Woman

I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My love was knocking!(A)

Man

Open to me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my perfect one.
For my head is drenched with dew,
my hair with droplets of the night.

Woman

I have taken off my clothing.(B)
How can I put it back on?
I have washed my feet.
How can I get them dirty?
My love thrust his hand through the opening,
and my feelings were stirred for him.
I rose to open for my love.
My hands dripped with myrrh,(C)
my fingers with flowing myrrh
on the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my love,
but my love had turned and gone away.
My heart sank[a] because he had left.[b]
I sought him, but did not find him.(D)
I called him, but he did not answer.
The guards who go about the city found me.(E)
They beat and wounded me;
they took my cloak[c] from me—
the guardians of the walls.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:6 Lit My soul went out
  2. 5:6 Or spoken
  3. 5:7 Or veil, or shawl

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

She

I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (A)knocking.
“Open to me, my (B)sister, my (C)love,
    my (D)dove, my (E)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
    my (F)locks with the drops of the night.”
(G)I had put off my garment;
    how could I put it on?
I had (H)bathed my feet;
    how could I soil them?
My beloved put his hand to the latch,
    and my heart was thrilled within me.
I arose to open to my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with (I)liquid myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved,
    but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (J)spoke.
(K)I sought him, but found him not;
    (L)I called him, but he gave no answer.
(M)The watchmen found me
    as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
    they took away my veil,
    those watchmen of the walls.

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