Study Desk

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)