The Lover to His Beloved:

1I have entered my garden, O my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my myrrh with my balsam spice.
I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey;
I have drunk my wine and my milk! The Poet to the Couple: Eat, friends, and drink!
Drink freely, O lovers!

The Trials of Love: The Beloved’s Dream of Losing Her Lover

The Beloved about Her Lover:

2I was asleep, but my mind was dreaming.
Listen! My lover is knocking at the door! The Lover to His Beloved: “Open for me, my sister, my darling,
my dove, my flawless one!
My head is drenched with dew,
my hair with the dampness of the night.”

The Beloved to Her Lover:

3“I have already taken off my robe – must I put it on again?
I have already washed my feet – must I soil them again?”

4My lover thrust his hand through the hole,
and my feelings were stirred for him.

5I arose to open for my beloved;
my hands dripped with myrrh –
my fingers flowed with myrrh
on the handles of the lock.

6I opened for my beloved,
but my lover had already turned and gone away.
I fell into despair when he departed.
I looked for him but did not find him;
I called him but he did not answer me.

7The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak, those watchmen on the walls!

The Triumph of Love: The Beloved Praises Her Lover

The Beloved to the Maidens:

8O maidens of Jerusalem, I command you –
If you find my beloved, what will you tell him?
Tell him that I am lovesick!

The Maidens to The Beloved:

9Why is your beloved better than others,
O most beautiful of women?
Why is your beloved better than others,
that you would command us in this manner?

The Beloved to the Maidens:

10My beloved is dazzling and ruddy;
he stands out in comparison to all other men.

11His head is like the most pure gold.
His hair is curly – black like a raven.

12His eyes are like doves by streams of water,
washed in milk, mounted like jewels.

13His cheeks are like garden beds full of balsam trees yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies dripping with drops of myrrh.

14His arms are like rods of gold set with chrysolite.
His abdomen is like polished ivory inlaid with sapphires.

15His legs are like pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.

16His mouth is very sweet;
he is totally desirable.
This is my beloved!
This is my companion, O maidens of Jerusalem!