אַל־תִּרְא֙וּנִי֙ שֶׁאֲנִ֣י שְׁחַרְחֹ֔רֶת שֶׁשֱּׁזָפַ֖תְנִי הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ בְּנֵ֧י אִמִּ֣י נִֽחֲרוּ־בִ֗י שָׂמֻ֙נִי֙ נֹטֵרָ֣ה אֶת־הַכְּרָמִ֔ים כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לֹ֥א נָטָֽרְתִּי׃
Sehet mich nicht an, denn ich bin geschwärzt denn gebräunt hat mich die Sonne. Meiner Mutter Söhne grollten mir und machten mich zur Hüterin der Weinberge, meinen Weinberg hab ich nicht gehütet.
Rashi on Song of Songs
Do not look upon me. Do not look upon me disrespectfully, as in, “for they had gazed [disrespectfully] upon the Ark of Adonoy.”23I Shmuel 6:19.
Ezra ben Solomon on Song of Songs
Do not stare at me: Do not despise me because I am swarthy, because the sun has gazed upon me, because I am situated amongst my children who are enslaved, at hard labor, performing all of their work in the field. My mother’s sons: The similitude refers to the holy spirit, from which all things are emanated; that is to say the remaining angelic princes appointed as custodians over each and every nation.
Rashi on Song of Songs
That I am so black. For my blackness24שחרחרת is a combination of two words, שחר and חרת, the latter is the blackest of black. (Gra) and my ugliness are not from my mother’s womb, but from the sun’s tanning, for that blackness can easily be whitened by staying in the shade.