The Bridegroom Praises the Bride
1 Behold,youarefair, my love!
Behold, youarefair!
Youhavedove’s eyes behind your veil.
# Your hairislike aflock of goats,
Going down from Mount Gilead.
2 Your teetharelike a flock of shornsheep
Which have come up from the washing,
Every one of which bears twins,
And noneisbarren among them.
3 Your lipsarelike a strand of scarlet,
And your mouth is lovely.
# Your temples behind your veil
Arelike a piece of pomegranate.
4 Your neckislike the tower of David,
# Builtfor an armory,
On which hang a thousand bucklers,
All shields of mighty men.
5 Your two breastsarelike two fawns,
Twins of a gazelle,
Which feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day breaks
And the shadows flee away,
I will go my way to the mountain of myrrh
And to the hill of frankincense.
7 Youareall fair, my love,
Andthereisno spot in you.
8 Come with me from Lebanon,myspouse,
With me from Lebanon.
Look from the top of Amana,
# From the top of Senirand Hermon,
From the lions’ dens,
From the mountains of the leopards.
9 You have ravished my heart,
My sister,myspouse;
You have ravished my heart
With onelookof your eyes,
With one link of your necklace.
10 How fair is your love,
My sister,myspouse!
# How much better than wine is your love,
And the scent of your perfumes
Than all spices!
11 Your lips, Omyspouse,
Drip as the honeycomb;
# Honey and milkareunder your tongue;
And the fragrance of your garments
# Islike the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 A garden enclosed
Ismy sister,myspouse,
A spring shut up,
A fountain sealed.
13 Your plantsarean orchard of pomegranates
With pleasant fruits,
Fragrant henna with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron,
Calamus and cinnamon,
With all trees of frankincense,
Myrrh and aloes,
With all the chief spices—
15 A fountain of gardens,
# A well ofliving waters,
And streams from Lebanon.
16 Awake, O northwind,
And come, O south!
Blow upon my garden,
Thatits spices may flow out.
# Let my beloved come to his garden
# And eat its pleasantfruits.