Song of Solomon 3

1 In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not.

[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, and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and I found him not.

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 watchmen who keep the city, found me: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth?

The watchmen that go round in the city, found me, The beloved of my soul, have ye seen?

4 When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that 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 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my beloved, till she please.

[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 Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders 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 Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounded 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 most expert in war: every man’s sword 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 King Solomon hath made him a litter of the wood of Libanus:

A palanquin, King Solomon made himself, of the trees of Lebanon:

10 The pillars thereof he made of silver, the seat of gold, the going up of purple: the midst he covered with 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 Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see king Solomon in the diadem, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy 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.