< 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!
[HE] I have entered my garden, my sister, bride, I have plucked my myrrh, with my balsam, I have eaten the honey of my thicket, I have drunk my wine, with my milk: —Eat ye, O friends, Drink, yea drink abundantly, ye 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.”
[SHE] I, was sleeping, but, my heart, was awake, —The voice of my beloved—knocking! Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one, for, my head, is filled with dew, my locks, with the moisture 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 tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them?
4 My love thrust his hand into the opening. Deep inside I longed for him.
My beloved, thrust in his hand, at the window, and, my feelings, were deeply 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 myself, arose, to open to my beloved, —and, my hands, dripped with myrrh, and, my fingers, with myrrh distilling, 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 myself, opened to my beloved, but, my beloved, had turned away, had passed on, —My soul, had gone out when he spake, I sought him, but found him not, I called him, but he answered not.
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 who were going round in the city, found me, they smote me, wounded me, —The watchmen of the walls, took away my cloak from off 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 adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, —If ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? That, sick with love, I am.
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?
[DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, thou most beautiful among women? What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, that, thus, thou hast adjured us?
10 My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
[SHE.] My beloved, is white and ruddy, conspicuous beyond ten thousand:
11 His head is like the finest gold, his hair is wavy and black as the raven.
His head, is pure gold, —his locks, are bushy, black as a raven;
12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, washed with milk and mounted like sparkling jewels.
His eyes, like doves, by the channels of water, —bathing in milk, set as gems in a ring:
13 His cheeks are like a flowerbed of spices that produces fragrance. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
His cheeks, like a raised bed of balsam, growing plants of perfume, —His lips, lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling:
14 His arms are round bars of gold inlaid with jewels. His abdomen is like carved ivory inlaid with lapis lazuli.
His hands, cylinders of gold, set with topaz, —His body, wrought work of ivory, covered 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, pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold, —His form, like Lebanon, choice as cedars:
16 His mouth is the sweetest ever; he is totally desirable! This is my love, my friend, women of Jerusalem.
His mouth, most sweet, yea, altogether, he is delightful, —This, is my beloved, yea, this, is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem.