< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 I am a narcissus of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.
I am a meadow flower of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
2 As the lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.
As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the young women.
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.
As an apricot tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I sit down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He hath brought me to the house of wine, And his banner over me is love.
He brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain ye me with raisin-cakes, Refresh me with apples; For I am sick of love.
Revive me with raisin cakes and refresh me with apricots, for I am weak with love.
6 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces 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 want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the does of the fields, that you will not awaken or arouse love until she pleases.
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.
There is the sound of my beloved! Listen, here he comes, leaping over the mountains, jumping 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 beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag; look, he is standing behind our wall, gazing through the window, peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
My beloved spoke to me and said, “Arise, my love; My beautiful one, come away with me.
11 For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over, it is gone:
Look, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
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 have appeared in the land; the time for pruning and the singing of birds has come, and the sound of the doves 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 ripens her green figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give off their fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
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.
My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret clefts of the mountain crags, let me see your face. Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”
15 Take us the foxes, The little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in bloom.
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil vineyards, for our vineyard is in blossom.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; He feedeth [his flock] among the lilies,
My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies with pleasure.
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.
Go away, my beloved, before the soft winds of dawn blow and the shadows flee away. Go away; be like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains.

< Song of Solomon 2 >