< Song of Solomon 2 >

1 I am a crocus of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the lily among thorns, so is my love 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.
As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me was love.
He brought me into the cellar of wine, he set in order charity in me.
5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am faint with love.
Stay me up with flowers, compass me about with apples: because I languish with love.
6 His left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me.
His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace 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.
I adjure you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and the harts of the, fields, that you stir not up, nor make the beloved to awake, till she please.
8 The voice of my beloved. Look, he comes, leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
The voice of my beloved, behold he cometh leaping upon 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.
My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart. Behold he standeth behind our wall, looking through the windows, looking through the lattices.
10 My beloved spoke, and said to me, "Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
Behold my beloved speaketh to me: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come.
11 For, look, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone.
For winter is now 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 our land, the time of pruning is come: 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 put forth her green figs: the vines in flower yield their sweet smell. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come:
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.
My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hollow places of the wall, shew me thy face, let thy voice sound in my ears: for thy voice is sweet, and thy face comely.
15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.
Catch us the little foxes that destroy the vines: for our vineyard hath flourished.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.
My beloved to me, and I to him who feedeth among the 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.
Till the day break, and the shadows retire. Return: be like, my beloved, to a roe, or to a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

< Song of Solomon 2 >