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!
[[Lov.]] I am come to my garden, my sister, my spouse! I gather my myrrh with my balsam, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends! Drink, yea, drink abundantly, my loved companions!
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.”
[[M.]] I slept, but my heart was awake; It was the voice of my beloved, who was knocking: “Open to me, my sister, my love, My dove, my perfect one! 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 taken off my vest [[said I]]; How shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; How shall I soil 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 heart was 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 self-flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.
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I opened to my beloved; But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone. I was not in my senses while he spake with me! I sought him, but 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 go about the city found me; They smote me, they wounded me; The keepers of the walls took away from me my veil.
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 ye daughters of Jerusalem! If ye should find my beloved, —What will ye tell him? That I am sick with 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?
[[Lad.]] What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women! What is thy beloved more than another beloved, That thus thou dost charge us?
10 My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
[[M.]] My beloved is white and ruddy, The chief 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 waving palm-branches, 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 doves by streams of water, Washed with milk, dwelling in fulness;
13 His cheeks are like a flowerbed of spices that produces fragrance. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Like beds of spices; His lips are lilies Dropping self-flowing 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 gold rings set with chrysolite; His body is wrought-work of 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 marble pillars, resting on pedestals of fine gold; His aspect is like Lebanon, Majestic like 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 sweetness; His whole being, loveliness. This is my beloved, This my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem!
