1 ¶ Where has thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? where didst thy beloved separate himself? that we may seek him with thee.

Where has your beloved gone, O you fairest among women? Where is your beloved hiding himself? For we would seek him with you.

2 M y beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather the lilies.

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens and to gather lilies.

3 I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine; he feeds among the lilies.

I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine! He feeds among the lilies.

4 ¶ Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, as desirable as Jerusalem, imposing as the standard-bearer of the army.

You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, and as comely as Jerusalem, as terrible as a bannered host!

5 T urn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me; thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.

Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me! Your hair is like a flock of goats trailing down from Mount Gilead.

6 T hy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, of which every one bears twins, and there is not one barren among them.

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming from their washing, of which all are in pairs, and not one of them is missing.

7 A s slices of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate behind your veil.

8 T here are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, and virgins without number;

9 M y dove is but one, my perfect one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that brought her into the light. The virgins saw her and called her blessed; yea, the queens and the concubines and they praised her.

But my dove, my undefiled and perfect one, stands alone; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her and called her blessed and happy, yes, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

10 W ho is she that shows herself forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and imposing as the standard-bearer of the army?

Who is this that looks forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, clear and pure as the sun, and terrible as a bannered host?

11 ¶ I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vines flourished, and the pomegranates budded.

I went down into the nut orchard to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the grapevine had budded and the pomegranates were in flower.

12 O r ever I was aware, my soul made me return like the chariots of Amminadib.

Before I was aware, my desire had brought me into the area of the princes of my people.

13 R eturn, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? She shall be as a multitude of tabernacles.

Return, return, O Shulammite; return, return, that we may look upon you! What is there for you to see in the Shulammite? As upon a dance before two armies or a dance of Mahanaim.