1 L o, thou fair, my friend, lo, thou fair, Thine eyes doves behind thy veil, Thy hair as a row of the goats That have shone from mount Gilead,

“ How beautiful you are, my darling, How beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; Your hair is like a flock of goats That have descended from Mount Gilead.

2 T hy teeth as a row of the shorn ones That have come up from the washing, For all of them are forming twins, And a bereaved one is not among them.

“Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn ewes Which have come up from their washing, All of which bear twins, And not one among them has lost her young.

3 A s a thread of scarlet thy lips, And thy speech comely, As the work of the pomegranate thy temple behind thy veil,

“Your lips are like a scarlet thread, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate Behind your veil.

4 A s the tower of David thy neck, built for an armoury, The chief of the shields are hung on it, All shields of the mighty.

“Your neck is like the tower of David, Built with rows of stones On which are hung a thousand shields, All the round shields of the mighty men.

5 T hy two breasts as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies.

“Your two breasts are like two fawns, Twins of a gazelle Which feed among the lilies.

6 T ill the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, And unto the hill of frankincense.

“ Until the cool of the day When the shadows flee away, I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh And to the hill of frankincense.

7 T hou all fair, my friend, And a blemish there is not in thee. Come from Lebanon, O spouse,

“ You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you.

8 C ome from Lebanon, come thou in. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Shenir and Hermon, From the habitations of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

“ Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, May you come with me from Lebanon. Journey down from the summit of Amana, From the summit of Senir and Hermon, From the dens of lions, From the mountains of leopards.

9 T hou hast emboldened me, my sister-spouse, Emboldened me with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck.

“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride; You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes, With a single strand of your necklace.

10 H ow wonderful have been thy loves, my sister-spouse, How much better have been thy loves than wine, And the fragrance of thy perfumes than all spices.

“ How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much better is your love than wine, And the fragrance of your oils Than all kinds of spices!

11 T hy lips drop honey, O spouse, Honey and milk under thy tongue, And the fragrance of thy garments as the fragrance of Lebanon.

“Your lips, my bride, drip honey; Honey and milk are under your tongue, And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12 A garden shut up my sister-spouse, A spring shut up -- a fountain sealed.

“A garden locked is my sister, my bride, A rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.

13 T hy shoots a paradise of pomegranates, With precious fruits,

“Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants,

14 C ypresses with nard -- nard and saffron, Cane and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices.

Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.

15 A fount of gardens, a well of living waters, And flowings from Lebanon!

“ You are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon.”

16 A wake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, Let my beloved come to his garden, And eat its pleasant fruits!

“ Awake, O north wind, And come, wind of the south; Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits!”