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.
Let my kinsman come down into his garden, and eat the fruit of his choice berries. I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spices; I have eaten my bread with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; yes, brethren, drink abundantly.
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.”
I sleep, but my heart is awake: the voice of my kinsman knocks at the door, [saying], Open, open to me, my companion, my sister, my dove, my perfect one: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have taken off my robe— must I put it back on? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.
My kinsman put forth his hand by the hole [of the door], and my belly moved 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 rose up to open to my kinsman; my hands dropped myrrh, my fingers choice myrrh, on the handles of the lock.
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 to my kinsman; my kinsman was gone: my soul failed at his speech: I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he answered me not.
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 watchman that go their rounds in the city found me, they struck me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
I have charged you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and the virtues of the field: if you should find my kinsman, what are you to say to him? That I am wounded 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?
What is your kinsman [more] than [another] kinsman, O you beautiful among women? what is your kinsman [more] than [another] kinsman, that you have so charged us?
10 My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
My kinsman is white and ruddy, chosen out from myriads.
11 His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
His head is [as] very fine gold, his locks are flowing, black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.
His eyes are as doves, by the pools of waters, washed with milk, sitting by the pools.
13 His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.
His cheeks are as bowls of spices pouring forth perfumes: his lips are lilies, dropping choice myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.
His hands are as turned gold set with beryl: his belly is an ivory tablet on a sapphire stone.
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 marble pillars set on golden sockets: his form is as Libanus, choice as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
His throat is most sweet, and altogether desirable. This is my kinsman, and this is my companion, O daughters of Jerusalem.
