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, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, Going down 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.

Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears 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.

Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate.

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.

Your neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armory, On which 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.

Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle, Which feed 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 my way 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!

You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you.

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.

Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, With me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir 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.

You have ravished my heart, My sister, my spouse; You have ravished my heart With one look of your eyes, With one link of your necklace.

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 your love, My sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, And the scent of your perfumes 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.

Your lips, O my spouse, Drip as the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under your tongue; And the fragrance of your garments Is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

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

A garden enclosed 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,

Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates With pleasant fruits, Fragrant henna 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, And streams from Lebanon. The Shulamite

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, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.