We see immediately that this verse contains a shift in person. The first line in Hebrew has a third person expression, “Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth,” while in the second line the young woman addresses her lover directly (“your love…”). These changes between second and third person do not necessarily indicate that different persons are involved, as Hebrew poetry uses this feature often. Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation harmonize the lines by converting the third person in the first line to second person: O that you would kiss … and “Your lips cover me.” This is certainly one way to deal with this difficult problem of mixed second and third person forms. However, another approach is to retain the third person and use a verb form expressing the young woman’s wish or longing. This is the way Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, New Revised Standard Version, and others approach this matter. This gives a translation “Oh, that he would kiss me,” “Let him kiss me,” or “I wish he would kiss me.” It suggests that the woman is speaking to herself, expressing her great longing to be kissed by her lover. Not until the next part of the verse does she address her lover directly, telling him how much she adores him. Though both approaches are possible, we recommend the latter as reflecting more faithfully the content of the text.

O that you would kiss me with the kisses of your mouth: this is an emphatic form, where the noun kisses and the verb are from the same root. Though Revised Standard Version translates the phrase rather literally, translators are free to use an expression that is more natural to them. In many languages the verb kiss is sufficient, though some idioms may exist (“give kisses,” for example). The Hebrew preposition min is rendered in Revised Standard Version by with. If the noun kisses is retained, any appropriate preposition will do, “from” or “of,” for instance. The initial position of kiss in the Hebrew sentence, its plural form, and its repetition as noun and verb indicate intensity. Good News Translation renders this by the expression “cover me with kisses,” the New English Bible (New English Bible) by the even stronger “that he may smother me with kisses.” Bible en français courant uses repetitive phrases to convey this idea: “Kiss me, oh, kiss me!”

Your mouth: the Hebrew has “his” mouth, agreeing with the initial verb. If translators follow the recommendation of this Handbook and use a form like “let him kiss,” then we can retain the Hebrew third person pronoun form, “his mouth.”

Since most kisses are with the mouth, the expression may seem redundant; the verb may include the sense “with the mouth.” We note, however, that in the ancient world nose kissing was also known, so this call for kisses on the mouth may be intended. The young woman was asking for an expression of real intimacy. Some cultural groups, such as those in the South Pacific, have the custom of kissing with the nose, in which case “with his mouth” will be required for clarification. In other cultures kissing on the mouth may be unknown, so it may even be necessary to add a footnote: “In Bible times lovers kissed each other on the mouth.”

In some cultures public displays of affection, even between adults, may be frowned upon. Although on this occasion the young woman is not suggesting that the young man kiss her in public, the translator’s community may feel that even this expression of her feelings is offensive. We do not want to reduce the emotional content of the text; but if the translator faces a problem in speaking openly of displays of affection, we can say:

• Oh, that he would show how much he loves me.

• I wish he would show how much he loves me.

These examples will also serve where any form of kissing is unknown. If reference to kissing is not a problem, we can say:

• Oh, that he would smother me with kisses.

• Let him kiss me [with his mouth].

• How I long to be kissed by him!

For your love is better than wine: the initial particle in Hebrew, For, can have various functions. If we understand the comment to be a clause expressing reason, then “for” or “because” is correct. However, the particle can also be emphatic, in which case it emphasizes what has been said without reference to any motive. It is equivalent to “indeed” or “truly.” Some translations such as Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible, do not translate the particle but instead make this a new sentence.

Your love: the Hebrew dodim “love” is used frequently throughout Song of Songs. It is a plural form with singular meaning and describes all aspects of sexual love. Here your love refers to the love that the young man shows toward the young woman. It is not merely an emotional feeling but includes every demonstration of love and affection. The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament) and some other ancient versions have “breasts” for dodim, but this certainly does not make sense in this context. dodim is rendered by some as “caresses.” Alternatively we may wish to qualify “your love” in some way: “the love you show me,” “the love you give,” or even perhaps “the way you love me.”

Is better than uses the Hebrew adjective normally translated as “good.” Translators need to find an adjective that can apply to both love and wine equally well. “Sweet,” “good,” “pleasurable,” “pleasing,” or even “delightful” are possibilities. These adjectives seem more natural than saying that love is “fragrant” (New English Bible).

Wine is a common metaphor for love in Song of Songs. In light of 7.9, however, wine is also linked with pleasure. So the young woman describes the pleasure her lover gives as greater than that of wine.

If wine is an unknown drink, then it may be possible to substitute another drink that is pleasant and is used on special occasions. In some communities wine may be associated with many negative values such as drunkenness or problem behavior. In other contexts a local church may have taken a stand against drinking wine and so finds it difficult to deal with the mention of drinking wine in the Scriptures. In translating such references we need to determine whether wine is the primary focus of the verse or an historical reference (such as, for example, in the Last Supper), or whether, as here, it is merely an image for pleasure. In our present example we then have the possibility of understanding wine in a more general way as “that which gives great pleasure.” In this case love is more pleasurable than any other form of pleasure.

Considering the book as a whole, however, we are faced with a difficult decision. The word wine is a key term in this book, and so removing it or using a substitute throughout will pose a real problem. Further, our translation is not intended only for certain members of a language group (for example, Christians); it is for all speakers. In most cultures wine or some other form of alcoholic drink is known, and its tendency to make a person light-headed will be readily understood. The comparison between being in love and being drunk is easy to grasp. It certainly does not mean condoning heavy drinking. Indeed in many places wine may be associated with lovemaking, just as it was in biblical times. The French, of course, are well known for their love of wine, and Bible en français courant gives “your love makes me heady [literally ‘intoxicates me’] more than wine.”

A suggested translation for this part of the verse may be:

• Your love is more delightful than wine.

• The love you give is sweeter than wine.

• Being loved by you is more pleasurable than wine.

• Your love gives me more pleasure than anything else [in this world].

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 .