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[Man]

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride!
I have gathered my myrrh and my spices.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk.
Eat, dear friends!
Drink and get drunk on love!

A missed encounter

[Woman]

I was sleeping, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My love is knocking:

[Man]

“Open for me, my sister, my dearest,
        my dove, my perfect one!
        My head is soaked with dew,
        my hair, with the night mists.”

[Woman]

“I have taken off my tunic—
        why should I put it on again?
I have bathed my feet—
        why should I get them dirty?”
My love put his hand in through the latch hole,
        and my body ached for him.
I rose; I went to open for my love,
        and my hands dripped myrrh,
        my fingers, liquid myrrh,
        over the handles of the lock.
I went and opened for my love,
    but my love had turned, gone away.
I nearly died when he turned away.
I looked for him but couldn’t find him.
        I called out to him, but he didn’t answer me.
They found me—the guards
        who make their rounds in the city.
They struck me, bruised me.
They took my shawl away from me,
        those guards of the city walls!
I place you under oath, daughters of Jerusalem:
If you find my love, what should you tell him?
        That I’m weak with love!

[Daughters of Jerusalem]

How is your lover different from any other lover,
        you who are the most beautiful of women?
How is your lover different from any other lover,
        that you make us swear a solemn pledge?

In praise of him

[Woman]

10 My lover is radiant and ruddy;
        he stands out among ten thousand!
11 His head is finest gold;
        his wavy hair, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves
        by channels of water.
They are bathing in milk,
        sitting by brimming pools.
13 His cheeks are like fragrant plantings,
        towers of spices.
        His lips are lilies
            dripping liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are gold cylinders
        studded with jewels.
His belly is smooth ivory
        encrusted with sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of whitest stone
        set on pedestals of gold.
His appearance—like Lebanon,
        stately, like the cedars.
16 His mouth is everything sweet,
        every bit of him desirable.

This is my love, this my dearest,
        daughters of Jerusalem!

He

I have come into my garden,(A) my sister, my bride;(B)
    I have gathered my myrrh with my spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
    I have drunk my wine and my milk.(C)

Friends

Eat, friends, and drink;
    drink your fill of love.

She

I slept but my heart was awake.
    Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
    my dove,(D) my flawless(E) one.(F)
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.”
I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?
My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
    my heart began to pound for him.
I arose to open for my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,(G)
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
I opened for my beloved,(H)
    but my beloved had left; he was gone.(I)
    My heart sank at his departure.[a]
I looked(J) for him but did not find him.
    I called him but he did not answer.
The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(K)
They beat me, they bruised me;
    they took away my cloak,
    those watchmen of the walls!
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(L)
    if you find my beloved,(M)
what will you tell him?
    Tell him I am faint with love.(N)

Friends

How is your beloved better than others,
    most beautiful of women?(O)
How is your beloved better than others,
    that you so charge us?

She

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
    outstanding among ten thousand.(P)
11 His head is purest gold;
    his hair is wavy
    and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves(Q)
    by the water streams,
washed in milk,(R)
    mounted like jewels.
13 His cheeks(S) are like beds of spice(T)
    yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies(U)
    dripping with myrrh.(V)
14 His arms are rods of gold
    set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
    decorated with lapis lazuli.(W)
15 His legs are pillars of marble
    set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,(X)
    choice as its cedars.
16 His mouth(Y) is sweetness itself;
    he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,(Z) this is my friend,
    daughters of Jerusalem.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 5:6 Or heart had gone out to him when he spoke