I

King Solomon is only forty-five years old, and the fame of him, of his wisdom and beauty, of the splendor of his life has already spread far beyond Palestine. Solomon is very rich and so generous that silver during his reign is valued no more than a simple stone. For those who surround the king and protect his peace, Solomon spares nothing - the shields of five hundred of his bodyguards are covered with gold plates.

They pronounced his name in surprise, because there was no like him between the kings all his days.

Solomon builds incredibly luxurious temples, the wealth of which is envied by neighboring kings. Equally luxurious is the house of the king’s wife, the beautiful Astiz, daughter of the Egyptian pharaoh. The king’s ships plow the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and his wealth is growing every day.

II – III

Solomon has seven hundred wives, three hundred concubines, and countless slaves and dancers. The king charms everyone with his love, because "God gave him such an inexhaustible power of passion, which does not happen to ordinary people." Solomon also shares his bed with Balkis-Makeda, Queen of Sheba, the most beautiful and wise woman in the world. But most of all, King Shulamith loves, a poor girl from the vineyard.

Solomon is very beautiful. The king has marble skin, lips are like a bright scarlet ribbon, his hair is black and wavy, and his hands are so tender, warm and beautiful that with a single touch the king heals headaches, cramps and black sadness.

And there was no man in the universe who could stand the gaze of Solomon without looking down his eyes. And the lightning of anger in the eyes of the king threw people to the ground.

God endowed King Solomon with the ability to understand the languages ​​of animals and birds, to understand the reason for human actions - both good and bad, which is why a great many people come to him for judgment, advice, help, resolution of the dispute. Solomon composed many parables and songs, "and the wisdom of Solomon was higher than the wisdom of all the sons of the East and all the wisdom of the Egyptians."

IV – V

On the southern slope of Mount Baal Gamon, the king has a vineyard where the king loves to retire during the hours of great reflection. Once at dawn, after a magnificent feast, the king orders to take himself to the mountain. Leaving the stretcher, the king sits alone on a simple wooden bench and reflects on what is subject only to his mind. Suddenly, the king hears a sweet, clean and clear female voice, humming some kind of melody. Soon, a girl in a light dress appears in front of him. She works and does not see the king. Her voice fascinates the king more and more, and while she ties up the vines, his hearing enjoys her singing.

Suddenly, the king comes to her and asks to open his face. Then the wind rises, tightly clings to the dress around the girl’s body, and the king sees her all as naked under her clothes, all her beautiful and slender body, all her roundness and hollows, hills and valleys.

Beautifully her dark and bright face. Heavy, thick dark-red hair ... with elastic, countless curls covering her shoulders, and scattering on her back, and flaming, pierced by the rays of the sun.

The girl comes to the king and sees how beautiful he is. The king tells the girl that she is more beautiful than anyone in the world; asks to sit closer to him. He learns that her name is Shulamith, and she helps her brothers protect the royal vineyards.

When the king takes her hand, a trembling of delight runs through her body, and when he gives her a sweet kiss, the girl realizes that only he can be her first lover. Solomon tells her that he is the king’s chief cook, and arranges a meeting next night at the walls of the girl’s house. On this day, Solomon is especially bright and joyful, and he does a lot of good, sitting on the throne in the courtroom.

VI

In the evening, Sulamith goes to the city, sells his only jewelry to the jeweler - festive silver earrings, and with the proceeds he buys incense myrrh (aromatic resin) from the seller. Thirteen-year-old Shulamith wants her body to smell like the sweetness of myrrh when her lover touches it.

For a long time she lies on her bed waiting for her lover.

My darling is better than ten thousand others, his head is pure gold, his hair is wavy, black as a raven. His mouth is sweet, and all he is desire.

Finally, she hears the footsteps and voice of Solomon, but is frightened and does not dare to open to him. When Shulamith opens the door, no one is near the house. The girl unsuccessfully searches for Solomon in a sleeping city, and then runs to the vineyards, in which she met the one whom she has already managed to love with all her heart, and there she finds Solomon. Their lips merge in a kiss.

It takes some time. The king gently apologizes to the girl, asks if she regrets it. Sulamith with a smile of embarrassment and happiness answers him: "My brothers set me to guard the vineyard, but I did not save my vineyard." Solomon confesses to the girl that he is king.

Time ceases to flow and closes above them in a solar circle. Their bed is green, the roof is cedar, the walls are cypresses. And the banner above their tent is love.

VII — IX

Sulamith is brought to the palace, bathed in a pool of fragrant water, dressed in the lightest Egyptian fabrics, and hair is wrapped in pearls. For seven days and six nights they enjoy each other's love. For seven days the king’s face shines with joy and he showers Sulamith with precious stones from head to toe.

So she visited King Solomon - the greatest of kings and the wisest of sages - his first and last love.

X — XI

At this time, a great mystery takes place in the temple of Isis. Once the Mother of the Gods Isis lost her husband, Osiris. He was stolen by the evil Set, hidden in a coffin, and then, when Isis found the body, he again stole it and, tearing it into fourteen parts, scattered it all over the world. The goddess Isis found thirteen parts, except for one - the sacred phallus.

Priests lash themselves, tear their skin and tear their mouths in frenzied ecstasy. One of them, a tall and thin old man with a cry of delight, makes some movement and throws a shapeless piece of meat at the feet of the goddess. Silence reigns instantly. The sacrifice is perfect. And Queen Astiz, the high priestess of the temple, conceived a dirty deed at this time.

Ever since King Solomon grew cold towards her, weary of the Queen’s unbridled sensuality, black hatred settled in her heart.

She, with all the ardor of southern voluptuousness and with all the fury of an insulted female jealousy, indulged in those secret orgies of perverted lust, which were part of the highest cult of the skyscraper ministry of Isis.

Astiz learns that Solomon spends days and nights with Shulamith, and is plotting evil. She calls to herself Eliava, the chief of the royal guard. The queen knows that he has long been burning with passion for her and promises himself to him if he kills Shulamith.

XII

Eliav goes to the palace of Solomon and hides at the door of the royal bedroom. On this seventh night, Shulamith cannot enjoy with all his heart the love of Solomon. Sorrow gnaws at the girl’s soul, she tells the king that her death is somewhere nearby.

Just like some brooding sadness, cautious modesty, distant foreboding enveloped their words, kisses and hugs with a light shadow.

Suddenly, a rustle is heard, and Sulamith, who jumped from the bed, is pierced by the killer's sword.

Eliave runs away, but Solomon orders to seize him and kill him. On the same day, Solomon demands to send Queen Astiz to Egypt, so that she will no longer see her in Persia. The king himself, until deep in the evening shadows, "was left alone with his thoughts, and no one dared to enter the huge, empty courtroom."