< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 As a lily among the thorns,
I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
2 So [is] my friend among the daughters!
As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
3 As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.
As an apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. Under its shadow I delighted to sit, and its fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He has brought me to a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
He hath brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me is love.
5 Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
'Stay ye me with dainties, refresh me with apples; for I am love-sick.'
6 His left hand [is] under my head, And his right embraces me.
Let his left hand be under my head, and his right hand embrace me.
7 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor wake the love until she pleases!
'I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that ye awaken not, nor stir up love, until it please.'
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
Hark! my beloved! behold, he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
9 My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Behold, this—he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart; behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in through the windows, he peereth through the lattice.
10 My beloved has answered and said to me, “Rise up, my friend, my beautiful one, and come away,
My beloved spoke, and said unto me: 'Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
11 For behold, the winter has passed by, The rain has passed away—it has gone.
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
12 The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing has come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree has ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my beautiful one, indeed, come away.
The fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
14 My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see your appearance, Cause me to hear your voice, For your voice [is] sweet, and your appearance lovely.”
O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.'
15 Seize for us foxes, Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
'Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.'
16 My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
My beloved is mine, and I am his, that feedeth among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!
Until the day breathe, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.

< Song of Solomon 2 >