Song of Songs 5

The young man:

1 I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride.

I have taken my myrrh with my spice.

I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey.

I have drunk my wine and my milk.

The writer:

Eat, friends, and drink, you who love each other!

Drink until you can drink no more!

A dream

The young woman:

2 I slept but my mind was awake.

Listen! My lover is knocking on my door!

He said, ‘Open the door for me, my dear friend.

You are my sister,

the perfect one that I love.

To me you are like a beautiful dove.

Dew from the night air covers my head.

My hair is very wet.’

3 I said, ‘I have taken off my day clothes.

I do not want to dress myself again.

I have washed my feet.

I do not want them to get dirty again.’

4 My lover pushed his hand through the hole in the door.

My heart began to beat faster because he was near.

5 I got up to open the door for my lover.

My hands were wet with myrrh.

Myrrh dropped from my fingers

onto the handle of the door.

6 I opened the door for my lover.

But he had already turned away.

He had gone!

I was very upset that he had gone away.

I looked for him but I did not find him.

I called to him but he did not answer me.

7 The city guards found me

as they walked in the streets of the city.

They beat me and they hurt my body.

Those guards on the city walls took away my robe.

8 Young women of Jerusalem,

please find my lover!

Promise me to tell him this, if you find him.

Tell him that my love for him has made me weak!

The young women of Jerusalem:

9 Tell us this, most beautiful of all women.

Why do you think that your lover is better than other men?

Why must we promise to do this for you?

The young woman:

10 My lover is very handsome and healthy.

He is the greatest man among 10,000 men.

11 His head is like very pure gold.

The hairs on his head are like waves.

They are black like a raven.

12 His eyes are like doves beside streams of water.

They are like doves that someone has washed in milk.

They shine like jewels.

13 The sides of his face are like a garden with spice trees.

Their smell is like perfume.

His lips are like lilies

with myrrh that falls from them.

14 His arms are like bars of gold

with jewels in them.

His body shines like bright ivory,

with sapphire jewels to make it more beautiful.

15 His legs are like pillars of beautiful stone.

They stand on feet that are like pure gold.

He stands tall like the mountains of Lebanon.

He is as handsome as its best cedar trees.

16 The taste of his mouth is very sweet.

Everything about him causes me to love him.

I say to you, young women of Jerusalem,

this is my lover!

This is my true friend.