The young Beloved maiden’s thoughts shift from her lover to herself; excitement withers heated emotions. She is humble and perhaps even has low self-esteem. She draws into her unappreciated complexion. She believes that her skin has been blemished by constant over-exposure to the harsh Egyptian sun (5,6).
The unpretentious Bastet’s mother’s sons forced her to work in the family’s vineyards under the radiant sun (5). The hot labor caused neglect of her physical fruit. “My own vineyard I have neglected.” She sees her complexion as a curtain that keeps her from her lover, casting a cool shadow over passion’s heat. (5).
She reigns in fantasy with dignity. She is not the sort of young woman that veils her face in the late evening as they sell their feminine form to any shepherd (7). She is a lady of the day. She asks to visit him where he rests from midday labor.
The couple’s friends ensure that she is the most beautiful of women (8). Her Lover has his attention on her. She should bring her goats to his sheep presenting a valid reason for shared movements.
