Song of Songs 2

1 I am a flower of the plain, a lily of the valleys.

As a lily among the thorns,

2 As a lily among thorns, so is my companion among the daughters.

So [is] my friend among the daughters!

3 As the apple among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons. I desired his shadow, and sat down, and his fruit was sweet in my throat.

As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.

4 Bring me into the wine house; set love before me.

He has brought me to a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,

5 Strengthen me with perfumes, stay me with apples: for I [am] wounded with love.

Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.

6 His left [hand shall be] under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me.

His left hand [is] under my head, And his right embraces me.

7 I have charged you, you daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and by the virtues of the field, that you do not rouse or wake [my] love, until he please.

I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor wake the love until she pleases!

8 The voice of my kinsman! behold, he comes leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.

The voice of my beloved! Behold, this—he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

9 My kinsman is like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Baethel: behold, he is behind our wall, looking through the windows, peeping through the lattices.

My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Behold, this—he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.

10 My kinsman answers, and says to me, Rise up, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove.

My beloved has answered and said to me, “Rise up, my friend, my beautiful one, and come away,

11 For, behold, the winter is past, the rain is gone, it has departed.

For behold, the winter has passed by, The rain has passed away—it has gone.

12 The flowers are seen in the land; the time of pruning has arrived; the voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land.

The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing has come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,

13 The fig tree has put forth its young figs, the vines put forth the tender grape, they yield a smell: arise, come, my companion, my fair one, my dove; yes, come.

The fig tree has ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my beautiful one, indeed, come away.

14 [You are] my dove, in the shelter of the rock, near the wall: show me your face, and cause me to hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is beautiful.

My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see your appearance, Cause me to hear your voice, For your voice [is] sweet, and your appearance lovely.”

15 Take us the little foxes that spoil the vines: for our vines put forth tender grapes.

Seize for us foxes, Little foxes—destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.

16 My kinsman is mine, and I am his: he feeds [his flock] among the lilies.

My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,

17 Until the day dawn, and the shadows depart, turn, my kinsman, be you like to a roe or young hart on the mountains of the ravines.

Until the day breaks forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!