¶ I am come¹ into my garden, my sister², my spouse: I have gathered³ my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat⁴, O friends⁵; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved⁶.

¶ I sleep⁷, but my heart waketh: it is the voice⁸ of my beloved that knocketh⁹, saying, Open¹⁰ to me, my sister, my love, my dove¹¹, my undefiled: for my head¹² is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

I have put¹³ off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed¹⁴ my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put¹⁵ in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels¹⁶ were moved for him¹⁷.

I rose¹⁸ up to open to my beloved; and my hands¹⁹ dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling²⁰ myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

I opened to my beloved; but my²¹ beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul²² failed when he spake: I sought²³ him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

The watchmen²⁴ that went about the city found me, they smote²⁵ me, they wounded me; the keepers²⁶ of the walls took²⁷ away my veil from me.

I charge²⁸ you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye²⁹ find my beloved, that ye³⁰ tell him, that I am sick of love.

¶ What is³¹ thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou³² fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

¶ My beloved³³ is white and ruddy, the chiefest³⁴ among ten thousand.

His head³⁵ is as the most fine gold, his locks³⁶ are bushy³⁷, and black as a raven.

His eyes³⁸ are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set³⁹.

His cheeks⁴⁰ are as a⁴¹ bed of spices, as sweet flowers⁴²: his lips⁴³ like lilies, dropping⁴⁴ sweet smelling myrrh.

His hands⁴⁵ are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly⁴⁶ is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

His legs⁴⁷ are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets⁴⁸ of fine gold: his countenance⁴⁹ is as Lebanon⁵⁰, excellent as the cedars.

His mouth⁵¹ is most⁵² sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved⁵³, and this is my friend⁵⁴, O daughters of Jerusalem.