I am the rose of Sharon,
And the lily of the valleys.

THE Beloved

² Like a lily among thorns,
So is my love among the daughters.

THE Shulamite

³ Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods,
So is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down in his shade with great delight,
And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

THE Shulamite to the Daughters of Jerusalem

⁴ He brought me to the banqueting house,
And his banner over me was love.
⁵ Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
Refresh me with apples,
For I am lovesick.
⁶ His left hand is under my head,
And his right hand embraces me.
⁷ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the does of the field,
Do not stir up nor awaken love
Until it pleases.

THE Shulamite

⁸ The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes
Leaping upon the mountains,
Skipping upon the hills.
⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Behold, he stands behind our wall;
He is looking through the windows,
Gazing through the lattice.
¹⁰ My beloved spoke, and said to me:

“ Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
¹¹ For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
¹² The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!
¹⁴ “ O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
In the secret places of the cliff,
Let me see your face,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your face is lovely.”

HER Brothers

¹⁵ Catch us the foxes,
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.

THE Shulamite

¹⁶ My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He feeds his flock among the lilies.

(To Her Beloved)

¹⁷ Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved,
And be like a gazelle
Or a young stag
Upon the mountains of Bether.^[a]