In Marcia Falk's rendition of Song of Songs, she identifies three voices:
1. The young female lover (in regular typeface).
2. The young male lover (in italics)
3. The chorus (in bold)
For our reading of these selections of Songs of Songs, we invite you to participate in which ever voice you so choose, in particular, we invite everyone to participate in the verses ascribed to the chorus.
(א) בָּ֣אתִי לְגַנִּי֮ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּה֒ אָרִ֤יתִי מוֹרִי֙ עִם־בְּשָׂמִ֔י אָכַ֤לְתִּי יַעְרִי֙ עִם־דִּבְשִׁ֔י שָׁתִ֥יתִי יֵינִ֖י עִם־חֲלָבִ֑י
אִכְל֣וּ רֵעִ֔ים שְׁת֥וּ וְשִׁכְר֖וּ דּוֹדִֽים׃ (ס)
(ב) אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה
וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר
ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק
פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙
יוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י
שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל
קְוֻּצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה׃
(ג) פָּשַׁ֙טְתִּי֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתִּ֔י אֵיכָ֖כָה אֶלְבָּשֶׁ֑נָּה רָחַ֥צְתִּי אֶת־רַגְלַ֖י אֵיכָ֥כָה אֲטַנְּפֵֽם׃
(ד) דּוֹדִ֗י שָׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔ר
וּמֵעַ֖י הָמ֥וּ עָלָֽיו׃
(ה) קַ֥מְתִּֽי אֲנִ֖י לִפְתֹּ֣חַ לְדוֹדִ֑י
וְיָדַ֣י נָֽטְפוּ־מ֗וֹר
וְאֶצְבְּעֹתַי֙ מ֣וֹר עֹבֵ֔ר
עַ֖ל כַּפּ֥וֹת הַמַּנְעֽוּל׃
(ו) פָּתַ֤חְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ לְדוֹדִ֔י
וְדוֹדִ֖י חָמַ֣ק עָבָ֑ר
נַפְשִׁי֙ יָֽצְאָ֣ה בְדַבְּר֔וֹ
בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֙יהוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מְצָאתִ֔יהוּ
קְרָאתִ֖יו וְלֹ֥א עָנָֽנִי׃
(ז) מְצָאֻ֧נִי הַשֹּׁמְרִ֛ים
הַסֹּבְבִ֥ים בָּעִ֖יר
הִכּ֣וּנִי פְצָע֑וּנִי
נָשְׂא֤וּ אֶת־רְדִידִי֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י
שֹׁמְרֵ֖י הַחֹמֽוֹת׃
(ח) הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם אִֽם־תִּמְצְאוּ֙ אֶת־דּוֹדִ֔י מַה־תַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ
שֶׁחוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי׃
(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׃
(1) I have come to my garden, My own, my bride; I have plucked my myrrh and spice, Eaten my honey and honeycomb, Drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat, lovers, and drink: Drink deep of love!
(2) I was asleep,
But my heart was wakeful.
Hark, my beloved knocks!
“Let me in, my own,
My darling, my faultless dove!
For my head is drenched with dew,
My locks with the damp of night.”
(3) I had taken off my robe— Was I to don it again? I had bathed my feet— Was I to soil them again?
(4) My beloved took his hand off the latch, And my heart was stirred for him.
(5) I rose to let in my beloved;
My hands dripped myrrh—
My fingers, flowing myrrh—
Upon the handles of the bolt.
(6) I opened the door for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned and gone.
I was faint because of what he said.
I sought, but found him not;
I called, but he did not answer.
(7) I met the watchmen
Who patrol the town;
They struck me, they bruised me.
The guards of the walls
Stripped me of my mantle.
(8) I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem!
If you meet my beloved, tell him this:
That I am faint with love.
(9) How is your beloved better than another, O fairest of women? How is your beloved better than another That you adjure us so?
(10) My beloved is clear-skinned and ruddy, Preeminent among ten thousand.
(11) His head is finest gold,
His locks are curled
And black as a raven.
(12) His eyes are like doves
By watercourses,
Bathed in milk,
Set by a brimming pool.
(13) His cheeks are like beds of spices, Banks of perfume
His lips are like lilies;
They drip flowing myrrh.
(14) His arms are rods of gold,
Studded with beryl;
His belly a tablet of ivory,
Adorned with sapphires.
(15) His legs are like marble pillars
Set in sockets of fine gold.
He is majestic as Lebanon,
Stately as the cedars.
(16) His mouth is delicious
And all of him is delightful.
Such is my beloved,
Such is my darling,
O maidens of Jerusalem!
