Song of Solomon 1

¹The Song of Songs , which is Solomon’s .

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ! For your love is better than wine ;

³your anointing oils are fragrant ; your name is oil poured out ; therefore virgins love you.

⁴Draw me after you; let us run . The king has brought me into his chambers . We will exult and rejoice in you; we will extol your love more than wine ; rightly do they love you.

⁵I am very dark , but lovely , O daughters of Jerusalem , like the tents of Kedar , like the curtains of Solomon .

⁶Do not gaze at me because I am dark , because the sun has looked upon me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards , but my own vineyard I have not kept !

⁷Tell me, you whom my soul loves , where you pasture your flock , where you make it lie down at noon ; for why should I be like one who veils herself beside the flocks of your companions ?

⁸If you do not know , O most beautiful among women , follow in the tracks of the flock , and pasture your young goats beside the shepherds ’ tents .

⁹I compare you, my love , to a mare among Pharaoh’s chariots .

¹⁰Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments , your neck with strings of jewels .

¹¹We will make for you ornaments of gold , studded with silver .

¹²While the king was on his couch , my nard gave forth its fragrance .

¹³My beloved is to me a sachet of myrrh that lies between my breasts .

¹⁴My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of Engedi .

¹⁵Behold , you are beautiful , my love ; behold , you are beautiful ; your eyes are doves .

¹⁶Behold , you are beautiful , my beloved , delightful . Our couch is green ;

¹⁷the beams of our house are cedar ; our rafters are pine .