Protestantism
English
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, Oh ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.
Dark am I, and comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As tents of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.
Regard ye me not because I am blacke: for the sunne hath looked vpon mee. The sonnes of my mother were angry against mee: they made me the keeper of ye vines: but I kept not mine owne vine.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am dark, but fair of form, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am dark, yet lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
'I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I [am] dark, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, more desirable as the booths of Kedar as the tents of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black but beautiful,1 ⌞O maidens of Jerusalem⌟,2 like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
- Or “black and beautiful”
- Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”
I am black, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains.
I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains.
I am dark, but lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like Kedar's tents, like Solomon's curtains.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
[SHE] Swarthy, I am but comely, ye daughters of Jerusalem. [THEY] Like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
I am black, but comely, O all of you daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.
Catholicism
English
Do not consider me that I am brown, because the sun hath altered my colour: the sons of my mother have fought against me, they have made me the keeper in the vineyards: my vineyard I have not kept.
Do not be concerned that I am dark, for the sun has changed my color.1 The sons of my mother have fought against me. They have made me the keeper of the vineyards. My own vineyard I have not kept.2
- 1:9The bride is speaking about herself, because the word ‘fusca’ in Latin is in the feminine, yet there is a masculine version of that same word which could have been used if the speaker were male. She says that the sun has changed her skin color, perhaps meaning, not that she herself used to have a light-colored skin, but that her ancestors developed dark skin from living in a hot and sunny climate (Africa). +The Church is asking those in the world, who are attracted by her holiness, not to be dissuaded from approaching Her due to her darkness (her mysteries that cannot be fully understood, and her rejection by the world), for the Son of God has made her dark.(Conte)
- 1:10The bride is speaking about herself, because the word ‘meae’ in Latin is in the feminine, yet there is a masculine version of that same word which could have been used if the speaker were male. So this is still the bride speaking; she tells how she was mistreated by the sons of her mother. In that culture and time period, a man might have more than one wife, so that the sons of her mother are children of the same father and mother as she has. They are her closest relatives, after her father and mother; yet they mistreated her. +The Church is speaking about the sons of the mother of the Church, that is, about priests, who are in truth ordained as sons of the Virgin Mary. Yet, at various times in the history and future of the pilgrim Church on earth, some of these sons have fought against the example of Mary and the teaching of the Church. They have tried to make the Church the keeper of their vineyards, of their mistaken idea of what the Church should be, rather than assisting the Church in keeping to its own teachings. Since the speaker is a woman, also implied is the error of those misguided priests who give inappropriate roles to women, even roles only fitting for the ordained (keeping vineyards that should be kept by priests), and thereby prevent those women from keeping to their own proper tasks (their own vineyard).(Conte)