1 I am a wildflower K of Sharon,
Man
2 Like a lily among thorns,
so is my darling among the young women.
Woman
3 Like an apricot M tree among the trees of the forest,
so is my love among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall, N,z
and he looked on me with love. O,a
refresh me with apricots, P
for I am lovesick. b
6 May his left hand be under my head,
and his right arm embrace me. c
7 Young women of Jerusalem, I charge you
by the gazelles and the wild does of the field,
do not stir up or awaken love
until the appropriate time. Q,d
8 Listen! My love is approaching.
Look! Here he comes,
leaping over the mountains, e
bounding over the hills.
or a young stag. f
See, he is standing behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattice.
10 My love calls to me:
Man
Arise, g my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
11 For now the winter is past;
the rain has ended and gone away.
12 The blossoms appear in the countryside.
The time of singing R has come,
and the turtledove’s cooing is heard in our land. h
13 The fig tree ripens its figs; i
the blossoming vines give off their fragrance. j
Arise, my darling.
Come away, my beautiful one.
14 My dove, k in the clefts of the rock, l
in the crevices of the cliff,
let me see your face, S
let me hear your voice; m
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely. n
Woman T
the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in bloom. p
Woman
16 My love is mine and I am his; q
he feeds among the lilies.
17 Until the day breaks U
and the shadows flee,
turn around, my love, and be like a gazelle