< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 I am a rose of Sharon, a flower of the valleys.
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
2 As the lily-flower among the thorns of the waste, so is my love among the daughters.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my loved one among the sons. I took my rest under his shade with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He took me to the house of wine, and his flag over me was love.
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
5 Make me strong with wine-cakes, let me be comforted with apples; I am overcome with love.
Sustain me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick with love.
6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand is round about me.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, do not let love be moved till it is ready.
I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not, nor awake my love, till he please.
8 The voice of my loved one! See, he comes dancing on the mountains, stepping quickly on the hills.
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
9 My loved one is like a roe; see, he is on the other side of our wall, he is looking in at the windows, letting himself be seen through the spaces.
My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, gazing himself through the lattice.
10 My loved one said to me, Get up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
My beloved spoke, and said to me, Rise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, see, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers are come on the earth; the time of cutting the vines is come, and the voice of the dove is sounding in our land;
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land;
13 The fig-tree puts out her green fruit and the vines with their young fruit give a good smell. Get up from your bed, my beautiful one, and come away.
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 O my dove, you are in the holes of the mountain sides, in the cracks of the high hills; let me see your face, let your voice come to my ears; for sweet is your voice, and your face is fair.
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15 Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, which do damage to the vines; our vines have young grapes.
Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
16 My loved one is mine, and I am his: he takes his food among the flowers.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
17 Till the evening comes, and the sky slowly becomes dark, come, my loved one, and be like a roe on the mountains of Bether.
Until the day shall break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

< Song of Solomon 2 >