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The Song of Songs
The Song of Songs

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Song of Songs is here in full — 331 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Song of Songs
Context Illustration Reading 1/66 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.
Yes, everything has come to an end.
We shall never meet again except at table.
If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.
But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Song of Songs

Chapter XX

Chapter 20 of The Song of Songs is here in full — 331 sentences across 67 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/66 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.
Line 2
Yes, everything has come to an end.
/jes ˈevriθɪŋ hæz kʌm tuː æn end/
Line 3
We shall never meet again except at table.
/wiː ʃæl ˈnevər miːt əˈɡen ɪkˈsept æt ˈteɪbəl/
Line 4
If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.
/ɪf juː æsk ˈweðər ðɪs meɪks miː sæd aɪ wɪl biː breɪv ənd seɪ noʊ ɪn ðə hoʊp ðæt ɪt wɪl kɑːz juː tuː fiːl ˈaʊər ˈpɑːrtɪŋ les/
Line 5
But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.
/bʌt ðə ˈkwestʃən ɪz nɑːt ˈweðər wiː faɪnd ɪt ˈdɪfəkəlt ɔːr ˈiːzi/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

brave adjective US /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading “If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.”

concluded adjective US /kənˈkluːdəd/

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading “"DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.”

dearest noun US /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading “"DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.”

difficult adjective US /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading “But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.”

herr noun US /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading “"DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.”

makes noun US /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading “If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.”

parting noun US /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading “If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.”

sad adjective US /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading “If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

meet again verb + particle

In this reading “We shall never meet again except at table.”

All words in this reading · 62

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

askverbUS /æsk/

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

betweenprepositionUS /bɪˈtwiːn/

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

braveadjectiveUS /breɪv/

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

concludedadjectiveUS /kənˈkluːdəd/

having come or been brought to a conclusion

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

DEARESTnounUS /ˈdɪrəst/

a beloved person; used as terms of endearment

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

easyadjectiveUS /ˈiːzi/

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/

apart from; not including

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

feelverbUS /fiːl/

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

happenedverbUS /ˈhæpənd/

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

HERRnounUS /her/

a German man; used before the name as a title equivalent to Mr in English

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

lessadverbUS /les/

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

makesnounUS /meɪks/

plural of “make” — a recognizable kind

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

meetverbUS /miːt/

come together

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

partingnounUS /ˈpɑːrtɪŋ/

the act of departing politely

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

PRELL

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading But the question is not whether we find it difficult or easy.

sadadjectiveUS /sæd/

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

tablenounUS /ˈteɪbəl/

a set of data arranged in rows and columns

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

VON

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We shall never meet again except at table.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading If you ask whether this makes me sad I will be brave and say 'No,' in the hope that it will cause you to feel our parting less.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Yes, everything has come to an end.

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "DEAREST HERR VON PRELL, "You will have concluded from what has happened that all must be over between us.

Chapter 20 of The Song of Songs by Hermann Sudermann holds 331 sentences, grouped into 67 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 20 of The Song of Songs contain?

Chapter 20 holds 331 sentences of The Song of Songs, unabridged, divided into 67 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 20 of The Song of Songs by Hermann Sudermann exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 331 sentences, grouped into 67 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 20 of The Song of Songs?

Work through the 67 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 67 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 20 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 20 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Song of Songs

Common questions about reading The Song of Songs by Hermann Sudermann on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Song of Songs?

Yes. All 10680 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #34361 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Song of Songs is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #34361, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Song of Songs take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2136 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Song of Songs section by section

How to work through The Song of Songs section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Song of Songs to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Song of Songs

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Song of Songs, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Diphthong
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Song of Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Represented
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Song of Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Introduction
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Song of Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Third
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Song of Songs; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.