Song of Solomon 3
1 Bride: On my bed, throughout the night, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, and did not find 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 rise up, and I will circle through the city. Through the side streets and thoroughfares, I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, and did not find 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 watchers who guard the city found me: “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
The watchmen that go round in the city, found me, The beloved of my soul, have ye seen?
4 When I had passed by them a little, I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not release him, until I would bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who bore me.
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 Groom to Chorus: I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the does and the stags of the open field, not to disturb or awaken the beloved, until she wills.
[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 Chorus to Groom: Who is she, who ascends through the desert, like a staff of smoke from the aromatics of myrrh, and frankincense, and every powder of the perfumer?
[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 Chorus to Bride: Lo, sixty strong ones, out of all the strongest in Israel, stand watch at the bed of Solomon,
Lo! his couch,’tis Solomon’s own, Threescore heroes, around it, —of the heroes of Israel:
8 all holding swords and well-trained in warfare, each one’s weapon upon his thigh, because of fears 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 Bride to Chorus: King Solomon made himself a portable throne from the wood of Lebanon.
A palanquin, King Solomon made himself, of the trees of Lebanon:
10 He made its columns of silver, the reclining place of gold, the ascent of purple; the middle he covered well, out of charity for the daughters of Jerusalem.
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 O daughters of Zion, go forth and see king Solomon with the diadem with which his mother crowned him, on the day of his espousal, on the day of the rejoicing 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.
