¹⁰ How beautiful is your love, my ^(A)sister, my bride!
    How much ^(B)better is your love than wine,
    and ^(C)the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
¹¹ Your ^(D)lips drip nectar, my bride;
    ^(E)honey and milk are under your tongue;
    the fragrance of your garments is ^(F)like the fragrance of ^(G)Lebanon.

5 I ^(A)came to my garden, my ^(B)sister, my bride,
    I gathered my ^(C)myrrh with my spice,
    I ate my ^(D)honeycomb with my honey,
    I ^(E)drank my wine with my milk.

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

² I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is ^(G)knocking.
“Open to me, my ^(H)sister, my ^(I)love,
    my ^(J)dove, my ^(K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my ^(L)locks with the drops of the night.”
^3 (M)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had ^(N)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
⁴ My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
⁵ I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with ^(O)liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.

² Your navel is a rounded bowl
    that never lacks mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat,
    encircled with ^(A)lilies.
^3 (B)Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle.

⁷ Your stature is like a palm tree,
    and your breasts are like its clusters.
⁸ I say I will climb the palm tree
    and lay hold of its fruit.
Oh may your breasts be like ^(A)clusters of the vine,
    and the scent of your breath like apples,
⁹ and your ^(B)mouth^[a] like the best wine.

It goes down smoothly for my beloved,
    gliding over lips and teeth.^[b]

8 Oh that you were like a brother to me
    who nursed at my mother's breasts!
If I found you outside, I would kiss you,
    and none would despise me.
² I would lead you and ^(A)bring you
    into the house of my mother—
    she who used to teach me.
I would give you ^(B)spiced wine to drink,
    the juice of my pomegranate.