Song of Solomon 3

1 By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him.

[SHE] Upon my couch, in the night-time, sought I the beloved of my soul, —I sought him, but found him not.

2 I will get up now and go about the town, in the streets and in the wide ways I will go after him who is the love of my soul: I went after him, but I did not see him.

Come! I must arise, and go about in the city, In the paths and in the broadways, I must seek the beloved of my soul, —I sought him, but found him not.

3 The watchmen who go about the town came by me; to them I said, Have you seen him who is my heart's desire?

The watchmen that go round in the city, found me, The beloved of my soul, have ye seen?

4 I was but a little way from them, when I came face to face with him who is the love of my soul. I took him by the hands, and did not let him go, till I had taken him into my mother's house, and into the room of her who gave me birth.

Scarcely had I passed from them, when I found the beloved of my soul, —I caught him, and would not let him go, until that I had brought him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

5 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, let not love be moved till it is ready.

[HE] I adjure you ye, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, —That ye wake not, nor arouse, the dear love until she please.

6 Who is this coming out of the waste places like pillars of smoke, perfumed with sweet spices, with all the spices of the trader?

[THEY] Who is this, coming up out of the wilderness, like pillars of smoke, —with perfume of myrrh, and frankincense, besides all the aromatic powder of the merchant?

7 See, it is the bed of Solomon; sixty men of war are about it, of the army of Israel,

Lo! his couch,’tis Solomon’s own, Threescore heroes, around it, —of the heroes of Israel:

8 All of them armed with swords, trained in war; every man has his sword at his side, because of fear in the night.

All of them, grasping the sword, trained for war, —every man, with his sword upon his thigh, because of dread, in the night-time.

9 King Solomon made himself a bed of the wood of Lebanon.

A palanquin, King Solomon made himself, of the trees of Lebanon:

10 He made its pillars of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it of ebony.

The supports thereof, made he of silver, the couch thereof, of gold, the seat thereof, of purple, —the midst thereof, hath an inlay of love from the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 Go out, O daughters of Jerusalem, and see King Solomon, with the crown which his mother put on his head on the day when he was married, and on the day of the joy of his heart.

Go forth and gaze, ye daughters of Zion, upon King Solomon, —wearing the crown, wherewith his mother, crowned him, in the day of his marriage, and in the day of his heart gladness.