Song of Solomon

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.

1The man says: I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh and my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Then voices say: Eat, friends. Drink, and drink deeply, dear ones.

2I 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.

2The woman says: I am asleep, but my heart is awake. Listen! My beloved is knocking. He says, "Open the door for me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one. My head is wet with dew, and my hair is damp from the night air."

3I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

3I have already taken off my robe. Must I put it back on? I have already washed my feet. Must I get them dirty again?

4My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

4My beloved reached his hand through the opening in the door, and my heart pounded for him.

NoteThe KJV says "my bowels were moved for him." In older English, the bowels were thought of as the seat of strong feeling, the way we say "heart" today.

5I 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.

5I got up to open the door for my beloved. My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet myrrh, as I touched the handles of the lock.

6I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

6I opened the door for my beloved, but he had turned away and gone. My heart sank when he left. I looked for him but could not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.

7The 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.

7The watchmen making their rounds in the city found me. They hit me and hurt me. Those guards of the walls pulled my cloak away from me.

8I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

8I beg you, young women of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell him this: I am weak with love for him.

9What 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?

9They answer: What makes your beloved better than any other, most beautiful of women? What makes him so special that you ask this of us?

10My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

10She answers: My beloved has glowing skin with a healthy red color. He stands out above ten thousand others.

Note"White and ruddy" describes a healthy, glowing look, not a skin color. "Ruddy" means a warm reddish tone.

11His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

11His head is like the purest gold. His hair is thick and wavy, and black as a raven.

12His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

12His eyes are like doves beside streams of water, washed in milk and set in place like jewels.

13His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

13His cheeks are like beds of spices giving off perfume. His lips are like lilies, dripping with sweet myrrh.

14His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

14His arms are like rods of gold set with beryl stones. His body is like smooth ivory covered with sapphires.

NoteBeryl and sapphire are precious stones. The point is that he looks costly and beautiful, like a carved statue set with jewels.

15His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

15His legs are like marble pillars standing on bases of pure gold. He looks like Lebanon, tall and grand as its cedar trees.

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

16His mouth is very sweet. Everything about him is lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, young women of Jerusalem.