Add parallel Print Page Options

Him (to her): I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride;
        I have gathered my myrrh with its natural spices.
    I have tasted the honeycomb dripping with my honey
        and have drunk my wine and milk together.

    (to his young friends of Jerusalem) Eat, friends, drink your fill!
        Be intoxicated with love.

Her: I was sleeping, but my heart was awake
        when I heard a sound, the sound of my love pounding at the door.

Him: Open yourself to me, my sister, my dearest,
        my sweet dove, my flawless beauty.
    My head is drenched with dew;
        my hair is soaked with the wetness of the night.

Her: I have taken off my robe.
        How could I ever put it on again?
    I have washed my feet.
        How could I walk across this dirty floor?
    My love put his hand on the latch;
        my insides began to throb for him.
    I leaped from my bed to let my love in.
        My hands were dripping sweet myrrh,
    My fingers were coated with myrrh
        as I reached for the handles of the lock.
    I opened for my love, but he had turned away and was gone.
        He’d left, and my heart sank.
    I looked for him, but I did not see him.
        I called out to him, but he did not answer.
    The watchmen found me
        as they made their rounds in the city.
    They beat me, they left bruises on my skin,
        and they took away my veil, those watchmen on the walls.

    (to the young women of Jerusalem)
    Promise me that if you find my love,
        you will speak with him, telling him that I am faint with love.

Young Women of Jerusalem: How is your beloved better than all the other lovers,
        most beautiful of women?
    How is your beloved worth more than all the rest,
        that you would make us promise this?

10 Her: Because my love is radiant and ruddy,
        he stands out above 10,000 other men.
11     His head is pure gold;
        his hair is thick and wavy and black as a raven.
12     His eyes are like doves at the edge of a stream,
        mounted like jewels and bathed in pools of milk.
13     His bearded cheeks are like a spice garden, with towers of spice:
        His lips are lilies dripping and flowing with myrrh,
14     His hands are like strong rods of gold, each set with jewels.
        His body displays his manhood like an ivory tusk inlaid with sapphires.
15     His legs are like pillars of white marble,
        both set on bases of gold.
    He stands tall and strong like the mountains of Lebanon,
        with all its majestic cedars.
16     His mouth tastes sweet, so sweet;
        he is altogether desirable.
    This is my love. This is my dear one, as I am his,
        O young women of Jerusalem.

He

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)

Friends

Eat, friends, and drink;
    drink your fill of love.

She

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.”
I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?
My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
    my heart began to pound for him.
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.
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.
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!
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)

Friends

How is your beloved better than others,
    most beautiful of women?(O)
How is your beloved better than others,
    that you so charge us?

She

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)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke

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.

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.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

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.

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.

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.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

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.