For thy love is more pleasant than wine,

and that because of the good and pleasant savour. Thy name is sweet smelling ointment when it is shed forth; therefore do the maidens love thee.

I am black, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, like as the tents of the Kedarenes, and as the hangings of Solomon: but yet am I fair and well favored withal.

for a bundle of Myrrh is my love unto me; he will lie betwixt my breasts.

O how fair art thou, my beloved, how well favored art thou? Our bed is decked with flowers,

As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. In his shadow was my desire to sit, for his fruit was sweet to my mouth.

My beloved is like a Roe or a young hart. Behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh in at the window, and peepeth through the grate.

For now is winter gone and rain departed and past.

The flowers appear in our country and the time is come to cut the vines. The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

Up, haste my love, my dove, in the holes of the rock and secret places of the walls. Show me thy face and let me hear thy voice: for thy voice is sweet and thy fashion beautiful.

Get us the foxes, yea the little foxes that hurt the vines, for our vines bear blossoms.

My love is mine, and I am his, which feedeth among the lilies,

until the day break, and till the shadows be gone. Come again privily, O my beloved, like as a Roe or a young hart unto the mountains.

Who is this, that cometh up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, as it were a smell of Myrrh, frankincense and all manner spices of the Apothecary?

Thy neck is like the tower of David builded with bulwarks, whereupon there hang a thousand shields; yea, all the weapons of the giants.

Thou art all fair, O my love, and no spot is there in thee.

Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb; yea, milk and honey is under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of frankincense.

as Cypress, Nardus, Saffron, Calamus, and all the trees of Lebanon: Myrrh, Aloes, and all the best spices.

As I was asleep, and my heart waking, I heard the voice of my beloved, when he knocked. Open to me, said he, O my sister, my love, my darling, my dove: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of my hair are full of the night drops.

Nevertheless when I had opened unto my beloved, he was departed and gone his way. Now like as afore time when he spake, my heart could not longer refrain: Even so now I sought him, but I could not find him: I cried upon him, nevertheless he gave me no answer.

Who is thy love above other lovers, O thou fairest among women? Or what can thy love do, more than other lovers, that thou chargest us so straightly?

As for my loved, he is white and red colored, a singular person among many thousands;

His head is the most fine gold, the locks of his hair are bushed, and brown as the evening;

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the water brooks, as though they were washed with milk and set like pearls in gold.

His hands are like gold rings, having enclosed the precious stone of Tarshish; His body is as the pure ivory, decked over with Sapphires.

His legs are as the pillars of Marble, set upon sockets of gold; His face is as Lebanon, and as the beauty of the Cedar trees.

His throat is sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. Such one is my love, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, such one is my love.

Whither is thy love gone then, O thou fairest among women; whither is thy love departed, that we may seek him with thee?

My love is gone down into his garden, unto the sweet smelling beds, that he may refresh himself in the garden, and gather flowers.

My love is mine, and I am his, which feedeth among the lilies.

Thou art beautiful, O my love, even as loveliness itself; thou art fair as Jerusalem, glorious as an army of men with their banners.

But one is my dove, my darling. She is the only beloved of her mother, and dear unto her that bare her. When the daughters saw her, they said, she was blessed: Yea the Queens and concubines praised her.

What is she, this that peepeth out as the morning, fair as the moon, excellent as the sun, glorious as an army of men with their banners?

O how pleasant are thy treadings, with thy shoes, thou prince's daughter? The joint of thy thighs are like a fair jewel, which is wrought by a cunning work master;

Thy navel is like a round goblet, which is never without drink. Thy womb is like a heap of wheat, set about with lilies;

Thy neck is as it were a tower of ivory; thine eyes are like the water pools in Heshbon, by the port of Bathrabbim. Thy nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which looketh toward Damascus.

That head that standeth upon thee is like Carmel; the hair of thy head is like the king's purple folden up in plates.

Thy stature is like a date tree, and thy breasts like the grapes.

I said, I will climb up the date tree, and take hold of his branches. Thy breasts also shall be as the vine grapes, the smell of thy nostrils like the smell of apples,

O come on my love; let us go forth into the field, and take our lodging in the villages.

O that I might find thee without, and kiss thee, whom I love as my brother which sucked my mother's breasts: and that thou wouldest not be offended,

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that ye wake not up my love, nor touch her, till she be content herself. What is she, this that cometh up from the wilderness, and leaneth upon her love?

O set me as a seal upon thine heart, and as a seal upon thine arm: for love is mighty as the death, and jealousy as the hell. Her coals are of fire, and a very flame of the LORD:

Our sister is but young, and hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister when she shall be spoken for?

I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then was I as one that hath found favour in his sight.

O get thee away, my love, as a roe or a young hart unto the sweet smelling mountains.