Mandrakes: the very sweet-smelling flowers of a plant that produces a fruit believed to arouse sexual desire and promote fertility (Gen 30.14-16). We note that in Hebrew even the name for mandrakes (dudaʾim) sounds similar to the word “love” (dod). Translators will probably need to point out that mandrakes are flowers, or “sweet-smelling flowers.” An alternative is to use a term like “love apples,” as in Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, or another appropriate expression. If necessary we can put information about these flowers in a footnote.
Give forth fragrance: another reference to the early spring season, when the flowers are in bloom; it symbolizes the time for making love. On fragrance see comments on 3.6; 4.14.
Two translation suggestions are:
• The sweet-smelling [mandrake] flowers give off their fragrance.
• The fragrance of love flowers fills the air.
Over our doors are all choice fruits: in 1.17 the young woman described the lovers’ secret meeting place as a shelter covered with cedar and pine. As they lay there she pretended they were in their own home. In this verse she refers to the doors of their “house,” noting that above the doors there are “all kinds of delicacies” (rendered in Revised Standard Version as all choice fruits). Since this meeting place does not have real doors, translators may have to speak of fruits or delicacies “around us” or “above us,” or even “in our house.” Contemporary English Version says “right at our doorstep.” Though many translations render the Hebrew word here as “fruit,” it is clear that the young woman is referring to the pleasure or love she has “stored up” for her lover. Translators can say explicitly “we are surrounded by pleasure” or “we are surrounded by wonderful delights.”
New as well as old: this is an unusual phrase if it is to describe fruits or delicacies. Most commentators think old means fruit that appeared on the vines and trees early in the season, while new indicates the fruit about to appear and to ripen. New American Bible here says “fresh and mellowed.” If the vague phrase “delicacies” refers to things other than fruit, then this explanation is not very helpful. Some scholars suggest it is idiomatic and probably means “all kinds of…,” and so it would strengthen the word “all” in the previous clause. This is probably correct in this setting, and so we recommend it for translation. The phrase appears to qualify choice fruits and not what follows.
Good News Translation links the phrase with what follows, and so says “the old delights and the new.” This seems to be a reference to sexual delights, some of which have been tried (“old”) and some not yet tried (“new”). Our preference is to translate as “all kinds of….” This will mean omitting any reference to “new and old.”
Which I have laid up for you, O my beloved: Revised Standard Version treats this as a relative clause, though Hebrew grammar does not require this. It may well be an independent clause, especially if “new and old” describe the previous term “delicacies.” Laid up is the verb “to treasure,” “hide,” so the question is “What does she store up for him?” The term “my love,” which functions as the inclusio for this subsection, may serve a double purpose. It appears as a vocative, “My lover!” yet it may also mean “my love” and thus indicate what she has been saving for him.
We may translate as “O my beloved, I have saved myself for you” or “I have saved my love for you.”
The verse as a whole can be rendered:
• The sweet-smelling flowers send out their fragrance.
All kinds of delights surround us,
And I have saved my love for you!
• Mandrakes* give off a fragrant smell,
At our door, every delicious fruit awaits us,
And I have saved myself for you.
Footnote: * The mandrake fruit is thought to be a love drug.
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 .