Canticle of Canticles 5

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 LOVER: I come into my garden, my sister, my promised bride, I pick my myrrh and balsam, I eat myhoney and my honeycomb, I drink my wine and my milk. POET: Eat, friends, and drink, drink deep, my dearestfriends.	1 I have come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
2 BELOVED: I sleep, but my heart is awake. I hear my love knocking. 'Open to me, my sister, my beloved,my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the drops of night.'	2 I was sleeping, but my heart kept vigil;
3 -'I have taken off my tunic, am I to put it on again? I have washed my feet, am I to dirty them again?'	3 I have taken off my robe,
4 My love thrust his hand through the hole in the door; I trembled to the core of my being.	4 My lover put his hand through the opening;
5 Then I got up to open to my love, myrrh ran off my hands, pure myrrh off my fingers, on to the handle ofthe bolt.	5 I rose to open to my lover,
6 I opened to my love, but he had turned and gone. My soul failed at his flight, I sought but could not findhim, I cal ed, but he did not answer.	6 I opened to my lover-
7 The watchmen met me, those who go on their rounds in the city. They beat me, they wounded me, theytook my cloak away from me: those guardians of the ramparts!	7 The watchmen came upon me
8 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, if you should find my love, what are you to tel him? -That I amsick with love!	8 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
9 CHORUS: What makes your lover better than other lovers, O loveliest of women? What makes yourlover better than other lovers, to put us under such an oath?	9 How does your lover differ from any other,
10 BELOVED: My love is fresh and ruddy, to be known among ten thousand.	10 My lover is radiant and ruddy;
11 His head is golden, purest gold, his locks are palm fronds and black as the raven.	11 His head is pure gold;
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-courses, bathing themselves in milk, perching on a fountain-rim.	12 His eyes are like doves
13 His cheeks are beds of spices, banks sweetly scented. His lips are lilies, distil ing pure myrrh.	13 His cheeks are like beds of spice
14 His hands are golden, rounded, set with jewels of Tarshish. His bel y a block of ivory covered withsapphires.	14 His arms are rods of gold
15 His legs are alabaster columns set in sockets of pure gold. His appearance is that of Lebanon,unrival ed as the cedars.	15 His legs are columns of marble
16 His conversation is sweetness itself, he is altogether lovable. Such is my love, such is my friend, Odaughters of Jerusalem.	16 His mouth is sweetness itself;