CROCUS (תִּרְצָה֒, H9573, delight). A young man complimenting his girl friend would be more likely to use the names of flowers than cities. Therefore Moffatt’s tr. of Tirzah as “crocus” seems right. The v. therefore reads: “You are as beautiful as a crocus, my darling, and as lovely as the Lily of the Valley” (Song of Solomon 6:4).

There were fifteen different types of crocuses known in Pal, and four were found in the Lebanon area—where Solomon prob. wrote the Song of Solomon.

These four are: the gray-blue Crocus canclelatus damascenus; the pale blue C. zonatus; the white and lilac, orange-throated C. lyemalis; and the orange yellow C. vitellinus.