Translations
Modern
For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
Traditional
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
Literal
For, behold, the winter has passed by; the rain has passed; it has gone itself.
Latin
…jam enim hiems transiit; imber abiit, et recessit.
Original
Hebrew
English
For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
Notes
In the Middle East, winter is the rainy season with clouds, gloom, and cold. After winter, when the rains end, the lively sights, sounds, and smells of spring boost romantic feelings.
In this poem, the woman looks forward to her lover's arrival. She describes winter ending and spring beginning, a time of floral scents and new starts. She and her lover are in their country garden, a place of closeness, though there is a hint of danger even here (Song of Solomon 2:15).
Theme notes and profiles
Glossary
Topics
Spring: Season of, Promised Annual Return of Described The Fig-Tree: Fruit of, Formed After Winter Winter: Illustrative of Seasons of Spiritual Adversity Winter: Rainy Season In, in Canaan