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 into 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. The friends speaking to the man and the woman Eat, friends; drink and be drunk with love.

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 was asleep, but my heart was awake. There is the sound of my beloved knocking and saying, “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the night's dampness.”

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 on again? I have washed my feet; must I get them dirty?”

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

My beloved put in his hand through the opening of the door latch, and my heart was stirred up 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 got up to open the door for my beloved; my hands were dripping with myrrh, my fingers with moist myrrh, on the door handle.

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 the door for my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My heart sank when he spoke. I looked for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

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.

The watchmen found me as they were making their rounds in the city. They struck me and wounded me; the guards on the walls took away my cloak from me.

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

I want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, that if you find my beloved— What will you make known to him?— that I am sick from 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 another beloved man, most beautiful among women? Why is your beloved better than another beloved, that you ask us to take an oath like this?

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

My beloved is radiant 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 the purest gold; his hair is curly and as 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 streams of water, bathed in milk, 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 spices, yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

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

His arms are rounded gold set with jewels; his abdomen is ivory covered 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, choice 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 completely lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.