\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Song of Solomon}

{\MT Song of Songs



\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH Title/Superscription
\par }
{\PP \par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Solomon’s Most Excellent Love Song.


\par }{\SH The Desire for Love
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved}}}} to Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}Oh, how I wish you would kiss me passionately!

\par }{\Q For your lovemaking is more delightful than wine.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}The fragrance of your colognes is delightful;

\par }{\Q your name is like the finest perfume.

\par }{\Q No wonder the young women adore you!


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Draw me after you; let us hurry!

\par }{\Q May the king bring me into his bedroom chambers!

\par }{\SH {\QT{The Maidens to the Lover:}}*
\par }
{\Q We will rejoice and delight in you;

\par }{\Q we will praise your love more than wine.

\par }{\Q {\QT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}

\par }{\Q How rightly the young women adore you!


\par }{\SH The Country Maiden and the Daughters of Jerusalem
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to the Maidens:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{5}I am dark but lovely, O maidens of Jerusalem,

\par }{\Q dark like the tents of Qedar,

\par }{\Q lovely like the tent curtains of Salmah.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}Do not stare at me because I am dark,

\par }{\Q for the sun has burned my skin.

\par }{\Q My brothers were angry with me;

\par }{\Q they made me the keeper of the vineyards.

\par }{\Q Alas, my own vineyard I could not keep!


\par }{\SH The Shepherd and the Shepherdess
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{7}Tell me, O you whom my heart loves,

\par }{\Q where do you pasture your sheep?

\par }{\Q Where do you rest your sheep during the midday heat?

\par }{\Q Tell me lest I wander around

\par }{\Q beside the flocks of your companions!


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Lover to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}If you do not know, O most beautiful of women,

\par }{\Q simply follow the tracks of my flock,

\par }{\Q and pasture your little lambs

\par }{\Q beside the tents of the shepherds.


\par }{\SH The Beautiful Mare and the Fragrant Myrrh
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{9}O my beloved, you are like a mare

\par }{\Q among Pharaoh’s stallions.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments;

\par }{\Q your neck is lovely with strings of jewels.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}We will make for you gold ornaments

\par }{\Q studded with silver.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved about Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{12}While the king was at his banqueting table,

\par }{\Q my nard gave forth its fragrance.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}My beloved is like a fragrant pouch of myrrh

\par }{\Q spending the night between my breasts.


\par }{\Q \VS{14}My beloved is like a cluster of henna blossoms

\par }{\Q in the vineyards of En-Gedi.


\par }{\SH Mutual Praise and Admiration
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{15}Oh, how beautiful you are, my beloved!

\par }{\Q Oh, how beautiful you are!

\par }{\Q Your eyes are like doves!


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{16}Oh, how handsome you are, my lover!

\par }{\Q Oh, how delightful you are!

\par }{\Q The lush foliage is our canopied bed;


\par }{\Q \VS{17}the cedars are the beams of our bedroom chamber;

\par }{\Q the pines are the rafters of our bedroom.




\par }\Chap{2}{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}I am a meadow flower from Sharon,

\par }{\Q a lily from the valleys.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Lover to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}Like a lily among the thorns,

\par }{\Q so is my darling among the maidens.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved about Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{3}Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

\par }{\Q so is my beloved among the young men.

\par }{\Q I delight to sit in his shade,

\par }{\Q and his fruit is sweet to my taste.


\par }{\SH The Banquet Hall for the Love-Sick
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{4}He brought me into the banquet hall,

\par }{\Q and he looked at me lovingly.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Sustain me with raisin cakes,

\par }{\Q refresh me with apples,

\par }{\Q for I am faint with love.

\par }{\Q {\IT{The Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration}}


\par }{\Q \VS{6}His left hand caresses my head,

\par }{\Q and his right hand stimulates me.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to the Maidens:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{7}I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem,

\par }{\Q by the gazelles and by the young does of the open fields:

\par }{\Q Do not awaken or arouse love until it pleases!


\par }{\SH The Arrival of the Lover
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}Listen! My lover is approaching!

\par }{\Q Look! Here he comes,

\par }{\Q leaping over the mountains,

\par }{\Q bounding over the hills!


\par }{\Q \VS{9}My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag.

\par }{\Q Look! There he stands behind our wall,

\par }{\Q gazing through the window,

\par }{\Q peering through the lattice.


