Song of Solomon 5

5The king says,

“My bride, I have come into my garden.

My sister, I’ve gathered my myrrh and my spice.

I’ve eaten my honeycomb and my honey.

I’ve drunk my wine and my milk.”

The other women say to the Shulammite woman and to Solomon,

“Friends, eat and drink.

Lovers, drink all you want.”

The woman says,

²“I slept, but my heart was awake.

Listen! The one who loves me is knocking.

He says, ‘My sister, I love you.

Open up so I can come in.

You are my dove.

You are perfect in every way.

My head is soaked with dew.

The night air has made my hair wet.’

³“But I’ve taken my robe off.

Must I put it on again?

I’ve washed my feet.

Must I get them dirty again?

⁴My love put his hand through the opening.

My heart began to pound for him.

⁵I got up to open the door for my love.

My hands dripped with myrrh.

It flowed from my fingers

onto the handles of the lock.

⁶I opened the door for my love.

But he had left. He was gone.

My heart sank because he had left.

I looked for him but didn’t find him.

I called out to him, but he didn’t answer.

⁷Those on guard duty found me

as they were walking around in the city.

They beat me. They hurt me.

Those on guard duty at the walls

took my coat away from me.

⁸Women of Jerusalem, take an oath and make me a promise.

If you find the one who loves me,

tell him our love has made me weak.”

The other women say,

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.

¹¹His head is like the purest gold.

His hair is wavy and as black as a raven.

¹²His 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.

¹³His cheeks are like beds of spice

that give off perfume.

His lips are like lilies

that drip with myrrh.

¹⁴His arms are like gold

that are set with chrysolite.

His body is like polished ivory

that is decorated with sapphires.

¹⁵His 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.

¹⁶His 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.”