Song of Solomon 5
1 I have come to 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, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.
I enter my garden, my sister, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spice. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Let us eat our fill of love! Let us be drunk with love!
2 I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”
Though I was asleep, my mind was racing. I heard my love knocking, and calling out, “Please open the door, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect love. My head is soaked with dew, my hair is wet from the night mist.”
3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it back on? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?
I replied, “I've already got undressed. I don't have to get dressed again, do I? I've already washed my feet. I don't have to make them dirty again, do I?”
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.
My love thrust his hand into the opening. Deep inside I longed for him.
5 I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt.
I got up to let my love in. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, as I grabbed the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him, but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer.
I opened up to my love, but he had left—he was gone! I was crushed as a result. I looked for him but I couldn't find him. I called him but he didn't answer.
7 I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls.
The watchmen found me as they went through the city. They beat me, they hurt me, and stole my cloak, those watchmen of the walls.
8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
Women of Jerusalem, promise me if you find my love and wonder what you should tell him, tell him I am weak with love.
9 How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?
Why is the one you love better than any other, most beautiful of women? In what way is the one you love better than any other that we should promise you that?
10 My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
11 His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
His head is like the finest gold, his hair is wavy and black as the raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.
His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, washed with milk and mounted like sparkling jewels.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.
His cheeks are like a flowerbed of spices that produces fragrance. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.
His arms are round bars of gold inlaid with jewels. His abdomen is like carved ivory inlaid with lapis lazuli.
15 His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars.
His legs are columns of alabaster set on bases of gold. He looks strong, like the mighty cedars of Lebanon.
16 His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
His mouth is the sweetest ever; he is totally desirable! This is my love, my friend, women of Jerusalem.
