12 A garden locked is my (A)sister, my bride,
    a spring locked, (B)a fountain (C)sealed.
13 Your shoots are (D)an orchard of pomegranates
    with all (E)choicest fruits,
    (F)henna with (G)nard,
14 nard and saffron, (H)calamus and (I)cinnamon,
    with all trees of (J)frankincense,
(K)myrrh and (L)aloes,
    with all (M)choice spices—
15 a garden fountain, a well of (N)living water,
    and flowing streams from (O)Lebanon.

16 Awake, O north wind,
    and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my (P)garden,
    let its spices flow.

Together in the Garden of Love

She

(Q)Let my beloved come to his (R)garden,
    and eat its (S)choicest fruits.

He

I (T)came to my garden, my (U)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my (V)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my (W)honeycomb with my honey,
    I (X)drank my wine with my milk.

Others

Eat, (Y)friends, drink,
    and be drunk with love!

12 My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden—
a locked garden[a] and a sealed spring.(A)
13 Your branches are a paradise[b] of pomegranates
with choicest fruits;(B)
henna with nard,
14 nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,(C)
with all the trees of frankincense,(D)
myrrh and aloes,(E)
with all the best spices.
15 You are a garden spring,
a well of flowing water(F)
streaming from Lebanon.

Woman

16 Awaken,(G) north wind;
come, south wind.
Blow on my garden,
and spread the fragrance of its spices.
Let my love come to his garden
and eat its choicest fruits.(H)

Man

I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride.
I gather[c] my myrrh with my spices.
I eat my honeycomb with my honey.
I drink my wine with my milk.

Narrator

Eat, friends!
Drink, be intoxicated with caresses![d](I)

Footnotes

  1. 4:12 Some Hb mss read locked fountain
  2. 4:13 Or park, or orchard
  3. 5:1 Lit pluck
  4. 5:1 Or Drink your fill, lovers