Canticle of Canticles 5

¹ I come to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gather my myrrh with my spice, I eat my honeycomb with my honey, I drink my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink: drink deeply, O lovers!

² I slept, but my heart was awake. Hark! my beloved is knocking. "Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night."

³ I had put off my garment, how could I put it on? I had bathed my feet, how could I soil them?

⁴ My beloved put his hand to the latch, and my heart was thrilled within me.

⁵ I arose to open to my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, upon the handles of the bolt.

⁶ I opened to my beloved, but my beloved had turned and gone. My soul failed me when he spoke. I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer.

⁷ The watchmen found me, as they went about in the city; they beat me, they wounded me, they took away my mantle, those watchmen of the walls.

⁸ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him I am sick with love.

⁹ What is your beloved more than another beloved, O fairest among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?

¹⁰ My beloved is all radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand.

¹¹ His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven.

¹² His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, bathed in milk, fitly set.

¹³ His cheeks are like beds of spices, yielding fragrance. His lips are lilies, distilling liquid myrrh.

¹⁴ His arms are rounded gold, set with jewels. His body is ivory work, encrusted with sapphires.

¹⁵ His legs are alabaster columns, set upon bases of gold. His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as the cedars.

¹⁶ His speech is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.