Song of Solomon 5

1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. The friends speaking to the man and the woman Eat, friends; drink and be drunk with love.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

2 I was asleep, but my heart was awake. There is the sound of my beloved knocking and saying, “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the night's dampness.”

I sleep, but my heart waketh; Hark! my beloved knocketh: 'Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.'

3 “I have taken off my robe; must I put it on again? I have washed my feet; must I get them dirty?”

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

4 My beloved put in his hand through the opening of the door latch, and my heart was stirred up for him.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my heart was moved for him.

5 I got up to open the door for my beloved; my hands were dripping with myrrh, my fingers with moist myrrh, on the door handle.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the bar.

6 I opened the door for my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My heart sank when he spoke. I looked for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had turned away, and was gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

7 The watchmen found me as they were making their rounds in the city. They struck me and wounded me; the guards on the walls took away my cloak from me.

The watchmen that go about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.

8 I want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, that if you find my beloved— What will you make known to him?— that I am sick from love.

'I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? that I am love-sick.'

9 How is your beloved better than another beloved man, most beautiful among women? Why is your beloved better than another beloved, that you ask us to take an oath like this?

'What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so adjure us?'

10 My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

'My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand.

11 His head is the purest gold; his hair is curly and as black as a raven.

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, mounted like jewels.

His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks; washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs; his lips are as lilies, dropping with flowing myrrh.

14 His arms are rounded gold set with jewels; his abdomen is ivory covered with sapphires.

His hands are as rods of gold set with beryl; his body is as polished ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are pillars of marble, set on bases of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold; his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet; he is completely lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.

His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.'