Mutual Delight in Each Other

  1 “IaWhere° has your beloved° gone°,
  O bmost beautiful° among women°?
  Where° has your beloved° turned°,
  That we may seek° him with you?”

  2 ¶ “IMy beloved° has gone° down° to his agarden°,
  To the bbeds° of balsam°,
  To cpasture° [his flock] in the gardens°
  And gather° dlilies°.
  3 “aI am my beloved’s° and my beloved° is mine,
  He who bpastures° [his flock] among the lilies°.”

  4 ¶ “IaYou are as beautiful° as bTirzah°, my darling°,
  As clovely° as dJerusalem°,
  As eawesome° as IIan army° with banners°.
  5 “Turn° your eyes° away° from me,
  For they have confused° me;
  aYour hair° is like a flock° of goats°
  That have descended° from Gilead°.
  6 “aYour teeth° are like a flock° of ewes°
  Which° have come° up from [their] washing°,
  All° of which° bear° twins°,
  And not one° among them has Ilost° her young°.
  7 “aYour temples° are like a slice° of a pomegranate°
  Behind°° your veil°.
  8 “There° are sixty° aqueens° and eighty° concubines°,
  And Ibmaidens° without° number°;
  9 [But] amy dove°, my perfect° one°, is Iunique°:
  She is her mother’s° Ionly° [daughter];
  She is the pure° [child] of the one who bore° her.
  The IIbmaidens° saw° her and called° her blessed°,
  The cqueens° and the concubines° [also], and they praised° her, [saying],

  10 ¶ ‘Who° is this° that Igrows° like° the dawn°,
  As beautiful° as the full° amoon°,
  As pure° bas the sun°,
  As cawesome° as IIan army° with banners°?’
  11 “I went° down° to the orchard° of nut° trees°
  To see° the blossoms° of the valley°,
  To see° whether athe vine° had budded°
  [Or] the bpomegranates° had bloomed°.
  12 “Before I was aware°, my soul° set° me
  [Over] the chariots° of Imy noble° people°.”

  13 ¶ “I,IICome° back°, come° back°, O Shulammite°;
  Come° back°, come° back°, that we may gaze° at you!”

  ¶ “IIIWhy° should you gaze° at the Shulammite°,
  As at the adance° of IVbthe two companies°?