Song of Solomon 5

1 Bride: May my beloved enter into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. Groom to Bride: I have arrived in my garden, O my sister, my spouse. I have harvested my myrrh, with my aromatic oils. I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, O most beloved.

[HE] I have entered my garden, my sister, bride, I have plucked my myrrh, with my balsam, I have eaten the honey of my thicket, I have drunk my wine, with my milk: —Eat ye, O friends, Drink, yea drink abundantly, ye beloved!

2 Bride: I sleep, yet my heart watches. The voice of my beloved knocking: Groom to Bride: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my immaculate one. For my head is full of dew, and the locks of my hair are full of the drops of the night.

[SHE] I, was sleeping, but, my heart, was awake, —The voice of my beloved—knocking! Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one, for, my head, is filled with dew, my locks, with the moisture of the night.

3 Bride: I have taken off my tunic; how shall I be clothed in it? I have washed my feet; how shall I spoil them?

I have put off my tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them?

4 My beloved put his hand through the window, and my inner self was moved by his touch.

My beloved, thrust in his hand, at the window, and, my feelings, were deeply moved for him:

5 I rose up in order to open to my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the finest myrrh.

I myself, arose, to open to my beloved, —and, my hands, dripped with myrrh, and, my fingers, with myrrh distilling, upon the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved. But he had turned aside and had gone away. My soul melted when he spoke. I sought him, and did not find him. I called, and he did not answer me.

I myself, opened to my beloved, but, my beloved, had turned away, had passed on, —My soul, had gone out when he spake, I sought him, but found him not, I called him, but he answered not.

7 The keepers who circulate through the city found me. They struck me, and wounded me. The keepers of the walls took my veil away from me.

The watchmen who were going round in the city, found me, they smote me, wounded me, —The watchmen of the walls, took away my cloak from off me.

8 I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, announce to him that I languish through love.

I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, —If ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? That, sick with love, I am.

9 Chorus to Bride: What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, so that you would bind us by oath?

[DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, thou most beautiful among women? What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, that, thus, thou hast adjured us?

10 Bride: My beloved is white and ruddy, elect among thousands.

[SHE.] My beloved, is white and ruddy, conspicuous beyond ten thousand:

11 His head is like the finest gold. His locks are like the heights of palm trees, and as black as a raven.

His head, is pure gold, —his locks, are bushy, black as a raven;

12 His eyes are like doves, which have been washed with milk over rivulets of waters, and which reside near plentiful streams.

His eyes, like doves, by the channels of water, —bathing in milk, set as gems in a ring:

13 His cheeks are like a courtyard of aromatic plants, sown by perfumers. His lips are like lilies, dripping with the best myrrh.

His cheeks, like a raised bed of balsam, growing plants of perfume, —His lips, lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling:

14 His hands are smoothed gold, full of hyacinths. His abdomen is ivory, accented with sapphires.

His hands, cylinders of gold, set with topaz, —His body, wrought work of ivory, covered with sapphires:

15 His legs are columns of marble, which have been established over bases of gold. His appearance is like that of Lebanon, elect like the cedars.

His legs, pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold, —His form, like Lebanon, choice as cedars:

16 His throat is most sweet, and he is entirely desirable. Such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

His mouth, most sweet, yea, altogether, he is delightful, —This, is my beloved, yea, this, is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem.