3 All night I lay on my bed.
I wanted my lover to come to me.
I looked for him but he did not appear.
2 I thought, ‘I will get up now and I will go into the city.
I will look everywhere for my lover.
I will look in all the streets.
I will look in all the market places.’
So I looked for him,
but I did not find him.
3 The city guards found me
as they walked in the streets of the city.
I asked them,
‘Have you seen the man that I love?’
4 Just then, as I left them, I found my lover!
I hugged him and I would not let him go.
I took him to my mother's house.
I took him into my mother's bedroom.
That is where my life started, inside my mother's body.
5 Promise this to me, young women of Jerusalem:
Do not cause our love to wake up.
Do not cause it to become too strong
until the time is right.
The gazelles and the wild deer will know about your promise.
6 Who is this who is coming from the desert? [ b ]
It seems that smoke is rising into the air!
There is a lovely smell of myrrh and incense. [ c ]
It is the smell of all the spices that a trader sells.
7 Look! They are carrying King Solomon on a throne! [ d ]
60 soldiers are travelling with it. [ e ]
They are Israel's bravest soldiers.
8 All of them have swords.
They all know how to fight well.
Their swords are ready for them to use.
They are ready for any danger that comes in the night.
9 King Solomon made the throne for himself.
He used wood from Lebanon to make it. [ f ]
10 He used silver to make the posts for it.
He used gold to make its back.
Its seat has valuable purple cloth to cover it.
The young women of Jerusalem made it beautiful inside,
to show their love.
11 Young women of Zion,
come out to see King Solomon! [ g ]
He is wearing his crown.
His mother put the crown on him on his wedding day.
It was the happiest day of his life!
3 At night on my bed,
I look for the man I love.
I looked for him,
but I could not find him.
2 I will get up now!
I will go around the city.
In the streets and squares,
I will look for the man I love.
I looked for him,
but I could not find him.
3 The guards patrolling the city found me.
I asked them, “Have you seen the man I love?”
4 I had just left the guards
when I found the man I love!
I held him and would not let him go,
while I took him to my mother’s house,
to the room of one who bore [ a ] me.
5 Women of Jerusalem, promise me
by the gazelles and wild deer,
don’t awaken love,
don’t arouse love, until I am ready. [ b ]
6 Who is this woman
coming from the desert [ c ]
with this large group of people ?
The dust rises behind them
like clouds of smoke from burning myrrh and frankincense and other spices. [ d ]
7 Look, Solomon’s traveling chair. [ e ]
There are 60 soldiers guarding it,
strong soldiers of Israel.
8 All of them are trained fighting men
with their swords at their side,
ready for any danger of the night.
9 King Solomon made a traveling chair for himself.
The wood came from Lebanon.
10 The poles were made from silver,
and the supports were made from gold.
The seat was covered with purple cloth.
It was inlaid with love by the women of Jerusalem.
11 Women of Zion, come out
and see King Solomon.
See the crown [ f ] his mother put on him
the day he was married,
the day he was so happy!
3 By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
2 I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.
3 The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?
4 It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
5 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
6 Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?
7 Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.
8 They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
9 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.
3 “On my bed night after night I sought him
( A ) Whom my soul loves;
I ( B ) sought him but did not find him.
2 ‘ [ a ] I must arise now and [ b ] go around in the city;
In the ( C ) streets and in the public squares
[ c ] I must seek him whom my soul loves.’
I sought him but did not find him.
3 ( D ) The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
And I said , ‘Have you seen him whom my soul loves?’
4 ( E ) Hardly had I [ d ] left them
When I found him whom my soul loves;
I ( F ) held on to him and would not let him go
Until I had ( G ) brought him to my mother’s house,
And into the room of her who conceived me.”
5 “ ( H ) Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
By the ( I ) gazelles or by the does of the field,
That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”
6 “ [ e ] ( J ) What is this coming up from the wilderness
Like ( K ) columns of smoke,
Perfumed with ( L ) myrrh and ( M ) frankincense,
With all the scented powders of the merchant?
7 Behold, it is [ f ] the traveling couch of Solomon;
Sixty warriors around it,
Of the warriors of Israel.
8 All of them are wielders of the sword,
( N ) Expert in war;
Each man has his ( O ) sword at his side,
Guarding against the [ g ] ( P ) terrors of the night.
9 King Solomon has made for himself a [ h ] sedan chair
From the timber of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
Its [ i ] back of gold
And its seat of purple fabric,
With its interior lovingly inlaid
By the ( Q ) daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you ( R ) daughters of Zion,
And look at King Solomon with the [ j ] crown
With which his mother has crowned him
On the ( S ) day of his wedding,
And on the day of the joy of his heart.”
3 All night long on my bed
I looked ( A ) for the one my heart loves;
I looked for him but did not find him.
2 I will get up now and go about the city,
through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
So I looked for him but did not find him.
3 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city. ( B )
“Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
till I had brought him to my mother’s house, ( C )
to the room of the one who conceived me. ( D )
5 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you ( E )
by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires. ( F )
6 Who is this coming up from the wilderness ( G )
like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh ( H ) and incense
made from all the spices ( I ) of the merchant?
7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
escorted by sixty warriors, ( J )
the noblest of Israel,
8 all of them wearing the sword,
all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
prepared for the terrors of the night. ( K )
9 King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
and look, you daughters of Zion. ( L )
Look [ a ] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
the day his heart rejoiced. ( M )
