1 A s a lily among the thorns,

I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys.

2 S o my friend among the daughters!

As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters.

3 A s 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.

As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 H e hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me love,

He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love.

5 S ustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I sick with love.

Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love.

6 H is left hand under my head, And his right doth embrace me.

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

7 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!

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake my love, Until he please.

8 T he voice of my beloved! lo, this -- he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh, Leaping upon the mountains, Skipping upon the hills.

9 M y 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.

My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: Behold, he standeth behind our wall; He looketh in at the windows; He glanceth through the lattice.

10 M y beloved hath answered and said to me, `Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11 F or lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away -- it hath gone.

For, lo, the winter is past; The rain is over and gone;

12 T he flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,

The flowers appear on the earth; The time of the singing of birds is come, And the voice of the turtle-dove is heard in our land;

13 T he 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.

The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, And the vines are in blossom; They give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

14 M y 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.

O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, In the covert of the steep place, Let me see thy countenance, Let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.

15 S eize ye for us foxes, Little foxes -- destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.

Take us the foxes, the little foxes, That spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.

16 M y beloved mine, and I his, Who is delighting among the lilies,

My beloved is mine, and I am his: He feedeth his flock among the lilies.

17 T ill 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!

Until the day be cool, and the shadows flee away, Turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart Upon the mountains of Bether.