Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Song of Solomon 2:4:
Kupsabiny: “He took me to the house of a feast, and he enveloped me in his love.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Newari: “He led me to his banqueting hall, his love to me is like a banner.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
Hiligaynon: “He has-brought me to the feast in-order to-be-seen by everyone how he loves me.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
English: “You led me to the banquet room/room where we could make love, and it is evident that you love me very much.” (Source: Translation for Translators)
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, tomonatte (伴って) or “accompany” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Though in some Christian contexts this is one of the most frequently quoted verses from the Song, its meaning is far from certain.
He brought me to the banqueting house: if this were narrative prose rather than poetry, we might suppose there was a change of scene with this verse. In verse 3 the couple was under the trees, whereas in verse 4 the young woman speaks of going elsewhere. In poetry we expect these sudden changes as the poet uses various images and metaphors to paint a picture. Here the young woman describes herself being led off to some kind of festivity.
The banqueting house is not a restaurant. The Hebrew phrase is “house of wine” (Revised English Bible “wine garden”). It refers to a booth where wine was drunk. In the previous verse the young woman has told how she delights to “eat his fruit.” Now she says in effect “I drink his wine.” Both expressions have a sexual sense (see 7.9 for the relationship between kisses and wine). So to go to “the house of wine” is a euphemism. Whether we can translate it literally as most versions seem to do, or render the euphemism, will depend on the sensitivity of the local culture. Ginsburg’s “he led me into the bower of delight” hints at a sexual meaning. As Fox suggests, the “house of wine” here may be another way of referring to their “love nest” described in 1.16b-17. Thus the lovers remain under the trees in their secret meeting place, their tent of delight, feasting on love. This way of speaking is typical of Egyptian love songs also.
Mention of the “banquet hall” has been used by some commentators as evidence that the poem was used in marriage celebrations. This interpretation is improbable.
Because reference to a “house of wine” may lead readers to misunderstand the proper sense here, we may have to use a more dynamic translation. For example, we can try to combine the suggested images (drink, drunk, wine, love): “He took me to where we could drink deeply of our love,” “He took me to the house of pleasure,” or “He led me to where the wine of love flows freely.” Alternatively we can eliminate the reference to a location and focus on what is happening: “He made [or, let] me drunk with his wine [of love].”
His banner over me was love is a strange expression in English, reflecting our problem in interpreting the Hebrew text. Revised Standard Versionbanner is probably linked to a Hebrew root meaning “to cover,” “to shade.” This connects this verse directly to the description of the young man as “shade” in verse 3. In New American Bible and Good News Translation we find the translation “he raised the banner of love over me,” but this is as meaningless as the Revised Standard Version rendering. Pope and others have made a different and better suggestion; they link the noun banner with an Akkadian root meaning “wish,” “intend.” New Revised Standard Version reflects this new understanding with “his intention was…,” meaning “he intended [to make love to me].” Gordis suggests “he looked on me lovingly”—similar to New English Bible “gave me loving glances.” Contemporary English Version says “[you] showered me with love.” With all these choices it may be difficult to decide how to render this phrase. A simple solution that reflects current scholarship is to say “He covered me with his love.” That makes clear what took place and retains something of the original figure.
Combining both lines we suggest:
• He let me drink of his wine.
He covered me with his love.
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 .
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a third person singular and plural pronoun (“he,” “she,” “it” and their various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. While it’s not uncommon to avoid pronouns altogether in Japanese, there are is a range of third person pronouns that can be used.
In these verses a number of them are used that pay particularly much respect to the referred person (or, in fact, God, as in Exodus 15:2), including kono kata (この方), sono kata (その方), and ano kata (あの方), meaning “this person,” “that person,” and “that person over there.” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
He has brought me to the house of wine: Here the woman imagined the man bringing her to a house of wine, or banquet hall, as in the New International Version. The Berean Standard Bible translates this as a past action. However, here it probably describes what the woman wanted the man to do. In her thoughts she imagined him doing it. Use a natural verb form in your language.
Some other ways to translate this wish or imagination are:
Let him lead me to the banquet hall… (New International Version) -or-
He brings me to the banquet hall… (New Living Translation (1996))
The same verb is used in 1:4b, and it functions in a similar way.
house of wine: The Hebrew phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as house of wine is also translated as “banquet hall,” as in the New International Version. It can refer to any place where people go to drink wine. It does not necessarily imply a house or building. Here it probably does not refer to a formal banquet hall, because the man and woman met in a private place. It may refer to the figurative house in the forest that was mentioned in 1:17a.
In some languages it may be helpful to translate house of wine with a more general term. For example:
the place of celebration -or-
the feasting place
wine:wine often has a romantic meaning in the Song, so the house of wine may be a euphemism for the “place of love.” It may be helpful to include a footnote to explain what the term implies in this verse. For example:
The phrase house of wine in the Hebrew text probably does not refer to a house where people come to drink wine together. It is a poetic way to say that the man took the woman to a romantic place where they could show their love for one another.
2:4b
and his banner over me is love: There is a textual issue in this verse:
(1) The Hebrew word in the Masoretic Text means “banner,” “standard” or “flag.” For example:
and his banner over me is love. (New American Standard Bible)
(2) In other ancient Hebrew manuscripts, the word has different vowels but the same consonants as in the Hebrew Masoretic Text. It means to “look” or “glance.” For example:
and he looked at me lovingly. (NET Bible)
(3) The word comes from a related language. It means “intention.” For example:
and his intention toward me was love. (New Revised Standard Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), as most English versions and commentators do. However, the meaning of the word is figurative in this context. See the next note on banner for more information.
banner: The Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as banner refers to a big flag (a large cloth attached to a long, thin piece of wood). It was carried or set in a place where people could see it from far away. Each of the tribes of Israel had a banner, and kings and armies had banners. A king’s banner had symbols or pictures that identified him and his kingdom.
When a king conquered a city, he set up his banner over it to indicate that it now belonged to him. Here in 2:4, the word banner is a metaphor. It implies that the man took responsibility for the woman to love and protect her.
Some ways to translate the metaphor “his banner over me is love” are:
• Translate the metaphor literally. For example:
He raised a flag of love over me.
• Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
As a king sets his flag over his people, he shows that I am protected by his love.
• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:
He took me as his own and protected me with his love.
In some languages there may be a similar metaphor with the same meaning. Translate the meaning in a natural and appropriate way in your language.
is: The Berean Standard Bible supplies the word is, which implies present time, but the Hebrew text does not indicate when the events happened. Translate the statement in a way that fits with the way you translated in 2:4a. See the General Comment on 2:4 for examples.
General Comment on 2:4
Translators use different tenses and moods for the two clauses in 2:4. You should translate 2:4a and 2:4b so that the tenses and moods fit with each other. For example:
4a He brought me to his banquet hall 4b and raised the banner of love over me. (Good News Translation) -or-
He brings me to the banquet room, and puts his flag of love over me. -or-
How I wish he would bring me to his celebration place and raise his flag of love over me!
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