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Beloved

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

Lover

As a lily among thorns,
    so is my love among the daughters.

Beloved

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
    so is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
    his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banquet hall.
    His banner over me is love.
Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples;
    for I am faint with love.
His left hand is under my head.
    His right hand embraces me.
I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
    by the roes, or by the hinds of the field,
    that you not stir up, nor awaken love,
    until it so desires.

The voice of my beloved!
    Behold, he comes,
    leaping on the mountains,
    skipping on the hills.
My beloved is like a roe or a young deer.
    Behold, he stands behind our wall!
He looks in at the windows.
    He glances through the lattice.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me,
    “Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
11 For behold, the winter is past.
    The rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth.
    The time of the singing has come,
    and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens her green figs.
    The vines are in blossom.
    They give out their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
    and come away.”

Lover

14 My dove in the clefts of the rock,
    in the hiding places of the mountainside,
    let me see your face.
    let me hear your voice;
    for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.
15 Catch for us the foxes,
    the little foxes that plunder the vineyards;
    for our vineyards are in blossom.

Beloved

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his.
    He browses among the lilies.
17 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
    turn, my beloved,
    and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.

The Bride’s Admiration

“I am the [a](A)rose of (B)Sharon,
The (C)lily of the valleys.”

The Groom

“Like a lily among the thorns,
So is (D)my darling among the [b]young women.”

The Bride

“Like an (E)apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the [c]young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his (F)fruit was sweet to my [d]taste.
He has (G)brought me to his [e]banquet hall,
And his (H)banner over me is love.
Refresh me with (I)raisin cakes,
Sustain me with (J)apples,
Because (K)I am lovesick.
(L)His left hand is under my head,
And (M)his right hand (N)embraces me.”

The Groom

(O)Swear to me, you (P)daughters of Jerusalem,
By the (Q)gazelles or by the (R)does of the field,
(S)That you will not disturb or awaken my love
Until she pleases.”

The Bride

“Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Leaping (T)on the mountains,
Jumping on the hills!
My beloved is like a (U)gazelle or a (V)young [f]stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering (W)through the lattice.

10 “My beloved responded and said to me,
(X)Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
11 For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
12 The blossoms have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for [g]pruning the vines,
And the voice of the (Y)turtledove has been heard in our land.
13 The (Z)fig tree has ripened its fruit,
And the (AA)vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

The Groom

14 (AB)My dove, (AC)in the clefts of the [h]rock,
In the hiding place of the mountain pathway,
Let me see [i]how you look,
(AD)Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is pleasant,
And [j]you look (AE)delightful.”

The Chorus

15 (AF)Catch the [k]foxes for us,
The [l]little [m]foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our (AG)vineyards are in blossom.”

The Bride

16 (AH)My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He (AI)pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 (AJ)Until the cool of the day, when the shadows flee,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a (AK)gazelle
Or a young stag (AL)on the mountains of [n]Bether.”

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 2:1 Lit asphodel
  2. Song of Solomon 2:2 Lit daughters
  3. Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit sons
  4. Song of Solomon 2:3 Lit palate
  5. Song of Solomon 2:4 Lit house of wine
  6. Song of Solomon 2:9 Lit of the stags
  7. Song of Solomon 2:12 Or singing
  8. Song of Solomon 2:14 Or crag
  9. Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit your appearance
  10. Song of Solomon 2:14 Lit your appearance
  11. Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
  12. Song of Solomon 2:15 Or young
  13. Song of Solomon 2:15 Or jackals
  14. Song of Solomon 2:17 Or ravines; or perfumes