Translation
Do not stare at me because I am black,
because the sun has looked at me.
Go to footnote numberMy mother’s sons were angry at me and made me the keeper of the vineyards;
Go to footnote numbermy own vineyard I have not kept.
Paraphrase
Don’t look at me funny, wondering how I, a peasant girl, have become the wife of the king, I who had to work hard under unpleasant conditions. My mother’s sons were angry at me; I was forced to work for the peace and prosperity of others, meanwhile my own peace and prosperity were neglected.
Footnotes
1
The sun, when associated with work, was a sign of either punishment or harsh working conditions.
2
Vineyards were a sign of peaceful prosperity. This was so because they depended on the vineyards for their wine, which was very important in places where a source of pure water to drink was not always nearby. If the vineyard failed to produce a good crop it was taken as a sign of calamity—that is how important the vineyard was to them.