Man

1How beautiful you are, my darling.

How very beautiful!

Behind your veil,

your eyes are doves.a

Your hair is like a flock of goats

streaming down Mount Gilead.b

2Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep

coming up from washing,

each one bearing twins,

and none has lost its young.a a

3Your lips are like a scarlet cord,a

and your mouthA is lovely.

Behind your veil,

your browB is like a slice of pomegranate.b

4Your neck is like the tower of David,a

constructed in layers.

A thousand shields are hung on it —

all of them shields of warriors.

5Your breasts are like two fawns,

twins of a gazelle,a that feed among the lilies.

6Until the day breaksA

and the shadows flee,a

I will make my way to the mountain of myrrh

and the hill of frankincense.b

7You are absolutely beautiful,a my darling;

there is no imperfection in you.

8Come with me from Lebanon,a a my bride;b

come with me from Lebanon!

Descend from the peak of Amana,

from the summit of Senir and Hermon,c

from the dens of the lions,

from the mountains of the leopards.

9You have captured my heart,a my sister,b my bride.

You have captured my heart with one glance of your eyes,

with one jewel of your necklace.

10How delightful your caresses are, my sister, my bride.

Your caresses are much better than wine,a

and the fragrance of your perfume than any balsam.

11Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride.a

Honey and milkb are under your tongue.

The fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.

12My sister, my bride, you are a locked garden —

a locked gardenA and a sealed spring.a

13Your branches are a paradiseA of pomegranates

with choicest fruits;a

henna with nard,

14nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,a

with all the trees of frankincense,b

myrrh and aloes,c

with all the best spices.

15You are a garden spring,

a well of flowing watera

streaming from Lebanon.

Woman

16Awaken,a north wind;

come, south wind.

Blow on my garden,

and spread the fragrance of its spices.

Let my love come to his garden

and eat its choicest fruits.b