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The Bride’s AdmirationThe Bride

¹ I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valley.

The Groom

The Bride

³ Like an apricot 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.⁴ He has brought me to the banquet hall^(a), and his banner over me is love.⁵ Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.⁶ His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.⁷ O daughters of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until the time is right.

⁸ Listen! My beloved approaches. Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.⁹ My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.¹⁰ My beloved calls to me, “Arise, my darling. Come away with me, my beautiful one.¹¹ For now the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.¹² The flowers have appeared in the countryside; the season of singing^(a) has come, and the cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.¹³ The fig tree ripens its figs; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come away, my darling; come with me, my beautiful one.”

The Groom

¹⁴ O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the crevices of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your countenance is lovely.

The Friends

The Bride