¹ I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved. ² I sleep, but my heart wakes: it is the voice of my beloved that knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. ³ I have put off my coat how will I put it on ? I have washed my feet how will I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. ⁵ I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, on the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul fsuffered when he spoke: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sick of love. ⁹ What is your beloved more than another beloved, O you fairest among women? what is your beloved more than another beloved, that you do so charge us? ¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set . ¹³ His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dripping sweet smelling myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are as pillars of marble, set on sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet: yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.