Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but my own vineyard have I not kept.

Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions?

Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.

Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yes, pleasant: also our bed is green.

The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

My beloved is like a roe, or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, showing himself through the lattice.

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;

Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Until the day shall break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

Behold his bed, which is Solomon's; sixty valiant men are about it, of the valiant of Israel.

They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.

Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; all of which bear twins, and none is barren among them.

Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of pomegranate within thy locks.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honey-comb; honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphor, with spikenard,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, of which every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.

As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.

There are sixty queens, and eighty concubines, and virgins without number.

Or ere I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib.

Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.

How beautiful are thy feet with shoes, O prince's daughter! the joints of thy thighs are like jewels, the work of the hands of a skillful workman.

Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins.

And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak.

The mandrakes give a smell, and at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved.

Set me as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thy arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals of it are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?

Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of spices.