The young man seems overcome with emotion. Captivated by the sight of her, he responds. This is marked by a change to first person speech. He tells her he will climb the palm tree and enjoy its fruit. His determination is noted in the verb I say, meaning “I think I will…” or “I want to….” Rather than using these longer expressions, we may use an affirming word like “yes,” “surely,” or “indeed.”

Lay hold of its branches: having climbed to the top of the palm, the lover says he will lay hold of its branches. The verb “take hold of” ought not to present translators with a problem, though there are some translations that give the impression of violently grabbing hold of the tree—compare Jerusalem Bible “seize.” “Hold onto” is a good neutral term to use. Bible en français courant gives the French idiom “put the hand to,” meaning to “touch.” This is quite poetic and blends well with the tone of the poem. Good News Translation “pick its fruit” says more than the text does and so may not be the best solution.

Its branches brings a minor problem as the Hebrew term occurs only here, and so the actual part of the tree indicated is not certain. Several translations give the meaning as branches. Pope notes that in Akkadian a related word refers to the top branches of the palm. This rendering causes a problem, however, as in other contexts (5.11) the fronds of the palm represent hair. Here there seems to be little doubt that the young woman’s breasts are the intended reference. We note that the word “cluster” occurs twice (verses 7 and 8). This term is normally used with grapes, and indeed some commentators feel it is out of place when used with the palm tree. It makes better sense to interpret the word as date clusters rather than as branches. Jerusalem Bible gives “clusters of dates.” This refers to the whole cluster including the fruit and their stems. As the palm is so well known, it is possible that many languages will have a similar term. In some languages it may be difficult to find the vocabulary to cover the specific items mentioned in these two verses. We may be forced to translate them with one single word, “cluster,” or “fruit.” For example:

• Yes, I will climb that palm tree,
and take hold of those clusters.

• I decided to climb the palm tree,
to take hold of its date-clusters.

Oh, may your breasts be like clusters of the vine: to express the depth of his longing, the poet uses a very emphatic Hebrew form. The English “Oh, may they be…” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible) or “Let them be…” (New American Bible) sounds rather formal. We can express it better perhaps by saying “Let me enjoy…” or “Oh, let me have….”

Clusters of the vine: whereas in verse 7 the term translated clusters did not mean “grapes,” here that meaning is probably more accurate and fits with the imagery elsewhere of the young woman as a vine. Her breasts are like grapes on a vine. Again we cannot overinterpret the illustration, but certainly the fact that grapes are round, sweet, and delicious gives a basis to this comparison. Of course another connection here is that grapes provide the wine that is such an important part of the imagery of lovemaking.

We have already noted that in some languages it will be hard to find vocabulary for “cluster” here and in verse 7, as well as for the rare term translated “branches” in Revised Standard Version. We may have to use a more neutral word “cluster” in verse 7, “date-cluster” or “fruit” for Revised Standard Version “branches,” and “grape” or “cluster of grapes” in this latter instance.

The scent of your breath like apples: literally “the scent [or, smell] of your nose [is] like apples.” While it may seem odd to speak of “noses” at this point, this may be a reference to the custom of rubbing noses, which exists to this day in some cultures. If this custom is known, then we can give a literal translation. Alternatively Pope suggests that the Hebrew term for “nose” has links with a Ugaritic term meaning “nipple,” so perhaps this is another way of speaking of the fragrance of the young woman’s breasts. This fits the context well. If we accept this interpretation we will have to replace the “nose” idiom with something more general: “Your breasts smell sweet like apples.” This gives an overall translation, “Your breasts are so fragrant; they are like bunches of grapes and like apples.” On the other hand the final phrase “scent of your nose” may be parallel to the following line, “and your mouth like the best wine,” in which case the Revised Standard Version translation scent of your breath can be followed.

Like apples is a noun phrase and can be expanded in translation to draw out the point of the comparison, namely the delicious smell of the apple. Thus Good News Translation says “like the fragrance of apples.” For comments on apples see 2.3, 5.

The entire verse can say:

• I said, “I will climb the palm tree,
and reach out to its clusters.”
May your breasts be as sweet as grapes for me,
may they* be as sweet as apples.
Footnote: * Hebrew has “nose,” a probable euphemism for “nipples.” Many versions have “the fragrance of your breath.”

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 .