Note and mark this verse as the young woman’s reply.

From a literary point of view, we observe not only the pattern of contrast between different kinds of plants and fruit, but also the identical structure in her response to the young man’s comment in verse 2. This literary form lends both power and beauty to the expression. Translators may examine possible ways to preserve something of the impact that parallelism gives to the presentation.

As an apple tree: the apple tree known in cooler climates today and grown for fruit is not native to the Middle East. The so-called “wild apple” was not a fruit to be eaten. Furthermore, whether apple is an acceptable translation for the Hebrew here is questionable. Some believe it is the “apricot,” and some translations have adopted this (so Revised English Bible); another suggestion is “quince” (Ginsburg). The problem is compounded by the fact that the word occurs only six times in the entire Old Testament, so we cannot be sure what kind of fruit it is. The point of the saying here seems to be to contrast a tree whose fruit can be eaten, with a forest tree (Revised Standard Version “wood”) that does not bear fruit. Jerusalem Bible renders the Hebrew term as “orchard,” but this seems incorrect. “Fruit tree” and “forest tree” may be the best terms for drawing out the intended contrast.

So is my beloved among young men: as in verse 2, the main clause is placed after the introductory clause, setting up the parallelism. The young woman contrasts her lover with what Revised Standard Version calls young men, though the Hebrew speaks of “sons.” This term no doubt is used because of the term “daughters” used in verse 2. The sense intended is that the young man is outstanding among others, though in what way he is better is not stated. If there is a strict parallel between verses 2 and 3, it may be his physical appearance that is being referred to. However, as we shall see below, the metaphor of “fruit” often has sexual overtones, and so it seems more likely that there is that sense present here. If so, the meaning is that he is as desirable as fruit, or that his lovemaking is as sweet to her as fruit is.

Examples of possible translation are:

• Like a fruit tree among trees of the forest,
So is my lover among other [young] men.

• As a fruit tree is better than those without fruit,
So my lover exceeds all other young men.

In some languages we may have to draw out the meaning:

• As a tree that bears fruit is better than those that do not,
So the one I love is more desirable than all other men.

With great delight I sit in his shadow: here we find a good example of an extended metaphor. The young man is compared to a fruit tree. Now further comparisons are made with the tree’s shadow and its fruit. The Revised Standard Version opening adverbial phrase, With great delight, is a verb clause in Hebrew, “I take delight in.” This is then followed by a second verb, I sat. This construction probably intends to focus upon the young woman’s pleasure at “sitting” or being in his presence. We can follow Revised Standard Version or say, as Good News Translation, “I love to sit….”

Shadow is a well-known biblical metaphor for protection (Judges 9.15; Psa 17.8; 121.5). Here it is the lover who offers protection to the young woman, so we can express that clearly in our translation. Good News Translation takes the possessive pronoun in his shadow to refer rather to the tree described in the previous context, and so translates “I love to sit in its shadow.” At first glance the text seems ambiguous, since the possessive pronoun can apply to either the young man or the tree. But in Hebrew the closest noun or pronoun to shadow is the young man. Probably, then, the Revised Standard Version interpretation is to be preferred over Good News Translation. Shadow is not really an appropriate word in English for rendering the Hebrew term in this context. “Shade” continues the figure and is suggestive of both protection and refreshment.

And his fruit was sweet to my taste: the picture of the fruit tree continues here. The tree represents her lover, and his fruit is a figure for the broad sexual satisfaction that he provides, as in 4.16.

Rendering the sexual meaning of fruit may prove difficult, in which case we may decide to translate literally. When dealing with extended metaphors, we have essentially two choices: we can try to translate as much of the imagery as possible, or we can concentrate on the meaning. In these lines we can, for example, focus on the meaning and translate “I delight in his protection. His kisses are delicious.” When we do this, however, we break the flow of the imagery. Part of the delight of poetry is letting the reader interact with the images in the text, so if at all possible it is better to preserve the images: “I love to sit in his shade and to taste his delicious fruits.”

A good translation should try to render whole sections of the poem as a unit. In the case of verses 1-3, we hope to portray the playful interchange between the two lovers. In some languages, changing from third person to second person address in verse 3 helps bring this out:

• “[I am] a lily of the valleys.”

“A lily, yes, my darling,
but a lily blooming among thorns,
more beautiful than all the others!”

“And you, my lover—
As a fruit tree is sweeter
than all the trees of the forest,
so you surpass all other young men.
I love to sit in your shade
and eat your delicious fruit.”

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 .