< Song of Songs 2 >
1 I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys.
I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among thorns, so is my companion among the daughters.
As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
3 As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons. I desired his shadow, and sat down, and his fruit was sweet in my throat.
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 Bring me into the wine house; set love before me.
He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love.
5 Strengthen me with perfumes, stay me with apples: for I [am] wounded with love.
Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love.
6 His left [hand shall be] under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.
His left hand [is] under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.
7 I have charged you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the virtues of the field, that ye do not rouse or wake [my] love, until he please.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, Until he please.
8 The voice of my kinsman! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.
The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.
9 My kinsman is like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Baethel: behold, he is behind our wall, looking through the windows, peeping through the lattices.
My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice.
10 My kinsman answers, and says to me, Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove.
My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is gone, it has departed.
For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers are seen in the land; the time of pruning has arrived; the voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land.
The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing [of birds] is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
13 The fig-tree has put forth its young figs, the vines put forth the tender grape, they yield a smell: arise, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove; yea, come.
The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 [Thou art] my dove, in the shelter of the rock, near the wall: shew me thy face, and cause me to hear thy voice; for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is beautiful.
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
15 Take us the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines put forth tender grapes.
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.
16 My kinsman is mine, and I am his: he feeds [his flock] among the lilies.
My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies.
17 Until the day dawn, and the shadows depart, turn, my kinsman, be thou like to a roe or young hart on the mountains of the ravines.
Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.