1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; to take my myrrh with my spice; my wax with my honey; my wine with my milk. Take meat, O friends; take wine, yes, be overcome with love.

2 I am sleeping, but my heart is awake; it is the sound of my loved one at the door, saying, Be open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my very beautiful one; my head is wet with dew, and my hair with the drops of the night.

3 I have put off my coat; how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean?

4 My loved one put his hand on the door, and my heart was moved for him.

5 I got up to let my loved one in; and my hands were dropping with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the lock of the door.

6 I made the door open to my loved one; but my loved one had taken himself away, and was gone, my soul was feeble when his back was turned on me; I went after him, but I did not come near him; I said his name, but he gave me no answer.

7 The keepers who go about the town overtook me; they gave me blows and wounds; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

8 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say to him? That I am overcome with love.

9 What is your loved one more than another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another, that you say this to us?

10 My loved one is white and red, the chief among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the water streams, washed with milk, and rightly placed.

13 His face is as beds of spices, giving out perfumes of every sort; his lips like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.

14 His hands are as rings of gold ornamented with beryl- stones; his body is as a smooth plate of ivory covered with sapphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of stone on a base of delicate gold; his looks are as Lebanon, beautiful as the cedar-tree.