Song of Solomon 5 (New American Standard Bible)

Song of Solomon 5

The Torment of Separation

    ¹"^[a]I have ^(A)come into my garden, ^(B)my sister, my bride;
         I have gathered my ^(C)myrrh along with my balsam
         I have eaten my honeycomb and my ^(D)honey;
         I have ^(E)drunk my wine and my milk
         Eat, ^(F)friends;
         Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers."
    ²"^[b]I was asleep but my heart was awake.
         A voice! My beloved was knocking:
         'Open to me, ^(G)my sister, my darling,
         ^(H)My dove, my perfect one!
         For my head is drenched with dew,
         My ^(I)locks with the damp of the night.'
    ³"I have ^(J)taken off my dress,
         How can I put it on again?
         I have ^(K)washed my feet,
         How can I dirty them again?
    ⁴"My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
         And my ^(L)feelings were aroused for him.
    ⁵"I arose to open to my beloved;
         And my hands ^(M)dripped with myrrh,
         And my fingers with liquid myrrh,
         On the handles of the bolt.
    ⁶"I opened to my beloved,
         But my beloved had ^(N)turned away and had gone!
         My heart went out to him as he ^(O)spoke
         I ^(P)searched for him but I did not find him;
         I ^(Q)called him but he did not answer me.
    ⁷"The ^(R)watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
         They struck me and wounded me;
         The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.
    ⁸"I ^(S)adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
         If you find my beloved,
         As to what you will tell him:
         For ^(T)I am lovesick."
    ⁹"^[c]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
         O ^(U)most beautiful among women?
         What kind of beloved is your beloved,
         That thus you adjure us?"

Admiration by the Bride

    ¹⁰"^[d]My beloved is dazzling and ^(V)ruddy,
         ^(W)Outstanding among ten thousand.
    ¹¹"His head is like gold, pure gold;
         His ^(X)locks are like clusters of dates
         And black as a raven.
    ¹²"His ^(Y)eyes are like doves
         Beside streams of water,
         Bathed in milk,
         And reposed in their ^(Z)setting.
    ¹³"His cheeks are like a ^(AA)bed of balsam,
         Banks of sweet-scented herbs;
         His lips are ^(AB)lilies
         ^(AC)Dripping with liquid myrrh.
    ¹⁴"His hands are rods of gold
         Set with ^(AD)beryl;
         His abdomen is carved ivory
         Inlaid with ^(AE)sapphires.
    ¹⁵"His legs are pillars of alabaster
         Set on pedestals of pure gold;
         His appearance is like ^(AF)Lebanon
         Choice as the ^(AG)cedars.
    ¹⁶"His ^(AH)mouth is full of sweetness
         And he is wholly ^(AI)desirable.
         This is my beloved and this is my friend,
         O daughters of Jerusalem."