Here we meet the concluding bracket of the inclusio, which opened in verse 8. The repeated terms include “my beloved” (verses 8-9), “gazelle” and “young stag” (verse 9), and “mountain” (verse 8).

There are many problems of interpretation here. First, commentators do not agree about the time of day referred to—whether it is late night or early morning. More important, there is no agreement as to whether the young woman is asking the young man to stay with her or to go away!

Traditionally verse 17a has been closely linked to verse 17b. The young man is called to “be like a gazelle,” probably until morning (see below). However, another possibility presents itself, and that is that this clause is connected rather to what has gone before—the love scene (“feeding on the lilies”). Extending this scene until the morning would be quite appropriate. This is the approach Good News Translation takes.

Until the day breathes is a most unusual phrase, which Revised Standard Version and many others render literally, probably because they could not decide what it meant. The preposition Until can also be translated “While,” though Jerusalem Bible and some commentators suggest “Before.” Its translation depends partly on how we render the verb “turn” later in the verse. We will anticipate that decision and state that we prefer “Before” over Until.

The Hebrew verb here means “blow” or “breathe.” The idea that the day breathes is an idiomatic expression for the soft, cool wind that blows in the early morning or evening. Some commentators see a link with Gen 3.8 “in the cool of the day,” but there is no direct evidence to link these two verses. We can determine that it refers to the cooler part of the day, but we cannot as yet decide whether it is morning or evening. Revised English Bible has “while the day is cool.”

And the shadows flee: this line is parallel with the previous one and points to the same time of day. When do shadows flee? Some think this happens at dawn; others think it takes place in the evening. However, when the sun rises then shadows begin to appear, not flee; similarly, as the sun sets the shadows grow longer. Some argue that, as the shadows disappear at night, this is equivalent to the shadows “fleeing.” However, the majority of commentators and translations seem to favor morning as the meaning. Thus Good News Translation says “until the morning breezes blow.” Some, like New American Bible and New English Bible, do not indicate the time of day at all.

Shadows is the term that challenges us. This word comes from the same root that appeared in verse 3, “With great delight, I sat in his shadow.” In that passage the word obviously means “shade” with all its positive connotations of freshness and protection. However, elsewhere the term means a dark shadow (see, for example, Job 3.5, where it is parallel to “darkness”). In view of the ambiguity of the phrase shadows flee, it is simpler to adopt the view that the poet is talking of the darkness becoming light. This would be appropriate to the morning time.

The entire episode in which the young man stands outside the young woman’s home in verse 9, calling her to come out, probably took place during the night. We may conclude that she asks him to leave her before the daylight comes, when family members would inevitably see him.

For translation:

• Before morning dawns and the darkness flees.

• Before day breaks and the darkness ends.

Turn, my beloved: major problems in this verse can be linked to the verb turn, because its meaning is unclear. It can mean “turn to,” “turn back,” or even “turn around.” The question is, what is meant here? Further, what has happened since the young man spoke so pleadingly (verses 10-14)? Has the young woman responded?

There are in fact several possibilities. The young woman may have kept her lover waiting outside all night, and she may now be telling him “Go back home.” However, the content of verse 16 and especially the participle “feeding among the lilies” seems to argue against this explanation.

The young man may still be waiting outside, but at this point (verse 16) the young woman is declaring her love. Then logically verse 17 would be her appeal to him to stay or “come back.” In this case “being like a gazelle and a young stag on the mountain of spice” is a euphemistic way of expressing their lovemaking, which will take place until morning.

Finally verse 15 may be her teasing answer to tell him she is ready to receive him. Verse 16 can refer to their lovemaking, in which case verse 17 is telling him to go back home, now that morning has come. She would not want her family to know he was there.

We think this last suggestion makes the most sense: first, because of the intensity of expression in verse 16; secondly, because we know from the beginning she is not free to be seen openly with her lover; and thirdly, because this would be the exact mirror image of her lover coming on the hills to her (verses 8 and 9). Having the lover go in the same way as he came is a most appropriate way to end the poem. We can say, then, “Before the morning light is here, go [or, return].”

Be like a gazelle, or a young stag: see comments on verse 9. The comparison probably refers to his wild beauty and speed. Thus be can mean “be swift like…,” or even “run like….” This part of the verse represents the end of the inclusio that began with verses 8-9.

Upon rugged mountains is literally “upon the mountains of Bether.” The term “Bether” is our problem. King James Version, Good News Translation, and New American Bible take it to be a place name, indicating a mountain near Jerusalem. They translate as “mountains of Bether.” The Hebrew root may mean “divide in two” and is reflected in Traduction œcuménique de la Bible as “separated mountains.” The Syriac suggests that the term is a kind of spice, a sense accepted by Revised English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, for example, with a translation “hills where cinnamon grows” or “hills of spice.” This interpretation is supported by the parallel phrase from 8.14.

Revised Standard Version rugged mountains is thought by some commentators to be a figurative reference to the young woman’s breasts. We suggest retaining the proper noun “Bether,” with a footnote stating “this may mean divided mountains.” This last solution will allow the double meaning to show through.

Possible translations are:

• Turn back, my lover. Be swift like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.

• Turn back, my lover, run like a wild animal on the rugged mountains.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Zogbo, Lynell. A Handbook on the Book of Song of Songs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1998. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .