Song of Solomon 5

1 I AM come into my garden, my sister, [my] bride: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. The friends speaking to the man and the woman Eat, friends; drink and be drunk with love.

2 I was asleep, but my heart waked: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, [saying], Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.

I was asleep, but my heart was awake. There is the sound of my beloved knocking and saying, “Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the night's dampness.”

3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

“I have taken off my robe; must I put it on again? I have washed my feet; must I get them dirty?”

4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door], and my heart was moved for him.

My beloved put in his hand through the opening of the door latch, and my heart was stirred up for him.

5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.

I got up to open the door for my beloved; my hands were dripping with myrrh, my fingers with moist myrrh, on the door handle.

6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, [and] was gone. My soul had failed me when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

I opened the door for my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My heart sank when he spoke. I looked for him, but I did not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

7 The watchmen that go about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.

The watchmen found me as they were making their rounds in the city. They struck me and wounded me; the guards on the walls took away my cloak from me.

8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

I want you to swear, daughters of Jerusalem, that if you find my beloved— What will you make known to him?— that I am sick from love.

9 What is thy beloved more than [another] beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than [another] beloved, that thou dost so adjure us?

How is your beloved better than another beloved man, most beautiful among women? Why is your beloved better than another beloved, that you ask us to take an oath like this?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

My beloved is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

11 His head is [as] the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, [and] black as a raven.

His head is the purest gold; his hair is curly and as black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside the water brooks; washed with milk, [and] fitly set.

His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, bathed in milk, mounted like jewels.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs: his lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding aromatic scents. His lips are lilies, dripping liquid myrrh.

14 His hands are [as] rings of gold set with beryl: his body is [as] ivory work overlaid [with] sapphires.

His arms are rounded gold set with jewels; his abdomen is ivory covered with sapphires.

15 His legs are [as] pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

His legs are pillars of marble, set on bases of pure gold; his appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

His mouth is most sweet; he is completely lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.