\par }{\SH The Season of Love and the Song of the Turtle-Dove
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover}}}} to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{10}My lover spoke to me, saying:

\par }{\Q “Arise, my darling;

\par }{\Q My beautiful one, come away with me!


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Look! The winter has passed,

\par }{\Q the winter rains are over and gone.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}The pomegranates have appeared in the land,

\par }{\Q the time for pruning and singing has come;

\par }{\Q the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}The fig tree has budded,

\par }{\Q the vines have blossomed and give off their fragrance.

\par }{\Q Arise, come away my darling;

\par }{\Q my beautiful one, come away with me!”


\par }{\SH The Dove in the Clefts of En-Gedi
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{14}O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,

\par }{\Q in the hiding places of the mountain crags,

\par }{\Q let me see your face,

\par }{\Q let me hear your voice;

\par }{\Q for your voice is sweet,

\par }{\Q and your face is lovely.


\par }{\SH The Foxes in the Vineyard
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{15}Catch the foxes for us,

\par }{\Q the little foxes,

\par }{\Q that ruin the vineyards –

\par }{\Q for our vineyard is in bloom.


\par }{\SH Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover}}}}:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{16}My lover is mine and I am his;

\par }{\Q he grazes among the lilies.


\par }{\SH The Gazelle and the Rugged Mountains
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{17}Until the dawn arrives and the shadows flee,

\par }{\Q turn, my beloved –

\par }{\Q be like a gazelle or a young stag

\par }{\Q on the mountain gorges.




\par }\Chap{3}{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}All night long on my bed

\par }{\Q I longed for my lover.

\par }{\Q I longed for him but he never appeared.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}“I will arise and look all around throughout the town,

\par }{\Q and throughout the streets and squares;

\par }{\Q I will search for my beloved.”

\par }{\Q I searched for him but I did not find him.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}The night watchmen found me – the ones who guard the city walls.

\par }{\Q “Have you seen my beloved?”


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Scarcely had I passed them by

\par }{\Q when I found my beloved!

\par }{\Q I held onto him tightly and would not let him go

\par }{\Q until I brought him to my mother’s house,

\par }{\Q to the bedroom chamber of the one who conceived me.


\par }{\SH {\IT{ The Adjuration Refrain}}
\par }
{\SH {\QT{The Beloved to the Maidens:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{5}I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem,

\par }{\Q by the gazelles and by the young does of the open fields:

\par }{\Q “Do not awake or arouse love until it pleases!”


\par }{\SH The Royal Wedding Procession
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Speaker:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{6}Who is this coming up from the desert

\par }{\Q like a column of smoke,

\par }{\Q like a fragrant billow of myrrh and frankincense,

\par }{\Q every kind of fragrant powder of the traveling merchants?


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Look! It is Solomon’s portable couch!

\par }{\Q It is surrounded by sixty warriors,

\par }{\Q some of Israel’s mightiest warriors.


\par }{\Q \VS{8}All of them are skilled with a sword,

\par }{\Q well-trained in the art of warfare.

\par }{\Q Each has his sword at his side,

\par }{\Q to guard against the terrors of the night.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}King Solomon made a sedan chair for himself

\par }{\Q of wood imported from Lebanon.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}Its posts were made of silver;

\par }{\Q its back was made of gold.

\par }{\Q Its seat was upholstered with purple wool;

\par }{\Q its interior was inlaid with leather by the maidens of Jerusalem.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Come out, O maidens of Zion,

\par }{\Q and gaze upon King Solomon!

\par }{\Q He is wearing the crown with which his mother crowned him

\par }{\Q on his wedding day,

\par }{\Q on the most joyous day of his life!




\par }\Chap{4}{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover}}}} to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Oh, you are beautiful, my darling!

\par }{\Q Oh, you are beautiful!

\par }{\Q Your eyes behind your veil are like doves.

\par }{\Q Your hair is like a flock of female goats

\par }{\Q descending from Mount Gilead.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}Your teeth are like a flock of newly-shorn sheep

\par }{\Q coming up from the washing place;

\par }{\Q each of them has a twin,

\par }{\Q and not one of them is missing.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Your lips are like a scarlet thread;

\par }{\Q your mouth is lovely.

