Song of Solomon 6

1 Where is your loved one gone, O most fair among women? Where is your loved one turned away, that we may go looking for him with you?

Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Which way has he turned? We will seek him with you.

2 My loved one is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to take food in the gardens, and to get lilies.

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens and to gather lilies.

3 I am for my loved one, and my loved one is for me; he takes food among the lilies.

I belong to my beloved and he belongs to me; he pastures his flock among the lilies.

4 You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, as fair as Jerusalem; you are to be feared like an army with flags.

You are as beautiful, my darling, as Tirzah, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners.

5 Let your eyes be turned away from me; see, they have overcome me; your hair is as a flock of goats which take their rest on the side of Gilead.

Turn your eyes away from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which come up from the washing; every one has two lambs, and there is not one without young.

Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing; each has its twin, and not one of them is lost.

7 Like pomegranate fruit are the sides of your head under your veil.

Your brow behind your veil is like a slice of pomegranate.

8 There are sixty queens, and eighty servant-wives, and young girls without number.

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number,

9 My dove, my very beautiful one, is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the dearest one of her who gave her birth. The daughters saw her, and gave her a blessing; yes, the queens and the servant-wives, and they gave her praises.

but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the favorite of the mother who bore her. The maidens see her and call her blessed; the queens and concubines sing her praises.

10 Who is she, looking down as the morning light, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, who is to be feared like an army with flags?

Who is this who shines like the dawn, as fair as the moon, as bright as the sun, as majestic as the stars in procession?

11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the green plants of the valley, and to see if the vine was in bud, and the pomegranate-trees were in flower.

I went down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding or the pomegranates were in bloom.

12 Before I was conscious of it, ...

Before I realized it, my desire had set me among the royal chariots of my people.

13 Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, so that our eyes may see you. What will you see in the Shulammite? A sword-dance.

Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?