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By night on my bed,

    I sought him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but I didn’t find him.
I will get up now, and go about the city;
    in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves.
    I sought him, but I didn’t find him.
The watchmen who go about the city found me;
    “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
I had scarcely passed from them,
    when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go,
    until I had brought him into my mother’s house,
    into the room of her who conceived 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.

Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke,
    perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all spices of the merchant?
Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage!
    Sixty mighty men are around it,
    of the mighty men of Israel.
They all handle the sword, and are expert in war.
    Every man has his sword on his thigh,
    because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a carriage
    of the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its pillars of silver,
    its bottom of gold, its seat of purple,
    the middle of it being paved with love,
    from the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon,
    with the crown with which his mother has crowned him,
    in the day of his weddings,
    in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Young Woman

One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover.
    I yearned for him, but he did not come.
So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city,
    searching in all its streets and squares.
I will search for the one I love.”
    So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds,
    and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”
Then scarcely had I left them
    when I found my love!
I caught and held him tightly,
    then I brought him to my mother’s house,
    into my mother’s bed, where I had been conceived.

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

Young Women of Jerusalem

Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness
    like a cloud of smoke?
Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense
    and every kind of spice?
Look, it is Solomon’s carriage,
    surrounded by sixty heroic men,
    the best of Israel’s soldiers.
They are all skilled swordsmen,
    experienced warriors.
Each wears a sword on his thigh,
    ready to defend the king against an attack in the night.
King Solomon’s carriage is built
    of wood imported from Lebanon.
10 Its posts are silver,
    its canopy gold;
    its cushions are purple.
It was decorated with love
    by the young women of Jerusalem.

Young Woman

11 Come out to see King Solomon,
    young women of Jerusalem.[b]
He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day,
    his most joyous day.

Footnotes

  1. 3:5 Or not to awaken love until it is ready.
  2. 3:11 Hebrew of Zion.

All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look