Song of Solomon 3–5

1On my bed at night I sought the one I love; I sought him, but did not find him.

2I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and squares. I will seek the one I love. So I sought him but did not find him.

3I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city: “Have you seen the one I love?”

4I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held him and would not let go until I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the chamber of the one who conceived me.

5O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

6Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense from all the spices of the merchant?

7Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage, escorted by sixty of the mightiest men of Israel.

8All are skilled with the sword, experienced in warfare. Each has his sword at his side prepared for the terror of the night.

9King Solomon has made his carriage out of the timber of Lebanon.

10He has made its posts of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple fabric. Its interior is inlaid with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.

11Come out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding— the day of his heart’s rejoicing.

1How beautiful you are, my darling— how very beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.

2Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from the washing; each has its twin, and not one of them is lost.

3Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate.

4Your neck is like the tower of David, built with rows of stones; on it hang a thousand shields, all of them shields of warriors.

5Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.

6Before the day breaks and the shadows flee, I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.

7You are altogether beautiful, my darling; in you there is no flaw.

8Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon! Descend from the peak of Amana, from the summits of Senir and Hermon, from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

9You have captured my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your neck.

10How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is much better than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than all spices.

11Your lips, my bride, drip sweetness like the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments is like the aroma of Lebanon.

12My sister, my bride, you are a garden locked up, a spring enclosed, a fountain sealed.

13Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,

14with nard and saffron, with calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of frankincense tree, with myrrh and aloes, with all the finest spices.

15You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.

16Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

1I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. The Friends Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

2I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3I have taken off my robe— must I put it back on? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?

4My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.

5I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt.

6I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer.

7I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls.

8O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.

9How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?

10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

11His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

12His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.

13His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.

14His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is polished ivory bedecked with sapphires.

15His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars.

16His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.