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Come back, come back, O Shulammite!
Come back, come back,
    that we may look upon you.

Why do you gaze at the Shulammite
    like the dance of Mahanaim?

How lovely are your sandaled feet,
    O nobleman’s daughter!
The curves of your thighs are like jewels,
    the work of a craftsman’s hand.
Your navel is a round goblet,
    may it not lack mixed wine.
Your belly is a heap of wheat
    enclosed with lilies.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
    twins of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.
Your eyes are pools in Heshbon
    near the gate of Bath-rabbim.
Your nose is like a tower of Lebanon
    overlooking Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Carmel,
    and the hair of your head like purple.
The king is captivated in its tresses!
How beautiful and how pleasing you are,
O Love, with your delights!
Your stature is like a date palm
    and your breasts like its clusters.
I said, “I will climb the date palm
    and take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apple.

The Bride’s Appeal

10 May your mouth be like the best wine,
    going down smoothly for my beloved,
    causing the lips of sleepers to speak.
11 I am my lover’s,
    and his desire is for me.
12 Come, my beloved,
    let us go out into the field.
Let us spend the night in the villages.
13 Let us go out early to the vineyards,
—let us see if the vine has budded,
    if their blossoms have opened,
    and if the pomegranates have bloomed—
there I will give you my love.
14 The mandrakes have given off fragrance,
    and over our door is every choice fruit,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my lover.

[a]How beautiful your sandaled feet,
    O prince’s(A) daughter!
Your graceful legs are like jewels,
    the work of an artist’s hands.
Your navel is a rounded goblet
    that never lacks blended wine.
Your waist is a mound of wheat
    encircled by lilies.
Your breasts(B) are like two fawns,
    like twin fawns of a gazelle.
Your neck is like an ivory tower.(C)
Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon(D)
    by the gate of Bath Rabbim.
Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon(E)
    looking toward Damascus.
Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel.(F)
    Your hair is like royal tapestry;
    the king is held captive by its tresses.
How beautiful(G) you are and how pleasing,
    my love, with your delights!(H)
Your stature is like that of the palm,
    and your breasts(I) like clusters of fruit.
I said, “I will climb the palm tree;
    I will take hold of its fruit.”
May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine,
    the fragrance of your breath like apples,(J)
    and your mouth like the best wine.

She

May the wine go straight to my beloved,(K)
    flowing gently over lips and teeth.[b]
10 I belong to my beloved,
    and his desire(L) is for me.(M)
11 Come, my beloved, let us go to the countryside,
    let us spend the night in the villages.[c]
12 Let us go early to the vineyards(N)
    to see if the vines have budded,(O)
if their blossoms(P) have opened,
    and if the pomegranates(Q) are in bloom(R)
    there I will give you my love.
13 The mandrakes(S) send out their fragrance,
    and at our door is every delicacy,
both new and old,
    that I have stored up for you, my beloved.(T)

Footnotes

  1. Song of Songs 7:1 In Hebrew texts 7:1-13 is numbered 7:2-14.
  2. Song of Songs 7:9 Septuagint, Aquila, Vulgate and Syriac; Hebrew lips of sleepers
  3. Song of Songs 7:11 Or the henna bushes