Song of Solomon 5

1 My bride, [you who are dearer to me than] my sister, I have come [to cuddle up to you] [MET, EUP]; [it will be as though] I will be gathering myrrh with my other spices, and eating my honey and my honeycomb, and drinking my wine and my milk. You two who love each other, enjoy your lovemaking; enjoy all that you want to.

Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.

2 I was partially asleep, but my mind was [still] awake. Then I heard the one who loves me knocking [at the door]. [He said], “My darling, [you who are dearer to me than] my sister, my dear friend, my perfect one, my dove [MET], open the door for me! My hair is wet from the dew, from the mist [that has fallen during] the night.”

I sleep, and my heart watcheth; the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.

3 [But] I had already taken off my robe; I did not [RHQ] want to put it on again [to open the door]. I had [already] washed my feet; I did not [RHQ] want them to become dirty again.

I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?

4 The one who loves me put his hand through the opening [in the wall], and I was thrilled [that he was there].

My beloved put his hand through the key hole, and my bowels were moved at his touch.

5 I got up to open [the door] for the one who loves me, [but first I put a lot of] myrrh on my hands. The myrrh was dripping from my fingers while I unlatched the bolt.

I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.

6 I opened [the door] for the man who loves me, but he had left. He had turned away and was gone! I was very disappointed [IDM]; I searched for him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.

I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was gone. My soul melted when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.

7 The city watchmen saw me while they were walking around the city. They beat me and wounded me [because they thought I must be a prostitute]; those men who were guarding the city walls took my robe.

The keepers that go about the city found me: they struck me: and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8 You young women of Jerusalem, I plead with you, if you see the man who loves me, tell him [DOU] that I am very disappointed that we did not make love.

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love.

9 You who are the (fairest/most beautiful) among women, why [do you think that] the one who loves you is better than other men? In what way is the man who loves you better than other men with the result that you ask us to tell him that?

What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?

10 The man who loves me is handsome and healthy, (outstanding among/better than) (10,000/an uncountable number of) [other men].

My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.

11 His head is [beautiful, like] [MET] purest gold; his hair is wavy and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.

His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.

12 His eyes [are as gentle] as [SIM] doves along the streams; [the white parts of] his eyes are as white as [MET] milk, [with what resembles] jewels inlaid in them.

His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.

13 His cheeks are like [SIM] a garden full of spice trees that produce [sweet-smelling] perfume. His lips are [like] [SIM] lilies that have myrrh/perfume dripping from them.

His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.

14 His arms are like [MET] gold bars/rods that are decorated with precious stones/jewels. His body is like [SIM] [a column/pillar of] ivory that is decorated with (sapphires/valuable [blue] stones).

His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.

15 His legs are [like] [MET] pillars of marble that are set in bases made of pure gold. He is [majestic, like the mountains of] [SIM] Lebanon, as delightful/beautiful as [SIM] cedar [trees].

His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.

16 His kisses [MTY] are extremely sweet; he is very handsome. You young women of Jerusalem, all that tells you why the one who loves me and who is my friend [is better than other men].

His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem.