< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 I am a narcissus of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys.—
2 As the lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
Like the lily among the thorns, so is my beloved among the young maidens.—
3 As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons: In his shadow have I rapture and sit down; And his fruit is sweet to my taste.
Like the apple-tree among the trees of the forest, so is my friend among the young men: under his shadow do I ardently wish to sit, and his fruit is sweet to my palate.
4 He hath brought me to the house of wine, And his banner over me is love.
He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain ye me with raisin-cakes, Refresh me with apples; For I am sick of love.
Strengthen me with flagons of wine, refresh me with apples; for sick of love am I.
6 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.
Oh that his left hand might be under my head, and that his right might embrace me.
7 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, till he please.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor excite my love, till it please [to come of itself].—
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.
The voice of my friend! behold, there he cometh, leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he standeth behind our wall, He looketh in through the windows, Glancing through the lattice.
My friend is like a roebuck or the fawn of the hinds: behold, there he standeth behind our wall, looking in at the windows, seeing through the lattice.
10 My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
My friend commenced, and said unto me, Rise thee up, my beloved, my fair one, and come along.
11 For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over, it is gone:
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone its way.
12 The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
The flowers are seen in the land; the time of the [birds'] singing is come, and the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;
13 The fig-tree melloweth her winter figs, And the vines in bloom give forth [their] fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!
The fig-tree perfumeth its green figs, and the vines with young grapes give forth a [pleasant] smell. Arise thee, my beloved, my fair one, and come along.
14 My dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the precipice, Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
O my dove, who art in the clefts of the rock, in the recesses of the cliffs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is comely.—
15 Take us the foxes, The little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in bloom.
Seize for us the foxes, the little foxes, that injure the vineyards; for our vineyards have young grapes.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies,
My friend is mine, and I am his—that feedeth among the lilies.
17 Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away. Turn, my beloved: be thou like a gazelle or a young hart, Upon the mountains of Bether.
Until the day become cool, and the shadows flee away, turn about, my friend, and be thou like the roebuck or the fawn of the hinds upon the mountains of separation.

< Song of Solomon 2 >