''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).