The song
of songs,
which is Solomon's.
Let him
kiss me
with the kisses
of his mouth:
for thy
love
is better
than wine.
Because
of the savour
of thy
good ointments thy
name
is as ointment
poured forth,
therefore do
the virgins love thee.
Draw me,
we will run
after thee:
the king
hath brought me
into his chambers:
we will be glad
and rejoice
in thee,
we will remember
thy
love more than wine:
the upright love thee.
I am black,
but comely,
O ye daughters
of Jerusalem,
as the tents
of Kedar,
as the curtains
of Solomon.
Look not upon me,
because
I am black,
because
the sun
hath looked upon me:
my mother's children
were angry
with me;
they made me the keeper
of the vineyards;
but mine own vineyard
have I not kept.
Tell me,
O thou whom
my soul loveth,
where thou feedest,
where thou
makest
thy flock
to rest at noon:
for why
should
I be as one
that turneth aside
by the flocks
of thy companions?
If thou
know not,
O thou fairest
among women,
go thy way
forth by the footsteps
of the flock,
and feed thy
kids beside
the shepherds' tents.
I have compared thee,
O my love,
to a company
of horses
in Pharaoh's chariots.
Thy cheeks
are comely
with rows
of jewels,
thy neck
with chains
of gold.
We will make thee borders
of gold
with studs
of silver.
While the king
sitteth at his table,
my spikenard
sendeth forth the smell
thereof.
A bundle
of myrrh
is my well-beloved
unto me;
he shall lie all night
betwixt my breasts.
My beloved
is unto me as a cluster
of camphire
in the vineyards
of Engedi.
Behold,
thou art fair,
my love;
behold,
thou art fair;
thou hast doves' eyes.
Behold,
thou art fair,
my beloved,
yea,
pleasant:
also our bed
is green.
The beams
of our house
are cedar,
and our rafters
of fir.
I am the rose
of Sharon,
and the lily
of the valleys.
As the lily
among thorns,
so is my love
among the daughters.
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,
and his fruit
was sweet
to my taste.
He brought me
to the banqueting house,
and his banner
over me was love.
Stay me
with flagons,
comfort me
with apples:
for I
am sick
of love.
His left hand
is under my head,
and his right hand
doth embrace me.
I charge you,
O ye daughters
of Jerusalem,
by the roes,
and by the hinds
of the field,
that ye
stir not up,
nor awake
my love,
till he please.
The voice
of my beloved!
behold,
he cometh
leaping upon the mountains,
skipping
upon the hills.
My beloved
is like
a roe or a young hart:
behold,
he standeth behind our wall,
he looketh forth
at the windows,
shewing himself
through the lattice.
My beloved spake,
and said unto me,
Rise up,
my love,
my fair one,
and come away.
For, lo,
the winter
is past,
the rain
is over and gone;
The flowers
appear
on the earth;
the time
of the singing
of birds
is come,
and
the voice
of the turtle
is heard
in our land;
The fig tree
putteth forth her green figs,
and the vines
with the tender grape
give a good smell.
Arise,
my love,
my fair one,
and come away.
O my dove,
that art
in the clefts
of the rock,
in the secret
places
of the stairs,
let me
see thy countenance,
let me
hear thy voice;
for sweet
is
thy voice,
and thy countenance
is comely.
Take us
the foxes,
the little foxes,
that spoil
the vines:
for our vines
have tender grapes.
My beloved
is mine,
and I
am his:
he feedeth among the lilies.
Until the day break,
and the shadows
flee away,
turn,
my beloved,
and be
thou like
a roe or a young hart
upon the mountains
of Bether.
By night
on my bed
I sought him whom
my soul loveth:
I sought him,
but
I found him not.
I will rise now,
and go
about the city
in the streets,
and
in the broad ways
I will seek him whom
my soul loveth:
I sought him,
but
I found him not.
The watchmen that
go
about the city
found me:
to whom
I said,
Saw
ye him whom
my soul loveth?
It was
but a little
that I
passed from them,
but I
found him whom
my soul loveth:
I held him,
and would not let him go,
until I
had brought him
into my mother's house,
and
into the chamber
of her
that conceived me.
I charge you,
O ye daughters
of Jerusalem,
by the roes,
and by the hinds
of the field,
that ye
stir not up,
nor awake
my love,
till he please.
Who is this
that
cometh out of the
wilderness like pillars
of smoke,
perfumed
with myrrh
and frankincense,
with all powders
of the merchant?
