Song of Solomon
Chapter 1
This first chapter opens the Song of Songs, a set of love poems linked to Solomon. A woman speaks of her longing for the man she loves, answers the daughters of Jerusalem about her sun-darkened skin, and asks where he pastures his flock. The two then trade praise of each other's beauty, and the chapter closes with them picturing green grass as their bed and trees as their house.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
1This is the finest song of all, the song of songs. It belongs to Solomon.
2Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.
2The woman says: Kiss me with the kisses of your mouth. Your love makes me happier than wine does.
3Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee.
3Your perfumes smell wonderful. Your name is like perfume poured out. That is why the young women love you.
4Draw 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: the upright love thee.
4Take me away with you. Let us hurry. The king has brought me into his rooms. Her friends say: We will be glad and full of joy because of you. We will praise your love more than wine. She says: They are right to love you.
5I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
5Daughters of Jerusalem, my skin is dark, and I am lovely. I am dark like the tents of Kedar, like Solomon's curtains.
Kedar was a desert people whose tents were woven from black goat hair. She is naming a color, not saying she is ugly. "Comely" in the old wording simply means lovely.
6Look 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 the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.
6Do not stare at me because I am dark. The sun has burned me. My mother's sons were angry with me. They made me watch over the vineyards, so I never cared for my own.
7Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?
7Tell me, you whom I love with all my heart: where do you feed your sheep? Where do you let them rest at noon? Why should I wander with my face covered beside the flocks of your friends?
8If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
8If you do not know, most beautiful of women, follow the tracks the sheep leave. Feed your young goats near the shepherds' tents.
9I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
9My darling, I compare you to a fine mare among the horses that pull Pharaoh's chariots.
Comparing a woman to a horse sounds odd today, but the horses that pulled Pharaoh's chariots were the finest and most decorated animals anyone had seen. It is a compliment.
10Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
10Your cheeks look lovely between rows of jewels. Your neck is beautiful with chains of gold.
11We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
11We will make you gold jewelry for you, set with small pieces of silver.
12While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
12While the king sat at his table, my perfume filled the air with its sweet smell.
13A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
13My love is like a small bag of myrrh, a sweet-smelling gum, resting all night between my breasts.
14My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
14My love is like a cluster of henna flowers growing in the vineyards of Engedi.
"Camphire" is henna, a bush with clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers. Engedi was a green spring-fed place beside the Dead Sea.
15Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.
15Look at you. You are beautiful, my darling. You are truly beautiful. Your eyes are like doves.
16Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
16Look at you. You are handsome, my love, and a delight to be near. The green grass is our bed.
17The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
17The beams of our house are cedar trees. Our rafters are fir.
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