Translation
THE DAUGHTERS TO THE PEACEFUL WOMAN
Where has the love of your life
gone,
Go to footnote numbermost beautiful of women?
Go to footnote numberWhich way did he turn, that we may look for him with you?
Paraphrase
THE DAUGHTERS TO THE COMPLETE WOMAN
Where does the love of your life
go (when he is in need)?
Does he go to you because you are the most beautiful of all women?
Which way does the love of your life turn (when he has a need)?
Tell us so we can imitate the two of you.
Footnotes
1: "gone"
This is not about Solomon being lost, as it would appear. As with some other questions in The Song, this is setting up the answer that will follow. The daughters did not help write this poem, but the mom sometimes envisions their questions, and sometimes puts on their lips something that will help her transition into her next statement and add emphasis to it at the same time. In this case it is the latter. It seems like the daughters are asking a question, but it is really mom setting things up for an answer she is anxious to give. Think of someone playing slow-pitch softball. The batter gets tired of the pitcher’s spins and other tricks as he pitches the ball high in the air, so the batter walks out to the mound, takes the ball from the pitcher and says, “You’re done. I’ll pitch it to myself from now on,” and he begins tossing it up and hitting it out of the park. That is what I mean by her setting herself up for a statement she is anxious to make. We should look at this as simply another form of emphasis. Whereas we want to know who asked the question, why, and what the answer is, the writers of that time used this type of thing as a means of communicating, “Hey, this is important. Pay attention!” It is not about the question; it is not even a real question, but it is about the answer. Her response to what is really her own “set-up” statement indicates that she does not show any concern for him being “lost,” her response simply states where he goes to be refreshed, which was the point all along. For us in modern times, this seems like a strange way to create emphasis. Why ask a question if you don’t really have a question? But we cannot judge or weigh their writings by our methods and styles.
2: “Most beautiful of women”
The original does not state, but may imply, that he turns to her to satisfy his needs because of her beauty—which is more than just outward or physical. What other reason would there be to include the statement about her beauty? As a series of set-up questions, the statement about her beauty is hinting at the answer that will come.