He

How beautiful you are, my darling!
    Oh, how beautiful!
    Your eyes behind your veil(A) are doves.(B)
Your hair is like a flock of goats
    descending from the hills of Gilead.(C)
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
    coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin;
    not one of them is alone.(D)
Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
    your mouth(E) is lovely.(F)
Your temples behind your veil
    are like the halves of a pomegranate.(G)
Your neck is like the tower(H) of David,
    built with courses of stone[a];
on it hang a thousand shields,(I)
    all of them shields of warriors.
Your breasts(J) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle(K)
    that browse among the lilies.(L)
Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(M)
I will go to the mountain of myrrh(N)
    and to the hill of incense.
You are altogether beautiful,(O) my darling;
    there is no flaw(P) in you.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 4:4 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

The Lover

Look at you! You are beautiful, my darling.
Look at you! You are so beautiful.
Your eyes behind your veil are doves,
    your hair is like a flock of goats
        coming down from Mt. Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of sheep about to be sheared,[a]
    who are coming up from being washed.[b]
All of them are twins,
    not one has lost[c] her young.
Your lips are like a scarlet thread,
    and your mouth is lovely.
Behind your veil,
    your temple is like a slice of pomegranate.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
    built with rows of stones.
A thousand shields are hung upon it,
    all the shields of the warriors.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle grazing among the lilies.
Until the day breaks[d] and the shadows flee,
    I’ll go to the mountain of myrrh[e]
        and to the hill of frankincense.[f]
My darling, you are altogether beautiful
    and there is no blemish in you.

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Footnotes

  1. Song of Solomon 4:2 Or like sheared sheep
  2. Song of Solomon 4:2 Lit. from washing
  3. Song of Solomon 4:2 Lit. been bereaved of; i.e. her teeth match
  4. Song of Solomon 4:6 Or until the cool of the day; lit. until the day breathes;
  5. Song of Solomon 4:6 Myrrh was a fragrant spice used as a perfume.
  6. Song of Solomon 4:6 Frankincense was a fragrant spice used to make incense and perfume.