The shepherd often calls the woman "darling" (literally companion) to show his respect for her as a partner, friend, and lover (Song of Solomon 1:15; 2:2, 10, 13; 4:1, 7; 5:2; 6:4).
In the ancient Near East, a charge of horsemen on stallions was sometimes stopped by releasing a mare in heat. This distracted the attacking horses and broke the charge. Similarly, the woman's beauty distracts other men.