1 B y night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

¶ By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him.

2 I will get up now, and go about the city; in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him.

3 T he watchmen who go about the city found me; “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

The watchmen that go about the city found me, to whom I said, Have ye seen him whom my soul loves?

4 I had scarcely passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me.

It was but a little that I passed from them that I found him whom my soul loves: I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her that brought me into the light.

5 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.

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.

6 W ho is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?

¶ Who is she that rises out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense and with all the aromatic powders?

7 B ehold, it is Solomon’s carriage! Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

¶ Behold it is the bed of Solomon; sixty valiant men are about it of the valiant of Israel.

8 T hey all handle the sword, and are expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.

They all hold swords, being expert in war; each one has his sword upon his thigh because of the fears of the night.

9 K ing Solomon made himself a carriage of the wood of Lebanon.

King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the wood of Lebanon.

10 H e made its pillars of silver, its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

He made its pillars of silver, the bottom of it of gold, the covering of it of purple, its interior being paved with love, for the virgins of Jerusalem.

11 G o out, you daughters of Zion, and see king Solomon, with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.

Go forth, O ye virgins of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with which his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.