< Song of Solomon 2 >
1 I am a meadow flower of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.
I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the young women.
As a lily among thorns, so is my companion among the daughters.
3 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.
As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons. I desired his shadow, and sat down, and his fruit was sweet in my throat.
4 He brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me was love.
Bring me into the wine house; set love before me.
5 Revive me with raisin cakes and refresh me with apricots, for I am weak with love.
Strengthen me with perfumes, stay me with apples: for I [am] wounded with love.
6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.
His left [hand shall be] under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.
7 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.
I have charged you, you daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the virtues of the field, that you do not rouse or wake [my] love, until he please.
8 There is the sound of my beloved! Listen, here he comes, leaping over the mountains, jumping over the hills.
The voice of my kinsman! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.
9 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.
My kinsman is like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Baethel: behold, he is behind our wall, looking through the windows, peeping through the lattices.
10 My beloved spoke to me and said, “Arise, my love; My beautiful one, come away with me.
My kinsman answers, and says to me, Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove.
11 Look, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is gone, it has departed.
12 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.
The flowers are seen in the land; the time of pruning has arrived; the voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land.
13 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.
The fig tree has put forth its young figs, the vines put forth the tender grape, they yield a smell: arise, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove; yes, come.
14 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.”
[You are] my dove, in the shelter of the rock, near the wall: show me your face, and cause me to hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is beautiful.
15 Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil vineyards, for our vineyard is in blossom.
Take us the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines put forth tender grapes.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his; he grazes among the lilies with pleasure.
My kinsman is mine, and I am his: he feeds [his flock] among the lilies.
17 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.
Until the day dawn, and the shadows depart, turn, my kinsman, be you like to a roe or young hart on the mountains of the ravines.