Song of Songs is love poetry without guilt. The lovers it portrays are at ease but not obsessed with their sexuality. They praise each other’s beauty, are overtaken by the desire for intimacy and union, and celebrate their longing for each other. The young girl takes the lead in the relationship. The song celebrates a love so fierce that nothing but death can match its power. The lovers look forward to a life of commitment to each other (8:6).
As I see it, the first unit in the cycle of units which constitute the book is 1:2-14, a 22-line unit. Parallelism in the Song of Songs is often subtle and complex. Verset and line-level
parallelisms are augmented by strophe and stanza-level parallelisms. It
is impossible to catch it all in a notation scheme.
I find two more 22-line units in Song of Songs: 4:1-11; 6:1-12.
Go here for 1:2-14:
Song_of_Songs_Chapter 1_verses_2_to_14_scansion.pdf
Song_of_Songs 1_2-14_translation.pdf
Can you please translate Song of Songs 2:7 for me? : "Do not arouse love until it so desires" Thank you soo much for your help!
God bless
Posted by: Tamara T | May 04, 2008 at 04:42 PM
John,
Sol's Song is not 'love poetry', it is Prophecy.
Compare Song 2:8 with Isa 52:7.
"The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills".
And,
"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace;"
These two passages speak of the same event - the evengelism of Messiah's ministry.
In Isaiah's prophecy the 'mountains' are the collective gentile religions that the evangelism was directed at. The 'feet' are those who preached the gospel to the gentiles, and 'Him' whose feet they are is the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.
Posted by: Ian | September 06, 2008 at 08:23 AM
Ian,
It is love poetry that was interpreted and is interpreted by synagogue and church as an allegory of God's relationship to his people. It has always been hard for some people to make the above affirmation, though the facts clearly support it.
If it goes against your concept of God to imagine that he would have allowed a text intended as love poetry to be re-used as an allegory, we will have to agree to disagree. The God I know is quite the acrobat. Doing as I have suggested would seem to fit God's character from my point of view.
Posted by: JohnFH | September 06, 2008 at 12:19 PM
this is the first time i've looked at hebrew poetry and love it. i'm looking for a tattoo to have done and have just read the line "set me as a seal upon your heart" and would love to know the translation. thanks
Posted by: Jenny | October 17, 2008 at 04:29 PM
can u please translate let him kiss me with kisses from his mouth inro hebrew for me? that would be a great help =] thanx
x
Posted by: Stephanie | November 03, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Can you please translate, 'Let Him Kiss Me with Kisses of his Mouth' Song of Songs 1:2-14
Thanx!
Posted by: Nat, | April 16, 2009 at 10:40 PM
Sory its me again..forgot to say i wanted translated in hebrew writing..x
Posted by: Nat, | April 16, 2009 at 10:43 PM
can you translate " i am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. in hebrew
Posted by: laura garcia | July 05, 2009 at 11:56 AM
will you be able to translate names? x
Posted by: amy | July 15, 2009 at 07:34 PM
Hello,
I was wondering if you could help by translating in Hebrew writing the phrase "I am that I am" ? Also is it read from right to left, or left to right? Thank you
Posted by: MorningStar Wilson | July 25, 2009 at 11:11 AM
hi can you translate in hebrew LET HIM KISS ME WITH KISSES OF HIS MOUTH thankyou from julie
Posted by: julie | August 20, 2009 at 12:39 AM
Hi,
Can you please translate the following for me in Ancient Hebrew,
His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
AND
I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me.
Thank you very much.
Hailey
Posted by: Hailey | September 09, 2009 at 02:48 AM
can you please translate
Posted by: Amanda | October 12, 2009 at 04:02 PM
can you please translate 'only god can judge me' in hebrew please?
Posted by: Amanda | October 12, 2009 at 04:03 PM
LOL! John, I always love the comments you get. No one ever asks me to 'translate' the Song of Songs into Hebrew for them so they can get a tattoo.
I love 'bangles' and 'spangles'. Is there a particular reason you don't read Solomon into v. 5?
Posted by: Ros | October 12, 2009 at 06:02 PM
Ros,
You should see all the private emails I get. None of which I answer. It would be a full time job, though I do not doubt that the requesters are sincere and well-intentioned. I can pass them on to you if you wish. Lots of young things from the UK, I assure you.
My reading of the Song - in line with my teacher, Michael Fox - thinks of Solomon as an occasional term of comparison in the poetry, not a dramatis personae.
Posted by: JohnFH | October 12, 2009 at 11:40 PM
can you please translate " i am my beloved's and my beloved is mine " in ancient Hebrew?
Posted by: natalia kyriakidou | November 19, 2009 at 04:44 AM