Song of Solomon 2

1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys.

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

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

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

3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, his fruit was sweet to my taste.

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.

4 He brought me to the banquet hall. His banner over me is love.

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

5 Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am faint with love.

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

6 His left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me.

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

7 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires.

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

8 The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.

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

9 My beloved is like a roe or a young deer. Behold, he stands behind our wall! He looks in at the windows. He glances through the lattice.

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.

10 My beloved spoke, and said to me, “Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.

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

11 For behold, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone.

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

12 The flowers appear on the earth. The time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

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.

13 The fig tree ripens her green figs. The vines are in blossom. They give out their fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.”

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; yea, come.

14 My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountainside, let me see your face. Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.

[Thou art] my dove, in the shelter of the rock, near the wall: shew me thy face, and cause me to hear thy voice; for thy voice is sweet, and thy countenance is beautiful.

15 Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that plunder the vineyards; for our vineyards are in blossom.

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

16 My beloved is mine, and I am his. He browses among the lilies.

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

17 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.

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