Study Desk

In my bed at night^[a] I sought the one I love;^(a) I sought him, but did not find him.^[b](b)

I will arise now and go about the city, through the streets and the plazas.^(c) I will seek the one I love. I sought him, but did not find him.

The guards who go about the city found me.^(d) I asked them, "Have you seen the one I love?"

I had just passed them when I found the one I love. I held on to him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother's house^(e)— to the chamber of the one who conceived me.

Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and the wild does of the field: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.^[c](f)

N What is this^(g) coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, scented with myrrh and frankincense^(h) from every fragrant powder of the merchant?

It is Solomon's royal litter^[d] surrounded by 60 warriors from the mighty of Israel.

All of them are skilled with swords and trained in warfare. Each has his sword at his side⁽ⁱ⁾ to guard against the terror of the night.^(j)

King Solomon made a sedan chair^[e] for himself with wood from Lebanon.

He made its posts of silver, its back^[f] of gold, and its seat of purple. Its interior is inlaid with love^[g] by the young women of Jerusalem.^(k)

Come out, young women of Zion,^(l) and gaze at King Solomon, wearing the crown his mother placed on him the day of his wedding^(m)— the day of his heart's rejoicing.

M How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful! Behind your veil, your eyes are doves.^(a) Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down Mount Gilead.^(b)

Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep coming up from washing, each one having a twin, and not one missing.^[a](c)

Your lips are like a scarlet cord,^(d) and your mouth^[b] is lovely. Behind your veil, your brow^[c] is like a slice of pomegranate.^(e)

Your neck is like the tower of David,^(f) constructed in layers. A thousand bucklers are hung on it— all of them shields of warriors.^[d]

Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle,^(g) that feed among the lilies.

Before the day breaks^[e] and the shadows flee,^(h) I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh and the hill of frankincense.⁽ⁱ⁾

You are absolutely beautiful,^(j) my darling, with no imperfection in you.

Come with me from Lebanon,^[f](k) my bride^(l)— with me from Lebanon! Descend from the peak of Amana, from the summit of Senir and Hermon,^(m) from the dens of the lions, from the mountains of the leopards.

You have captured my heart,⁽ⁿ⁾ my sister,^[g](o) my bride. You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.

How delightful your love is, my sister, my bride. Your love is much better than wine,^(p) and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.

Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.^(q) Honey and milk^(r) are under your tongue. The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden— a locked garden^[h] and a sealed spring.^(s)

Your branches are a paradise^[i] of pomegranates with choicest fruits,^(t) henna with nard—

nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,^(u) with all the trees of frankincense,^(v) myrrh and aloes,^(w) with all the best spices.

You are a garden spring, a well of flowing water^(x) streaming from Lebanon.

W Awaken,^(y) north wind— come, south wind. Blow on my garden, and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my love come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits.^(z)

M I have come to my garden—my sister, my bride. I gather^[a] my myrrh with my spices. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink my wine with my milk. N Eat, friends! Drink, be intoxicated with love!^[b](a)

W I sleep, but my heart is awake. A sound! My love is knocking!^(b) M Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. For my head is drenched with dew, my hair with droplets of the night.

W I have taken off my clothing.^(c) How can I put it back on? I have washed my feet. How can I get them dirty?

My love thrust his hand through the opening, and my feelings were stirred for him.

I rose to open for my love. My hands dripped with myrrh,^(d) my fingers with flowing myrrh on the handles of the bolt.

I opened to my love, but my love had turned and gone away. I was crushed^[c] that he had left.^[d] I sought him, but did not find him.^(e) I called him, but he did not answer.

The guards who go about the city found me.^(f) They beat and wounded me; they took my cloak^[e] from me— the guardians of the walls.^(g)

Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you:^(h) if you find my love, tell him that I am lovesick.⁽ⁱ⁾

Y What makes the one you love better than another, most beautiful of women?^(j) What makes him better than another, that you would give us this charge?

W My love is fit and strong,^[f](k) notable among ten thousand.^(l)

His head is purest gold. His hair is wavy^[g](m) and black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves⁽ⁿ⁾ beside streams of water, washed in milk and set like jewels.^[h]

His cheeks^(o) are like beds of spice, towers of^[i] perfume. His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh.^(p)

His arms^[j] are rods of gold set^[k] with topaz.^[l](q) His body^[m] is an ivory panel covered with sapphires.^(r)

His legs are alabaster pillars set on pedestals of pure gold. His presence is like Lebanon,^(s) as majestic as the cedars.^(t)

His mouth is sweetness. He is absolutely desirable.^(u) This is my love, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem.

