Chapter 1

^אשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים, אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה.

^{1 A Song of Songs}

For He to Whom peace belongs.

^ביִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ, כִּי טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן.

^{2 He will kiss me, from His mouth to mine,}

For Your love is better than wine.

^גלְרֵיחַ שְׁמָנֶיךָ טוֹבִים, שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ; עַל כֵּן, עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ

^{3 Like the fragrance of Your oils wafts about,}

Your Name flows forth like oil poured out.

Therefore maidens adore You.

^דמָשְׁכֵנִי, אַחֲרֶיךָ נָּרוּצָה; הֱבִיאַנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ חֲדָרָיו, נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בָּךְ

נַזְכִּירָה דֹדֶיךָ מִיַּיִן, מֵישָׁרִים אֲהֵבוּךָ.

^{4 Draw me to You, after You we will run.}

The King has brought me into His sanctum,

We will rejoice and in You be glad,

We’ll remember with wine the love that You had.

Therefore the upright adore You.

^השְׁחוֹרָה אֲנִי וְנָאוָה, בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם; כְּאָהֳלֵי קֵדָר, כִּירִיעוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה.

^{5 Dark I am, but comely.}

The daughters of Jerusalem are

Like the tents of Kedar,

And like the drapes of He

To Whom peace belongs.

^ואַל תִּרְאוּנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת, שֶׁשְּׁזָפַתְנִי הַשָּׁמֶשׁ; בְּנֵי אִמִּי נִחֲרוּ בִי, 

שָׂמֻנִי נֹטֵרָה אֶת הַכְּרָמִים; כַּרְמִי שֶׁלִּי, לֹא נָטָרְתִּי.

^{6 Do not gaze upon me, at how dark I’ve become,}

 I’ve been tanned by the sun,

And my mother’s children wither before me.

They set me to guard,

Their vineyard,

But my own I did not oversee.

^זהַגִּידָה לִּי, שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי, אֵיכָה תִרְעֶה, אֵיכָה תַּרְבִּיץ בַּצָּהֳרָיִם; 

שַׁלָּמָה אֶהְיֶה כְּעֹטְיָה, עַל עֶדְרֵי חֲבֵרֶיךָ.

^{7 Tell me, Beloved of my soul,}

How You pasture your fold,

And in the heat of the day how she lies?

Why should a veil cover my eyes

Among the flocks your dear ones hold?

^חאִם לֹא תֵדְעִי לָךְ, הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים; צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן, וּרְעִי אֶת גְּדִיֹּתַיִךְ, 

עַל מִשְׁכְּנוֹת הָרֹעִים.

^{8 If you don’t know, O fairest of women,}

Go and search for the downtrodden sheep,

And pasture your kids and lambs

Beside the tents where the shepherds sleep.

^טלְסֻסָתִי בְּרִכְבֵי פַרְעֹה, דִּמִּיתִיךְ רַעְיָתִי.

^{9 To a mare}

Of the chariots of Pharaoh 

I compare

You My dear.

^ינָאווּ לְחָיַיִךְ בַּתֹּרִים, צַוָּארֵךְ בַּחֲרוּזִים.

^{10 Your cheeks are exquisite with ornaments}

Your neck with jewelry;

^יאתּוֹרֵי זָהָב נַעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ, עִם נְקֻדּוֹת הַכָּסֶף.

^{11 Bands of gold,}

We will make for thee,

Together with silver embroidery.

^יבעַד שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ, בִּמְסִבּוֹ, נִרְדִּי, נָתַן רֵיחוֹ.

^{12 While at His banquet the King reclined,}

And the fragrance of my nard He did find.

^יגצְרוֹר הַמֹּר דּוֹדִי לִי, בֵּין שָׁדַי יָלִין.

^{13 A bunch of myrrh is my Beloved to me}

Between my breasts

He shall rest.

^ידאֶשְׁכֹּל הַכֹּפֶר דּוֹדִי לִי, בְּכַרְמֵי עֵין גֶּדִי.

^{14 A cluster of henna is my Beloved to me,}

In the vineyards of Ein-Gedi.

^טוהִנָּךְ יָפָה רַעְיָתִי, הִנָּךְ יָפָה עֵינַיִךְ יוֹנִים.

^{15 Behold you are beautiful, My love;}

You are so beautiful, with eyes like a dove.

^טזהִנְּךָ יָפֶה דוֹדִי אַף נָעִים, אַף-עַרְשֵׂנוּ רַעֲנָנָה.

^{16 You are handsome, my beloved,}

A pleasing figure;

Even our bed is full of vigor.

^יזקֹרוֹת בָּתֵּינוּ אֲרָזִים, רַהִיטֵנוּ בְּרוֹתִים.

^{17 The beams of our houses are cedar,}

And our panels of juniper.

* * *