Their Friends Speak:
1Most beautiful of women,
tell us where he has gone.
Let us help you find him.
She Speaks:
2My darling has gone down
to his garden of spices,
where he will feed his sheep
and gather lilies.
3I am his, and he is mine,
as he feeds his sheep
among the lilies.
He Speaks:
4My dearest, the cities of Tirzah
and Jerusalem
are not as lovely as you.
Your charms are more powerful
than all of the stars
in the heavens.
5Turn away your eyes—
they make me melt.
Your hair tosses about
as gracefully as goats
coming down from Gilead.
6Your teeth are whiter
than sheep freshly washed;
they match perfectly,
not one is missing.
7Behind your veil are hidden
beautiful rosy cheeks.
8What if I could have
sixty queens, eighty wives,
and thousands of others!
9You would be my only choice,
my flawless dove,
the favorite child
of your mother.
The young women, the queens,
and all the others
tell how excited you are
as they sing your praises:
10“You are as majestic
as the morning sky—
glorious as the moon—
blinding as the sun!
Your charms are more powerful
than all the stars above.”
She Speaks:
11I went down to see if blossoms
were on the walnut trees,
grapevines, and fruit trees.
12But in my imagination
I was suddenly riding
on a glorious chariot.
Their Friends Speak:
13Dance! Dance!
Beautiful woman from Shulam,
let us see you dance!
She Speaks:
Why do you want to see
this woman from Shulam
dancing with the others?