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.


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