Song of Solomon 6

1 [DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] Whither hath thy beloved, gone, thou most beautiful among women? whither hath thy beloved turned him aside? That we may seek him with thee.

Where has your beloved gone, you fairest amongst women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

2 [SHE] My beloved, is gone down to his garden, to the beds of balsam, —to pasture in the gardens, and to gather lilies,

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3 I, am, my beloved’s, and, my beloved, is mine, he that pastureth among lilies.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses amongst the lilies.

4 [HE] Beautiful, art thou, my fair one, as Tirzah, comely, as Jerusalem, —majestic as bannered hosts!

You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.

5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for, they, have excited me, —Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, that are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead:

Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead.

6 Thy teeth, are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing-place, —whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is there none among them:

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing, of which every one has twins; not one is bereaved amongst them.

7 Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, from behind thy veil:

Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

8 Threescore, are the queens, and, fourscore, are the concubines, —and, virgins, there are, without number.

There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

9 One alone, is my dove, my perfect one, one alone, was she to her mother, Pure, was she to her that bare her, —The daughters, have seen her, and pronounced her happy, Queens and concubines, and they have praised her.

My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favourite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed. The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her.

10 [THEY] Who is this, that looketh forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the sun, majestic as bannered hosts?

Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?

11 [HE] To the garden of nuts, I went down, to look at the fresh shoots of the ravine, —to see whether: had burst forth the vine, had blossomed the pomegranate: —

I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.

12 I know not [how it was], my soul, set for me the chariots of my willing people!

Without realising it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.

13 [THEY] Return, return, O Shulamite, Return, return, that we may look on thee! [SHE] What would ye look on in the Shulamite? [THEY] As it were the dance of a double camp…

Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Lover Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?