Study Desk

"I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, friends; Drink and drink deeply, lovers."

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

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I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.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

"Swear to me, you daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved, As to what you will tell him: For I am lovesick."

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

"What kind of beloved is your beloved, O most beautiful among women? What kind of beloved is your beloved, That you make us swear in this way?"

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

"My beloved is dazzling and reddish, Outstanding among ten thousand.

My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

"His head is like gold, pure gold; His locks are like clusters of dates And black as a raven.

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

"His eyes are like doves Beside streams of water, Bathed in milk, And perched in their setting.

His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

"His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, Banks of herbal spices; His lips are lilies Dripping with drops of myrrh.

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

"His hands are rods of gold Set with topaz; His abdomen is panels of ivory Covered with sapphires.

His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

"His thighs are pillars of alabaster Set on pedestals of pure gold; His appearance is like Lebanon, Choice as the cedars.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

"His mouth is full of sweetness. And he is wholly desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, You daughters of Jerusalem."

His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.