Song of Songs 5

The Beloved Comes to the Garden

1I have come into 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.
Eat, friends;
drink,
and be drunk with love.

The Bride's Dream

2I slept,
but my heart was awake.
The sound of my beloved!
He is knocking:
“Open to me,
my sister,
my love,
my dove,
my perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my locks with the drops of the night.”

3I had taken off my robe;
must I put it on again?
I had washed my feet;
must I soil them again? 4My beloved put his hand
to the latch,
and my heart was stirred within me. 5I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
upon the handles of the bolt.

6I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him,
but I did not find him.
I called him,
but he gave no answer.

7The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
They struck me;
they wounded me.
The keepers of the walls
took away my veil from me.

8I adjure you,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
what will you tell him?
Tell him that I am sick with love.

The Daughters of Jerusalem Respond

9What is your beloved
more than another beloved,
O most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved
more than another beloved,
that you so adjure us?

The Bride Praises Her Beloved

10My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
distinguished among ten thousand. 11His head is finest gold;
his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.

12His eyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
washed with milk,
set beside fullness. 13His cheeks are like beds of spices,
mounds of sweet-scented herbs.
His lips are lilies,
dripping flowing myrrh.

14His arms are rods of gold,
set with jewels.
His body is polished ivory,
adorned with sapphires. 15His legs are pillars of marble,
set upon bases of fine gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.

16His mouth is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved,
and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.