1 I am a narcissus of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.

As a lily among the thorns,

2 A s the lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.

So my friend among the daughters!

3 A s the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons: In his shadow have I rapture and sit down; And his fruit is sweet to my taste.

As a citron among trees of the forest, So my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit sweet to my palate.

4 H e hath brought me to the house of wine, And his banner over me is love.

He hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me love,

5 S ustain ye me with raisin-cakes, Refresh me with apples; For I am sick of love.

Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I sick with love.

6 H is left hand is under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.

His left hand under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

7 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake love, till he please.

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!

8 T he voice of my beloved! Behold, he cometh Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.

The voice of my beloved! lo, this -- he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

9 M y beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he standeth behind our wall, He looketh in through the windows, Glancing through the lattice.

My beloved 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.

10 M y beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

My beloved hath answered and said to me, `Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,

11 F or behold, the winter is past, The rain is over, it is gone:

For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away -- it hath gone.

12 T he flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;

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,

13 T he fig-tree melloweth her winter figs, And the vines in bloom give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away!

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.

14 M y dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the precipice, Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

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 sweet, and thy appearance comely.

15 T ake us the foxes, The little foxes, that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in bloom.

Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes -- destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.

16 M y beloved is mine, and I am his; He feedeth among the lilies,

My beloved mine, and I his, Who is delighting among the lilies,

17 U ntil the day dawn, and the shadows flee away. Turn, my beloved: be thou like a gazelle or a young hart, Upon the mountains of Bether.

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!