\par }{\Q Your forehead behind your veil

\par }{\Q is like a slice of pomegranate.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Your neck is like the tower of David

\par }{\Q built with courses of stones;

\par }{\Q one thousand shields are hung on it –

\par }{\Q all shields of valiant warriors.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Your two breasts are like two fawns,

\par }{\Q twins of the gazelle

\par }{\Q grazing among the lilies.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}Until the dawn arrives

\par }{\Q and the shadows flee,

\par }{\Q I will go up to the mountain of myrrh,

\par }{\Q and to the hill of frankincense.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}You are altogether beautiful, my darling!

\par }{\Q There is no blemish in you!


\par }{\SH The Wedding Night: Beautiful as Lebanon
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}Come with me from Lebanon, my bride,

\par }{\Q come with me from Lebanon.

\par }{\Q Descend from the crest of Amana,

\par }{\Q from the top of Senir, the summit of Hermon,

\par }{\Q from the lions’ dens

\par }{\Q and the mountain haunts of the leopards.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride!

\par }{\Q You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,

\par }{\Q with one jewel of your necklace.


\par }{\Q \VS{10}How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!

\par }{\Q How much better is your love than wine;

\par }{\Q the fragrance of your perfume is better than any spice!


\par }{\Q \VS{11}Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride,

\par }{\Q honey and milk are under your tongue.

\par }{\Q The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.


\par }{\SH The Wedding Night: The Delightful Garden
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{12}You are a locked garden, my sister, my bride;

\par }{\Q you are an enclosed spring, a sealed-up fountain.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}Your shoots are a royal garden full of pomegranates

\par }{\Q with choice fruits:

\par }{\Q henna with nard,


\par }{\Q \VS{14}nard and saffron;

\par }{\Q calamus and cinnamon with every kind of spice,

\par }{\Q myrrh and aloes with all the finest spices.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}You are a garden spring,

\par }{\Q a well of fresh water flowing down from Lebanon.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{16}Awake, O north wind; come, O south wind!

\par }{\Q Blow on my garden so that its fragrant spices may send out their sweet smell.

\par }{\Q May my beloved come into his garden

\par }{\Q and eat its delightful fruit!




\par }\Chap{5}{\SH {\QT{ The Lover to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}I have entered my garden, O my sister, my bride;

\par }{\Q I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice.

\par }{\Q I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;

\par }{\Q I have drunk my wine and my milk!

\par }{\SH {\QT{The Poet to the Couple:}}
\par }
{\Q Eat, friends, and drink!

\par }{\Q Drink freely, O lovers!


\par }{\SH The Trials of Love: The Beloved’s Dream of Losing Her Lover
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}I was asleep, but my mind was dreaming.

\par }{\Q Listen! My lover is knocking at the door!

\par }{\SH {\QT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q “Open for me, my sister, my darling,

\par }{\Q my dove, my flawless one!

\par }{\Q My head is drenched with dew,

\par }{\Q my hair with the dampness of the night.”


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{3}“I have already taken off my robe – must I put it on again?

\par }{\Q I have already washed my feet – must I soil them again?”


\par }{\Q \VS{4}My lover thrust his hand through the hole,

\par }{\Q and my feelings were stirred for him.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}I arose to open for my beloved;

\par }{\Q my hands dripped with myrrh –

\par }{\Q my fingers flowed with myrrh

\par }{\Q on the handles of the lock.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}I opened for my beloved,

\par }{\Q but my lover had already turned and gone away.

\par }{\Q I fell into despair when he departed.

\par }{\Q I looked for him but did not find him;

\par }{\Q I called him but he did not answer me.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city.

\par }{\Q They beat me, they bruised me;

\par }{\Q they took away my cloak, those watchmen on the walls!


\par }{\SH The Triumph of Love: The Beloved Praises Her Lover
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to the Maidens}}}}:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}O maidens of Jerusalem, I command you –

\par }{\Q If you find my beloved, what will you tell him?

\par }{\Q Tell him that I am lovesick!


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Maidens to The Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{9}Why is your beloved better than others,

\par }{\Q O most beautiful of women?

\par }{\Q Why is your beloved better than others,

\par }{\Q that you would command us in this manner?


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to the Maidens:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{10}My beloved is dazzling and ruddy;

\par }{\Q he stands out in comparison to all other men.


\par }{\Q \VS{11}His head is like the most pure gold.

