Cantar de los Cantares 1

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

² Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine. ³ Thine ointments savour sweetly; Thy name is an ointment poured forth: Therefore do the virgins love thee. ⁴ Draw me, we will run after thee! --The king hath brought me into his chambers--We will be glad and rejoice in thee, We will remember thy love more than wine. They love thee uprightly. ⁵ I am black, but comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon. ⁶ Look not upon me, because I am black; Because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children were angry with me: They made me keeper of the vineyards; Mine own vineyard have I not kept.

⁷ Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest thy flock , Where thou makest it to rest at noon; For why should I be as one veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions? ⁸ If thou know not, thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' booths. ⁹ I compare thee, my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots. ¹⁰ Thy cheeks are comely with bead-rows, Thy neck with ornamental chains. ¹¹ We will make thee bead-rows of gold With studs of silver.

¹² While the king is at his table, My spikenard sendeth forth its fragrance. ¹³ A bundle of myrrh is my beloved unto me; He shall pass the night between my breasts. ¹⁴ My beloved is unto me a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of Engedi. ¹⁵ Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold, thou art fair: thine eyes are doves. ¹⁶ Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; Also our bed is green. ¹⁷ The beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters are cypresses.