The Torment of Separation
The Groom
5 “I have (A)come into my garden, (B)my sister, my bride;
I have gathered my (C)myrrh along with my balsam.
I have eaten my honeycomb with my (D)honey;
I have (E)drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, (F)friends;
Drink and [a]drink deeply, lovers.”
The Bride
2 “I was asleep but my heart was awake.
A voice! My beloved was knocking:
‘Open to me, (G)my sister, my darling,
(H)My dove, my perfect one!
For my head is [b]drenched with dew,
My (I)locks with the dew drops of the night.’
3 I have (J)taken off my dress,
How can I put it on again?
I have (K)washed my feet,
How can I dirty them again?
4 My beloved extended his hand through the opening,
And my (L)feelings were stirred for him.
5 I arose to open to my beloved;
And my hands (M)dripped with myrrh,
And my fingers with drops of myrrh,
On the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
But my beloved had (N)turned away and had gone!
My [c]heart went out to him as he (O)spoke.
I (P)searched for him but I did not find him;
I (Q)called him but he did not answer me.
7 The (R)watchmen who make the rounds in the city found me,
They struck me and wounded me;
The guards of the walls took my shawl away from me.
8 (S)Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem,
If you find my beloved,
As to what you will tell him:
For (T)I am lovesick.”
The Chorus
9 “[d]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
O (U)most beautiful among women?
[e]What kind of beloved is your beloved,
That you make us swear in this way?”
Admiration by the Bride
The Bride
10 “My beloved is dazzling and [f](V)reddish,
(W)Outstanding among ten thousand.
11 His head is like gold, pure gold;
His (X)locks are like clusters of dates
And black as a raven.
12 His (Y)eyes are like doves
Beside streams of water,
Bathed in milk,
And perched in their (Z)setting.
13 His cheeks are like a (AA)bed of balsam,
[g]Banks of herbal spices;
His lips are (AB)lilies
(AC)Dripping with drops of myrrh.
14 His hands are rods of gold
Set with (AD)topaz;
His abdomen is panels of ivory
Covered with [h](AE)sapphires.
15 His thighs are pillars of alabaster
Set on pedestals of pure gold;
His appearance is like (AF)Lebanon,
Choice as the (AG)cedars.
16 His [i](AH)mouth is full of sweetness.
And he is wholly (AI)desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
You daughters of Jerusalem.”
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:1 Or become drunk
- Song of Solomon 5:2 Lit filled
- Song of Solomon 5:6 Lit soul
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:9 Or What is your beloved more than another beloved
- Song of Solomon 5:10 I.e., of reddish hair or skin
- Song of Solomon 5:13 Lit Towers
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Lit lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Lit palate
Cross references
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Song 6:2
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Song 4:9
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Song 1:13; 4:14
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Song 4:11
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Prov 9:5; Is 55:1
- Song of Solomon 5:1 : Judg 14:11, 20; John 3:29
- Song of Solomon 5:2 : Song 4:9
- Song of Solomon 5:2 : Song 2:14; 6:9
- Song of Solomon 5:2 : Song 5:11
- Song of Solomon 5:3 : Luke 11:7
- Song of Solomon 5:3 : Gen 19:2
- Song of Solomon 5:4 : Jer 31:20
- Song of Solomon 5:5 : Song 5:13
- Song of Solomon 5:6 : Song 6:1
- Song of Solomon 5:6 : Song 5:2
- Song of Solomon 5:6 : Song 3:1
- Song of Solomon 5:6 : Prov 1:28
- Song of Solomon 5:7 : Song 3:3
- Song of Solomon 5:8 : Song 2:7; 3:5
- Song of Solomon 5:8 : Song 2:5
- Song of Solomon 5:9 : Song 1:8; 6:1
- Song of Solomon 5:10 : 1 Sam 16:12
- Song of Solomon 5:10 : Ps 45:2
- Song of Solomon 5:11 : Song 5:2
- Song of Solomon 5:12 : Song 1:15; 4:1
- Song of Solomon 5:12 : Ex 25:7
- Song of Solomon 5:13 : Song 6:2
- Song of Solomon 5:13 : Song 2:1
- Song of Solomon 5:13 : Song 5:5
- Song of Solomon 5:14 : Ex 28:20; 39:13; Ezek 1:16; Dan 10:6
- Song of Solomon 5:14 : Ex 24:10; 28:18; Job 28:16; Is 54:11
- Song of Solomon 5:15 : Song 7:4
- Song of Solomon 5:15 : 1 Kin 4:33; Ps 80:10; Ezek 17:23; 31:8
- Song of Solomon 5:16 : Song 7:9
- Song of Solomon 5:16 : 2 Sam 1:23