1 Solomon Praises the Beauty of His Bride “ 4:1BRIDEGROOM Behold, you are beautiful, my darling,Behold, you are beautiful!Your eyes arelikedoves behind your veil;Your hair is like a flock of goatsThat have leapt down from Mount Gilead.
2 “Your teeth are like a flock ofnewlyshorn ewesWhich have come up fromtheirwashing,All of which bear twins,And not one among them has 4:2 Or miscarried lost her young.
3 “Your lips are like a scarlet thread,And your mouth is lovely.Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranateBehind your veil.
4 “Your neck is like the tower of David,Built 4:4Or for an arsenal with rows of stonesOn which are hung one thousand shields,All the small shields of the mighty men.
5 “Your two breasts are like two fawns,Twins of a gazelleWhich 4:5 Lit shepherd, cf. Song 1:7, 8; 2:16; 6:2 feed among the lilies.
6 “Until the day breathesAnd the shadows flee,I will go my way to the mountain of myrrhAnd to the hill of frankincense.
7 ¶“You are altogether beautiful, my darling,And there is no blemish in you.
8 “Comewith me from Lebanon,mybride,May you come with me from Lebanon. 4:8Or Look Journey down from the top of Amana,From the top of Senir and Hermon,From the dens of lions,From the mountains of leopards.
9 “You have made my heart beat faster, my sister,mybride;You have made my heart beat faster with a singleglanceof your eyes,With a single strand of your necklace.
10 “How beautiful is your love, my sister,mybride!How much better is your love than wine,And the fragrance of your oilsThan allkindsof 4:10Or balsam odors spices!
11 “Your lips,mybride, drip honey from the comb;Honey and milk are under your tongue,And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 “A garden locked is my sister,mybride,A 4:12 Lit stone heap rock garden locked, a spring sealed up.
13 “Your shoots are 4:13Or a park, a paradise an orchard of pomegranatesWith choice fruits, henna with nard plants,
14 Nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,With all the trees of frankincense,Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest 4:14Or balsam odors spices.
15 “You area garden spring,A well of 4:15 Lit living fresh water,And streamsflowingfrom Lebanon.”
16 ¶“ 4:16BRIDE Awake, O northwind,And come,wind ofthe south;Make my garden breathe outfragrance,Let its 4:16Or balsam odors spices flow forth.May my beloved come into his gardenAnd eat its choice fruits!”