< Song of Solomon 2 >
1 As a lily among the thorns,
I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley.
2 So [is] my friend among the daughters!
Like a lily among the thorns is my darling among the maidens.
3 As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.
Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
He has brought me to the house of wine, and his banner over me is love.
5 Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.
6 His left hand [is] under my head, And his right doth embrace me.
His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
7 I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the hinds of the field, Stir not up nor wake the love till she please!
O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.
8 The voice of my beloved! lo, this — he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
Listen! My beloved approaches. Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this — he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved hath answered and said to me, 'Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,
My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one.
11 For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away — it hath gone.
For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.
13 The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.
The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come away with me, my beautiful one.”
14 My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice [is] sweet, and thy appearance comely.
O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.
15 Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes — destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
Catch for us the foxes— the little foxes that ruin the vineyards— for our vineyards are in bloom.
16 My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures his flock among the lilies.
17 Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!
Before the day breaks and shadows flee, turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of Bether.