Song of Solomon 3:1–8:14

3 All night long on my bed

I lookedf 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.g

“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,h

to the room of the one who conceived me.i

5 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge youj

by the gazelles and by the does of the field:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until it so desires.k

6 Who is this coming up from the wildernessl

like a column of smoke,

perfumed with myrrhm and incense

made from all the spicesn of the merchant?

7 Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,

escorted by sixty warriors,o

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.p

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.q

Looka 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.r

He

4 How beautiful you are, my darling!

Oh, how beautiful!

Your eyes behind your veils are doves.t

Your hair is like a flock of goats

descending from the hills of Gilead.u

2 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,

coming up from the washing.

Each has its twin;

not one of them is alone.v

3 Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;

your mouthw is lovely.x

Your temples behind your veil

are like the halves of a pomegranate.y

4 Your neck is like the towerz of David,

built with courses of stonea;

on it hang a thousand shields,a

all of them shields of warriors.

5 Your breastsb are like two fawns,

like twin fawns of a gazellec

that browse among the lilies.d

6 Until the day breaks

and the shadows flee,e

I will go to the mountain of myrrhf

and to the hill of incense.

7 You are altogether beautiful,g my darling;

there is no flawh in you.

8 Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,i

come with me from Lebanon.

Descend from the crest of Amana,

from the top of Senir,j the summit of Hermon,k

from the lions’ dens

and the mountain haunts of leopards.

9 You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride;l

you have stolen my heart

with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.m

10 How delightfuln is your loveo, my sister, my bride!

How much more pleasing is your love than wine,p

and the fragrance of your perfumeq

more than any spice!

11 Your lips drop sweetness as the honeycomb, my bride;

milk and honey are under your tongue.r

The fragrance of your garments

is like the fragrance of Lebanon.s

12 You are a gardent locked up, my sister, my bride;u

you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain.v

13 Your plants are an orchard of pomegranatesw

with choice fruits,

with hennax and nard,

14 nard and saffron,

calamus and cinnamon,y

with every kind of incense tree,

with myrrhz and aloesa

and all the finest spices.b

15 You areb a gardenc fountain,d

a well of flowing water

streaming down from Lebanon.

She

16 Awake, north wind,

and come, south wind!

Blow on my garden,e

that its fragrancef may spread everywhere.

Let my belovedg come into his garden

and taste its choice fruits.h

He

5 I have come into my garden,i my sister, my bride;j

I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.

I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;

I have drunk my wine and my milk.k

Friends

Eat, friends, and drink;

drink your fill of love.

She

2 I slept but my heart was awake.

Listen! My beloved is knocking:

“Open to me, my sister, my darling,

my dove,l my flawlessm one.n

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,o

my fingers with flowing myrrh,

on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened for my beloved,p

but my beloved had left; he was gone.q

My heart sank at his departure.a

I lookedr 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.s

They beat me, they bruised me;

they took away my cloak,

those watchmen of the walls!

8 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge yout—

if you find my beloved,u

what will you tell him?

Tell him I am faint with love.v

Friends

9 How is your beloved better than others,

most beautiful of women?w

How is your beloved better than others,

that you so charge us?

She

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,

outstanding among ten thousand.x

11 His head is purest gold;

his hair is wavy

and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like dovesy

by the water streams,

washed in milk,z

mounted like jewels.

13 His cheeksa are like beds of spiceb

yielding perfume.

His lips are like liliesc

dripping with myrrh.d

14 His arms are rods of gold

set with topaz.

His body is like polished ivory

decorated with lapis lazuli.e

15 His legs are pillars of marble

set on bases of pure gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon,f

choice as its cedars.

16 His mouthg is sweetness itself;

he is altogether lovely.

This is my beloved,h this is my friend,

daughters of Jerusalem.i

Friends

6 Where has your belovedj gone,

most beautiful of women?k

Which way did your beloved turn,

that we may look for him with you?

She

2 My beloved has gonel down to his garden,m

to the beds of spices,n

to browse in the gardens

and to gather lilies.

3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;o

he browses among the lilies.p

He

4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah,q my darling,

as lovely as Jerusalem,r

as majestic as troops with banners.s

5 Turn your eyes from me;

they overwhelm me.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

descending from Gilead.t

6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep

coming up from the washing.

Each has its twin,

not one of them is missing.u

7 Your temples behind your veilv

are like the halves of a pomegranate.w

8 Sixty queensx there may be,

and eighty concubines,y

and virgins beyond number;

9 but my dove,z my perfect one,a is unique,

the only daughter of her mother,

the favorite of the one who bore her.b

The young women saw her and called her blessed;

the queens and concubines praised her.

Friends

10 Who is this that appears like the dawn,

fair as the moon, bright as the sun,

majestic as the stars in procession?

He

11 I went down to the grove of nut trees

to look at the new growth in the valley,

to see if the vines had budded

or the pomegranates were in bloom.c

12 Before I realized it,

my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people.a

Friends

13 Come back, come back, O Shulammite;

come back, come back, that we may gaze on you!

He

Why would you gaze on the Shulammite

as on the danced of Mahanaim?b

7 a How beautiful your sandaled feet,

O prince’se daughter!

Your graceful legs are like jewels,

the work of an artist’s hands.

2 Your navel is a rounded goblet

that never lacks blended wine.

Your waist is a mound of wheat

encircled by lilies.

3 Your breastsf are like two fawns,

like twin fawns of a gazelle.

4 Your neck is like an ivory tower.g

Your eyes are the pools of Heshbonh

by the gate of Bath Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanoni

looking toward Damascus.

5 Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.j

Your hair is like royal tapestry;

the king is held captive by its tresses.

6 How beautifulk you are and how pleasing,

my love, with your delights!l

7 Your stature is like that of the palm,

and your breastsm like clusters of fruit.

8 I said, “I will climb the palm tree;

I will take hold of its fruit.”

May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,

the fragrance of your breath like apples,n

9 and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,o

flowing gently over lips and teeth.b

10 I belong to my beloved,

and his desirep is for me.q

11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,

let us spend the night in the villages.c

12 Let us go early to the vineyardsr

to see if the vines have budded,s

if their blossomst have opened,

and if the pomegranatesu are in bloomv—

there I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakesw send out their fragrance,

and at our door is every delicacy,

both new and old,

that I have stored up for you, my beloved.x

8 If only you were to me like a brother,

who was nursed at my mother’s breasts!

Then, if I found you outside,

I would kiss you,

and no one would despise me.

2 I would lead you

and bring you to my mother’s housey—

she who has taught me.

I would give you spiced wine to drink,

the nectar of my pomegranates.

3 His left arm is under my head

and his right arm embraces me.z

4 Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until it so desires.a

Friends

5 Who is this coming up from the wildernessb

leaning on her beloved?

She

Under the apple tree I roused you;

there your mother conceivedc you,

there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6 Place me like a seal over your heart,

like a seal on your arm;

for loved is as strong as death,

its jealousya e unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,

like a mighty flame.b

7 Many waters cannot quench love;

rivers cannot sweep it away.

If one were to give

all the wealth of one’s house for love,

itc would be utterly scorned.f

Friends

8 We have a little sister,

and her breasts are not yet grown.

What shall we do for our sister

on the day she is spoken for?

9 If she is a wall,

we will build towers of silver on her.

If she is a door,

we will enclose her with panels of cedar.

She

10 I am a wall,

and my breasts are like towers.

Thus I have become in his eyes

like one bringing contentment.

11 Solomon had a vineyardg in Baal Hamon;

he …