Solomon’s Love for a Shulamite Girl

The Banquet = month of Elul

The Shulamite

2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—

For your love is better than wine.

3 Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,

Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.

4 Draw me away!

The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will run after  you.

The Shulamite

The king has brought me into his chambers.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

We will be glad and rejoice in you.

We will remember your love more than wine.

The Shulamite

Rightly do they love you.

5 I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Kedar,

Like the curtains of Solomon.

The black woman:

6 Do not look upon me, because I am dark, Because the sun has tanned me.

My mother’s sons were angry with me;
They made me the keeper of the vineyards,

But my own vineyard I have not kept.

(To Her Beloved)

7 Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock, Where you make it rest at noon.

For why should I be as one who veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?

The Beloved

8 If you do not know, O fairest among women,

Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds’ tents.

9 I have compared you,my love,
To my filly among Pharaoh’s chariots.

10 Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, Your neck with chainsof gold.

The Daughters of Jerusalem

11 We will make you ornaments of gold With studs of silver.

The Shulamite

12 While the king is at his table,
My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.

13 A bundle of myrrh is my beloved to me,
That lies all night between my breasts.

14 My beloved is to me a cluster of hennablooms In the vineyards of En Gedi.

The Beloved

15 Behold, you are fair, my love!
Behold, you are fair!
You have dove’s eyes.

The Shulamite

16 Behold, you are handsome, my beloved!

Yes, pleasant! Also our bed is green.

17 The beams of our houses are cedar,
And our rafters of fir.