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The Woman Speaks Again

I am a rose in the Plain of Sharon.
    I am a lily in the valleys.

The Man Speaks Again

Among the young women, my darling
    is like a lily among thorns!

The Woman Answers

Among young men, my lover
    is like an apple tree among the trees in the woods!
I enjoy sitting in his shadow.
    His fruit is sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banquet room.
    His banner over me is love.
Strengthen me with raisins.
    Refresh me with apples,
    because I am weak with love.
My lover’s left hand is under my head.
    And his right arm holds me tight!

The Woman Speaks to the Friends

Women of Jerusalem, promise me
    by the gazelles and the deer.
Promise not to wake love.
    Don’t excite my feelings of love
    until I’m ready.

The Woman Speaks Again

I hear my lover’s voice.
    He comes jumping across the mountains.
    He comes skipping over the hills!
My lover is like a gazelle or a young deer.
    Look, he stands behind our wall.
He stares in through the windows,
    looking through the blinds.
10 My lover spoke. He said to me,
    “Get up, my darling.
    Let’s go away, my beautiful one.
11 Look, the winter is past.
    The rains are over and gone.
12 Blossoms appear through all the land.
    The time has come to sing.
    The cooing of doves is heard in our land.
13 There are young figs on the fig trees.
    The blossoms on the vines smell sweet.
Get up, my darling.
    Let’s go away, my beautiful one.”

The Man Speaks

14 My beloved is like a dove that hides in the cracks of the rock.
    She hides in the secret places of the cliff.
Show me your face.
    Let me hear your voice.
Your voice is very sweet,
    and your face is lovely.
15 Catch the foxes for us—
    the little foxes that ruin the vineyards.
    Our vineyards are in blossom.

The Woman Speaks

16 My lover is mine, and I am his.
    He feeds among the lilies
17 until the day dawns
    and the shadows disappear.
Turn, my lover.
    Be like a gazelle or a young deer
    on the rugged mountains.

She[a]

I am a rose[b](A) of Sharon,(B)
    a lily(C) of the valleys.

He

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

She

Like an apple[c] tree among the trees of the forest
    is my beloved(D) among the young men.
I delight(E) to sit in his shade,
    and his fruit is sweet to my taste.(F)
Let him lead me to the banquet hall,(G)
    and let his banner(H) over me be love.
Strengthen me with raisins,
    refresh me with apples,(I)
    for I am faint with love.(J)
His left arm is under my head,
    and his right arm embraces me.(K)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(L)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(M)

Listen! My beloved!
    Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
    bounding over the hills.(N)
My beloved is like a gazelle(O) or a young stag.(P)
    Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
    peering through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke and said to me,
    “Arise, my darling,
    my beautiful one, come with me.
11 See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
12 Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;(Q)
    the blossoming(R) vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

He

14 My dove(S) 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.(T)
15 Catch for us the foxes,(U)
    the little foxes
that ruin the vineyards,(V)
    our vineyards that are in bloom.(W)

She

16 My beloved is mine and I am his;(X)
    he browses among the lilies.(Y)
17 Until the day breaks
    and the shadows flee,(Z)
turn, my beloved,(AA)
    and be like a gazelle
or like a young stag(AB)
    on the rugged hills.[d](AC)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 2:1 Or He
  2. Song of Songs 2:1 Probably a member of the crocus family
  3. Song of Songs 2:3 Or possibly apricot; here and elsewhere in Song of Songs
  4. Song of Songs 2:17 Or the hills of Bether