Y Where has your love gone, most beautiful of women? Which way has he^[a] turned? We will seek him with you.

W My love has gone down to his garden,^(a) to beds of spice,^(b) to feed in the gardens^(c) and gather lilies.^(d)

I am my love's and my love is mine;^(e) he feeds among the lilies.

M You are as beautiful as Tirzah,^[b] my darling, lovely as Jerusalem, awe-inspiring as an army with banners.^(f)

Turn your eyes away from me, for they captivate me.^(g) Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.^(h)

Your teeth are like a flock of ewes coming up from washing, each one having a twin, and not one missing.^[c](i)

Behind your veil,^(j) your brow^[d] is like a slice of pomegranate.

There are 60 queens and 80 concubines^(k) and young women^[e] without number.

But my dove,^(l) my virtuous one, is unique;^(m) she is the favorite of her mother, perfect to the one who gave her birth. Women see her and declare her fortunate;⁽ⁿ⁾ queens and concubines also, and they sing her praises:

Y ^[f] Who is this^[g](o) who shines like the dawn— as beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, awe-inspiring as an army with banners?^(p)

W I came down to the walnut grove to see the blossoms of the valley, to see if the vines were budding^(q) and the pomegranates blooming.

Before I knew it, my desire put me among the chariots of my noble people.^[h]

^[i] Y Come back, come back, Shulammite!^[j][k] Come back, come back, that we may look at you! M Why are you looking at the Shulammite, as you look at the dance^(r) of the two camps?^[l](s)

How beautiful are your sandaled feet, princess!^[a](a) The curves of your thighs are like jewelry, the handiwork of a master.

Your navel is a rounded bowl; it never lacks mixed wine. Your waist^[b] is a mound of wheat surrounded by lilies.

Your breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle.^(b)

Your neck is like a tower of ivory,^(c) your eyes like pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus.

Your head crowns you^[c] like Mount Carmel, the hair of your head like purple cloth— a king could be held captive^(d) in your tresses.

How beautiful you are and how pleasant,^(e) my love, with such delights!

Your stature is like a palm tree; your breasts are clusters of fruit.

I said, "I will climb the palm tree and take hold of its fruit."^(f) May your breasts be like clusters of grapes, and the fragrance of your breath like apricots.^(g)

Your mouth^[d] is like fine wine^(h)— W flowing smoothly for my love, gliding past my lips and teeth!^[e]

I belong to my love, and his desire⁽ⁱ⁾ is for me.^(j)

Come, my love, let's go to the field; let's spend the night among the henna blossoms.^[f]

Let's go early to the vineyards; let's see if the vine has budded, if the blossom has opened, if the pomegranates are in bloom.^(k) There I will give you my love.

The mandrakes^(l) give off a fragrance, and at our doors is every delicacy— new as well as old. I have treasured them up for you, my love.

If only I could treat you like my brother,^[a] one who nursed at my mother's breasts, I would find you in public and kiss you, and no one would scorn me.

I would lead you, I would take you, to the house of my mother^(a) who taught me.^[b] I would give you spiced wine to drink from my pomegranate juice.

His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.^(b)

Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you: do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time.^(c)

Y Who is this^(d) coming up from the wilderness, leaning on the one she loves? W I awakened you under the apricot tree.^(e) There your mother conceived you; there she conceived and gave you birth.

Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm.^(f) For love is as strong as death;^(g) ardent love is as unrelenting as Sheol. Love's flames are fiery flames^(h)— the fiercest of all.^[c]

Mighty waters cannot extinguish love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all his wealth^[d] for love,⁽ⁱ⁾ it would be utterly scorned.

B Our sister is young; she has no breasts.^(j) What will we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?

If she is a wall, we will build a silver parapet on it. If she is a door, we will enclose it with cedar planks.^[e](k)

W I am^[f] a wall and my breasts like towers. So in his eyes I have become like one who finds peace.^[g]

Solomon owned a vineyard in Baal-hamon.^(l) He leased the vineyard to tenants.^(m) Each was to bring for his fruit 1,000 pieces of silver.⁽ⁿ⁾

I have my own vineyard.^[h](o) The 1,000 are for you, Solomon, but 200 for those who guard its fruits.

M You^[i] who dwell in the gardens— companions^(p) are listening for your voice— let me hear you!^(q)

W Hurry to me, my love, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.^(r)