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 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. The friends speaking to the man and the woman Eat, friends; drink and 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.”
I was asleep, but my heart was awake. There is the sound of my beloved knocking and saying, “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the night's dampness.”
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 taken off my robe; must I put it on again? I have washed my feet; must I get them dirty?”
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.
My beloved put in his hand through the opening of the door latch, and my heart was stirred up 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 open the door for my beloved; my hands were dripping with myrrh, my fingers with moist myrrh, on the door handle.
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 the door for my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My heart sank when he spoke. I looked for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.
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 were making their rounds in the city. They struck me and wounded me; the guards on the walls took away my cloak from me.
8 O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.
I want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, that if you find my beloved— What will you make known to him?— that I am sick from 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?
How is your beloved better than another beloved man, most beautiful among women? Why is your beloved better than another beloved, that you ask us to take an oath like this?
10 My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.
His head is the purest gold; his hair is curly and as 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 like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, mounted like 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 beds of spices, yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.
His arms are rounded gold set with jewels; his abdomen is ivory covered with sapphires.
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 pillars of marble, set on bases of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, 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 mouth is most sweet; he is completely lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.
