By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?

It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; threescore valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon.

10 He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love, for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold king Solomon with the crown wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.

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

新婦尋求新郎

我夜間躺臥在床上,尋找我心所愛的。我尋找他,卻尋不見。 我說:「我要起來,遊行城中,在街市上,在寬闊處,尋找我心所愛的。」我尋找他,卻尋不見。 城中巡邏看守的人遇見我,我問他們:「你們看見我心所愛的沒有?」 我剛離開他們,就遇見我心所愛的。我拉住他,不容他走,領他入我母家,到懷我者的內室。

耶路撒冷的眾女子啊,我指著羚羊或田野的母鹿囑咐你們:不要驚動,不要叫醒我所親愛的,等她自己情願[a]

那從曠野上來,形狀如煙柱,以沒藥和乳香並商人各樣香粉薰的,是誰呢? 看哪,是所羅門的轎,四圍有六十個勇士,都是以色列中的勇士, 手都持刀,善於爭戰,腰間佩刀,防備夜間有驚慌。 所羅門王用黎巴嫩木為自己製造一乘華轎。 10 轎柱是用銀做的,轎底是用金做的,坐墊是紫色的,其中所鋪的乃耶路撒冷眾女子的愛情。 11 錫安的眾女子啊,你們出去觀看所羅門王,頭戴冠冕,就是在他婚筵的日子,心中喜樂的時候,他母親給他戴上的。

Footnotes

  1. 雅歌 3:5 「不要叫醒」云云或作「不要激動愛情,等它自發」。