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¹ Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat the fruit of his apple trees. I am come into my garden, O my sister, my spouse, I have gathered my myrrh, with my aromatical spices: I have eaten the honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends, and drink, and be inebriated, my dearly beloved.

² I sleep, and my heart watcheth: the voice of my beloved knocking: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is full of dew, and my locks of the drops of the nights.³ I have put off my garment, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?⁴ My beloved put his hand through the key hole, and my bowels were moved at his touch.⁵ I arose up to open to my beloved: my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers were full of the choicest myrrh.⁶ I opened the bolt of my door to my beloved: but he had turned aside, and was gone. My soul melted when he spoke: I sought him, and found him not: I called, and he did not answer me.⁷ The keepers that go about the city found me: they struck me: and wounded me: the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.⁸ I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love.

⁹ What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? what manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us?¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands.¹¹ His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven.¹² His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams.¹³ His cheeks are as beds of aromatical spices set by the perfumers. His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh.¹⁴ His hands are turned and as of gold, full of hyacinths. His belly as of ivory, set with sapphires.¹⁵ His legs as pillars of marble, that are set upon bases of gold. His form as of Libanus, excellent as the cedars.¹⁶ His voice and speech are exceedingly sweet; yes, he is altogether lovely [the whole of him delights and is precious]. [fn] This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! Ps. 92:15;