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On my bed in the night
    I longed for the one my soul loves.
    I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up and go about the city,
    into the streets and into the squares.
I must seek the one my soul loves.
    I looked for him but did not find him.
The guards patrolling the city found me.
“Have you seen the one my soul loves?”
Hardly had I passed beyond them
    when I found the one my soul loves.
I held him, and I would not let him go,
    until I brought him to my mother’s house,
    to the chamber of her who conceived me.

Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you,
    by the gazelles and does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it delights.

The King on his Wedding Day

Who is this—she who is coming up from the wilderness
    like columns of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
    with every powder of the merchant?
Behold, it is Solomon’s traveling couch—
    around it are sixty warriors
    from the warriors of Israel.
All of them wield a sword,
    experts in war.
Each man with his sword on his thigh
    against terrors of the night.
King Solomon has made for himself
    a carriage from the trees of Lebanon.
10 He made its posts of silver, its back of gold,
    its seat of purple cloth,
its interior fitted out with love
    by the daughters of Jerusalem.
11 Go out, daughters of Zion,
    and gaze upon King Solomon,
with a wreath his mother placed on him
    on the day of his marriage—
    on the day of his heart’s joy.

All night long on my bed
    I looked(A) for the one my heart loves;
    I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
    through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
    So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.(B)
    “Have you seen the one my heart loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them
    when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
    till I had brought him to my mother’s house,(C)
    to the room of the one who conceived me.(D)
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you(E)
    by the gazelles and by the does of the field:
Do not arouse or awaken love
    until it so desires.(F)

Who is this coming up from the wilderness(G)
    like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh(H) and incense
    made from all the spices(I) of the merchant?
Look! It is Solomon’s carriage,
    escorted by sixty warriors,(J)
    the noblest of Israel,
all of them wearing the sword,
    all experienced in battle,
each with his sword at his side,
    prepared for the terrors of the night.(K)
King Solomon made for himself the carriage;
    he made it of wood from Lebanon.
10 Its posts he made of silver,
    its base of gold.
Its seat was upholstered with purple,
    its interior inlaid with love.
Daughters of Jerusalem, 11 come out,
    and look, you daughters of Zion.(L)
Look[a] on King Solomon wearing a crown,
    the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
    the day his heart rejoiced.(M)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 3:11 Or interior lovingly inlaid / by the daughters of Jerusalem. / 11 Come out, you daughters of Zion, / and look