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Lover

I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.
    I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
    I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
    I have drunk my wine with my milk.

Friends

Eat, friends!
    Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved.

Beloved

I was asleep, but my heart was awake.
    It is the voice of my beloved who knocks:
    “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled;
    for my head is filled with dew,
    and my hair with the dampness of the night.”
I have taken off my robe. Indeed, must I put it on?
    I have washed my feet. Indeed, must I soil them?
My beloved thrust his hand in through the latch opening.
    My heart pounded for him.
I rose up to open for my beloved.
    My hands dripped with myrrh,
    my fingers with liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the lock.
I opened to my beloved;
    but my beloved left, and had gone away.
My heart went out when he spoke.
    I looked for him, but I didn’t find him.
    I called him, but he didn’t answer.
The watchmen who go about the city found me.
    They beat me.
    They bruised me.
    The keepers of the walls took my cloak away from me.

I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
    If you find my beloved,
    that you tell him that I am faint with love.

Friends

How is your beloved better than another beloved,
    you fairest among women?
How is your beloved better than another beloved,
that you do so adjure us?

Beloved

10 My beloved is white and ruddy.
    The best among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the purest gold.
    His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks,
    washed with milk, mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices with towers of perfumes.
    His lips are like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are like rings of gold set with beryl.
    His body is like ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are like pillars of marble set on sockets of fine gold.
    His appearance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is sweetness;
    yes, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
    daughters of Jerusalem.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:
I have gathered my myrrh with my [a]spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, O friends;
Drink, yea, drink abundantly, [b]O beloved.

I [c]was asleep, but my heart waked:
It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my [d]undefiled;
For my head is filled with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.
I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on?
I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door,
And my [e]heart was moved for him.
I rose up to open to my beloved;
And my hands dropped with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid myrrh,
Upon the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved;
But my beloved had [f]withdrawn himself, and was gone.
My soul [g]had failed me when he spake:
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
The watchmen that go about the city found me,
They smote me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls took away my [h]mantle from me.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If ye find my beloved,
[i]That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.

What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
O thou fairest among women?
What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
That thou dost so adjure us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
[j]The chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold;
His locks are [k]bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks,
Washed with milk, and [l]fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of [m]spices,
As [n]banks of sweet herbs:
His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are as [o]rings of gold set with [p]beryl:
His body is as [q]ivory work [r]overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold:
His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His [s]mouth is most sweet;
Yea, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or, balsam
  2. Song of Solomon 5:1 Or, of love
  3. Song of Solomon 5:2 Or, sleep, but my heart waketh
  4. Song of Solomon 5:2 Hebrew perfect.
  5. Song of Solomon 5:4 Hebrew bowels.
  6. Song of Solomon 5:6 Or, turned away
  7. Song of Solomon 5:6 Hebrew went forth.
  8. Song of Solomon 5:7 Or, veil
  9. Song of Solomon 5:8 Hebrew What will ye tell him? That etc.
  10. Song of Solomon 5:10 Hebrew Marked out by a banner.
  11. Song of Solomon 5:11 Or, curling
  12. Song of Solomon 5:12 Or, sitting by full streams
  13. Song of Solomon 5:13 Or, balsam
  14. Song of Solomon 5:13 Or, towers of perfumes
  15. Song of Solomon 5:14 Or, cylinders
  16. Song of Solomon 5:14 Or, topaz
  17. Song of Solomon 5:14 Or, bright ivory
  18. Song of Solomon 5:14 Or, encrusted
  19. Song of Solomon 5:16 Or, speech. Hebrew palate.