Song of Solomon 5

The Torment of Separation

The Groom

1 “I have ^acome into my garden, ^bmy sister, my bride;
I have gathered my ^cmyrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my ^dhoney;
I have ^edrunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, ^ffriends;
Drink and ▼

▼Or become drunk

drink deeply, lovers.”
The Bride

2 “I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, ^hmy sister, my darling,
ⁱMy dove, my perfect one!
For my head is ▼

▼Lit filled

drenched with dew,
My ^klocks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 “I have ^ltaken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have ^mwashed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 “My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my ⁿfeelings were stirred for him.
5 “I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands ^odripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 “I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had ^pturned away and had gone!
My ▼

▼Lit soul

heart went out to him as he ^rspoke.
I ^ssearched for him but I did not find him;
I ^tcalled him but he did not answer me.
7 “The ^uwatchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 “ ^vSwear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For ^wI am lovesick.”
The Chorus

9 “ ▼

▼Or What is your beloved more than another beloved

What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O ^ymost beautiful among women?
▼

▼Or What is your beloved more than another beloved

What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”

Admiration by the Bride

The Bride

10 “My beloved is dazzling and ▼

▼I.e., of reddish hair or skin

, ^abreddish,
^acOutstanding among ten thousand.
11 “His head is like gold, pure gold;
His ^adlocks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 “His ^aeeyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their ^afsetting.
13 “His cheeks are like a ^agbed of balsam,
▼

▼Lit Towers

Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are ^aililies
^ajDripping with drops of myrrh.
14 “His hands are rods of gold
Set with ^aktopaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with ▼

▼Lit lapis lazuli

, ^amsapphires.
15 “His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like ^anLebanon,
Choice as the ^aocedars.
16 “His ▼

▼Lit palate

, ^aqmouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly ^ardesirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”