Song of Solomon 5
1 I enter my garden, my sister, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spice. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Let us eat our fill of love! Let us be drunk with love!
I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 Though I was asleep, my mind was racing. I heard my love knocking, and calling out, “Please open the door, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect love. My head is soaked with dew, my hair is wet from the night mist.”
I sleep, but my heart waketh: [it is] the voice of my beloved that knocketh, [saying], Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, [and] my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I replied, “I've already got undressed. I don't have to get dressed again, do I? I've already washed my feet. I don't have to make them dirty again, do I?”
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My love thrust his hand into the opening. Deep inside I longed for him.
My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door], and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I got up to let my love in. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, as I grabbed the handles of the bolt.
I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped [with] myrrh, and my fingers [with] sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 I opened up to my love, but he had left—he was gone! I was crushed as a result. I looked for him but I couldn't find him. I called him but he didn't answer.
I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, [and] was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen found me as they went through the city. They beat me, they hurt me, and stole my cloak, those watchmen of the walls.
The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 Women of Jerusalem, promise me if you find my love and wonder what you should tell him, tell him I am weak with love.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I [am] sick of love.
9 Why is the one you love better than any other, most beautiful of women? In what way is the one you love better than any other that we should promise you that?
What [is] thy beloved more than [another] beloved, O thou fairest among women? what [is] thy beloved more than [another] beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
My beloved [is] white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is like the finest gold, his hair is wavy and black as the raven.
His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, washed with milk and mounted like sparkling jewels.
His eyes [are] as [the eyes] of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, [and] fitly set.
13 His cheeks are like a flowerbed of spices that produces fragrance. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His arms are round bars of gold inlaid with jewels. His abdomen is like carved ivory inlaid with lapis lazuli.
His hands [are as] gold rings set with the beryl: his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires.
15 His legs are columns of alabaster set on bases of gold. He looks strong, like the mighty cedars of Lebanon.
His legs [are as] pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance [is] as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is the sweetest ever; he is totally desirable! This is my love, my friend, women of Jerusalem.
His mouth [is] most sweet: yea, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved, and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
