Song of Solomon 5

1I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: 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.footnote a

2I sleep, but my heart waketh: 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, and my locks with the drops of the night.

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

4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.footnote b

5I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.footnote c

6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

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

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

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

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

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

12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.footnote g

13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.footnote h

14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

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

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

The Bride and Her Beloved

The Bridegroom

1I have come to 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 FriendsEat, O friends, and drink;drink freely, O beloved.

The Bride

2I sleep, but my heart is awake.A sound! My beloved is knocking:“Open to me, my sister, my darling,my dove, my flawless one.My head is drenched with dew,my hair with the dampness of the night.”

3I have taken off my robe—must I put it back on?I have washed my feet—must I soil them again? 4My beloved put his hand to the latch;my heart pounded for him. 5I rose up to open for my beloved.My hands dripped with myrrh,my fingers with flowing myrrhon the handles of the bolt. 6I opened for my beloved,but he had turned and gone.My heart sank at his departure.I sought him but did not find him.I called, but he did not answer.

7I encountered the watchmen on their rounds of the city.They beat me and bruised me;they took away my cloak,those guardians of the walls. 8O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you,if you find my beloved,tell him I am sick with love.

The Friends

9How is your beloved better than others,O most beautiful among women?How is your beloved better than another,that you charge us so?

The Bride

10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,outstanding among ten thousand. 11His head is purest gold;his hair is wavy and black as a raven. 12His eyes are like dovesbeside the streams of water,bathed in milkand mounted like jewels. 13His cheeks are like beds of spice,towers of perfume.His lips are like lilies,dripping with flowing myrrh. 14His arms are rods of goldset with beryl.His body is polished ivorybedecked with sapphires. 15His legs are pillars of marbleset on bases of pure gold.His appearance is like Lebanon,as majestic as the cedars. 16His mouthfootnote ais most sweet;he is altogether lovely.This is my beloved, and this is my friend,O daughters of Jerusalem.