1 I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a lily of the valleys.

¶ I am the lily of the field and the rose of the valleys.

2 B ut Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters.

As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the virgins.

3 L ike an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

¶ As the apple tree among the trees of the wild, so is my beloved among the sons. I desired to sit under his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 H e brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

He brought me to the wine chamber and placed his banner of love over me.

5 S ustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.

Sustain me with flagons of wine, strengthen me with apples; for I am sick with love.

6 h is left hand under my head and his right hand embraces me!

His left hand is under my head, and his right hand embraces me.

7 I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field that you not try to stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

I charge you, O ye virgins of Jerusalem, by the roes and by the hinds of the field that ye not awake nor stir up love, until he pleases.

8 T he voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.

¶ The voice of my beloved! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.

9 M y beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he stands behind the wall of our house, he looks in through the windows, he glances through the lattice.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart; behold, he stands behind our wall; he looks through the windows, blossoming through the lattice.

10 M y beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

My beloved spoke and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11 F or, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

For, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone;

12 T he flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the song is come, and the voice of the turtle dove has been heard in our land;

13 T he fig tree puts forth and ripens her green figs, and the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

the fig tree has put forth her green figs, and the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

14 O my dove, in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

¶ O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is beautiful.

15 T ake for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.

Hunt the foxes for us, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines are in blossom.

16 M y beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies.

My beloved is mine, and I am his; he feeds among the lilies.

17 U ntil the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return hastily, O my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart as you cover the mountains.

Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.