5 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
I have taken my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey.
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat, friends, and drink, you who love each other!
Drink until you can drink no more! [ a ]
2 I slept but my mind was awake. [ b ]
Listen! My lover is knocking on my door!
He said, ‘Open the door for me, my dear friend.
You are my sister,
the perfect one that I love.
To me you are like a beautiful dove.
Dew from the night air covers my head.
My hair is very wet.’
3 I said, ‘I have taken off my day clothes.
I do not want to dress myself again.
I have washed my feet.
I do not want them to get dirty again.’
4 My lover pushed his hand through the hole in the door.
My heart began to beat faster because he was near.
5 I got up to open the door for my lover.
My hands were wet with myrrh.
Myrrh dropped from my fingers
onto the handle of the door.
6 I opened the door for my lover.
But he had already turned away.
He had gone!
I was very upset that he had gone away.
I looked for him but I did not find him.
I called to him but he did not answer me.
7 The city guards found me
as they walked in the streets of the city.
They beat me and they hurt my body.
Those guards on the city walls took away my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
please find my lover!
Promise me to tell him this, if you find him.
Tell him that my love for him has made me weak!
9 Tell us this, most beautiful of all women.
Why do you think that your lover is better than other men?
Why must we promise to do this for you?
10 My lover is very handsome and healthy.
He is the greatest man among 10,000 men.
11 His head is like very pure gold.
The hairs on his head are like waves.
They are black like a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water.
They are like doves that someone has washed in milk.
They shine like jewels.
13 The sides of his face are like a garden with spice trees.
Their smell is like perfume.
His lips are like lilies
with myrrh that falls from them.
14 His arms are like bars of gold
with jewels in them.
His body shines like bright ivory,
with sapphire jewels to make it more beautiful.
15 His legs are like pillars of beautiful stone.
They stand on feet that are like pure gold.
He stands tall like the mountains of Lebanon.
He is as handsome as its best cedar trees.
16 The taste of his mouth is very sweet.
Everything about him causes me to love him.
I say to you, young women of Jerusalem,
this is my lover!
This is my true friend.
5 My darling my bride, I have entered my garden.
I have gathered my myrrh and spice.
I have eaten my honey and honeycomb.
I have drunk my wine and milk.
Dearest friends, eat, drink!
Be drunk with love!
2 I am asleep,
but my heart is awake.
I hear my lover knocking, saying,
“Open to me, my darling, my love,
my dove, my perfect one!
My head is soaked with dew.
My hair is wet with the mist of the night.”
3 “I have taken off my robe. [ a ]
I don’t want to put it on again.
I have washed my feet.
I don’t want to get them dirty again.”
4 But my lover put his hand through the opening, [ b ]
and I felt sorry for him. [ c ]
5 I got up to open for my lover,
myrrh dripping from my hands,
myrrh scented lotion dripped from my fingers
onto the handles of the lock.
6 I opened for my lover,
but my lover had turned away and was gone!
I nearly died
when he came and went. [ d ]
I looked for him,
but I couldn’t find him.
I called for him,
but he didn’t answer me.
7 The guards patrolling the city found me.
They hit me.
They hurt me.
The guards on the wall
took my robe from me.
8 I tell you, women of Jerusalem,
if you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love. [ e ]
9 Beautiful woman,
how is your lover different from other lovers?
Is your lover better than other lovers?
Is that why you ask us to make this promise?
10 My lover is tanned and radiant.
He would stand out among 10,000 men.
11 His head is like the purest gold.
His hair is curly and as black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves by a stream,
like doves in a pool of milk,
like a jewel in its setting.
13 His cheeks are like a garden of spices,
like flowers used for perfume.
His lips are like lilies,
dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are like gold rods,
filled with jewels.
His body is like smooth ivory
with sapphires set in it.
15 His legs are like marble pillars
on bases of fine gold.
He stands tall
like the finest cedar tree in Lebanon!
16 Yes, women of Jerusalem, my lover is everything I desire.
His mouth is the sweetest of all.
This is my lover;
this is my darling.
5 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
5 “I have ( A ) come into my garden, ( B ) my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my ( C ) myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my ( D ) honey;
I have ( E ) drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, ( F ) friends;
Drink and [ a ] drink deeply, lovers.”
2 “I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, ( G ) my sister, my darling,
( H ) My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is [ b ] drenched with dew,
My ( I ) locks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 I have ( J ) taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again ?
I have ( K ) washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again ?
4 My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my ( L ) feelings were stirred for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands ( M ) dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had ( N ) turned away and had gone!
My [ c ] heart went out to him as he ( O ) spoke.
I ( P ) searched for him but I did not find him;
I ( Q ) called him but he did not answer me.
7 The ( R ) watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 ( S ) Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For ( T ) I am lovesick.”
9 “ [ d ] What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O ( U ) most beautiful among women?
[ e ] What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”
10 “My beloved is dazzling and [ f ] ( V ) reddish,
( W ) Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, pure gold;
His ( X ) locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 His ( Y ) eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their ( Z ) setting.
13 His cheeks are like a ( AA ) bed of balsam,
[ g ] Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are ( AB ) lilies
( AC ) Dripping with drops of myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with ( AD ) topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with [ h ] ( AE ) sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like ( AF ) Lebanon,
Choice as the ( AG ) cedars.
16 His [ i ] ( AH ) mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly ( AI ) desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”
5 I have come into my garden, ( A ) my sister, my bride; ( B )
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk. ( C )
Eat, friends, and drink;
drink your fill of love.
2 I slept but my heart was awake.
Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, ( D ) my flawless ( E ) one. ( F )
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”
3 I have taken off my robe—
must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
must I soil them again?
4 My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
my heart began to pound for him.
5 I arose to open for my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh, ( G )
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened for my beloved, ( H )
but my beloved had left; he was gone. ( I )
My heart sank at his departure. [ a ]
I looked ( J ) for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.
7 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city. ( K )
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!
8 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you ( L ) —
if you find my beloved, ( M )
what will you tell him?
Tell him I am faint with love. ( N )
9 How is your beloved better than others,
most beautiful of women? ( O )
How is your beloved better than others,
that you so charge us?
10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
outstanding among ten thousand. ( P )
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves ( Q )
by the water streams,
washed in milk, ( R )
mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks ( S ) are like beds of spice ( T )
yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies ( U )
dripping with myrrh. ( V )
14 His arms are rods of gold
set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
decorated with lapis lazuli. ( W )
15 His legs are pillars of marble
set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon, ( X )
choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth ( Y ) is sweetness itself;
he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, ( Z ) this is my friend,
daughters of Jerusalem. ( AA )
