< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 I am a crocus of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
[SHE] I am The meadow-saffron of Sharon, The lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
[HE] As a lily among thorns, So, is my fair one, among the daughters!
3 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, his fruit was sweet to my taste.
[SHE] As an apple-tree among the trees of the forest, So, is my beloved, among the sons: In his shade, I greatly delighted and sat down, And, his fruit, was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me was love.
He hath brought me into the house of wine, and, his banner over me, is love.
5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am faint with love.
Sustain me with raisin-cakes, refresh me with apples, —for sick with love, I am.
6 His left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me.
His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me!
7 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, or by the does of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.
[HE] I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, —That ye wake not, nor arouse, the dear love until she please!
8 The voice of my beloved. Look, he comes, leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
[SHE] The voice of my beloved! Lo! here he cometh, —leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young deer. Look, he stands behind our wall. He looks in at the windows. He glances through the lattice.
Resembleth, my beloved, a gazelle, or a young stag, —Lo! here he is, standing behind our wall, looking in at the windows, peeping in at the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke, and said to me, "Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
Responded my beloved, and said to me, —Rise up! my fair—my beautiful—one, and come away,
11 For, look, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone.
For lo, the winter, is past, —the rain, is over, [and] gone;
12 The flowers appear on the earth. The time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The flowers, have appeared in the earth, the time of the spring-song, hath come, —and, the voice of the turtle, is heard in our land;
13 The fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines are in blossom. They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away."
The fig-tree, hath spiced her green figs, and, the vines—all blossom, yield fragrance, —Rise up! my fair—my beautiful—one, and come away!
14 My dove in the clefts of the rock, In the hiding places of the mountainside, Let me see your face. Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
[HE] O my dove! In the retreats of the crag, in the hiding-place of the terrace, Let me see thy form, Let me hear thy voice, —For, thy voice, is sweet, and, thy form, comely.
15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
[BOTH] Take ye for us, the foxes, the little foxes that are spoiling the vines, —and, our vines, are all blossom!
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.
[SHE] My beloved, is, mine, and, I, am, his, he that pastureth among lilies!
17 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.
Until the day, breathe, and the shadows, be lengthened, Again, liken thyself, my beloved, to a gazelle, or to a young stag, upon the cleft mountains.

< Song of Solomon 2 >