Song of Solomon 5

1 Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly 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 I sleep, and my heart watcheth; the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.

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 I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile 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 key hole, and my bowels were moved at 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 arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest 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 was gone. My soul melted when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: 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 that go about the city found me: they struck me: and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil 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 adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with 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 What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

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 My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.

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

11 His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

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

12 His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.

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

13 His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.

His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

14 His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.

His arms are rounded gold set with jewels; his abdomen is ivory covered with sapphires.

15 His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as 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 most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.

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