< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 As a lily among the thorns,
I [am] the rose of Sharon, [and] the lily of the valleys.
2 So [is] my friend among the daughters!
As the 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 the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so [is] my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit [was] sweet to my taste.
4 He has brought me to a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me [was] love.
5 Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I [am] sick of love.
6 His left hand [is] under my head, And his right embraces me.
His left hand [is] under my head, and his right hand doth 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 charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake [my] love, till he please.
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
The voice of 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 roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
10 My beloved has answered and said to me, “Rise up, my friend, my beautiful one, and come away,
My beloved spake, 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 the singing [of birds] 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 [with] the tender grape give a [good] smell. 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 secret [places] of the stairs, 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 vines: for our vines [have] tender grapes.
16 My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his: he 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 break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

< Song of Solomon 2 >