< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 As a lily among the thorns,
I am a meadow flower 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 young women.
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 apricot tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I sit down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit is 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 house of wine, and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
Revive me with raisin cakes and refresh me with apricots, for I am weak with 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 embraces 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 want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and the does of the fields, that you will not awaken or arouse love until she pleases.
8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
There is the sound of my beloved! Listen, here he comes, leaping over the mountains, jumping over 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 stag; look, he is standing behind our wall, gazing through the window, peering 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 to me and said, “Arise, my love; My beautiful one, come away with me.
11 For behold, the winter has passed by, The rain has passed away—it has gone.
Look, 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 have appeared in the land; the time for pruning and the singing of birds has come, and the sound of the doves 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 ripens her green figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give off their fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful 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.”
My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret clefts of the mountain crags, let me see your face. Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”
15 Seize for us foxes, Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil vineyards, for our vineyard is 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; he grazes among the lilies with pleasure.
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!
Go away, my beloved, before the soft winds of dawn blow and the shadows flee away. Go away; be like a gazelle or a young stag on the rugged mountains.

< Song of Solomon 2 >