Study Desk

"I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: 'Open to me, my sister, my darling, My dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the dew drops of the night.'

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

"I have taken off my dress, How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet, How can I dirty them again?

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

"My beloved extended his hand through the opening, And my feelings were stirred for him.

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

"I arose to open to my beloved; And my hands dripped with myrrh, And my fingers with drops of myrrh, On the handles of the bolt.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

"I opened to my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and had gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I searched for him but I did not find him; I called him but he did not answer me.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

"The 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.

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.