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

As a lily among the thorns,

2 A s the lily among thorns, so is my love among the virgins.

So my friend among the daughters!

3 ¶ 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.

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

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

5 S ustain me with flagons of wine, strengthen me with apples; for I am sick with 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 embraces me.

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

7 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.

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 ¶ The voice of my beloved! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, skipping over 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 roe or a young hart; behold, he stands behind our wall; he looks through the windows, blossoming 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 spoke 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 and 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 the song is come, and the voice of the turtle dove has been 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 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.

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 ¶ 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.

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

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 feeds among the lilies.

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

17 U ntil 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.

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!