The Song of Songs ─ The World's First Great Love Poem

“Next to Genesis, no book in the Hebrew Bible has had a stronger influence on Western literature than the Song of Songs.”
–The New York Review of Books

One of the greatest love poems ever written, The Song of Songs celebrates the sexual awakening of a young woman and her lover and the intoxicating experience of falling in love. Composed more than two thousand years ago, this book of the Old Testament is not only an essential religious and literary text, but also a source of inspiration to modern-day poets and lovers. Enhanced by an Afterword by the esteemed scholar Robert Alter and a new Foreword from the noted translator Stephen Mitchell, this definitive volume showcases Chana Bloch and Ariel Bloch’s sensuous translation which has “a lyrical purity that is delightful” (W. S. Merwin).

Chana Bloch is the author of three books of poems and the translator of Yehuda Amichai and Dahlia Ravikovitch.

Ariel Bloch is professor emeritus of Near Eastern studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Stephen Mitchell‘s many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, The Book of Job, The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, Meetings with the Archangel, The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, and Gilgamesh.

Robert Alter is professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the author of many books, including The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary.