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Young Woman

I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain,[a]
    the lily of the valley.

Young Man

Like a lily among thistles
    is my darling among young women.

Young Woman

Like the finest apple tree in the orchard
    is my lover among other young men.
I sit in his delightful shade
    and taste his delicious fruit.
He escorts me to the banquet hall;
    it’s obvious how much he loves me.
Strengthen me with raisin cakes,
    refresh me with apples,
    for I am weak with love.
His left arm is under my head,
    and his right arm embraces me.

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles and wild deer,
    not to awaken love until the time is right.[b]

Ah, I hear my lover coming!
    He is leaping over the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.
My lover is like a swift gazelle
    or a young stag.
Look, there he is behind the wall,
    looking through the window,
    peering into the room.

10 My lover said to me,
    “Rise up, my darling!
    Come away with me, my fair one!
11 Look, the winter is past,
    and the rains are over and gone.
12 The flowers are springing up,
    the season of singing birds[c] has come,
    and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.
13 The fig trees are forming young fruit,
    and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.
Rise up, my darling!
    Come away with me, my fair one!”

Young Man

14 My dove is hiding behind the rocks,
    behind an outcrop on the cliff.
Let me see your face;
    let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
    and your face is lovely.

Young Women of Jerusalem

15 Catch all the foxes,
    those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
    for the grapevines are blossoming!

Young Woman

16 My lover is mine, and I am his.
    He browses among the lilies.
17 Before the dawn breezes blow
    and the night shadows flee,
return to me, my love, like a gazelle
    or a young stag on the rugged mountains.[d]

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Traditionally rendered I am the rose of Sharon. Sharon Plain is a region in the coastal plain of Palestine.
  2. 2:7 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
  3. 2:12 Or the season of pruning vines.
  4. 2:17 Or on the hills of Bether.

I am a rose of Sharon,
    a lily growing in the valleys.

[Groom]

Like a lily among thorns,
    so is my true love among the young women.

[Bride]

Like an apple tree among the trees in the forest,
    so is my beloved among the young men.
        I want to sit in his shadow.
            His fruit tastes sweet to me.
He leads me into a banquet room
    and looks at me with love.
        Strengthen me with raisins
            and refresh me with apples
                because I am weak from love.
His left hand is under my head.
    His right hand caresses me.

Young women of Jerusalem, swear to me
    by the gazelles
        or by the does in the field
            that you will not awaken love
                or arouse love before its proper time.

The Young Woman Remembers One Spring Day with Her Beloved

[Bride]

I hear my beloved’s voice.
    Look! Here he comes,
        sprinting over the mountains,
        racing over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
        peeking through the window,
        looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved said to me,
    “Get up, my true love, my beautiful one, and come with me.
11 Look! The winter is past.
    The rain is over and gone.
12 Blossoms appear in the land.
    The time of the songbird has arrived.
        The cooing of the mourning dove is heard in our land.
13 The green figs ripen.
    The grapevines bloom and give off a fragrance.
    Get up, my true love, my beautiful one, and come with me.
14 My dove, in the hiding places of the rocky crevices,
    in the secret places of the cliffs,
        let me see your figure and hear your voice.
        Your voice is sweet, and your figure is lovely.”

15 Catch the foxes for us,
    the little foxes that ruin vineyards.
        Our vineyards are blooming.

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his.
    He is the one who grazes his flock among the lilies.
17 When the day brings a cooling breeze and the shadows flee,
    turn around, my beloved.
        Run like a gazelle or a young stag
            on the mountains that separate us!

A Country Girl in a Palace

I am the rose of Sharon,
And the lily of the valleys.

The Beloved

Like a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.

The Shulamite

Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And (A)his fruit was sweet to my taste.

The Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem

He brought me to the [a]banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.
Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.

(B)His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
(C)I [b]charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

The Beloved’s Request

The Shulamite

The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes
Leaping upon the mountains,
Skipping upon the hills.
(D)My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he stands behind our wall;
He is looking through the windows,
Gazing through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me:
“Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
11 For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!

