Revised Standard Version has no less than three footnotes in this one verse, so we know immediately that there are several questions about the meaning of the original text. Because textual problems lie behind most of the questions, we will begin with those and then proceed to a more detailed discussion of the translation problems met here.

The first question we ask is, Who is speaking? In verses 1-8 we have heard the voice of the young man as he praises the beauty of his lover and yearns for her. Revised Standard Version sees verse 9 as a continuation of his speech; but because of various problems of interpretation, some translations divide this verse in half, with the first part spoken by the young man and the second by the young woman. All versions agree that, at least from verse 10 onward, it is indeed the young woman who is speaking.

The reason for dividing verse 9 between two speakers is the presence in the second part of this verse of the words “to my lover.” Though we assume that the speaker at the beginning of verse 9 is the man, the presence of this term in the second part of the verse suggests that suddenly it is the young woman who is speaking. She is the only one in the Song to use “my lover” in this way. However, some scholars have proposed that perhaps this is a copyist’s error, as the same form occurs just five words away in the following verse. Removing this word from the verse would allow a simple meaning to emerge. Only one speaker is then required.

Another major problem is the final word of the verse teeth. Some scholars see this as coming from a root meaning “sleep.” Following this interpretation and retaining “my lover” gives us a rather curious line:
Jerusalem Bible (girl speaking) Wine flowing straight to my Beloved

• as it runs on the lips of those who sleep.
New Jerusalem Bible Let it flow to my beloved as new wine,

• Gliding over the lips of sleepers.

The major French versions give similar interpretations. But the problem is that the idea of sleeping does not fit the context. Here again scholars have suggested changes that can help make the meaning of the verse clearer. By changing one letter in the original Hebrew (w in place of y) we have the phrase “and teeth.” Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, and New International Version believe this is the best text and so translate it “flowing over his lips and teeth.” (Good News Translation and New International Version include a footnote explaining the alternative “sleep” reading.) In another attempt at a solution, Fox suggests a meaning “scarlet.” This also fits the context well, giving “lips of scarlet.”

Translators will have to make these important textual decisions before beginning to translate this difficult text. In our opinion the best solution is not to break the verse in the middle of the line, but rather to agree that it is the young man speaking. This means adopting the approach taken by Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Your kisses: Good News Translation and Revised English Bible suggest a meaning “your mouth”; Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible offer “your speaking”; New English Bible has “your whispers.” The Revised Standard Version footnote indicates that the noun causing this uncertainty is the word meaning literally “palate,” in the Septuagint given as “your throat.” Throughout the Song the mouth is almost always related to kissing, and the accompanying reference here to wine means that the kiss in the context of lovemaking is probably the sense to be conveyed. Good News Translation compares “your mouth” with “wine.” This seems an unlikely comparison unless “mouth” carries the wider sense of lips and kisses. To bring this out clearly we may say “the kisses of your mouth.”

Like the best wine: see comments on 1.2. In what way are the young woman’s kisses like wine? Both are pleasurable and sweet. So in translation we can say “your kisses are as pleasant as sweet wine.”

That goes down smoothly: goes down is a participial form of the verb “go,” similar to Eccl 1.7 and Pro 23.31. It can be rendered more idiomatically as “flowing.” Smoothly is more of a problem. Based on similar wording in Pro 23.31, it is most likely an adverb here, “flowing smoothly.” The idea that wine flows smoothly probably means that it is flowing freely. Note that in versions which accept that the original text in the second half of the verse is “to my lover,” this is rendered “straight to my lover” or “reserved for my lover.”

Suggested translation: “Your kisses are as pleasant as fine wine flowing smoothly [or, freely].”

Gliding over lips and teeth: the verb gliding occurs only here, but related languages link it with the action of flowing or dripping. In the discussion above we saw that “teeth” is one possible rendering of a word in a difficult Hebrew text. If we follow Revised Standard Version we may want to add a footnote as New International Version or Good News Translation have done. We have one final option, however, and that is to consider the suggestion that the form be changed to “scarlet.” This solution also seems appropriate, since “scarlet” has already been used once to describe the woman’s lips (4.3). We can then say “lips of scarlet” or “scarlet lips.”

The entire verse very poetically describes the young woman’s lips in terms of smooth-flowing fine wine. Despite the fact that there are several difficulties with the verse, the general sense can be expressed. We may translate as:

• Your kisses are as pleasant as fine wine flowing freely over my lips and teeth.

• The kisses of your mouth are as wonderful as the best wine,
flowing over lips and teeth.*
Footnote: * The Hebrew text is uncertain.

We can also say:

• The kisses of your mouth are sweet,
Like the best wine,
Flowing over scarlet lips.*

If we think it necessary, the footnote can supply more details:
* Hebrew uncertain. The modified text omits “my lover.” Many versions have “over the lips of sleepers.”

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 .