2 I am the rose of Sharon,
the lily of the valleys.
The Man
2 As a lily among thorns,
so is my love among the maidens.
The Woman
3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my beloved among the young men.
In his shadow I sat with great delight,
and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet house,
and his banner over me was love.
5 Sustain me with raisins,
refresh me with apples;
for I am faint with love.
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 the does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Rise up, my love,
my fair one, and come away.
11 For now the winter has 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 its green figs,
and the vines their blossoms;
and they give forth fragrance.
Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
14 O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret places of the cliffs,
let me see your face,
let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
15 Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes
that spoil the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in blossom.”
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he feeds his flock among the lilies.
17 Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
be like a gazelle
or a young stag
on the cleft mountains.
Footnotes
- Song of Songs 2:17