14 “O my (E)dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your [c]face,
(F)Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”

Her Brothers

15 Catch us (G)the foxes,
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.

The Shulamite

16 (H)My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He feeds his flock among the lilies.

(To Her Beloved)

17 (I)Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved,
And be (J)like a gazelle
Or a young stag
Upon the mountains of [d]Bether.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 2:4 Lit. house of wine
  2. Song of Solomon 2:7 adjure
  3. Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit. appearance
  4. Song of Solomon 2:17 Lit. Separation

I am a rose[a][b] of Sharon,
a lily[c] of the valleys.(A)

M Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.

W Like an apricot[d] tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banquet hall,[e](B)
and he looked on me with love.[f](C)
Sustain me with raisins;
refresh me with apricots,[g]
for I am lovesick.(D)
His left hand is under my head,
and his right arm embraces me.[h](E)
Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field:
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time.[i](F)

Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains,(G)
bounding over the hills.
My love is like a gazelle
or a young stag.(H)
Look, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:

M Arise,(I) my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing[j] has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land.(J)
13 The fig tree ripens its figs;(K)
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance.(L)
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.

14 My dove,(M) in the clefts of the rock,(N)
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face,[k]
let me hear your voice;(O)
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.(P)

15 (W) Catch the foxes for us(Q)
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom.(R)
16 W My love is mine and I am his;(S)
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Before the day breaks[l]
and the shadows flee,
turn to me, my love, and be like a gazelle
or a young stag(T) on the divided mountains.[m](U)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 2:1 Or meadow saffron
  2. Song of Solomon 2:1 Not the modern flower but a common wildflower in northern Israel
  3. Song of Solomon 2:1 Or lotus
  4. Song of Solomon 2:3 Or apple
  5. Song of Solomon 2:4 Lit the house of wine
  6. Song of Solomon 2:4 Or and his banner over me is love
  7. Song of Solomon 2:5 Or apples
  8. Song of Solomon 2:6 Or Let his left hand be under . . . and his right arm embrace me
  9. Song of Solomon 2:7 Lit until it pleases
  10. Song of Solomon 2:12 Or pruning
  11. Song of Solomon 2:14 Or form
  12. Song of Solomon 2:17 Lit breathes
  13. Song of Solomon 2:17 Or the Bether mountains, or the mountains of spices; Hb obscure

I am but a rose from the Sharon,
just a lily in the valleys.

[He]

Like a lily among thorns
is my darling among the other women.

[She]

Like an apple tree among the other trees in the forest
is my darling among the other men.
I love to sit in his shadow;
his fruit is sweet to my taste.
He brings me to the banquet hall;
his banner over me is love.
Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples,
for I am sick with love.
[I wish] his left arm [were] under my head,
and his right arm around me.

I warn you, daughters of Yerushalayim,
by the gazelles and deer in the wilds,
not to awaken or stir up love
until it wants to arise!

The voice of the man I love! Here he comes,
bounding over the mountains, skipping over the hills!
My darling is like a gazelle or young stag.
There he is, standing outside our wall,
looking in through the windows,
peering in through the lattice.
10 My darling speaks; he is saying to me,
“Get up, my love! My beauty! Come away!
11 For you see that the winter has passed,
the rain is finished and gone,
12 the flowers are appearing in the countryside,
the time has come for [the birds] to sing,
and the cooing of doves can be heard in the land.
13 The fig trees are forming their unripe figs,
and the grapevines in bloom give out their perfume.
Get up, my love, my beauty!
Come away!”

[He]

14 My dove, hiding in holes in the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
let me see your face and hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

[She]

15 “Catch the foxes for us,
yes, the little foxes!
They are ruining the vineyards
when our vineyards are in bloom!”

16 My darling is mine, and I am his,
as he pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 Before the daytime breeze rises
and the shadows flee,
return, my love, like a stag or gazelle
on the hills of Beter.