(א) שִׁ֥יר הַשִּׁירִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִשְׁלֹמֹֽה׃
(ב) יִשָּׁקֵ֙נִי֙ מִנְּשִׁיק֣וֹת פִּ֔יהוּ כִּֽי־טוֹבִ֥ים דֹּדֶ֖יךָ מִיָּֽיִן׃
(ג) לְרֵ֙יחַ֙ שְׁמָנֶ֣יךָ טוֹבִ֔ים שֶׁ֖מֶן תּוּרַ֣ק שְׁמֶ֑ךָ עַל־כֵּ֖ן עֲלָמ֥וֹת אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃
(ד) מָשְׁכֵ֖נִי אַחֲרֶ֣יךָ נָּר֑וּצָה הֱבִיאַ֨נִי הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ חֲדָרָ֗יו נָגִ֤ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה֙ בָּ֔ךְ נַזְכִּ֤ירָה דֹדֶ֙יךָ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן מֵישָׁרִ֖ים אֲהֵבֽוּךָ׃ (ס)
(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 have a goodly fragrance; Thy name is as ointment poured forth; Therefore do the maidens 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 find thy love more fragrant than wine! Sincerely do they love thee.
- JPS Tanach (1917)
( 2) Kiss me, make me drunk with your kisses!
Your sweet loving
is better than wine.
(3) You are fragrant,
you are myrrh and aloes.
All the young women want you.
(4) Take me by the hand, let us run together!
My lover, my king, has brought me into his chambers.
We will laugh, you and I, and count
each kiss,
better than wine.
Every one of them wants you.
- The Song of Songs: A New Translation by Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch
With the poem’s first word - יִשָּׁקֵ֙נִי֙ - “Let him kiss me!” desire bursts suddenly and dramatically onto the scene. A disembodied voice speaks, giving birth to a poetic Edenic world, as in those first moments of creation (imagine for example, how startling Genesis would be it if began “Let there be light!” without setting the stage in any way.”) Who is speaking? Our knowledge of the Song or our cultural assumptions about the the context may lead us to conclude that the speaker is a woman but this is not definitely established till verse 5 when the first clearly feminine form occurs.
- J. Cheryl Exum 'The Voice of Desire' in The Old Testament Library: Song of Songs, (2005). p92
(ט) לִבַּבְתִּ֖נִי אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה לִבַּבְתִּ֙ינִי֙ באחד [בְּאַחַ֣ת] מֵעֵינַ֔יִךְ בְּאַחַ֥ד עֲנָ֖ק מִצַּוְּרֹנָֽיִךְ׃
(י) מַה־יָּפ֥וּ דֹדַ֖יִךְ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה מַה־טֹּ֤בוּ דֹדַ֙יִךְ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן וְרֵ֥יחַ שְׁמָנַ֖יִךְ מִכָּל־בְּשָׂמִֽים׃
(יא) נֹ֛פֶת תִּטֹּ֥פְנָה שִׂפְתוֹתַ֖יִךְ כַּלָּ֑ה דְּבַ֤שׁ וְחָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְ וְרֵ֥יחַ שַׂלְמֹתַ֖יִךְ כְּרֵ֥יחַ לְבָנֽוֹן׃ (ס)
(יב) גַּ֥ן ׀ נָע֖וּל אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה גַּ֥ל נָע֖וּל מַעְיָ֥ן חָתֽוּם׃
(יג) שְׁלָחַ֙יִךְ֙ פַּרְדֵּ֣ס רִמּוֹנִ֔ים עִ֖ם פְּרִ֣י מְגָדִ֑ים כְּפָרִ֖ים עִם־נְרָדִֽים׃
(יד) נֵ֣רְדְּ ׀ וְכַרְכֹּ֗ם קָנֶה֙ וְקִנָּמ֔וֹן עִ֖ם כָּל־עֲצֵ֣י לְבוֹנָ֑ה מֹ֚ר וַאֲהָל֔וֹת עִ֖ם כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃ (טו) מַעְיַ֣ן גַּנִּ֔ים בְּאֵ֖ר מַ֣יִם חַיִּ֑ים וְנֹזְלִ֖ים מִן־לְבָנֽוֹן׃
(טז) ע֤וּרִי צָפוֹן֙ וּב֣וֹאִי תֵימָ֔ן הָפִ֥יחִי גַנִּ֖י יִזְּל֣וּ בְשָׂמָ֑יו יָבֹ֤א דוֹדִי֙ לְגַנּ֔וֹ וְיֹאכַ֖ל פְּרִ֥י מְגָדָֽיו׃
(9) You have captured my heart, My own, my bride, You have captured my heart With one [glance] of your eyes, With one coil of your necklace.
