Marvel not at me that I am so black: For why? The sun hath shined upon me. My mother's children had evil will at me, they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept.

Scarcely had I passed from them, when I found the beloved of my soul, - I caught him, and would not let him go, until that I had brought him into the house of my mother, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

“I had taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I had washed my feet,
How could I get them dirty again?

“I arose to open for my beloved;
And my hands dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid [sweet-scented] myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.

I myself, opened to my beloved, but, my beloved, had turned away, had passed on, - My soul, had gone out when he spake, I sought him, but found him not, I called him, but he answered not.

(The Chorus)“Where has your beloved gone,
O most beautiful among women?
Where is your beloved hiding himself,
That we may seek him with you?”

HETo the garden of nuts, I went down, to look at the fresh shoots of the ravine, - to see whether: had burst forth the vine, had blossomed the pomegranate: -

“Before I was aware [of what was happening], my desire had brought me
Into the area of the princes of my people [the king’s retinue].”

Oh that thou hadst been a very brother to me, who had sucked the breasts of my own mother, - Had I found thee without, I had kissed thee, Yea, folk would not have despised me!

I would lead you, and bring you into my mother's house, who had instructed me: I would cause you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.

Who is this coming up from the desert, leaning on her beloved? Under theapple tree I awakened you. There your mother had gone into labor with you; there she went into labor and gave birth to you.

I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers; then was I in his eyes as one to whom good chance had come.

A vineyard, had Solomon, as the owner of abundance, He put out the vineyard to keepers, - Every man, was to bring in, for the fruit thereof, a thousand silverlings: