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¹ SHEI am The meadow-saffron of Sharon, The lily of the valleys.² HEAs a lily among thorns, So, is my fair one, among the daughters!

³ SHEAs an apple-tree among the trees of the forest, So, is my beloved, among the sons: In his shade, I greatly delighted and sat down, And, his fruit, was sweet to my taste.⁴ He hath brought me into the house of wine, and, his banner over me, is love.⁵ Sustain me with raisin-cakes, refresh me with apples, - for sick with love, I am.⁶ His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me!⁷ HEI adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, - That ye wake not, nor arouse, the dear love until she please! ****

⁸ SHEThe voice of my beloved! Lo! here he cometh, - leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.⁹ Resembleth, my beloved, a gazelle, or a young stag, - Lo! here he is, standing behind our wall, looking in at the windows, peeping in at the lattice.¹⁰ Responded my beloved, and said to me, - Rise up! my fair - my beautiful - one, and come away,¹¹ For lo, the winter, is past, - the rain, is over, and gone;¹² The flowers, have appeared in the earth, the time of the spring-song, hath come, - and, the voice of the turtle, is heard in our land;¹³ The fig-tree, hath spiced her green figs, and, the vines - all blossom, yield fragrance, - Rise up! my fair - my beautiful - one, and come away!

¹⁴ HEO my dove! In the retreats of the crag, in the hiding-place of the terrace, Let me see thy form, Let me hear thy voice, - For, thy voice, is sweet, and, thy form, comely.¹⁵ BOTHTake ye for us, the foxes, the little foxes that are spoiling the vines, - and, our vines, are all blossom!¹⁶ SHEMy beloved, is, mine, and, I, am, his, he that pastureth among lilies!¹⁷ Until the day, breathe, and the shadows, be lengthened, Again, liken thyself, my beloved, to a gazelle, or to a young stag, upon the cleft mountains. ****