[1] I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; to take my myrrh with
my spice; my wax with my honey; my wine with my milk. Take meat, O friends;
take wine, yes, be overcome with love. [2] I am sleeping, but my heart is
awake; it is the sound of my loved one at the door, saying, Be open to me,
my sister, my love, my dove, my very beautiful one; my head is wet with
dew, and my hair with the drops of the night. [3] I have put off my coat;
how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean? [4]
My loved one put his hand on the door, and my heart was moved for him. [5]
I got up to let my loved one in; and my hands were dropping with myrrh, and
my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the lock of the door. [6] I made the door
open to my loved one; but my loved one had taken himself away, and was
gone, my soul was feeble when his back was turned on me; I went after him,
but I did not come near him; I said his name, but he gave me no answer. [7]
The keepers who go about the town overtook me; they gave me blows and
wounds; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. [8] I say to
you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say
to him? That I am overcome with love. [9] What is your loved one more than
another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another,
that you say this to us? [10] My loved one is white and red, the chief
among ten thousand. [11] His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is
thick, and black as a raven. [12] His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the
water streams, washed with milk, and rightly placed. [13] His face is as
beds of spices, giving out perfumes of every sort; his lips like lilies,
dropping liquid myrrh. [14] His hands are as rings of gold ornamented with
beryl-stones; his body is as a smooth plate of ivory covered with
sapphires. [15] His legs are as pillars of stone on a base of delicate
gold; his looks are as Lebanon, beautiful as the cedar-tree. [16] His mouth
is most sweet; yes, he is all beautiful. This is my loved one, and this is
my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
