< Song of Solomon 2 >
1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley.
As a lily among the thorns,
2 Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens.
So [is] my friend among the daughters!
3 Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.
4 He has brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
He hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
5 Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
6 His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
His left hand [is] under my head, And his right doth embrace me.
7 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the hinds of the field, Stir not up nor wake the love till she please!
8 Listen! My beloved approaches. Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.
The voice of my beloved! lo, this — he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this — he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
10 My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one.
My beloved hath answered and said to me, 'Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,
11 For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away — it hath gone.
12 The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.
The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
13 The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one.”
The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.
14 O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice [is] sweet, and thy appearance comely.
15 Catch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom.
Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes — destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
16 My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
17 Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!