Song of Solomon 5

1 Bride: May my beloved enter into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. Groom to Bride: I have arrived in my garden, O my sister, my spouse. I have harvested my myrrh, with my aromatic oils. I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, O most beloved.

I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink freely, O beloved.

2 Bride: I sleep, yet my heart watches. The voice of my beloved knocking: Groom to Bride: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my immaculate one. For my head is full of dew, and the locks of my hair are full of the drops of the night.

I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My beloved is knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my flawless one. My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3 Bride: I have taken off my tunic; how shall I be clothed in it? I have washed my feet; how shall I spoil them?

I have taken off my robe— must I put it back on? I have washed my feet— must I soil them again?

4 My beloved put his hand through the window, and my inner self was moved by his touch.

My beloved put his hand to the latch; my heart pounded for him.

5 I rose up in order to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the finest myrrh.

I rose up to open for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved. But he had turned aside and had gone away. My soul melted when he spoke. I sought him, and did not find him. I called, and he did not answer me.

I opened for my beloved, but he had turned and gone. My heart sank at his departure. I sought him, but did not find him. I called, but he did not answer.

7 The keepers who circulate through the city found me. They struck me, and wounded me. The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city. They beat me and bruised me; they took away my cloak, those guardians of the walls.

8 I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, announce to him that I languish through love.

O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you, if you find my beloved, tell him I am sick with love.

9 Chorus to Bride: What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, so that you would bind us by oath?

How is your beloved better than others, O most beautiful among women? How is your beloved better than another, that you charge us so?

10 Bride: My beloved is white and ruddy, elect among thousands.

My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

11 His head is like the finest gold. His locks are like the heights of palm trees, and as black as a raven.

His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves, which have been washed with milk over rivulets of waters, and which reside near plentiful streams.

His eyes are like doves beside the streams of water, bathed in milk and mounted like jewels.

13 His cheeks are like a courtyard of aromatic plants, sown by perfumers. His lips are like lilies, dripping with the best myrrh.

His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.

14 His hands are smoothed gold, full of hyacinths. His abdomen is ivory, accented with sapphires.

His arms are rods of gold set with beryl. His body is an ivory panel bedecked with sapphires.

15 His legs are columns of marble, which have been established over bases of gold. His appearance is like that of Lebanon, elect like the cedars.

His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, as majestic as the cedars.

16 His throat is most sweet, and he is entirely desirable. Such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.