Song of Solomon 6

1 Where has your beloved gone, most beautiful among women? In what direction has your beloved gone, so that we may seek him with you?

Where has your beloved gone, you fairest among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?

2 My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to graze in the garden and to gather lilies.

My beloved has gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock in the gardens, and to gather lilies.

3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; he grazes among the lilies with pleasure.

I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine. He browses among the lilies.

4 You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awe-inspiring as an army with its banners.

You are beautiful, my love, as Tirzah, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners.

5 Turn your eyes away from me, for they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats going down from the slopes of Gilead.

Turn away your eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Your hair is like a flock of goats, that lie along the side of Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming up from the washing place. Each one has a twin, and none among them is bereaved.

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing, of which every one has twins; not one is bereaved among them.

7 Your cheeks are like pomegranate halves behind your veil.

Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil.

8 There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and young women without number.

There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

9 My dove, my undefiled, is the only one; she is the only daughter of her mother; she is the favorite one of the woman who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and the concubines saw her also, and they praised her:

My dove, my perfect one, is unique. She is her mother’s only daughter. She is the favorite one of her who bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her blessed. The queens and the concubines saw her, and they praised her.

10 “Who is this who appears like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as bright as the sun, as awe-inspiring as an army with its banners?”

Who is she who looks out as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, and awesome as an army with banners?

11 I went down into the grove of nut trees to see the young growth in the valley, to see whether the vines had budded, and whether the pomegranates were in bloom.

I went down into the nut tree grove, to see the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.

12 I was so happy that I felt I was riding in the chariot of a prince.

Without realizing it, my desire set me with my royal people’s chariots.

13 Turn back, turn back, you perfect woman; turn back, turn back so that we may gaze on you. The woman speaking to the friends Why do you gaze on the perfect woman, as if on the dance between two armies?

Return, return, Shulammite! Return, return, that we may gaze at you. Lover Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite, as at the dance of Mahanaim?