5
The man speaks
1 My bride, you who are dearer to me than my sister,
I have come to cuddle up to you [MET, EUP];
it will be as though I will be gathering myrrh with my other spices,
and eating my honey and my honeycomb,
and drinking my wine and my milk.
Their friends speak
You two who love each other, enjoy your lovemaking;
enjoy all that you want to.
The woman speaks
2 I was partially asleep, but my mind was still awake.
Then I heard the one who loves me knocking at the door.
He said, “My darling, you who are dearer to me than my sister, my dear friend, my perfect one, my dove [MET],
open the door for me!
My hair is wet from the dew,
from the mist that has fallen during the night.”
3 But I had already taken off my robe;
I did not [RHQ] want to put it on again to open the door.
I had already washed my feet;
I did not [RHQ] want them to become dirty again.
4 The one who loves me put his hand through the opening in the wall,
and I was thrilled that he was there.
5 I got up to open the door for the one who loves me,
but first I put a lot of myrrh on my hands.
The myrrh was dripping from my fingers
while I unlatched the bolt.
6 I opened the door for the man who loves me,
but he had left.
He had turned away and was gone!
I was very disappointed [IDM];
I searched for him, but I could not find him.
I called him, but he did not answer.
7 The city watchmen saw me while they were walking around the city.
They beat me and wounded me
because they thought I must be a prostitute;
those men who were guarding the city walls took my robe.
8 You young women of Jerusalem,
I plead with you,
if you see the man who loves me,
tell him [DOU] that I am very disappointed that we did not make love.
Their friends speak
9 You who are the ◄fairest/most beautiful► among women,
why do you think that the one who loves you is better than other men?
In what way is the man who loves you better than other men
with the result that you ask us to tell him that?
The woman speaks
10 The man who loves me is handsome and healthy,
◄outstanding among/better than► ◄10,000/an uncountable number of► other men.
11 His head is beautiful, like [MET] purest gold;
his hair is wavy
and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.
12 His eyes are as gentle as [SIM] doves
along the streams;
the white parts of his eyes are as white as [MET] milk,
with what resembles jewels inlaid in them.
13 His cheeks are like [SIM] a garden full of spice trees
that produce sweet-smelling perfume.
His lips are like [SIM] lilies
that have myrrh/perfume dripping from them.
14 His arms are like [MET] gold bars/rods
that are decorated with precious stones/jewels.
His body is like [SIM] a column/pillar of ivory
that is decorated with ◄sapphires/valuable blue stones►.
15 His legs are like [MET] pillars of marble
that are set in bases made of pure gold.
He is majestic, like the mountains of [SIM] Lebanon,
as delightful/beautiful as [SIM] cedar trees.
16 His kisses [MTY] are extremely sweet;
he is very handsome.
You young women of Jerusalem,
all that tells you why the one who loves me and who is my friend is better than other men.