Song of Solomon 5

1 I am come into my garden, my sister, [my] bride; I have plucked my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my sugar-cane with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, ye companions; drink, yea, drink abundantly, ye friends.—

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 slept, but my heart was awake: [there was] the voice of my beloved that knocked, “Open for me, my sister, my beloved, my dove, my guiltless one; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.”

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 coat: 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 friend stretched forth his hand through the opening, and my inmost parts were moved for him.

My beloved put in his hand through the opening of the door latch, and my heart was stirred up for him.

5 I rose up myself to open for my friend; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with fluid myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

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 indeed opened for my beloved; but my beloved had vanished, and was gone: my soul had failed me while he was speaking; I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he answered me not.

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 Then found me the watchmen that walked about the city; they smote me, they wounded me: they took away my vail from me, they that watched the walls.

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 ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? that I am sick of 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 is thy friend more than another's friend, O thou fairest of women? what is thy friend more than another's friend, that thus thou adjurest 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 friend is white and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.

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

11 His head is bright as the finest gold, his locks are like waving foliage, and black as a raven.

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

12 His eyes are like [those of] doves by streamlets of waters, bathed in milk, well fitted in their setting.

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

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as turrets of sweet perfumes: his lips, like lilies, dropping with fluid myrrh.

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

14 His hands are like wheels of gold beset with the chrysolite: his body, an image made of ivory overlaid with sapphires.

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

15 His legs are like pillars of marble, resting upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent like 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 palate is full of sweets, and every thing in him is agreeable. This is my friend, and this is my beloved, O daughters of Jerusalem.—

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