The Bridegroom Praises the Bride

41 Lo, thou 'art' fair, my friend, lo, thou 'art' fair, Thine eyes 'are' doves behind thy veil, Thy hair as a row of the goats That have shone from mount Gilead, 2 Thy teeth as a row of the shorn ones That have come up from the washing, For all of them are forming twins, And a bereaved one is not among them. 3 As a thread of scarlet 'are' thy lips, And thy speech 'is' comely, As the work of the pomegranate 'is' thy temple behind thy veil, 4 As the tower of David 'is' thy neck, built for an armoury, The chief of the shields are hung on it, All shields of the mighty. 5 Thy two breasts 'are' as two fawns, Twins of a roe, that are feeding among lilies. 6 Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, I will get me unto the mountain of myrrh, And unto the hill of frankincense. 7 Thou 'art' all fair, my friend, And a blemish there is not in thee. Come from Lebanon, O spouse,

8 Come from Lebanon, come thou in. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Shenir and Hermon, From the habitations of lions, From the mountains of leopards. 9 Thou hast emboldened me, my sister-spouse, Emboldened me with one of thine eyes, With one chain of thy neck. 10 How wonderful have been thy loves, my sister-spouse, How much better have been thy loves than wine, And the fragrance of thy perfumes than all spices. 11 Thy lips drop honey, O spouse, Honey and milk 'are' under thy tongue, And the fragrance of thy garments 'Is' as the fragrance of Lebanon. 12 A garden shut up 'is' my sister-spouse, A spring shut up—a fountain sealed. 13 Thy shoots a paradise of pomegranates, With precious fruits, 14 Cypresses with nard—nard and saffron, Cane and cinnamon, With all trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, with all chief spices.

15 A fount of gardens, a well of living waters, And flowings from Lebanon! 16 Awake, O north wind, and come, O south, Cause my garden to breathe forth, its spices let flow, Let my beloved come to his garden, And eat its pleasant fruits!