1 My sister spousess, come thou into my garden. I have reaped my myrrh, with my sweet smelling spices; I have eaten an honeycomb, with mine honey; I have drunk my wine, with my milk. Friends, eat ye, and drink; and most dear friends, be ye filled greatly. (My dear spousess, come thou into my garden. I have gathered my myrrh, and my sweet smelling spices; I have eaten a honeycomb, and my honey; I have drunk my wine, and my milk. Friends, eat ye, and drink; yea, my most dear friends, be ye greatly filled.)

2 I sleep, and mine heart waketh. The voice of my darling knocking; my sister, my love, my culver, my spousess unwemmed, open thou to me; for mine head is full of dew, and mine hairs be full of [the] drops of nights. (I sleep, and then my heart awakeneth. The sound of my darling knocking; and he is saying, My dear, my love, my dove, my unblemished spousess, open thou the door for me; for my head is drenched with dew, yea, my hair is full of the drops, or the mist, of the night.)

3 I have unclothed me of my coat; how shall I be clothed therein? I have washed my feet; how shall I defoul them? (I have taken off my coat; shall I now put it on again? I have washed my feet; shall I now defile them again?)

4 My darling put his hand by an hole (in the door); and my womb trembled at the touching thereof.

5 I rose, for to open to my darling; mine hands dropped myrrh, and my fingers were full of myrrh most proved. (I rose, to open the door for my darling; my hands dripped with myrrh, yea, my fingers were covered with the best myrrh.)

6 I opened the wicket of my door to my darling; and he had bowed away, and had passed forth. My soul was melted, as the darling spake; I sought, and I found not him; I called, and he answered not to me. (And I opened my door for my darling; but he had turned away, yea, he had gone forth. My soul had melted, as my darling spoke; and now I sought him, but I could not find him; I called to him, but he did not answer me.)

7 The keepers that compassed the city found me; they smote me, and wounded me; the keepers of [the] walls took away my mantle. (But the guards, who went around the city, found me; and they struck me, and wounded me; yea, the guards on the walls took away my cloak.)

8 Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I beseech you by an holy thing, (that) if ye have found my darling, that ye tell to him, that I am sick for love. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I plead with you by a thing most holy, that if ye find my darling, that ye tell him, that I am weak, or that I faint, because of love.)

9 A! thou fairest of women, of what manner condition is thy darling of the beloved? of what manner condition is thy darling of a darling? for thou hast so besought us by an holy thing. (O thou most beautiful of women! of what manner condition is thy darling more than any other beloved? of what manner condition is thy darling more than any other darling? for thou hast so besought us by such a holy thing.)

10 My darling is white and ruddy; chosen of thousands.

11 His head is best gold; his hairs be as the boughs of palm trees, and be black as a crow. (His face is smooth and bronzed; his hair is like the boughs of the palm trees, and it is as black as a crow.)

12 His eyes be as culvers on the strands of waters, that be washed in milk, and sit beside [the] fullest rivers. (His eyes be like the doves by the streams of water, that be washed with milk, and sit beside the most full rivers.)

13 His cheeks be as gardens of sweet smelling spices, set of ointment makers; his lips be(as) lilies, dropping down the best myrrh. (His cheeks be like the gardens of sweet smelling spices, ready to be mixed by perfume makers; his lips be like lilies, dripping with the best myrrh.)

14 His hands be able to turn about, golden, and full of jacinths; his womb is of ivory, adorned with sapphires. (His hands be like gold rings or golden rods, and full of hyacinths; his belly is like ivory, adorned with sapphires.)

15 His hips be pillars of marble, that be founded on foundaments of gold; his shapeliness is as the Lebanon, he is chosen as cedars. (His hips be like pillars of marble, that be set upon gold foundations; he is shapely like Lebanon or he is majestic, like the mountains of Lebanon, he is chosen, or favoured, like the cedars.)

16 His throat is most sweet, and he is all desirable. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, such is my darling, and this is my friend. (His voice is very sweet, and he is truly desirable. Ye daughters of Jerusalem, such is my darling, yea, this is my friend.)