\par }{\Q His hair is curly – black like a raven.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}His eyes are like doves by streams of water,

\par }{\Q washed in milk, mounted like jewels.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}His cheeks are like garden beds full of balsam trees yielding perfume.

\par }{\Q His lips are like lilies dripping with drops of myrrh.


\par }{\Q \VS{14}His arms are like rods of gold set with chrysolite.

\par }{\Q His abdomen is like polished ivory inlaid with sapphires.


\par }{\Q \VS{15}His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.

\par }{\Q His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.


\par }{\Q \VS{16}His mouth is very sweet;

\par }{\Q he is totally desirable.

\par }{\Q This is my beloved!

\par }{\Q This is my companion, O maidens of Jerusalem!




\par }\Chap{6}{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Maidens to the Beloved:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Where has your beloved gone,

\par }{\Q O most beautiful among women?

\par }{\Q Where has your beloved turned?

\par }{\Q Tell us, that we may seek him with you.


\par }{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{ The Beloved to the Maidens:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{2}My beloved has gone down to his garden,

\par }{\Q to the flowerbeds of balsam spices,

\par }{\Q to graze in the gardens,

\par }{\Q and to gather lilies.


\par }{\SH Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{3}I am my lover’s and my lover is mine;

\par }{\Q he grazes among the lilies.


\par }{\SH The Renewal of Love
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{4}My darling, you are as beautiful as Tirzah,

\par }{\Q as lovely as Jerusalem,

\par }{\Q as awe-inspiring as bannered armies!


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Turn your eyes away from me –

\par }{\Q they overwhelm me!

\par }{\Q Your hair is like a flock of goats

\par }{\Q descending from Mount Gilead.


\par }{\Q \VS{6}Your teeth are like a flock of sheep

\par }{\Q coming up from the washing;

\par }{\Q each has its twin;

\par }{\Q not one of them is missing.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Like a slice of pomegranate

\par }{\Q is your forehead behind your veil.


\par }{\Q \VS{8}There may be sixty queens,

\par }{\Q and eighty concubines,

\par }{\Q and young women without number.


\par }{\Q \VS{9}But she is unique!

\par }{\Q My dove, my perfect one!

\par }{\Q She is the special daughter of her mother,

\par }{\Q she is the favorite of the one who bore her.

\par }{\Q The maidens saw her and complimented her;

\par }{\Q the queens and concubines praised her:


\par }{\Q \VS{10}“Who is this who appears like the dawn?

\par }{\Q Beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun,

\par }{\Q awe-inspiring as the stars in procession?”


\par }{\SH The Return to the Vineyards
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{11}I went down to the orchard of walnut trees,

\par }{\Q to look for the blossoms of the valley,

\par }{\Q to see if the vines had budded

\par }{\Q or if the pomegranates were in bloom.

\VS{12}
\par }{\Q I was beside myself with joy!

\par }{\Q There please give me your myrrh,

\par }{\Q O daughter of my princely people.


\par }{\SH The Love Song and Dance
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{13}Turn , turn, O Perfect One!

\par }{\Q Turn, turn, that I may stare at you!

\par }{\SH {\BD{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}
\par }
{\Q Why do you gaze upon the Perfect One

\par }{\Q like the dance of the Mahanaim?




\par }\Chap{7}{\SH {\QT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}How beautiful are your sandaled feet,

\par }{\Q O nobleman’s daughter!

\par }{\Q The curves of your thighs are like jewels,

\par }{\Q the work of the hands of a master craftsman.


\par }{\Q \VS{2}Your navel is a round mixing bowl –

\par }{\Q may it never lack mixed wine!

\par }{\Q Your belly is a mound of wheat,

\par }{\Q encircled by lilies.


\par }{\Q \VS{3}Your two breasts are like two fawns,

\par }{\Q twins of a gazelle.


\par }{\Q \VS{4}Your neck is like a tower made of ivory.

\par }{\Q Your eyes are the pools in Heshbon

\par }{\Q by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.

\par }{\Q Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon

\par }{\Q overlooking Damascus.


\par }{\Q \VS{5}Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.

\par }{\Q The locks of your hair are like royal tapestries –

\par }{\Q the king is held captive in its tresses!


\par }{\PP \par }
{\Q \VS{6}How beautiful you are! How lovely,

\par }{\Q O love, with your delights!


