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 have come in to my garden, my sister-spouse, I have plucked my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, Yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!
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 am sleeping, but my heart waketh: The sound of my beloved knocking! 'Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled [with] dew, My locks [with] 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 do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?
4 My love thrust his hand into the opening. Deep inside I longed for him.
My beloved sent his hand from the net-work, 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 to open to my beloved, And my hands dropped myrrh, Yea, my fingers flowing myrrh, On 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 withdrew — he passed on, My soul went forth when he spake, I sought him, and found him not. I called him, and he answered me 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 go round about the city, Found me, smote me, wounded me, Keepers of the walls lifted up my veil 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 have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved — What do 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?
What [is] thy beloved above [any] beloved, O fair among women? What [is] thy beloved above [any] beloved, That thus thou hast adjured us?
10 My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
My beloved [is] clear and ruddy, Conspicuous above a myriad!
11 His head is like the finest gold, his hair is wavy and black as the raven.
His head [is] pure gold — fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,
12 His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, washed with milk and mounted like sparkling jewels.
His eyes as doves by streams of water, Washing in milk, sitting 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 as a bed of the spice, towers of perfumes, His lips [are] lilies, dropping 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 rings of gold, set with beryl, His heart bright 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 limbs pillars of marble, Founded on sockets of fine gold, His appearance as Lebanon, choice 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 sweetness — and all of him desirable, This [is] my beloved, and this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!
