[1] Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved. [2] I sleep, and my heart watcheth; the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights. [3] I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? [4] My beloved put his hand through the key hole, and my bowels were moved at his touch. [5] I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.
[6] I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was gone. My soul melted when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me. [7] The keepers that go about the city found me: they struck me: and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. [8] I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love. [9] What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us? [10] My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.
[11] His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven. [12] His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams. [13] His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh. [14] His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires. [15] His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.
[16] His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. [17] Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou most beautiful among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee?