Source edition
Septuaginta. The Old Testament in Greek According to the Septuagint. Volume 2: I Chronicles-Tobit. Swete, Henry Barclay, editor. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1896.
Source data
Open Greek and Latin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
The Song of Songs is a poetic and lyrical work that portrays the passionate and romantic love between a man and a woman. The poem unfolds primarily through a series of dialogues between a Shulammite woman and her beloved, who is often associated with a shepherd or King Solomon, occasionally joined by the daughters of Jerusalem. Using rich metaphors of nature, such as gardens, vineyards, flowers, and animals, the lovers intensely praise each other's physical beauty and deep affection. The narrative includes dramatic sequences, such as the woman searching for her lover through the city streets at night, and descriptions of a royal wedding procession. Towards the end, the power of love is exalted as something as strong as death itself, which no amount of wealth can buy. The work concludes with the lovers calling out to each other once again, yearning to be together in the open fields.