Behold his bed,
which is Solomon's;
threescore valiant men
are about it,
of the valiant
of Israel.
They all hold
swords,
being expert
in war:
every man
hath his sword
upon his thigh
because
of fear
in the night.
King Solomon made himself
a chariot
of the wood
of Lebanon.
He made the pillars
thereof of silver,
the bottom
thereof of gold,
the covering
of it of purple,
the midst
thereof being paved
with love,
for the daughters
of Jerusalem.
Go forth,
O ye daughters
of Zion,
and behold king Solomon
with the crown
wherewith
his mother
crowned him
in the day
of his espousals,
and in the day
of the gladness
of his heart.
Behold,
thou art fair,
my love;
behold,
thou art fair;
thou hast doves' eyes
within thy locks:
thy hair
is as a flock
of goats,
that appear
from mount Gilead.
Thy teeth
are like
a flock
of sheep
that are even shorn,
which came up
from the washing;
whereof
every one
bear twins,
and none
is barren
among them.
Thy lips
are like
a thread
of scarlet,
and thy speech
is comely:
thy temples
are like
a piece
of a pomegranate
within thy locks.
Thy neck
is like
the tower
of David
builded
for an armoury,
whereon there hang
a thousand bucklers,
all shields
of mighty men.
Thy two breasts
are like
two young roes
that are twins,
which feed
among the lilies.
Until the day break,
and the shadows
flee away,
I will get me
to the mountain
of myrrh,
and to the hill
of frankincense.
Thou art
all fair,
my love;
there is
no spot
in thee.
Come with me
from Lebanon,
my spouse,
with me
from Lebanon:
look from the top
of Amana,
from the top
of Shenir
and Hermon,
from the lions' dens,
from the mountains
of the leopards.
Thou hast ravished
my heart,
my sister,
my spouse;
thou hast ravished
my heart
with one
of thine eyes,
with one chain
of thy neck.
How fair
is
thy love,
my sister,
my spouse!
how much
better
is
thy love
than wine!
and the smell
of thine ointments than
all spices!
Thy lips,
O my spouse,
drop
as the honeycomb:
honey
and milk
are under thy tongue;
and the smell
of thy garments
is like
the smell
of Lebanon.
A garden inclosed
is my sister,
my spouse;
a spring shut
up,
a fountain sealed.
Thy plants
are an orchard
of pomegranates,
with pleasant fruits;
camphire,
with spikenard,
Spikenard
and saffron;
calamus
and cinnamon,
with all trees
of frankincense;
myrrh and aloes,
with all
the chief spices:
A fountain
of gardens,
a well of living waters,
and streams
from Lebanon.
Awake,
O north wind;
and come,
thou south;
blow
upon my garden,
that the spices
thereof may flow out.
Let my beloved
come
into his garden,
and eat
his pleasant fruits.
I 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.
I 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.
I have put off
my coat;
how shall
I put it on?
I have washed
my feet;
how shall I defile them?
My beloved
put in his hand
by the hole
of the door,
and my bowels
were moved for him.
I 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.
I 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.
The 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.
I charge you,
O daughters
of Jerusalem,
if ye
find
my beloved,
that ye
tell him,
that I
am sick
of love.
What 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?
My beloved
is white
and ruddy,
the chiefest
among ten thousand.
His head
is as the most fine gold,
his locks
are bushy,
and black
as a raven.
His eyes
are as the eyes
of doves
by the rivers
of waters,
washed with milk,
and fitly set.
His cheeks
are as a bed
of spices,
as sweet flowers:
his lips like lilies,
dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
His hands
are as gold rings set with the beryl:
his belly
is as bright ivory
overlaid
with sapphires.
His legs
are as pillars
of marble,
set upon sockets
of fine gold:
his countenance
is as Lebanon,
excellent
as the cedars.
His mouth
is most sweet:
yea,
he is
altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,
and this
is my friend,
O daughters
of Jerusalem.
Whither is
thy beloved gone,
O thou fairest
among women?
whither is
thy beloved turned
aside?
that we
may seek him
with thee.
My beloved
is gone down
into his garden,
to the beds
of spices,
to feed
in the gardens,
and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved's,
and my beloved
is mine:
he feedeth among the lilies.
Thou art beautiful,
O my love,
as Tirzah,
comely as Jerusalem,
terrible
as an army
with banners.
Turn away
thine
eyes from me,
for they
have overcome me:
thy hair
is as a flock
of goats
that appear
from Gilead.
