The Bride Confesses Her Love

1The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.

2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine.

3And the smell of thine ointments is better than all spices: thy name is ointment poured forth; therefore do the young maidens love thee.

The Friends

4They have drawn thee: we will run after thee, for the smell of thine ointments: the king has brought me into closet: let us rejoice and be glad in thee; we will love thy breasts more than wine: righteousness loves thee.

The Bride

5I am black, but beautiful, ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

6Look not upon me, because I am dark, because the sun has looked unfavourably upon me: my mother's sons strove with me; they made me keeper in the vineyards; I have not kept my own vineyard.

7Tell me, thou whom my soul loves, where thou tendest thy flock, where thou causest them to rest at noon, lest I become as one that is veiled by the flocks of thy companions.

Solomon Speaks

8If thou know not thyself, thou fair one among women, go thou forth by the footsteps of the flocks, and feed thy kids by the shepherd's tents.

9I have likened thee, my companion, to my horses in the chariots of Pharao.

10How are thy cheeks beautiful as those of a dove, thy neck as chains!

The Friends

11We will make thee figures of gold with studs of silver.

The Bride

12So long as the king was at table, my spikenard gave forth its smell.

13My kinsman is to me a bundle of myrrh; he shall lie between my breasts.

14My kinsman is to me a cluster of camphor in the vineyards of Engaddi.

Solomon

15Behold, thou art fair, my companion; behold, thou art fair; thine eyes are doves.

The Bride

16Behold, thou art fair, my kinsman, yea, beautiful, overshadowing our bed.

Solomon

17The beams of our house are cedars, our ceilings are of cypress.