(10) How sweet is your love, My own, my bride! How much more delightful your love than wine, Your ointments more fragrant Than any spice!
(11) Sweetness drops From your lips, O bride; Honey and milk Are under your tongue; And the scent of your robes Is like the scent of Lebanon.
(12) A garden locked Is my own, my bride, A fountain locked, A sealed-up spring. (13) Your limbs are an orchard of pomegranates And of all luscious fruits, Of henna and of nard—
(14) Nard and saffron, Fragrant reed and cinnamon, With all aromatic woods, Myrrh and aloes— All the choice perfumes.
(15) [You are] a garden spring, A well of fresh water, A rill of Lebanon.
(16) Awake, O north wind, Come, O south wind! Blow upon my garden, That its perfume may spread. Let my beloved come to his garden And enjoy its luscious fruits!
- JPS Tanach (1999)
(ט) מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד שֶׁכָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽנוּ׃
(י) דּוֹדִ֥י צַח֙ וְאָד֔וֹם דָּג֖וּל מֵרְבָבָֽה׃
(יא) רֹאשׁ֖וֹ כֶּ֣תֶם פָּ֑ז קְוּצּוֹתָיו֙ תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים שְׁחֹר֖וֹת כָּעוֹרֵֽב׃
(יב) עֵינָ֕יו כְּיוֹנִ֖ים עַל־אֲפִ֣יקֵי מָ֑יִם רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙ בֶּֽחָלָ֔ב יֹשְׁב֖וֹת עַל־מִלֵּֽאת׃
(יג) לְחָיָו֙ כַּעֲרוּגַ֣ת הַבֹּ֔שֶׂם מִגְדְּל֖וֹת מֶרְקָחִ֑ים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו֙ שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּ֔ים נֹטְפ֖וֹת מ֥וֹר עֹבֵֽר׃
(יד) יָדָיו֙ גְּלִילֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב מְמֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ מֵעָיו֙ עֶ֣שֶׁת שֵׁ֔ן מְעֻלֶּ֖פֶת סַפִּירִֽים׃
(טו) שׁוֹקָיו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָ֑ז מַרְאֵ֙הוּ֙ כַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּאֲרָזִֽים׃
(טז) חִכּוֹ֙ מַֽמְתַקִּ֔ים וְכֻלּ֖וֹ מַחֲּמַדִּ֑ים זֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ וְזֶ֣ה רֵעִ֔י בְּנ֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
(9) How is your beloved different
from any other, O beautiful woman?
Who is your lover
that we must swear to you?
(10) My beloved is milk and wine
he towers
above ten thousand.
(11) His head is burnished gold
the mane of his hair
black as the raven.
(12) His eyes like doves
by the rivers of milk and plenty.
(13) His cheeks a bed of spices,
a treasure
of precious scents, his lips
red lilies wet with myrrh.
(14) His arm a golden sceptre with gems of topaz,
his loins, the ivory of thrones
inlaid with sapphire,
(15) his thighs like marble pillars
on pedestals of gold.
Tall as Mount Lebanon,
a man like a cedar!
(16) His mouth is sweet wine, he is all delight.
This is my beloved
and this is my friend.
O daughters of Jerusalem.
- The Song of Songs: A New Translation by Ariel Bloch and Chana Bloch
(יא) כֶּ֣רֶם הָיָ֤ה לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ בְּבַ֣עַל הָמ֔וֹן נָתַ֥ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֖רֶם לַנֹּטְרִ֑ים אִ֛ישׁ יָבִ֥א בְּפִרְי֖וֹ אֶ֥לֶף כָּֽסֶף׃
(יב) כָּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־פִּרְיֽוֹ׃
(יג) הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃
(יד) בְּרַ֣ח ׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃
(11) Solomon had a vineyard
In Baal-hamon.
He had to post guards in the vineyard:
A man would give for its fruit
A thousand pieces of silver.
(12) I have my very own vineyard:
You may have the thousand, O Solomon, And the guards of the fruit two hundred! (13) O you who linger in the garden,
A lover is listening;
Let me hear your voice.
(14) “Hurry, my beloved,
Swift as a gazelle or a young stag,
To the hills of spices!”
- JPS Tanach (1999)
The Song of Songs is lyric poetry; its progression, as noted above, is not linear but rather meandering. It surges forward and circles back upon itself, continuously and effortlessly repeating its acts of conjuring and reissuing its invitation to the reader. Just as the harmony of the male and female voices represents, on the poetic plane, their sexual union, so the poetic rhythm of the Song, ever forward and then returning, reflects the repetitive pattern of seeking and finding in which the lovers engage, which is the basic pattern of sexual love: longing - satisfaction - renewed longing - and so on. The prolonging of desire and of fulfilment stretching across the span of the poem plays an essential part in the Song’s effectiveness - its power - as a love poem.