\par }{\SH The Palm Tree and the Palm Tree Climber
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{7}Your stature is like a palm tree,

\par }{\Q and your breasts are like clusters of grapes.


\par }{\Q \VS{8}I want to climb the palm tree,

\par }{\Q and take hold of its fruit stalks.

\par }{\Q May your breasts be like the clusters of grapes,

\par }{\Q and may the fragrance of your breath be like apricots!


\par }{\Q \VS{9}May your mouth be like the best wine,

\par }{\Q flowing smoothly for my beloved,

\par }{\Q gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.


\par }{\SH Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{10}I am my beloved’s,

\par }{\Q and he desires me!


\par }{\SH The Journey to the Countryside
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{11}Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside;

\par }{\Q let us spend the night in the villages.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}Let us rise early to go to the vineyards,

\par }{\Q to see if the vines have budded,

\par }{\Q to see if their blossoms have opened,

\par }{\Q if the pomegranates are in bloom –

\par }{\Q there I will give you my love.


\par }{\Q \VS{13}The mandrakes send out their fragrance;

\par }{\Q over our door is every delicacy,

\par }{\Q both new and old, which I have stored up for you, my lover.




\par }\Chap{8}{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VerseOne{1}Oh, how I wish you were my little brother,

\par }{\Q nursing at my mother’s breasts;

\par }{\Q if I saw you outside, I could kiss you –

\par }{\Q surely no one would despise me!


\par }{\Q \VS{2}I would lead you and bring you to my mother’s house,

\par }{\Q the one who taught me.

\par }{\Q I would give you spiced wine to drink,

\par }{\Q the nectar of my pomegranates.


\par }{\SH Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved about Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{3}His left hand caresses my head,

\par }{\Q and his right hand stimulates me.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to the Maidens:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{4}I admonish you, O maidens of Jerusalem:

\par }{\Q “Do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases!”


\par }{\SH The Awakening of Love
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Maidens about His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{5}Who is this coming up from the desert,

\par }{\Q leaning on her beloved?

\par }{\SH {\QT{The Beloved}} to Her Lover:
\par }
{\Q Under the apple tree I aroused you;

\par }{\Q there your mother conceived you,

\par }{\Q there she who bore you was in labor of childbirth.


\par }{\SH The Nature of True Love
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{6}Set me like a cylinder seal over your heart,

\par }{\Q like a signet on your arm.

\par }{\Q For love is as strong as death,

\par }{\Q passion is as unrelenting as Sheol.

\par }{\Q Its flames burst forth,

\par }{\Q it is a blazing flame.


\par }{\Q \VS{7}Surging waters cannot quench love;

\par }{\Q floodwaters cannot overflow it.

\par }{\Q If someone were to offer all his possessions to buy love,

\par }{\Q the offer would be utterly despised.


\par }{\SH The Brother’s Plan and the Sister’s Reward
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved’s Brothers:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{8}We have a little sister,

\par }{\Q and as yet she has no breasts.

\par }{\Q What shall we do for our sister

\par }{\Q on the day when she is spoken for?


\par }{\Q \VS{9}If she is a wall,

\par }{\Q we will build on her a battlement of silver;

\par }{\Q but if she is a door,

\par }{\Q we will barricade her with boards of cedar.


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{10}I was a wall,

\par }{\Q and my breasts were like fortress towers.

\par }{\Q Then I found favor in his eyes.


\par }{\SH Solomon’s Vineyard and the Beloved’s Vineyard
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Beloved to Her Lover:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{11}Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-Hamon;

\par }{\Q he leased out the vineyard to those who maintained it.

\par }{\Q Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.


\par }{\Q \VS{12}My vineyard, which belongs to me, is at my disposal alone.

\par }{\Q The thousand shekels belong to you, O Solomon,

\par }{\Q and two hundred shekels belong to those who maintain it for its fruit.


\par }{\SH Epilogue: The Lover’s Request and His Beloved’s Invitation
\par }
{\SH {\BD{
{\QT{
{\IT{The Lover to His Beloved:}}}}}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{13}O you who stay in the gardens,

\par }{\Q my companions are listening attentively for your voice;

\par }{\Q let me be the one to hear it!


\par }{\SH {\QT{ The Beloved to Her Lover:}}
\par }
{\Q \VS{14}Make haste, my beloved!

\par }{\Q Be like a gazelle or a young stag

\par }{\PP on the mountains of spices.


\par }