Song of Solomon 5

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

Bride: May my beloved enter into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. Groom to Bride: I have arrived in my garden, O my sister, my spouse. I have harvested my myrrh, with my aromatic oils. I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, O most beloved.

2 I was asleep, but my heart awoke. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled. For my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.

Bride: I sleep, yet my heart watches. The voice of my beloved knocking: Groom to Bride: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my immaculate one. For my head is full of dew, and the locks of my hair are full of the drops of the night.

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

Bride: I have taken off my tunic; how shall I be clothed in it? I have washed my feet; how shall I spoil them?

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

My beloved put his hand through the window, and my inner self was moved by his touch.

5 I rose up to open to my beloved, and my hands drops with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.

I rose up in order to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the finest myrrh.

6 I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. My soul had failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he gave me no answer.

I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved. But he had turned aside and had gone away. My soul melted when he spoke. I sought him, and did not find him. I called, and he did not answer me.

7 The watchmen who go about the city found me. They smote me, they wounded me. The keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.

The keepers who circulate through the city found me. They struck me, and wounded me. The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

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

I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, announce to him that I languish through love.

9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou do so adjure us?

Chorus to Bride: What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, so that you would bind us by oath?

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

Bride: My beloved is white and ruddy, elect among thousands.

11 His head is the most fine gold. His locks are bushy, black as a raven.

His head is like the finest gold. His locks are like the heights of palm trees, and as black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks, washed with milk, fitly set.

His eyes are like doves, which have been washed with milk over rivulets of waters, and which reside near plentiful streams.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, banks of sweet herbs. His lips are lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

His cheeks are like a courtyard of aromatic plants, sown by perfumers. His lips are like lilies, dripping with the best myrrh.

14 His hands are rings of gold set with beryl. His body is ivory work overlaid with sapphires.

His hands are smoothed gold, full of hyacinths. His abdomen is ivory, accented with sapphires.

15 His legs are pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold. His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

His legs are columns of marble, which have been established over bases of gold. His appearance is like that of Lebanon, elect like the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet. Yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

His throat is most sweet, and he is entirely desirable. Such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.