Song of Solomon
The speaker and her beloved express their deep love and desire for each other, using vivid imagery and comparisons to natural wonders and precious objects to describe each other's beauty. They long to be together, and the speaker invites her beloved to join her in various settings, from gardens to vineyards. The beloved is described as unique and beautiful, and the speaker praises the beauty of their love, likening it to a lush, green garden. The speaker also expresses her desire to be with her beloved in her mother's house, and warns others not to stir up their love until he is ready. Throughout the book, the speaker and her beloved express their passion and longing for each other, using sensual language to describe their desire.
Chapter 1
The speaker expresses her desire for her lover's affection, describing his love as better than wine and his name as a fragrant ointment that draws her to him. She asks him to reveal where he grazes his flock, so she can be near him, and compares him to a majestic horse in Pharaoh's chariots. The speaker then describes her lover's beauty, using imagery of precious jewels and fragrant spices, and praises the beauty of their love, likening their bed to a lush, green garden surrounded by cedar and fir.
Chapter 2
The speaker describes her beloved as a beautiful and unique individual, comparing him to a rose, an apple tree, and a roe or young hart. She expresses her love and desire for him, describing the joy and comfort she finds in his presence. The beloved then speaks, urging his love to rise and come away with him, as winter has passed and spring has arrived, bringing new life and beauty to the world.
Chapter 3
The speaker searches for her beloved at night but cannot find him, and after inquiring with the city watchmen, she finally finds him and takes him to her mother's house. She warns the daughters of Jerusalem not to stir up her love until he is ready. The scene then shifts to a description of King Solomon's grand procession, with his chariot and sixty valiant men guarding him, and the speaker invites the daughters of Zion to behold the king in all his glory.
Chapter 4
The speaker describes the beauty of his lover, comparing her features to various natural wonders and objects, such as doves' eyes, a flock of goats, and a pomegranate. He praises her lips, speech, and neck, and declares her to be flawless. The speaker invites his lover to join him, and she is described as a garden filled with pleasant fruits and spices, with the speaker longing for her to allow him to enter and enjoy her love.
Chapter 5
The speaker describes a romantic encounter with her beloved, where she invites others to join in their love, but then her beloved departs, leaving her longing for him. She is beaten by watchmen and has her veil taken away, and she asks the daughters of Jerusalem to tell her beloved that she is lovesick. The speaker then describes her beloved's physical beauty, from his head to his mouth, using vivid imagery and comparisons to precious materials and objects.
Chapter 6
The beloved is described as being in a garden, feeding among the lilies, and the speaker claims to belong to him and he to her. The speaker praises the beloved's beauty, comparing her to various things such as a flock of goats and a pomegranate. The beloved is said to be unique and praised by others, and is described as shining like the morning, moon, and sun. The speaker then describes being suddenly overcome with passion, and the chapter ends with a call for the beloved to return so that others may see her.
Chapter 7
The speaker describes the beauty of his lover, comparing her body parts to various objects of beauty, such as jewels, ivory, and lilies. He expresses his desire for her, using sensual language to describe her body and the pleasure he finds in her. The lover invites her to go out into the fields and vineyards, where they can be together and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Chapter 8
The speaker longs for her lover, wishing she could be as close to him as a brother, and expresses her desire to be with him in her mother's house. She warns others not to stir up or awaken her love until he is ready. The speaker then describes her love as strong as death and unquenchable, and notes that her sister is young and not yet ready for marriage. The speaker compares herself to a wall with breasts like towers, and notes that Solomon has a vineyard that he lets out to keepers, but her own vineyard is hers alone. She calls out to her lover, asking him to make haste and come to her like a roe or young hart on the mountains of spices.
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