1 “ I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers.”

I have come in to my garden, my sister-spouse, I have plucked my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, Yea, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!

2 “ I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of the night.’

I am sleeping, but my heart waketh: The sound of my beloved knocking! `Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled dew, My locks drops of the night.'

3 “ I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again ? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again ?

I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?

4 “ My beloved extended his hand through the opening, And my feelings were aroused for him.

My beloved sent his hand from the net-work, And my bowels were moved for him.

5 “ I arose to open to my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh, On the handles of the bolt.

I rose to open to my beloved, And my hands dropped myrrh, Yea, my fingers flowing myrrh, On the handles of the lock.

6 “ I opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me.

I opened to my beloved, But my beloved withdrew -- he passed on, My soul went forth when he spake, I sought him, and found him not. I called him, and he answered me not.

7 “ The watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me, They struck me and wounded me; The guardsmen of the walls took away my shawl from me.

The watchmen who go round about the city, Found me, smote me, wounded me, Keepers of the walls lifted up my veil from off me.

8 “ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick.”

I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, If ye find my beloved -- What do ye tell him? that I sick with love!

9 “ What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That thus you adjure us?” Admiration by the Bride

What thy beloved above beloved, O fair among women? What thy beloved above beloved, That thus thou hast adjured us?

10 “ My beloved is dazzling and ruddy, Outstanding among ten thousand.

My beloved clear and ruddy, Conspicuous above a myriad!

11 “ His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

His head pure gold -- fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,

12 “ His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, And reposed in their setting.

His eyes as doves by streams of water, Washing in milk, sitting in fulness.

13 “ His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of sweet-scented herbs; His lips are lilies Dripping with liquid myrrh.

His cheeks as a bed of the spice, towers of perfumes, His lips lilies, dropping flowing myrrh,

14 “ His hands are rods of gold Set with beryl; His abdomen is carved ivory Inlaid with sapphires.

His hands rings of gold, set with beryl, His heart bright ivory, covered with sapphires,

15 “ His legs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon Choice as the cedars.

His limbs pillars of marble, Founded on sockets of fine gold, His appearance as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

16 “ His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

His mouth is sweetness -- and all of him desirable, This my beloved, and this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!