Song of Songs

I am a rosearose Lit. “crocus.” of Sharon,A lily of the valleys.

Like a lily among thorns,So is my darling among the maidens.

Like an apple tree among trees of the forest,So is my beloved among the youths.I delight to sit in his shade,And his fruit is sweet to my mouth.

He brought me to the banquet roomAnd his banner of love was over me.bAnd his banner of love was over me Meaning of Heb. uncertain.

“Sustain me with raisin cakes,Refresh me with apples,For I am faint with love.”

His left hand was under my head,His right arm embraced me.

I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem,By gazelles or by hinds of the field:Do not wake or rouseLove until it please!

Hark! My beloved!There he comes,Leaping over mountains,Bounding over hills.

My beloved is like a gazelleOr like a young stag.There he stands behind our wall,Gazing through the window,Peering through the lattice.

My beloved spoke thus to me,“Arise, my darling;My fair one, come away!

For now the winter is past,The rains are over and gone.

The blossoms have appeared in the land,The time of pruningcpruning Or “singing.” has come;The song of the turtledoveIs heard in our land.

The green figs form on the fig tree,The vines in blossom give off fragrance.Arise, my darling;My fair one, come away!

“O my dove, in the cranny of the rocks,Hidden by the cliff,Let me see your face,Let me hear your voice;For your voice is sweetAnd your face is comely.”

Catch us the foxes,The little foxesThat ruin the vineyards—For our vineyard is in blossom.

My beloved is mineAnd I am hisWho browses among the lilies.

When the day blows gentlydblows gently Emendation yields “declines”; cf. Jer. 6.4. And the shadows flee,eflee Septuagint reads “lengthen”; cf. Jer. 6.4. Set out, my beloved,Swift as a gazelleOr a young stag,For the hills of spices!fspices Heb. bather, of uncertain meaning; 8.14 reads besamim “spices.”