing, the couple went to a private place for their sexual union. This interpretation fits well with 5:1e–f, where their wedding guests told them to “eat…and drink deeply.”

Some other ways to translate these verbs are:

I am here in my garden…I gather my myrrh…and eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. (NLT96)

I have entered my garden…I am gathering my spices and myrrh; I am eating my honey and honeycomb; I am drinking my wine and milk. (GNT)

5:1a

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride;

My dear one, my bride, I am here in my garden.
My bride, I have come to you. You are my own garden!

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride: Here the man responded to the woman’s invitation in 4:16. It is the fourth time that he used the phrase my sister, my bride to refer to the woman. The first time is in 4:9a. You should translate the phrase in the same way here. In many languages it is more natural to begin the verse with this phrase. For example:

My bride, my very own, I come to my garden. (CEV)

Notice that the CEV used the phrase “my very own” instead of my sister, since the woman was not literally his sister. The CEV also put the phrase “My bride” first. Use a natural way in your language for a man to address the woman he loves and has just married.

I have come to my garden: The phrase I have come indicates here that the man accepted the woman’s invitation in 4:16. She already opened her locked garden to him, and now he entered. The garden represents the woman herself. When the man said I have come, he accepted her invitation to be intimate with her. In some languages it is necessary to make this meaning more explicit. For example:

I have come to you, my private garden

you are like my own garden, and I have come in

my garden: Here there is a contrast with the way the man used the word garden in 4:12–15. In 4:12 he spoke of the woman as “a locked garden.” He implied that he still could not enter it. Here in 5:1 he spoke of her as my garden. In some languages it may be helpful to indicate that he spoke about the woman as his garden. See the preceding note for examples.

5:1b–d

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: These three clauses use figurative ways to describe the sexual union that the man had with the woman. The man compared it to enjoying the delights of a garden. Scholars differ about when the man and woman had this sexual union. The man implied that they united in this way as he spoke in 5:1b–d. However, it probably happened very soon after he spoke.Some languages are tense-priority languages while others are aspect-priority. This can cause difficulties when translating from one type of language to another. Hebrew, for example, is aspect-priority, while English is tense-priority.

In some languages present tense may not be natural for these actions, since they did not happen at exactly the same time as the man spoke. If that is true in your language, it may be more natural to refer to the man’s intention to do the actions instead of referring to the actions themselves. For example:

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride, to gather my myrrh with my spice, to eat my honeycomb with my honey, to drink my wine with my milk.

I have gathered my myrrh…spice: The phrase I have gathered my myrrh and spice refers literally to harvesting some of the resin of the myrrh tree and the spice tree.To harvest these resins, a person must cut into the trees. Then a sticky substance called “resin” will gradually come out. These resins are sweet-smelling spices that are used to make ointments and perfumes. The spice tree is the same tree as the frankincense tree from 4:14c. However, in this context the phrase has a figurative meaning. The man used the gathering of myrrh and spice as a figure of speech to refer to enjoying the love of his bride.

In some languages a literal translation may give a wrong meaning. Some other ways to translate the figure of speech are:

Use a more general figure of speech that refers to enjoying a garden. For example:
I come to my garden and enjoy its spices. (CEV)
Use a simile. For example:
I come to my love and delight in her like a man enjoying the sweetest spices.
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
I delight in the sweet kisses/charms of my love.

5:1b

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.

I am ready to gather my myrrh and my spice,
I will enjoy all the delights you give, as if I were gathering the sweetest/best spices,

with my spice: The words with my spice refers back to the frankincense in 4:14c. The spices were locked up in the garden, but now they are his to enjoy. The spice probably refers to the fragrance of the woman’s perfume.

5:1c

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;

I have come to eat my honeycomb and my honey,
and eating my honey with its honeycomb,

I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey: This is the second of the three clauses that describe the man partaking of the garden’s delights. The phrase I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey is a metaphor. It refers back to 4:11a–b where honey symbolized the woman’s sweet kisses. So here it probably refers specifically to her sensual kisses and more generally to their lovemaking. The word my indicates that her kisses and her lovemaking are now his to enjoy.

As in 5:1b, there are several ways to translate this metaphor, and you can translate it in a similar way as you translated it there. For example:

I have enjoyed your charms like a man eating his honeycomb with its honey.

Loving you is as sweet as eating honey with the honeycomb.

Your kisses are as sweet to me as honey and the honeycomb.

I have eaten: The man said I have eaten to respond to what the woman said in 4:16f. She invited him to come to her garden and “eat its choicest fruits.”

5:1d

I have drunk my wine with my milk.

I have come to drink my wine and my milk.
and drinking my wine and milk.

I have drunk my wine with my milk: Here the man used a third clause to describe how he enjoyed the garden’s delights. It is a figurative way to speak about enjoying the woman’s charms. You should continue to use the same tense of the verb have drunk as you used for the verbs “have gathered” and “have eaten” in 5:1b and 5:1c.

