2Like a lily among thorns

is my darling among the young women.

3Like an apple ^c tree among the trees of the forest

is my beloved among the young men.

I delight to sit in his shade,

and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

4Let him lead me to the banquet hall,

and let his banner over me be love.

5Strengthen me with raisins,

refresh me with apples,

for I am faint with love.

6His left arm is under my head,

and his right arm embraces me.

7Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you

by the gazelles and by the does of the field:

Do not arouse or awaken love

until it so desires.

8Listen! My beloved!

Look! Here he comes,

leaping across the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

9My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.

Look! There he stands behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

peering through the lattice.

10My beloved spoke and said to me,

“Arise, my darling,

my beautiful one, come with me.

11See! The winter is past;

the rains are over and gone.

12Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come,

the cooing of doves

is heard in our land.

13The fig tree forms its early fruit;

the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.

Arise, come, my darling;

my beautiful one, come with me.”

14My dove in the clefts of the rock,

in the hiding places on the mountainside,

show me your face,

let me hear your voice;

for your voice is sweet,

and your face is lovely.

15Catch for us the foxes,

the little foxes

that ruin the vineyards,

our vineyards that are in bloom.

16My beloved is mine and I am his;

he browses among the lilies.

17Until the day breaks

and the shadows flee,

turn, my beloved,

and be like a gazelle

or like a young stag

on the rugged hills. ^d