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[a]How beautiful are your sandaled feet,
    O queenly maiden.
Your rounded thighs are like jewels,
    the work of a skilled craftsman.
Your navel is perfectly formed
    like a goblet filled with mixed wine.
Between your thighs lies a mound of wheat
    bordered with lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
    twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is as beautiful as an ivory tower.
Your eyes are like the sparkling pools in Heshbon
    by the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is as fine as the tower of Lebanon
    overlooking Damascus.
Your head is as majestic as Mount Carmel,
    and the sheen of your hair radiates royalty.
    The king is held captive by its tresses.
Oh, how beautiful you are!
    How pleasing, my love, how full of delights!
You are slender like a palm tree,
    and your breasts are like its clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
    and take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like grape clusters,
    and the fragrance of your breath like apples.
May your kisses be as exciting as the best wine—

Young Woman

Yes, wine that goes down smoothly for my lover,
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I am my lover’s,
    and he claims me as his own.
11 Come, my love, let us go out to the fields
    and spend the night among the wildflowers.[c]
12 Let us get up early and go to the vineyards
    to see if the grapevines have budded,
if the blossoms have opened,
    and if the pomegranates have bloomed.
    There I will give you my love.
13 There the mandrakes give off their fragrance,
    and the finest fruits are at our door,
new delights as well as old,
    which I have saved for you, my lover.

Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Verses 7:1-13 are numbered 7:2-14 in Hebrew text.
  2. 7:9 As in Greek and Syriac versions and Latin Vulgate; Hebrew reads over lips of sleepers.
  3. 7:11 Or in the villages.

How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess![a](A)
The curves of your thighs are like jewelry,
the handiwork of a master.
Your navel is a rounded bowl;
it never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a mound of wheat
surrounded by lilies.
Your breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle.(B)
Your neck is like a tower of ivory,(C)
your eyes like pools in Heshbon
by Bath-rabbim’s gate.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon
looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you[b] like Mount Carmel,
the hair of your head like purple cloth—
a king could be held captive(D) in your tresses.
How beautiful you are and how pleasant,(E)
my love, with such delights!
Your stature is like a palm tree;
your breasts are clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree
and take hold of its fruit.”(F)
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes,
and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.(G)
Your mouth[c] is like fine wine(H)

Woman

flowing smoothly for my love,
gliding past my lips and teeth![d]
10 I am my love’s,
and his desire(I) is for me.(J)

11 Come, my love,
let’s go to the field;
let’s spend the night among the henna blossoms.[e]
12 Let’s go early to the vineyards;
let’s see if the vine has budded,
if the blossom has opened,
if the pomegranates are in bloom.(K)
There I will give you my caresses.
13 The mandrakes(L) give off a fragrance,
and at our doors is every delicacy,
both new and old.
I have treasured them up for you, my love.

Footnotes

  1. 7:1 Lit daughter of a nobleman, or prince
  2. 7:5 Lit head upon you is
  3. 7:9 Lit palate
  4. 7:9 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads past lips of sleepers
  5. 7:11 Or the villages