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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.

Love’s Dream

Upon my bed at night
    I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him but found him not;
    I called him, but he gave no answer.[a](A)
“I will rise 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 found him not.(B)
The sentinels found me,
    as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”(C)
Scarcely had I passed them,
    when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    until I brought him into my mother’s house
    and into the chamber of her that conceived me.(D)
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles or the wild does:
do not stir up or awaken love
    until it is ready!(E)

The Young Man and His Party Approach

Who is that coming up from the wilderness
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?(F)
Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men
    of the mighty men of Israel,
all equipped with swords
    and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh
    because of alarms by night.(G)
King Solomon made himself a palanquin
    from the wood of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver,
    its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with stone.
    Daughters[b] of Jerusalem,(H)
11     come out and look[c]
    at King Solomon,
at the crown with which his mother crowned him
    on the day of his wedding,
    on the day of the gladness of his heart.

Footnotes

  1. 3.1 Gk: Heb lacks this line
  2. 3.10 Cn Compare Gk: Heb with love from the daughters
  3. 3.11 Gk: Heb adds daughters of Zion