Solomon

1Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.

The Bride Searches for Her Beloved

2I sleep, and my heart watcheth: the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.

3I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

4My beloved put his hand through the key hole, and my bowels were moved at his touch.

5I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.

6I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was gone. My soul melted when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.

7The keepers that go about the city found me: they struck me: and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love.

The Friends

9What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

Admiration by the Bride

10My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.

11His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

12His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.

13His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.

14His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.

15His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.

16His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.