2
1 I am the rose of Sharon,
and the shoshan (lily) of the valleys.
2 As the shoshan (lily) among thorns,
so is my love among the banot.
3 As the tapuach (apple tree) among the trees of the wood,
so is dodi (my beloved) among the banim.
Betzilloh (in his shade, shadow) chimmadti (I desire ),*
and his p'ri (fruit) is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the Bais HaYayin,
and his degel (standard, banner, flag) over me is ahavah.
5 Sustain me with cakes of raisins,
comfort me with apples:
ki cholat ahavah ani (for I am faint with ahavah, lovesick).
6 His left hand is under my rosh,
and his right hand doth embrace me.
7 I charge you, O ye banot Yerushalayim,
by the gazelles, and by the deer of the sadeh,
that ye arouse nor awake HaAhavah
till it pleases.†
8 Kol dodi (the voice of my beloved)!
Hinei, he cometh leaping upon the harim,
bounding over the hills.
9 Dodi (my beloved) is like a gazelle
or a young deer;
hinei, he standeth behind our Kotel (Wall);
he looketh forth at the chalonot (windows),
peering through the lattices.‡
10 Dodi (my beloved) spoke,
and said unto me:
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
11 For, hinei, the winter is past,
the geshem (rain) is over and gone;
12 The flowers appear on ha'aretz;
the time of zemer (song, singing of birds) has come;
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in Artzeinu (our Land);
13 The te'enah (fig tree) putteth forth her early figs,
and the vines with the tender grape give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
14 O my yonah (dove), that art in the clefts of the rock,
in the seter (secret place) of the cliff,
let me see thy countenance,
let me hear thy voice;
for sweet is thy voice,
and thy countenance is lovely.
15 Catch the shu'alim (foxes),
the shu'alim ketanim (little foxes),
that spoil the kramim (vines);
for krameinu (our [blooming] vines) have tender grapes.
16 Dodi (my beloved) is mine,
and I am his;
he feedeth among the lilies.
17 Until HaYom (the day) break,
and the shadows flee away,
turn, dodi (my beloved),
and be thou like a gazelle
or a young deer
upon the hills of Beter.
* 2:3 See Song 5:16 † 2:7 i.e., until its own time — see 3:5; 8:4 ‡ 2:9 Rv 3:20