Song of Solomon 6

1 Whither is thy friend gone, O fairest of women? whither hath thy friend turned himself? that we may seek him with thee?—

Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither hath thy beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee?

2 My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3 I am my friend's, and my friend is mine: he that feedeth among the lilies.—

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth [his flock] among the lilies.

4 Thou art beautiful, O my beloved, like Thirzah, comely like Jerusalem, terrible as armies encamped round their banners.

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

5 Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have excited me: thy hair is like a flock of goats that come quietly down from mount Gil'ad.

Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead.

6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes which are come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and there is not one among them that is deprived of her young.

Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, which are come up from the washing; whereof every one hath twins, and none is bereaved among them.

7 Like the half of the pomegranate is the upper part of thy cheek behind thy vail.

Thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind thy veil.

8 Sixty are the queens, and eighty the concubines, and the young women without number;

There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.

9 But one alone is my dove, my guiltless one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the chosen of her that bore her: maidens see her, and call her happy; yea, queens and concubines, and praise her.

My dove, my undefiled, is [but] one; she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed; [yea], the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10 Who is this that shineth forth like the morning-dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as armies encamped round their banners?

Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners?

11 Into the nut-garden was I gone down, to look about among the plants of the valley, to see whether the vine had blossomed, whether the pomegranates had budded.

I went down into the garden of nuts, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, [and] the pomegranates were in flower.

12 I knew not [how it was], my soul made me [like] the chariots of my noble people.

Or ever I was aware, my soul set me [among] the chariots of my princely people.

13 Return, return, O Shulammith; return, return, that we may look upon thee. “What will ye see in the Shulammith?” As though it were the dance of a double company.

Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. Why will ye look upon the Shulammite, as upon the dance of Mahanaim?