en_tn/sng/front/intro.md

Introduction to The Song of Solomon

Part 1: General Introduction

Outline of The Song of Solomon

1. The bride longs for the bridegroom to arrive (1:1–2:7)
2. The bridegroom praises the woman he loves (2:8–3:5)
3. The bridegroom arrives and praises the bride (3:6–5:1)
4. The bride longs for the bridegroom (5:2–6:9)
5. The bridegroom praises the beauty of his bride (6:1–8:4)
6. Final thoughts about love between a man and a woman (8:5–14)

What is the Song of Solomon about?

The Song of Solomon is a poem or a series of poems about the love between a man and a woman. It became traditional for Jews to interpret the book as a picture of God's love for the people of Israel. In the same way, it became traditional for Christians to interpret it as a picture of Christ's love for all Christian believers.

How should the title of this book be translated?

This book may also be called the "Songs of Love," "Great Poems of Love" or "The Love Songs of Solomon." (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/translate-names)

Who wrote The Song of Solomon?

The idea that Solomon, king of Israel, was its author comes from the opening verse of the book ("The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's"). However, there are different ways to interpret this verse, so not everyone is persuaded that Solomon was the book's author.

Part 2: Important Religious and Cultural Concepts

What place do the descriptions of sexual behavior have in The Song of Solomon?

The Song of Solomon shows approval of sexual behavior as an expression of love between a husband and wife.

Part 3: Important Translation Issues

How many characters are in The Song of Solomon?

The two main characters in this book are the man and the woman, who love each other. There is also the group of women to whom the young woman speaks, and who also themselves make comments, but that group of women might be imaginary, existing only in the young woman's mind.

Some interpreters believe there may be more characters than these, but this is not certain. The interpretation adopted by the ULB and UDB recognize only the man, the woman, and the group of women.

How should one translate The Song of Solomon if the readers will view certain terms as coarse, vulgar, or improper?

There are many images or forms appearing in the Song of Solomon that, when translated, may be considered improper. The translator should try to avoid offensive language if possible, by using expressions that will not cause offense. (See: rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-euphemism)

How do I translate metaphors in this book?

There are many metaphors in this book. These metaphors are often ambiguous. If they have sexual meanings, metaphors describing feelings or emotions are often used as euphemisms in order to avoid offense by veiling their meaning. However, since their meanings are often very unclear, ambiguity in translation is encouraged. You might choose to translate the words as they are written in order to avoid committing to a specific meaning or defining the precise intended meaning.