8 Listen! My beloved!

Look! Here he comes,

leaping across the mountains,

bounding over the hills.p

9 My beloved is like a gazelleq or a young stag.r

Look! There he stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke and said to me,

“Arise, my darling,

my beautiful one, come with me.

11 See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;s

the blossomingt vines spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling;

my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

14 My doveu in the clefts of the rock,

in the hiding places on the mountainside,

show me your face,

let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet,

and your face is lovely.v

15 Catch for us the foxes,w

the little foxes

that ruin the vineyards,x

our vineyards that are in bloom.y

She

16 My beloved is mine and I am his;z

he browses among the lilies.a

17 Until the day breaks

and the shadows flee,b

turn, my beloved,c

and be like a gazelle

or like a young stagd

on the rugged hills.d e