- J. Cheryl Exum, “Gendered Love-Talk and the Relation of the Sexes” in The Old Testament Library: Song of Songs
(ה) סֵפֶר שֶׁנִּמְחַק וְנִשְׁתַּיֵּר בּוֹ שְׁמוֹנִים וְחָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת, כְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן, מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. מְגִלָּה שֶׁכָּתוּב בָּהּ שְׁמוֹנִים וְחָמֵשׁ אוֹתִיּוֹת כְּפָרָשַׁת וַיְהִי בִּנְסֹעַ הָאָרֹן, מְטַמָּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. כָּל כִּתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם. שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים וְקֹהֶלֶת מְטַמְּאִין אֶת הַיָּדַיִם.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם, וְקֹהֶלֶת מַחֲלֹקֶת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, קֹהֶלֶת אֵינוֹ מְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים מַחֲלֹקֶת. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, קֹהֶלֶת מִקֻּלֵּי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וּמֵחֻמְרֵי בֵית הִלֵּל. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן עַזַּאי, מְקֻבָּל אֲנִי מִפִּי שִׁבְעִים וּשְׁנַיִם זָקֵן, בַּיּוֹם שֶׁהוֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה בַּיְשִׁיבָה, שֶׁשִּׁיר הַשִּׁירִים וְקֹהֶלֶת מְטַמְּאִים אֶת הַיָּדַיִם.
אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לֹא נֶחֱלַק אָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עַל שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים שֶׁלֹּא תְטַמֵּא אֶת הַיָּדַיִם, שֶׁאֵין כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ כְדַאי כַּיּוֹם שֶׁנִּתַּן בּוֹ שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁכָּל הַכְּתוּבִים קֹדֶשׁ, וְשִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים קֹדֶשׁ קָדָשִׁים. וְאִם נֶחְלְקוּ, לֹא נֶחְלְקוּ אֶלָּא עַל קֹהֶלֶת.
(5) A book [i.e. a Torah scroll] which was erased leaving only eighty-five letters in it, like the portion of (Numbers 10:35-36), "And it was when the Ark was raised...," renders the hands impure. A scroll on which are written eighty-five letters, like the portion of, "And it was when the Ark was raised...," renders the hands impure.
All sacred scriptures render the hands impure. The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure.
Rabbi Yehudah says: The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, but there is a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes. Rabbi Yose says: Ecclesiastes does not render the hands impure, and there is a dispute regarding The Song of Songs. Rabbi Shimon says: Ecclesiastes is among the [relative] leniencies of Beit Shammai, and the [relative] stringencies of Beit Hillel. Rabbi Shimon ben Azzai said, "I have a recieved tradition from the mouths of seventy-two elders, on the day they inducted Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria into his seat [as head] at the Academy, that The Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes render the hands impure."
Rabbi Akiva said, "Mercy forbid! No one in Israel ever disputed that The Song of Songs renders the hands impure, since nothing in the entire world is worthy but for that day on which The Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the Scriptures are holy, but The Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies! And if they did dispute, there was only a dispute regarding Ecclesiastes."
It is received opinion that there were disputes about the canonicity of the Song of Songs in both Judaism and Christianity around the turn of the era. It is widely assumed that these disputes were caused by the erotic character of the Song, which made it hard for some to accept that it could stand as part of Holy Scripture. Canonicity was eventually secure for the book, so it is held, only by interpreting it allegorically as a celebration of the love of God for Israel (in Jewish circles) or for the Church (in Christian ones). The purpose of this paper is to argue that there is not evidence to support any of these beliefs.
- John Barton “The canonicity of the Song of Songs” (unpublished)
What problem did ancient people have with the Song of Songs? Is it the same problem more contemporary people might have with it?
The inclusion of the Song of Songs within the Holy Scriptures never ceases to perplex modern readers. The features most often presented as incompatible with the biblical world view are: the conspicuous absence of God; the lack of national themes; and the daring erotic character of the dialogue between the lovers. Following Phyllis Trible, I would like to add another deviant feature which complicates the matter even further: the Song’s anti-patriarchal bent. Trible defines the relationship between the lovers as an egalitarian one: “There is no male dominance, no female subordination, and no stereotyping of either sex”. She goes on to suggest that the Song sets out to correct the patriarchal model which was established in another garden, the Garden of Eden. “They desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” is the divine judgement upon the woman in Genesis 3:16. Conversely, in the Song, desire relies on mutuality. Time and again the Shulamite claims “My beloved is mine and I am his.”
- Ilana Pardes “’I am a Wall, and My Breasts like Towers’: The Song of Songs and the Question of Canonization”, Countertraditions in the Bible: A Feminist Approach, pp. 118-143.