As in 5:1b and 5:1c, there are several ways to translate this metaphor. It is probably good to translate it in a similar way as you translated the metaphors there. Some ways to translate it are:

I have drunk in the charms of my loved-one like someone drinking the best wine and milk.

My love nourishes me like the best milk and wine.

my wine with my milk: wine was mentioned in 4:10 and milk in 4:11. The man used drinking wine and milk in a figurative way. He described how he felt when he and the woman showed their love to each other.That is, when they expressed their love for each other through sexual relations. He felt joyful and refreshed as if he were drinking wine and milk. In the Song wine is a symbol of love (see, for example, 1:2 and 4:10). The word my indicates that now the woman’s lovemaking belonged to the man to enjoy.

5:1e–f

At the end of 5:1d the man finished speaking. The author did not indicate explicitly who spoke in 5:1e–f and to whom they spoke. Some English versions indicate the speakers in the margin or in footnotes, and some versions do not identify the speakers. The main views about the speakers and who they spoke to here are:

A group of wedding guests (probably the Jerusalem women or other friends) spoke to the couple. For example:
Their Friends Speak (CEV)
Young Women of Jerusalem (NLT) (BSB, CEV, ESV, NAB, NCV, NIV, NLT, NRSV, GNT)
The author of the Song spoke to the couple. For example:
The Poet to the Couple (NET) (NET, NJB)
The man (groom) spoke to the wedding guests. The versions that follow this view generally indicate it without a heading. For example:
Eat, my friends! (GW) (GW, NASB, REB)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with the majority of English versions.Option 2 is also a valid option. Option 3 is not recommended. It seems to imply that the groom invited the wedding guests to participate in lovemaking. An invitation to an orgy hardly seems likely here! Some commentators and versions identify these guests specifically as the Jerusalem women. Others suggest friends or other guests. It is likely that the women of Jerusalem were the speakers, since they spoke to the woman in other parts of the Song (for example, in 1:5; 2:7; 3:5; 3:11; 5:8–16; and 6:1–3).

5:1e

Eat, O friends, and drink;

Friends, drink and eat!
Now, you^(plur) lovers, enjoy

Eat, O friends, and drink: Here the wedding guests encouraged the newly married couple to eat and drink to celebrate their marriage. The words Eat and drink have the same meaning as in 5:1b–d. The verbs are a tactful way to say, “enjoy sexual relations with each other.” The guests encouraged the couple to enjoy their love-making. Translate this meaning in an appropriate way for your culture.

In some languages it is more natural to put the direct address to the couple in a different place in the sentence. For example:

Friends, eat and drink…

Eat, lovers, and drink (GNT)

O friends: The word friends refers here to the newly married couple, and you should make that clear in a natural way in your language. The word O is not in the Hebrew text, but some English versions add it to indicate that the wedding guests spoke directly to the bride and groom and called them friends.

5:1f

drink freely, O beloved.

Love each other with joy like people drinking their favorite wine!
loving each other and be completely satisfied!

drink freely, O beloved: The meaning of 5:1f is similar to the meaning of 5:1e, and the author repeats the meaning to emphasize it. However, in this context there are two different ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the BSB translates as beloved. In other verses of the Song and in other books of the OT, this plural form of the word means “love, expressions of affection.” There are two ways to interpret it here:

The word means “love” or “lovemaking.” For example:
Drink deep of love! (NJPS) (NRSV, CEV, ESV, GW, NAB, NIV, NJPS, NLT, REB, GNT)
The word means “lovers.” For example:
…drink your fill, O lovers. (NIV) (BSB, RSV, NASB, NCV, NET, NIV, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with the majority of English versions.A similar example with the plural form of “love” occurs in Proverbs 7:18, which the BSB translates as “Come, let us take our fill of love till morning.” Ezekiel 16:8 and 23:17 also have clear examples of “love” used with this meaning of love-making. In Song 1:2, 1:4, 4:10, and 7:12 the BSB also translates it as “love” rather than “lovers.”

Since the BSB follows interpretation (2) here, the Display will use the NIV as the source line for 5:1f.

(NIV) drink your fill of love: This phrase is a figure of speech. It indicates that the bride and groom should delight in making fervent love with each other. Some ways to translate the figure are:

Translate the figure of speech directly (drinking love). For example:
Yes, drink deeply of your love! (NLT)
Drink deep of love! (NJPS)
Use a figure of speech that has the same meaning in your language. For example:
make love with each other to your heart’s content
Translate the meaning directly. For example:
love each other freely
delight yourselves in loving each other

Some English versions translate the idea of being “drunk” with love (for example, GW and NRSV). However, such a comparison may cause problems, since the point of comparison is not clear. Because of that, it may cause people to misunderstand the verse, especially in cultures where drinking too much wine has damaged people’s lives.

(NIV) love: The word love can also be translated as “lovemaking” in this context. For more information, see the note on “your love” in 1:2b. It is also helpful to read the note there on “your love is better than wine.”

