CH. V. 11 His head is wrought and pure gold : His locks are bushy-black as a raven. 12 His eyes are like doves by canals of waters, Washed in milk, sitting by the full [pool] 13 His cheeks are as beds of aromatics[As] towers of perfumes. His lips, lilies dropping liquid myrrh. 14 His hands, rings of gold set with the tarshish : His body, bright ivory covered with sapphires. 15 His legs, pillars of marble upon pedestals of gold; His aspect, like Lebanon, noble as the cedars: 16 His mouth, sweetness itself; yea he is altoge ther desirable! This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem ! 1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O most beautiful of women ? Whither is thy beloved turned aside ? SPOUSE. 2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, Unto the beds of aromatics; To feed in his garden, and to gather lilies. 3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine : He feedeth among the lilies. CH. VI. SECTION X. [5th Evening.] BRIDEGROOM. 4 Beautiful art thou my consort, as Tirzah, CH. VI. Comely as Jerusalem, formidable as bannered [towers.] 5 Turn away thine eyes from me, 6 Thy hair is like a flock of goats, And none of them miscarrying. 7 Like the flower of the pomegranate, Are thy cheeks behind thy veil. 8 Threescore queens are they, and fourscore concubines, And virgins without number. 9 An only one is my dove, my accomplished one; The only one of her mother, The darling of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and they blessed her; her; 10 Who is this that looketh forth as the dawn, 'Beautiful as the moon, splendid as the sun, 'And awful as the streamers ?? 11 Into the garden of nuts I went down, 12 Ere I was aware, my soul, placed me CH. VI. VIRGIN 1. 13 Return, return, O Solima! Return, return, that we may behold thee ! How beautiful are thy feet in sandals, O prince's daughter ! The cincture of thy loins is like jewellery, The work of an artist's hands. 2 Thy clasp a round goblet, which wanteth not mixed wine: Thy body a heap of wheat, encompassed with lilies. 3 Thy breasts are like twin fawns of the roe : 4 Thy neck is like a tower of ivory. Thine eyes are as the pools in Heshbon, 5 Thy head upon thee is like Carmel ; SECOND VIRGIN. The king is detained in the galleries. BRIDEGROOM. 6 How beautiful and how pleasing art thou, O love, for delights! 7 This thy stature is like the palm-tree, And thy breasts are like [its] clusters. CH. VII. 8 I said, I will ascend the palm tree; I will clasp its branches : And thy breasts shall be to me as clusters of the vine, And the odour of thy breath like citrons. 9 Also thy palate is as the best wine, Which is sent to those whom I love for their integrity; And causeth the lips of them who are asleep to murmur. SPOUSE. 10 I am my beloved's, and his desire is toward me. SECTION XII. [6th Evening.] SPOUSE. 11 Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the fields, Let us lodge in the villages. 12 We shall be ready for the vineyards, We shall see whether the vine flourish, 13 The mandrakes yield their odour, [Which] my beloved, I have reserved for thee. CH. VIII. SPOUSE. O that thou wert as my brother, That sucked the breasts of my mother! I would kiss thee, and not be despised. CH. VIII: 2 I would lead thee, I would bring thee Into the house of my mother, who would in- I would cause thee to drink of spiced wine, [To the Virgins.] 3 His left hand is under my head, And his right hand embraceth me. SECTION XIII. [7th Morning.] VIRGINS. 5 Who is this that came from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? BRIDEGROOM. Under the citron tree I courted thee; There thy mother plighted thee unto me, [Even] there she that bare thee plighted thee unto me. SPOUSE. 6 Place me as a signet upon thine heart, As a signet upon thine arm : For love is strong as death; Which have the fiery flame of JAH. 7 Many waters cannot quench love ; Neither can the floods drown it. If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, It would utterly be contemned. |