Solomon's Praise Of His Dancing Maiden
1 How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a cunning workman.
1 “(a)How beautiful are your (b)feet in sandals,O (c)(A)prince’s daughter!The curves of your hips are like (d)jewels,The work of the hands of an artist.
1 How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess!(a)(A)The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,the handiwork of a master.
1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals, noble lady. The curves of your thighs are like ornaments, the work of a skilled artist's hands.
1 (The Bridegroom)“Why should you gaze at the Shulammite,As at the dance of the two armies?“How beautiful are your feet in sandals,O prince’s daughter!The curves of your hips are like jewels,The work of the hands of an artist.
2 Thy navel is like a round goblet, which wanteth not liquor: thy belly is like an heap of wheat set about with lilies.
2 “Your navel is like a round gobletWhich never lacks mixed wine;Your belly is like a heap of wheatFenced about with lilies.
2 Your navel is a rounded bowl;it never lacks mixed wine.Your waist(b) is a mound of wheatsurrounded by lilies.
2 Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks mixed wine. Your abdomen is a bundle of wheat, enclosed by lilies.
2 “Your navel is a round gobletWhich never lacks mixed wine.Your belly is like a heap of wheatSurrounded with lilies.
4 Thy neck is as a tower of ivory; thine eyes like the fishpools in Heshbon, by the gate of Bathrabbim: thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon which looketh toward Damascus.
4 “Your (C)neck is like a tower of ivory,Your eyes like the pools in (D)HeshbonBy the gate of Bath-rabbim;Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon,Which faces toward Damascus.
4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(C)your eyes like pools in Heshbonby the gate of Bath-rabbim.Your nose is like the tower of Lebanonlooking toward Damascus.
4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon, beside the gate of Beth-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which faces Damascus.
4 “Your neck is like a tower of ivory,Your eyes the [sparkling] pools of HeshbonBy the gate of Bath-rabbim.Your nose is like the tower of LebanonWhich looks toward Damascus.
5 Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.
5 “Your head (e)crowns you like (E)Carmel,And the flowing locks of your head are like purple threads;The king is captivated by your tresses.
5 Your head crowns you(c) like Mount Carmel,the hair of your head like purple cloth—a king could be held captive(D) in your tresses.
5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your flowing locks are like purple, and a king could be captured in the dangling tresses.
Solomon Longs For The Young Woman's Affection
7 This thy stature is like to a palm tree, and thy breasts to clusters of grapes.
7 Your stature is like a palm tree;your breasts are clusters of fruit.
7 Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like clusters of fruit.
7 “Your stature is like that of a palm treeAnd your breasts like its clusters [of dates].
8 I said, I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of the boughs thereof: now also thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the smell of thy nose like apples;
8 “I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree,I will take hold of its fruit stalks.’Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine,And the fragrance of your (h)breath like (i)(G)apples,
8 I said, “I will climb the palm treeand take hold of its fruit.”(F)May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(G)
8 I told myself, "I'll go up the palm tree, and take hold of its fruit. May your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the smell of your breath like apples.
8 “I said, ‘I will climb the palm tree;I will grasp its branches.Let your breasts be like clusters of the grapevine,And the fragrance of your breath like apples,
9 And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.
9 And your (j)(H)mouth like the best wine!” “(k)It (I)goes down smoothly for my beloved,Flowing gently through the lips of those who fall asleep.
9 Your mouth(d) is like fine wine(H)—W flowing smoothly for my love,gliding past my lips and teeth!(e)
9 May your mouth be like good wine. May it go down smoothly to my beloved, gliding gently over the lips of the sleeping ones.
9 ‘And your kisses like the best wine!’”
Mutual Possession Refrain
Rendezvous In The Countryside
12 Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish, whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth: there will I give thee my loves.
12 “Let us rise early and go to the vineyards;Let us (L)see whether the vine has buddedAnd its blossoms have opened,And whether the pomegranates have bloomed.There I will give you my love.
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;let’s see if the vine has budded,if the blossom has opened,if the pomegranates are in bloom.(K)There I will give you my love.
12 Let us go early to the vineyards, let us see whether the vine has budded, whether the blossom has opened, whether the pomegranates have bloomed. There I'll give you my love.
12 “Let us go out early to the vineyards;Let us see whether the vine has buddedAnd its blossoms have opened,And whether the pomegranates have flowered.There I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.
13 “The (M)mandrakes have given forth fragrance;And over our doors are all (N)choice fruits,Both new and old,Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.
13 The mandrakes(L) give off a fragrance,and at our doors is every delicacy—new as well as old.I have treasured them up for you, my love. >
13 The mandrakes give off their fragrance, and over our doors are all the choice fruits, both old and new, that I've stored up for you, my beloved.
13 “The mandrakes give forth fragrance,And over our doors are all [kinds of] choice fruits,Both new and old,Which I have saved up for you, my beloved.