Song Of Solomon 2

“^[a]I am the ^[b]rose of Sharon,
The lily of the valleys.”

I am the spring crocus blooming on the Sharon Plain,^[a]
    the lily of the valley.

“^[c]Like a lily among the thorns,
So is my darling among the ^[d]maidens.”

Like a lily among thistles
    is my darling among young women.

“^[e]Like an ^[f]apple tree among the trees of the forest,
So is my beloved among the ^[g]young men.
In his shade I took great delight and sat down,
And his fruit was sweet to my ^[h]taste.

Like the finest apple tree in the orchard
    is my lover among other young men.
I sit in his delightful shade
    and taste his delicious fruit.

“He has brought me to his ^[i]banquet hall,
And his banner over me is love.

He escorts me to the banquet hall;
    it’s obvious how much he loves me.

“Sustain me with raisin cakes,
Refresh me with ^[j]apples,
Because I am lovesick.

Strengthen me with raisin cakes,
    refresh me with apples,
    for I am weak with love.

“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”

His left arm is under my head,
    and his right arm embraces me.

“^[k]I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
By the gazelles or by the hinds of the field,
That you do not arouse or awaken my love
Until ^[l]she pleases.”

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem,
    by the gazelles and wild deer,
    not to awaken love until the time is right.^[b]

“^[m]Listen! My beloved!
Behold, he is coming,
Climbing on the mountains,
Leaping on the hills!

Ah, I hear my lover coming!
    He is leaping over the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.

“My beloved is like a gazelle or a young ^[n]stag.
Behold, he is standing behind our wall,
He is looking through the windows,
He is peering through the lattice.

My lover is like a swift gazelle
    or a young stag.
Look, there he is behind the wall,
    looking through the window,
    peering into the room.

“My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.

My lover said to me,
    “Rise up, my darling!
    Come away with me, my fair one!

‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.

Look, the winter is past,
    and the rains are over and gone.

‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for ^[o]pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

The flowers are springing up,
    the season of singing birds^[c] has come,
    and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air.

‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’”

The fig trees are forming young fruit,
    and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming.
Rise up, my darling!
    Come away with me, my fair one!”

“^[p]O my dove, in the clefts of the ^[q]rock,
In the secret place of the steep ^[r]pathway,
Let me see your ^[s]form,
Let me hear your voice;
For your voice is sweet,
And your ^[t]form is lovely.”

My dove is hiding behind the rocks,
    behind an outcrop on the cliff.
Let me see your face;
    let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
    and your face is lovely.

“^[u]Catch the foxes for us,
The ^[v]little foxes that are ruining the vineyards,
While our vineyards are in blossom.”

Catch all the foxes,
    those little foxes,
before they ruin the vineyard of love,
    for the grapevines are blossoming!

“^[w]My beloved is mine, and I am his;
He pastures his flock among the lilies.

My lover is mine, and I am his.
    He browses among the lilies.

“Until ^[x]the cool of the day when the shadows flee away,
Turn, my beloved, and be like a gazelle
Or a young stag on the mountains of ^[y]Bether.”