General Comment on 5:1

When the wedding guests told the man and woman to “drink freely of love (NIV),” it was their blessing on their sexual relationship as husband and wife. This verse (5:1) is a climax to this section and to the book. There is another type of climax in 8:6–7.

Remember that the language in 4:1–5:1 describes the feelings of love and lovemaking in beautiful and delicate ways. The author describes romantic love in a powerful way, but he does not use vulgar words or phrases that would make modest people feel ashamed.Kinlaw (page 1230) says: “The language used here of love’s consummation is classic in its chasteness, a character possible only through the use of symbolic language. The beauty of expression fits the holiest of all human relationships. Metaphor plays the same role here as the veil in the temple. Sinful man needs such to protect the mystery.” It is important for translators also to find artistic ways to communicate the beauty of the Song and to use modest language that is appropriate for the cultural context.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

בָּ֣אתִי לְ⁠גַנִּ⁠י֮ אֲחֹתִ֣⁠י כַלָּה֒ אָרִ֤יתִי מוֹרִ⁠י֙ עִם־בְּשָׂמִ֔⁠י אָכַ֤לְתִּי יַעְרִ⁠י֙ עִם־דִּבְשִׁ֔⁠י שָׁתִ֥יתִי יֵינִ֖⁠י עִם־חֲלָבִ֑⁠י

come to,my_of,garden my_sister_of,O bride gathered myrrh_of,my with spice_of,my eaten honeycomb_of,my with honey_of,my drunk wine_of,my with milk_of,my

Here the man continues to draw an extended comparison between the woman’s body and the garden that he began in [4:12](../04/12.md). He accepts the woman’s invitation (that she gave in the previous verse) to enjoy her body. The lines I have plucked my myrrh with my spice and I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey and I have drunk my wine with my milk are all metaphors for the man enjoying the woman’s body. If you used the alternate translation in verses [4:12-16](../04/12.md), you should do so here also. Alternate translation: [You who are as dear to me as a sister, my bride, I am ready to go with you and enjoy the delights of your body; it will be as though I am gathering myrrh with my other spices, eating my honey and honeycomb, and drinking my wine and my milk]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

come to,my_of,garden my_sister_of,O bride gathered myrrh_of,my with spice_of,my eaten honeycomb_of,my with honey_of,my drunk wine_of,my with milk_of,my

Though the man is speaking as if he has already done these things, he is actually getting ready to do them. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could include this information. Alternate translation: [I am getting ready to come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I will pluck my myrrh with my spice. I will eat my honeycomb with my honey; I will drink my wine with my milk]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / go

בָּ֣אתִי

come

Your language may say “gone” rather than come in a context such as this. Use whichever is more natural. Alternate translation: [I have gone]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / infostructure

בָּ֣אתִי לְ⁠גַנִּ⁠י֮ אֲחֹתִ֣⁠י כַלָּה֒

come to,my_of,garden my_sister_of,O bride

If it would be more natural in your language, you could change the order of these phrases. Alternate translation: [My sister, my bride, I have come to my garden]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אֲחֹתִ֣⁠י

my_sister_of,O

See how you translated the phrase my sister in [4:9](../04/09.md).

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / extrainfo

אִכְל֣וּ רֵעִ֔ים שְׁת֥וּ וְ⁠שִׁכְר֖וּ דּוֹדִֽים

eat friends drink and,become_drunk love

Since the author does not say who is speaking to the couple here, you should not indicate who is speaking in the text of your translation. However, if you are using section headers to indicate who is speaking, the speakers could be: (1) the “daughters of Jerusalem” who spoke earlier in the book. They are speaking to the couple at the couple’s wedding. You can use a phrase such as “The young women of Jerusalem speak to the couple” or “The young women of Jerusalem speak to the couple at their wedding” (2) a group of people who are the couple’s friends and wedding guests. You can use a phrase such as “The couple’s friends speak” or “The couple’s wedding guests speak”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

אִכְל֣וּ רֵעִ֔ים שְׁת֥וּ וְ⁠שִׁכְר֖וּ דּוֹדִֽים

eat friends drink and,become_drunk love

Here the speaker is speaking of “eating and drinking” as metaphors to represent the couple enjoying their sexual union. The phrase be drunk is an encouragement to fully enjoy the delights of their sexual union. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express the meaning plainly, or you could use a phrase such as “drink deeply” or “drink abundantly” instead of “be drunk.” Alternate translation: [Enjoy your marital intimacy and make love until you are fully satisfied as if you are eating food until full and drinking wine freely] or [Eat, friends; Drink, and be drunk with love] or [Eat, friends; Drink, and drink abundantly of love]

Parallel SNG 5:1

Section 3:6–5:1: The man and woman married and the man praised her

Paragraph 4:16–5:1 The man and woman united in marriage

5:1

5:1a–d

5:1a

5:1b–d

5:1b

5:1c

5:1d

5:1e–f

5:1e

5:1f

General Comment on 5:1