Read the Bible

¹ HEI have entered my garden, my sister, bride, I have plucked my myrrh, with my balsam, I have eaten the honey of my thicket, I have drunk my wine, with my milk: - Eat ye, O friends, Drink, yea drink abundantly, ye beloved!

² SHEI, was sleeping, but, my heart, was awake, - The voice of my beloved - knocking! Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one, for, my head, is filled with dew, my locks, with the moisture of the night.³ I have put off my tunic, oh how shall I put it on? I have bathed my feet, oh how shall I soil them?⁴ My beloved, thrust in his hand, at the window, and, my feelings, were deeply moved for him:⁵ I myself, arose, to open to my beloved, - and, my hands, dripped with myrrh, and, my fingers, with myrrh distilling, upon the handles of the bolt.⁶ I myself, opened to my beloved, but, my beloved, had turned away, had passed on, - My soul, had gone out when he spake, I sought him, but found him not, I called him, but he answered not.⁷ The watchmen who were going round in the city, found me, they smote me, wounded me, - The watchmen of the walls, took away my cloak from off me.⁸ I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, - If ye find my beloved, what will ye tell him? That, sick with love, I am.

⁹ DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEMWhat is thy beloved more than any other beloved, thou most beautiful among women? What is thy beloved more than any other beloved, that, thus, thou hast adjured us?¹⁰ SHE.My beloved, is white and ruddy, conspicuous beyond ten thousand:¹¹ His head, is pure gold, - his locks, are bushy, black as a raven;¹² His eyes, like doves, by the channels of water, - bathing in milk, set as gems in a ring:¹³ His cheeks, like a raised bed of balsam, growing plants of perfume, - His lips, lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling:¹⁴ His hands, cylinders of gold, set with topaz, - His body, wrought work of ivory, covered with sapphires:¹⁵ His legs, pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold, - His form, like Lebanon, choice as cedars:¹⁶ His mouth, most sweet, yea, altogether, he is delightful, - This, is my beloved, yea, this, is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem.