9 How is your beloved better than others,

most beautiful of women?

How is your beloved better than others,

that you so charge us?

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,

outstanding among ten thousand.

11 His head is purest gold;

his hair is wavy

and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

by the water streams,

washed in milk,

mounted like jewels.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice

yielding perfume.

His lips are like lilies

dripping with myrrh.

14 His arms are rods of gold

set with topaz.

His body is like polished ivory

decorated with lapis lazuli.

15 His legs are pillars of marble

set on bases of pure gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,

choice as its cedars.

16 His mouth is sweetness itself;

he is altogether lovely.

This is my beloved, this is my friend,

daughters of Jerusalem.

9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,

O most beautiful among women?

What is your beloved more than another beloved,

that you thus adjure us?

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,

distinguished among ten thousand.

11 His head is the finest gold;

his locks are wavy,

black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

beside streams of water,

bathed in milk,

sitting beside a full pool.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spices,

mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.

His lips are lilies,

dripping liquid myrrh.

14 His arms are rods of gold,

set with jewels.

His body is polished ivory,

bedecked with sapphires.

15 His legs are alabaster columns,

set on bases of gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,

choice as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet,

and he is altogether desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem.

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.

9 Why is your lover better than all others,

O woman of rare beauty?

What makes your lover so special

that we must promise this?

10 My lover is dark and dazzling,

better than ten thousand others!

11 His head is finest gold,

his wavy hair is black as a raven.

12 His eyes sparkle like doves

beside springs of water;

they are set like jewels

washed in milk.

13 His cheeks are like gardens of spices

giving off fragrance.

His lips are like lilies,

perfumed with myrrh.

14 His arms are like rounded bars of gold,

set with beryl.

His body is like bright ivory,

glowing with lapis lazuli.

15 His legs are like marble pillars

set in sockets of finest gold.

His posture is stately,

like the noble cedars of Lebanon.

16 His mouth is sweetness itself;

he is desirable in every way.

Such, O women of Jerusalem,

is my lover, my friend.

9 How is your lover better than other lovers,

most beautiful of women?

How is your lover better than other lovers?

Why do you want us to promise this?

10 My lover is healthy and tan,

the best of ten thousand men.

11 His head is like the finest gold;

his hair is wavy and black like a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

by springs of water.

They seem to be bathed in cream

and are set like jewels.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spices;

they smell like mounds of perfume.

His lips are like lilies

flowing with myrrh.

14 His hands are like gold hinges,

filled with jewels.

His body is like shiny ivory

covered with sapphires.

15 His legs are like large marble posts,

standing on bases of fine gold.

He is like a cedar of Lebanon,

like the finest of the trees.

16 His mouth is sweet to kiss,

and I desire him very much.

Yes, daughters of Jerusalem,

this is my lover

and my friend.

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 adjure 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 like doves beside the water-brooks,

Washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices,

As banks of sweet herbs:

His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

14 His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl:

His body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold:

His aspect is like 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.

9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, 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 finest gold; His locks are flowing, black as the raven; 12 His eyes are like doves by the water-brooks, Washed with milk, fitly set; 13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, raised beds of sweet plants; His lips lilies, dropping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands gold rings, set with the chrysolite; His belly is bright ivory, overlaid with sapphires; 15 His legs, pillars of marble, set upon bases of fine gold: His bearing as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars; 16 His mouth is most sweet: Yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, yea, this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

9 Most beautiful of women, 

what makes your beloved better than any other beloved? 

What makes your beloved better than any other beloved 

that you make us swear this way? 

10 My beloved is dazzling yet ruddy. 

He stands out among 10,000 men. 

11 His head is the finest gold. 

His hair is wavy, black as a raven. 

12 His eyes are set like doves bathing in milk. 

13 His cheeks are like a garden of spices, 

a garden that produces scented herbs. 

His lips are lilies that drip with myrrh. 

14 His hands are disks of gold set with emerald. 

His chest is a block of ivory covered with sapphires. 

15 His legs are columns of marble set on bases of pure gold. 

His form is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars. 

16 His mouth is sweet in every way. 

Everything about him is desirable! 

This is my beloved, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem. 

9 What makes the one you love better than another,

most beautiful of women?

What makes him better than another,

that you would give us this charge?

10 My love is fit and strong,

notable among ten thousand.

11 His head is purest gold.

His hair is wavy

and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

beside streams of water,

washed in milk

and set like jewels.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice,

towers of perfume.

His lips are lilies,

dripping with flowing myrrh.

14 His arms are rods of gold

set with topaz.

His body is an ivory panel

covered with sapphires.

15 His legs are alabaster pillars

set on pedestals of pure gold.

His presence is like Lebanon,

as majestic as the cedars.

16 His mouth is sweetness.

He is absolutely desirable.

This is my love, and this is my friend,

young women of Jerusalem.

9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,

O fairest among women?

What is your beloved more than another beloved,

that you thus adjure us?

10 My beloved is all radiant and ruddy,

distinguished among ten thousand.

11 His head is the finest gold;

his locks are wavy,

black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

beside springs of water,

bathed in milk,

fitly set.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spices,

yielding fragrance.

His lips are lilies,

distilling liquid myrrh.

14 His arms are rounded gold,

set with jewels.

His body is ivory work,

encrusted with sapphires.

15 His legs are alabaster columns,

set upon bases of gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,

choice as the cedars.

16 His speech is most sweet,

and he is altogether desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem.

9 How is your beloved better than another lover,

O most beautiful among women?

How is your beloved better than another lover,

that you adjure us thus?

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,

distinguished among ten thousand.

11 His head is gold, refined gold;

his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water,

bathed in milk, set like mounted jewels.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice, a tower of fragrances;

his lips are lilies dripping liquid myrrh.

14 His arms are rods of gold engraved with jewels;

his belly is polished ivory covered with sapphires.

15 His legs are columns of alabaster, set on bases of gold;

his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.

16 His mouth is sweet,

and he is altogether desirable.

This is my beloved;

this is my friend, O young women of Jerusalem.

9 “You are the most beautiful woman of all.

How is the one you love better than others?

How is he better than anyone else?

Why do you ask us to make you a promise?”

The woman says,

10 “The one who loves me is tanned and handsome.

He’s the finest man among 10,000.

11 His head is like the purest gold.

His hair is wavy and as black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves

by streams of water.

They look as if they’ve been washed in milk.

They are set like jewels in his head.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spice

that give off perfume.

His lips are like lilies

that drip with myrrh.

14 His arms are like gold

that are set with chrysolite.

His body is like polished ivory

that is decorated with sapphires.

15 His legs are like pillars of marble

that are set on bases of pure gold.

He looks like the finest cedar tree

in the mountains of Lebanon.

16 His mouth is very sweet.

Everything about him is delightful.

That’s what the one who loves me is like.

That’s what my friend is like, women of Jerusalem.”

9 “What kind of beloved is your beloved,

O most beautiful among women?

What kind of beloved is your beloved,

That thus you adjure us?”

10 “My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,

Outstanding among ten thousand.

11 “His head is like gold, pure gold;

His locks are like clusters of dates

And black as a raven.

12 “His eyes are like doves

Beside streams of water,

Bathed in milk,

And reposed in their setting.

13 “His cheeks are like a bed of balsam,

Banks of sweet-scented herbs;

His lips are lilies

Dripping with liquid myrrh.

14 “His hands are rods of gold

Set with beryl;

His abdomen is carved ivory

Inlaid with sapphires.

15 “His legs are pillars of alabaster

Set on pedestals of pure gold;

His appearance is like Lebanon

Choice as the cedars.

16 “His mouth is full of sweetness.

And he is wholly desirable.

This is my beloved and this is my friend,

O daughters of Jerusalem.”