I arose to open to my beloved: whether this is a dream or reality, we are told that the young woman got up to open the door for her lover. If we follow a more literal approach, we can say “I got out of bed to open the door for my lover.” However, since it is possible that this sentence has a double meaning, we may do well to translate in a more general way: “I got up” or “I went to let my lover in.” Good News Translation has taken the Hebrew verb translated “rise” in its freer sense: “I was ready to let him come in.”

My hands dripped with myrrh: most commentators assume that the woman had anointed herself with spices and aromatic oils before going to bed (Pro 7.17). If so it is unlikely that her hands still dripped with them after having been asleep for some time. Either we have to make allowances for poetic exaggeration (hyperbole), or we must assume that she quickly anointed herself again before going to the door. In 4.11 we met the verb “drip with,” used there also with sweet spices. Jerusalem Bible suggests that the verb means “ran off my hands.” It is possible that there is some idiomatic meaning in this expression, but if so its significance is now lost. We take it at face value. On myrrh see 1.13 and comments. We can translate as “my hands were wet with myrrh [or, perfume]” or follow Good News Translation “my hands were covered with myrrh.”

My fingers with liquid myrrh: the verb “drip” from the previous clause also serves as the verb for this clause. Its omission from the second clause is a case of what is called ellipsis. My fingers is parallel with “my hands.” Liquid myrrh is one of several kinds of myrrh, perhaps one that flows naturally from the bark of the tree from which it is taken. The Hebrew participle means “dripping” according to Gordis, or “flowing.” Such myrrh was apparently highly valued. Jerusalem Bible suggests “pure myrrh”; New American Bible has “choice myrrh.” Revised Standard Version liquid seems a natural parallel to accompany the verb “drip.”

We can note here that there are two parallel clauses, the second of which is more precise in meaning than the first: “fingers” instead of “hands,” and “liquid myrrh” instead of “myrrh” alone. This variation from one line to the next is certainly part of the beauty of the poem, but this feature may not transfer well in the translation. If this is the case, these two lines can be combined.

Upon the handles of the bolt: with Good News Translation we can assume that the young woman “grasped” the door handle, and we can supply that verb if required. The handles of the bolt may be translated as “the door handle.” The Hebrew plural translated handles comes from the word “palm of the hand” and has an extended meaning, including any object shaped like a cupped hand. Its use here is poetic and the only example applying to a handle. Like the word “hand” there is probably a double meaning in the word handles. Thus there is strong sexual suggestion in this phrase.

For translation we suggest:

• My hands were wet with myrrh, my fingers with liquid perfume as I grasped the door handle.

The entire verse can say:

• I went to let my lover in.
My hands were dripping with myrrh,
As I grasped the lock.

• I rose to open for my lover,
And my hands dripped with myrrh—
Fine myrrh dripped from my fingers—
As I grasped the handle.

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 .