King Solomon

4 “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. ² Your 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. ³ Your 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. ⁴ Your neck is like the tower of David, built with beauty. On it hang a thousand battle-coverings, the coverings of men of war. ⁵ Your two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle, that eat among the lilies. ⁶ Until the morning comes and the shadows hurry away, I will go to the mountain of perfume plants, to the hill of special perfume.

⁷ “You are all beautiful, my love. You are perfect. ⁸ Come 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. ⁹ You 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. ¹⁰ How 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! ¹¹ Honey 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. ¹² A garden closed and locked is my sister, my bride, a garden shut up and covered over. ¹³ Your young branches are a garden of pomegranates with all the best fruits, henna with nard plants. ¹⁴ There is nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices. ¹⁵ You are a garden well, a well of flowing water, and rivers coming from Lebanon.”

The Woman

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.”

King Solomon

5 “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my perfume with my spice. I have eaten my honey and the comb. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat and drink, friends. Drink much, O lovers.”

The Fourth Song

The Woman

² “I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My love was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is wet from the water on the grass in the early morning. My hair is wet from the night.’ ³ I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again? ⁴ My love put his hand through the opening, and joy filled my heart. ⁵ I got up to let my love in, and perfume fell from my hands. Wet perfume fell from my fingers onto the lock. ⁶ I opened the door to my love, but he had already gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I looked for him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer me. ⁷ The watchmen of the city found me. They beat me and hurt me. The watchmen of the walls took my coat from me. ⁸ I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, you must tell him that I am weak with love.”

Women of Jerusalem

⁹ “What is your loved one more than another loved one, O most beautiful among women? What is your loved one more than another loved one, that you tell us to do this?”

The Woman

¹⁰ “My loved one is bright and red, the best among 10,000. ¹¹ His head is like gold, pure gold. His hair has waves and is black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are like doves beside rivers of water, washed in milk, and resting in their places. ¹³ His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume. ¹⁴ His hands are strong pieces of gold set with stones of much worth. His body is made of ivory set with stones of much worth. ¹⁵ His legs are pillars of clay put on bases of pure gold. He looks like Lebanon, as beautiful as the cedar trees. ¹⁶ His mouth is very sweet, everything about him is pleasing. This is my loved one and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”