Thy teeth
are as a flock
of sheep which
go up
from the washing,
whereof
every one
beareth twins,
and there is not
one barren
among them.
As a piece
of a pomegranate
are thy temples
within thy locks.
There are
threescore queens,
and fourscore concubines,
and virgins
without number.
My dove,
my undefiled
is
but one;
she is the only one
of her mother,
she is the choice one
of her that bare her.
The daughters
saw her,
and blessed her;
yea,
the queens
and the concubines,
and
they praised her.
Who is
she that looketh forth
as the morning,
fair as the moon,
clear as the sun,
and terrible
as an army
with banners?
I went down
into the garden
of nuts
to see the fruits
of the valley,
and to see
whether the vine
flourished
and the pomegranates budded.
Or ever
I was aware,
my soul
made me like
the chariots
of Amminadib.
Return,
return,
O Shulamite;
return,
return,
that we
may look
upon thee.
What will
ye see
in the Shulamite?
As it were the company
of two armies.
How beautiful
are thy feet
with shoes,
O prince's daughter!
the joints
of thy thighs
are like jewels,
the work
of the hands
of a cunning workman.
Thy navel
is like
a round goblet,
which wanteth not
liquor:
thy belly
is like
an heap
of wheat
set about
with lilies.
Thy two breasts
are like
two young roes
that are twins.
Thy neck
is as a tower
of ivory;
thine eyes like
the fishpools
in Heshbon,
by the gate
of Bathrabbim:
thy nose
is as the tower
of Lebanon
which looketh
toward Damascus.
Thine head
upon thee
is like Carmel,
and the hair
of thine
head like purple;
the king
is held
in the galleries.
How fair
and how pleasant art thou,
O love,
for delights!
This thy stature
is like
to a palm tree,
and thy breasts
to clusters
of grapes.
I said,
I will go up to
the palm tree,
I will take
hold
of the boughs
thereof:
now also
thy breasts
shall be
as clusters
of the vine,
and the smell
of thy nose like apples;
And the roof
of thy
mouth like
the best wine
for my beloved,
that goeth down sweetly,
causing
the lips of those
that are asleep
to speak.
I am my beloved's,
and his desire
is toward me.
Come,
my beloved,
let us
go forth
into the field;
let us
lodge
in the villages.
Let us
get up early
to the vineyards;
let us
see
if the vine flourish,
whether
the tender grape appear,
and the pomegranates
bud forth:
there will
I give
thee my loves.
The mandrakes
give a smell,
and at our gates
are all manner
of pleasant fruits,
new
and old,
which I
have laid up
for thee,
O my beloved.
O that thou wert
as my brother,
that sucked the breasts
of my mother!
when
I should find thee
without,
I would kiss thee;
yea,
I should not be despised.
I would lead thee,
and bring thee
into my mother's house,
who would instruct me:
I would cause thee
to drink
of spiced wine
of the juice
of my pomegranate.
His left hand
should be
under my head,
and his right hand
should embrace me.
I charge you,
O daughters
of Jerusalem,
that ye
stir not up,
nor awake
my love,
until he please.
Who is this
that cometh up
from the wilderness,
leaning
upon her beloved?
I raised thee up
under the apple tree:
there
thy mother
brought thee forth:
there
she brought thee
forth that bare thee.
Set me
as a seal
upon thine heart,
as a seal
upon thine arm:
for love
is strong
as death;
jealousy is cruel
as the grave:
the coals
thereof are coals
of fire,
which hath
a most vehement flame.
Many waters
cannot quench love,
neither can
the floods
drown it:
if a man
would give all the substance
of his house
for love,
it would utterly be
contemned.
We have
a little sister,
and
she hath
no breasts:
what shall
we do
for our sister
in the day
when
she
shall be spoken for?
If she
be a wall,
we will build
upon her
a palace
of silver:
and
if she
be a door,
we will inclose her
with boards
of cedar.
I am a wall,
and my breasts like towers:
then was
I in his eyes
as one
that found favour.
Solomon had
a vineyard
at Baalhamon;
he let
out the vineyard
unto keepers;
every one
for the fruit
thereof was
to bring
a thousand
pieces
of silver.
My vineyard,
which is mine,
is before me:
thou,
O Solomon,
must have
a thousand,
and those that
keep
the fruit
thereof two hundred.
Thou
that dwellest in the gardens,
the companions
hearken to thy voice:
cause me to hear it.
Make haste,
my beloved,
and be
thou like
to a roe
or to a young hart
upon the mountains
of spices.