1I AM come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spices, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O my friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O my beloved.

2I slept, but my heart was awake; it is the voice of my beloved who is knocking, saying, Open to me, my sister, my beloved, my harmless dove; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4My beloved put in his hand by the opening of the door, and my heart was moved for him.

5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped myrrh, yea, and my fingers dropped myrrh upon the handles of the lock.

6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone; my soul failed when he spoke; then I sought him but I could not find him; I called him but he did not answer me.

7The watchmen that went about the city found me; they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you should find my beloved, tell him that I am sick for love.

9What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you so adjure us?

10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11His head is like the finest gold, his locks straight and black as a raven.

12His eyes are like the eyes of doves by brooks of water, washed with milk and fitly set.

13His cheeks are like beds of spices, like sweet flowers; his lips like lilies, dropping myrrh and spikenard.

14His hands are like golden girdles studded with precious stones; his belly is like a work of ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15His legs are like pillars of marble set upon bases of gold; his chest is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16His mouth is like sweet honeycombs; his garments are lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.