1 “ How beautiful you are, my love! How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your face-covering. Your hair is like a flock of goats coming down from Mount Gilead.

Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; Thine eyes are doves behind thy veil; Thy hair is as a flock of goats, On the slopes of mount Gilead.

2 Y our teeth are like a flock of sheep that have just had their wool cut and have come up from their washing. All have given birth to two lambs, and not one among them has lost her young.

Thy teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep, Which go up from the washing; Which have all borne twins, And none is barren among them.

3 Y our lips are like a bright red string. Your mouth is beautiful. The sides of your face are like a piece of a pomegranate under your covering.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, And thy speech is comely; As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples Behind thy veil.

4 Y our neck is like the tower of David, built with beauty. On it hang a thousand battle-coverings, the coverings of men of war.

Thy neck is like the tower of David, Built for an armoury: A thousand bucklers hang thereon, All shields of mighty men.

5 Y our two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle, that eat among the lilies.

Thy two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, Which feed among the lilies.

6 U ntil the morning comes and the shadows hurry away, I will go to the mountain of perfume plants, to the hill of special perfume.

Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, And to the hill of frankincense.

7 “ You are all beautiful, my love. You are perfect.

Thou art all fair, my love; And there is no spot in thee.

8 C ome with me from Lebanon, my bride. May you come with me from Lebanon. Travel down from the top of Amana, from the top of Senir and Hermon, from the homes of lions, from the mountain homes of leopards.

with me, from Lebanon, spouse, With me from Lebanon,—Come, look from the top of Amanah, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards.

9 Y ou have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride. You have made my heart beat faster with one look from your eyes, with one piece of the beautiful chain around your neck.

Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, spouse; Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.

10 H ow beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, and the sweet smell of your oils than all kinds of spices!

How fair is thy love, my sister, spouse! How much better is thy love than wine! And the fragrance of thine ointments than all spices!

11 H oney comes from your lips, my bride. Honey and milk are under your tongue. And the sweet smell of your clothing is like the smell of Lebanon.

Thy lips, spouse, drop the honeycomb; Honey and milk are under thy tongue; And the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

12 A garden closed and locked is my sister, my bride, a garden shut up and covered over.

A garden enclosed is my sister, spouse; A spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

13 Y our young branches are a garden of pomegranates with all the best fruits, henna with nard plants.

Thy shoots are a paradise of pomegranates, with precious fruits; Henna with spikenard plants;

14 T here is nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the best 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 garden well, a well of flowing water, and rivers coming from Lebanon.” The Woman

A fountain in the gardens, A well of living waters, Which stream from Lebanon.

16 “ Wake up, O north wind! Come, south wind! Blow upon my garden so the sweet smells will spread far. May my loved one come into his garden and eat its best fruits.”

Awake, north wind, and come, south; Blow upon my garden, the spices thereof may flow forth. Let my beloved come into his garden, And eat its precious fruits.