(א) אָ֚נָה הָלַ֣ךְ דּוֹדֵ֔ךְ הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים אָ֚נָה פָּנָ֣ה דוֹדֵ֔ךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁ֖נּוּ עִמָּֽךְ׃
(ב) דּוֹדִי֙ יָרַ֣ד לְגַנּ֔וֹ
לַעֲרוּג֖וֹת הַבֹּ֑שֶׂם
לִרְעוֹת֙ בַּגַּנִּ֔ים
וְלִלְקֹ֖ט שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃
(ג) אֲנִ֤י לְדוֹדִי֙
וְדוֹדִ֣י לִ֔י
הָרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ (ס)
(ד) יָפָ֨ה אַ֤תְּ רַעְיָתִי֙ כְּתִרְצָ֔ה
נָאוָ֖ה כִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם
אֲיֻמָּ֖ה כַּנִּדְגָּלֽוֹת׃
(ה) הָסֵ֤בִּי עֵינַ֙יִךְ֙ מִנֶּגְדִּ֔י
שֶׁ֥הֵ֖ם הִרְהִיבֻ֑נִי
שַׂעְרֵךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים
שֶׁגָּלְשׁ֖וּ מִן־הַגִּלְעָֽד׃
(ו) שִׁנַּ֙יִךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽרְחֵלִ֔ים
שֶׁעָל֖וּ מִן־הָרַחְצָ֑ה
שֶׁכֻּלָּם֙ מַתְאִימ֔וֹת
וְשַׁכֻּלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין בָּהֶֽם׃
(ז) כְּפֶ֤לַח הָרִמּוֹן֙ רַקָּתֵ֔ךְ
מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵֽךְ׃
(ח) שִׁשִּׁ֥ים הֵ֙מָּה֙ מְּלָכ֔וֹת
וּשְׁמֹנִ֖ים פִּֽילַגְשִׁ֑ים
וַעֲלָמ֖וֹת אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר׃
(ט) אַחַ֥ת הִיא֙ יוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י
אַחַ֥ת הִיא֙ לְאִמָּ֔הּ
בָּרָ֥ה הִ֖יא לְיֽוֹלַדְתָּ֑הּ
רָא֤וּהָ בָנוֹת֙ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֔וּהָ
מְלָכ֥וֹת וּפִֽילַגְשִׁ֖ים וַֽיְהַלְלֽוּהָ׃ (ס)
(י) מִי־זֹ֥את הַנִּשְׁקָפָ֖ה כְּמוֹ־שָׁ֑חַר
יָפָ֣ה כַלְּבָנָ֗ה
בָּרָה֙ כַּֽחַמָּ֔ה
אֲיֻמָּ֖ה כַּנִּדְגָּלֽוֹת׃ (ס)
(יא) אֶל־גִּנַּ֤ת אֱגוֹז֙ יָרַ֔דְתִּי
לִרְא֖וֹת בְּאִבֵּ֣י הַנָּ֑חַל
לִרְאוֹת֙ הֲפָֽרְחָ֣ה הַגֶּ֔פֶן
הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָרִמֹּנִֽים׃
(יב) לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי
נַפְשִׁ֣י שָׂמַ֔תְנִי
מַרְכְּב֖וֹת עַמִּי־נָדִֽיב׃
(1) “Whither has your beloved gone, O fairest of women? Whither has your beloved turned? Let us seek him with you.”
(2) My beloved has gone down to his garden,
To the beds of spices,
To browse in the gardens
And to pick lilies.
(3) I am my beloved’s
And my beloved is mine;
He browses among the lilies.
(4) You are beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, Comely as Jerusalem,
Awesome as bannered hosts.
(5) Turn your eyes away from me,
For they overwhelm me!
Your hair is like a flock of goats
Streaming down from Gilead.
(6) Your teeth are like a flock of ewes
Climbing up from the washing pool;
All of them bear twins,
And not one loses her young.
(7) Your brow behind your veil [Gleams] like a pomegranate split open.
(8) There are sixty queens,
And eighty concubines,
And damsels without number.
(9) Only one is my dove,
My perfect one,
The only one of her mother,
The delight of her who bore her.
Maidens see and acclaim her;
Queens and concubines, and praise her.
(10) Who is she that shines through like the dawn,
Beautiful as the moon,
Radiant as the sun
Awesome as bannered hosts?
(11) I went down to the nut grove
To see the budding of the vale;
To see if the vines had blossomed,
If the pomegranates were in bloom.
(12) Before I knew it,
My desire set me
Mid the chariots of Ammi-nadib.