Translation
and may your mouth
Go to footnote numberlike the best wine,
that goes to my Love,
flowing softly
Go to footnote numberover the
lips
of those who languish.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
and may your ability to enjoy life bring us true happiness, which I express to the one I love, and which provides soothing comfort to those who willingly reveal that they are languishing in despair.
Footnotes
1: “your mouth”
This word’s basic meaning is “palate.” Its emphasis is that of taste. We would argue that the palate does not do the tasting but the tongue does. However, for the ancient Jews, the tongue was already in use as a word picture referring to speech; to use tongue here would have changed the direction of the imagery.
2: “flowing softly”
The Hebrew word used here has the root idea of “to move slowly, or gently; to glide.” It is used of speech, and it is used of wine.
Re: the imagery: Here we see two parallel themes being employed. One is that of wine, with its idea of happiness or contentment, and the other is that of speech. Wine is mentioned previously, following this we have a reference to the lips, which refer to speech, and here in the middle we have this verb that can refer to either of the two—flowing wine or soft speech. This word, therefore, may serve as a hinge that connects the two ideas; or it may show us that both themes are overlapping in this instance. The soothing, soft speech of the happy one seems to have a positive impact on those who languish in despair.
3: “languish”
The root idea behind this word is “to be languid, stationary, stale, or inactive.” It can also mean “to sleep” or “grow old.” Those who translate it as “teeth” do so only because of context, but it is a big stretch.
Implications for life: The reason someone may “languish” and do nothing is usually not laziness but rather depression, deep emotional wounds or a sense of total failure. The Lesson in this verse is that it can be helpful for someone who has given up and checked out on life to see the example of a positive marriage and the happiness of a man and wife who have all their various needs fully met.