I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

Announce to me, thou whom my soul loved, where thou wilt feed, where thou wilt lie down at noon: wherefore shall I be as he covered by the herds of thy companions.

As the lily between thorns, so is my friend between the daughters.

As the apple among the trees of the forest, so my beloved between the sons. In his shadow I delighted, and I sat down, and his fruit was sweet to my palate.

As a little I passed from them till I found him my soul loved: I held him fast, and I shall not let him go till I brought him into my mother's house, and to the chamber of her conceiving me.

Who is this coming up from the desert as columns of smoke of burning incense, of myrrh and frankincense from all the powder of the trader.

Behold thee beautiful, my friend, behold thee beautiful; thine eyes doves' from behind to thy veil: thy hair as a herd of goats which lay down from mount Gilead.

Thy teeth as a herd of the shorn which came up from the washing; all of them bearing twins, and none barren among them.

As a scarlet thread thy lips, and thy speech becoming: as a piece of pomegranate, thy temples from behind thy veil.

As the tower of David thy neck, built for the weapons; a thousand shields hung upon it, all shields of the powerful.

Thy two breasts as two fawns, twins of the roe deer feeding among the lilies.

Thy lips will drop honey droppings, O bride: honey and milk under thy tongue, and the odor of thy garments as the odor of Lebanon.

His head purified gold, his locks waving branches, black as a raven.

His eyes as doves upon channels of waters washed with milk, sitting upon fulness.

His cheeks as beds of spices, towers of aromatic herbs: his lips lilies, dropping overflowing myrrh.

His legs bases of white marble, founded upon of pure gold: his aspect as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

Thou art beautiful my friend, as delight; becoming as Jerusalem, a terror as those being furnished with banners.

Turn away thine eyes from before me; they enlarged me: thy hair as a herd of goats which lay down from Gilead.

Thy teeth as a herd of sheep which went up from the washing, all of them bearing twins, and none barren among them.

As a piece of pomegranate thy temples from behind thy veil.

Who this looking forth as the morning, beautiful as the moon, clear as the sun, a terror as those being furnished with banners?

Turn back, turn back, thou Shulamite; turn back, turn back, and we will look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As the stringed instrument of the camps.

Thy two breasts as two fawns, twins of the roe-deer.

Thy neck as a tower of ivory; thine eyes pools in Heshbon, by the gate of the daughter of many: thy nose as the tower of Lebanon viewing the face of Damascus.

Thy head upon thee as Carmel, and the locks of thy head as purple; the King being bound in curls.

I said, I will go up upon the palm tree, I will hold fast upon its branches: and now thy breasts shall be as clusters of the vine, and the odor of thy nose as apples.

And thy palate as good wine going to my beloved for uprightness, causing the lips of the sleeping to flow softly.

Who will give thee as a brother to me, sucking the breasts of my mother? I shall find thee without, I shall kiss thee; also they shall not despise me.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love was strong as death; jealousy hard as hades: its flames, flames of fire, flames of Jehovah.

I am a wall, and my breasts as towers: then was I in his eyes as finding peace.