1 H ow fair you are, my love, how very fair! Your eyes behind your veil of those of a dove; your hair of a flock of goats which one sees trailing down Mount Gilead.

¶ Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks; thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Mount Gilead.

2 Y our teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes which have come up from the washing, of which all are in pairs, and none is missing among them.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; of which every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.

3 Y our lips are like a thread of scarlet, and your mouth is lovely. Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is lovely; thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.

4 Y our neck is like the tower of David, built for an arsenal, whereon hang a thousand bucklers, all of them shields of warriors.

Thy neck is like the tower of David built for teaching, upon which there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

5 Y our two breasts are like two fawns, like twins of a gazelle that feed among the lilies.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which are fed among the lilies.

6 U ntil the day breaks and the shadows flee away, I will get to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense.

Until the day breaks, and the shadows flee away, I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.

7 O my love, how beautiful you are! There is no flaw in you!

Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.

8 C ome away with me from Lebanon, my bride, come with me from Lebanon. Depart from the top of Amana, from the peak of Senir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

¶ With me from Lebanon, my spouse, thou shalt come with me from Lebanon; thou shalt look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.

9 Y ou have ravished my heart and given me courage, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart and given me courage with one look from your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.

Thou hast taken hold of my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast imprisoned my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

10 H ow beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine! And the fragrance of your ointments than all spices!

How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!

11 Y our lips, O my bride, drop honey as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue. And the odor of your garments is like the odor of Lebanon.

Thy lips, O my spouse, drip as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden enclosed and barred is my sister, my bride—a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

A closed garden is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13 Y our shoots are an orchard of pomegranates or a paradise with precious fruits, henna with spikenard plants,

Thy newly budded plants are a paradise of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

14 S pikenard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh, and aloes, with all the chief spices.

spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

15 Y ou are a fountain in a garden, a well of living waters, and flowing streams from Lebanon.

¶ A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, that flow from Lebanon.

16 O h, I pray that the north wind and the south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits.

Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden that the aroma of its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his sweet fruits.