男子:

我的妹妹,我的新娘啊,
我已經來到自己的園中,
採了我的沒藥和香料,
品嚐了我的蜂房和蜂蜜,
也享用了我的美酒和鮮奶。

耶路撒冷的少女:

朋友們,盡情吃喝吧。
相愛的人啊,沉醉在愛中吧!

女子:

我雖然躺在床上,心卻清醒。
我聽見我的良人在叩門,說:「開門吧!
我的妹妹,我的愛人,
我完美無瑕的小鴿子啊,
我的頭上沾滿了露水,
頭髮被夜間的露珠弄濕了。」
可是我已經脫了衣裳,難道要再穿上嗎?
我已經洗了腳,怎能再沾土呢?
我的良人從門孔伸進手來,
我心神為之蕩漾,
就起來為他開門;
我的雙手滴下沒藥,
甚至門閂也沾了我指頭滴下的沒藥。
我為良人開了門,
他卻已經離開了。
他的離去使我心中失落。[a]
我到處找他,卻找不著;
我呼喚他,卻得不到回答。
城中巡邏的衛兵遇見我,
把我打傷了,
看守城牆的人還搶走了我的披肩。
耶路撒冷的少女啊,
我懇求你們,
倘若遇見我的良人,
請告訴他我思愛成病。

耶路撒冷的少女:

絕色的佳人啊!
你的良人與別的男子比較,
究竟有什麼長處,
以致你這樣懇求我們呢?

女子:

10 他紅光滿面,
超越萬人。
11 他頭如純金,
烏黑發亮的捲髮像波浪。
12 他的眼睛清澈明亮,
如同溪旁用奶洗淨的白鴿,
又像鑲嵌合適的寶石。
13 他的雙頰芬芳,
猶如種滿香草的花圃。
他的嘴唇好像百合花,
滴下沒藥汁。
14 他的雙臂如同鑲著水蒼玉的金杖,
身體如同鑲嵌藍寶石的象牙。
15 他的雙腿好像純金座上的白玉石柱,
體格如黎巴嫩挺拔的香柏樹。
16 他的嘴甘甜如蜜,
整個人都令人愛慕。
耶路撒冷的少女啊,
這就是我的良人,
我的朋友。

Footnotes

  1. 5·6 他的離去使我心中失落」或譯「他說話時,我神不守舍」。

The Bride Praises the Bridegroom

The Beloved

I (A)have come to my garden, my (B)sister, my spouse;
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
(C)I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.

(To His Friends)

Eat, O (D)friends!
Drink, yes, drink deeply,
O beloved ones!

The Shulamite’s Troubled Evening

The Shulamite

I sleep, but my heart is awake;
It is the voice of my beloved!
(E)He knocks, saying,
“Open for me, my sister, [a]my love,
My dove, my perfect one;
For my head is covered with dew,
My [b]locks with the drops of the night.”

I have taken off my robe;
How can I put it on again?
I have washed my feet;
How can I [c]defile them?
My beloved put his hand
By the [d]latch of the door,
And my heart yearned for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
My fingers with liquid myrrh,
On the handles of the lock.

I opened for my beloved,
But my beloved had turned away and was gone.
My [e]heart leaped up when he spoke.
(F)I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
(G)The watchmen who went about the city found me.
They struck me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls
Took my veil away from me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
That you tell him I am lovesick!

The Daughters of Jerusalem

What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
(H)O fairest among women?
What is your beloved
More than another beloved,
That you so [f]charge us?

The Shulamite

10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
[g]Chief among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the finest gold;
His locks are wavy,
And black as a raven.
12 (I)His eyes are like doves
By the rivers of waters,
Washed with milk,
And [h]fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices,
Banks of scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
Dripping liquid myrrh.

14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with beryl.
His body is carved ivory
Inlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are pillars of marble
Set on bases of fine gold.
His countenance is like Lebanon,
Excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet,
Yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
And this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem!

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 5:2 my companion, friend
  2. Song of Solomon 5:2 curls or hair
  3. Song of Solomon 5:3 dirty
  4. Song of Solomon 5:4 opening
  5. Song of Solomon 5:6 Lit. soul
  6. Song of Solomon 5:9 adjure
  7. Song of Solomon 5:10 Distinguished
  8. Song of Solomon 5:12 sitting in a setting

He

I (A)came to my garden, my (B)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my (C)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my (D)honeycomb with my honey,
    I (E)drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, (F)friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love!

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (G)knocking.
“Open to me, my (H)sister, my (I)love,
    my (J)dove, my (K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my (L)locks with the drops of the night.”
(M)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had (N)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with (O)liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (P)spoke.
(Q)I sought him, but found him not;
    (R)I called him, but he gave no answer.
(S)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
    they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.
I (T)adjure you, O (U)daughters of Jerusalem,
    if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
    (V)I am sick with love.

Others

What is your beloved more than another beloved,
    O (W)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
    that you thus (X)adjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

She

10 My beloved is radiant and (Y)ruddy,
    (Z)distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
    (AA)his locks are wavy,
    black as a raven.
12 His (AB)eyes are like doves
    beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
    sitting beside a full pool.[a]
13 His (AC)cheeks are like (AD)beds of spices,
    mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are (AE)lilies,
    dripping (AF)liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold,
    set with (AG)jewels.
His body is polished ivory,[b]
    bedecked with (AH)sapphires.[c]
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
    set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like (AI)Lebanon,
    choice as the cedars.
16 His (AJ)mouth[d] is most sweet,
    and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
    O (AK)daughters of Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 5:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Song of Solomon 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
  3. Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew lapis lazuli
  4. Song of Solomon 5:16 Hebrew palate