[1] The song of Songs, which is Solomon's. [2] Let him give me the kisses
of his mouth: for his love is better than wine. [3] Sweet is the smell of
your perfumes; your name is as perfume running out; so the young girls give
you their love. [4] Take me to you, and we will go after you: the king has
taken me into his house. We will be glad and full of joy in you, we will
give more thought to your love than to wine: rightly are they your lovers.
[5] I am dark, but fair of form, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of
Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. [6] Let not your eyes be turned on me,
because I am dark, because I was looked on by the sun; my mother's children
were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vine-gardens; but my
vine-garden I have not kept. [7] Say, O love of my soul, where you give
food to your flock, and where you make them take their rest in the heat of
the day; why have I to be as one wandering by the flocks of your friends?
[8] If you have not knowledge, O most beautiful among women, go on your way
in the footsteps of the flock, and give your young goats food by the tents
of the keepers. [9] I have made a comparison of you, O my love, to a horse
in Pharaoh's carriages. [10] Your face is a delight with rings of hair,
your neck with chains of jewels. [11] We will make you chains of gold with
ornaments of silver. [12] While the king is seated at his table, my spices
send out their perfume. [13] As a bag of myrrh is my well-loved one to me,
when he is at rest all night between my breasts. [14] My love is to me as a
branch of the cypress-tree in the vine-gardens of En-gedi. [15] See, you
are fair, my love, you are fair; you have the eyes of a dove. [16] See, you
are fair, my loved one, and a pleasure; our bed is green. [17] Cedar-trees
are the pillars of our house; and our boards are made of fir-trees.
