Song Of Songs 2

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

“I am like a rose on the coast of Sharon.
    I’m like a lily in the valleys.”

Like a lily among thorns
    is my darling among the young women.

“My love, among the young women
    you are like a lily among thorns.”

Like an apple^[c] tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

“My love, among the young men
    you are like an apple tree among the trees of the forest.
I’m happy to sit in your shade.
    Your fruit tastes so sweet to me.

Let him lead me to the banquet hall,
    and let his banner over me be love.

Lead me to the dinner hall.
    Let your banner of love be lifted high above me.

Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples,
    for I am faint with love.

Give me some raisins to make me strong.
    Give me some apples to make me feel like new again.
    Our love has made me weak.

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

Your left arm is under my head.
    Your right arm is around me.

Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.

Women of Jerusalem, make me a promise.
    Let the antelopes and the does serve as witnesses.
Don’t stir up love.
    Don’t wake it up until it’s ready.

Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.

“Listen! I hear my love!
    Look! Here he comes!
He’s leaping across the mountains.
    He’s coming over the hills.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    peering through the lattice.

The one who loves me is like an antelope or a young deer.
    Look! There he stands behind our wall.
He’s gazing through the window.
    He’s peering through the screen.

My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.

He said to me, ‘Rise up, my love.
    Come with me, my beautiful one.

See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.

Look! The winter is past.
    The rains are over and gone.

Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.

Flowers are appearing on the earth.
    The season for singing has come.
The cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.

The fig tree forms its early fruit;
    the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

The fig trees are producing their early fruit.
    The flowers on the vines are giving off their sweet smell.
Rise up and come, my love.
    Come with me, my beautiful one.’ ”

My dove in the clefts of the rock,
    in the hiding places on the mountainside,
show me your face,
    let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet,
    and your face is lovely.

“You are like a dove in an opening in the rocks.
    You are like a dove in a hiding place on a mountainside.
Show me your face.
    Let me hear your voice.
Your voice is so sweet.
    Your face is so lovely.

Catch for us the foxes,
    the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,
    our vineyards that are in bloom.

Catch the foxes for us.
    Catch the little foxes.
They destroy our vineyards.
    The vineyards are in bloom.”

My beloved is mine and I am his;
    he browses among the lilies.

“My love belongs to me, and I belong to him.
    Like an antelope, he eats among the lilies.

Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved,
    and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag
    on the rugged hills.^[d]