Study Desk

For see, the winter is past. The rain is over and gone.

The flowers are coming through the ground. The time for singing has come. The voice of the turtle-dove has been heard in our land.

O my dove, hidden in the rock, in the secret place in the mountain-side, let me see you. Let me hear your voice. For your voice is sweet, and you are beautiful.

‘Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are destroying our grape-fields, for the flowers are on the vines.

"On my bed night after night I looked for him whom my soul loves. I looked for him but did not find him.

‘I must get up now and go about the city, in the streets and in the open places. I must look for him whom my soul loves.' I looked for him but did not find him.

"I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or the deer of the field, you must not wake up my love until it is pleasing to her." "What is this coming up from the desert like smoke? It has the smell of special perfumes, with all the perfumes of the traders. See, it is the traveling wagon of Solomon. Sixty of the strong men of Israel are around it. All of them use the sword and are very able in war. Each man has his sword at his side, keeping watch against trouble in the night. King Solomon has made for himself a beautiful wagon from the wood of Lebanon. He made its long pieces of silver, its back of gold, and its seat of purple cloth. The inside of it was made beautiful by the daughters of Jerusalem. Go out, O daughters of Zion, and look at King Solomon as he wears the crown his mother put on his head on the day of his wedding, on the day his heart was glad."

King Solomon has made for himself a beautiful wagon from the wood of Lebanon.

"I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my perfume with my spice. I have eaten my honey and the comb. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat and drink, friends. Drink much, O lovers." "I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My love was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is wet from the water on the grass in the early morning. My hair is wet from the night.' I have taken off my dress. How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet. Should I get them dirty again? My love put his hand through the opening, and joy filled my heart. I got up to let my love in, and perfume fell from my hands. Wet perfume fell from my fingers onto the lock. I opened the door to my love, but he had already gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I looked for him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer me. The watchmen of the city found me. They beat me and hurt me. The watchmen of the walls took my coat from me. I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my loved one, you must tell him that I am weak with love." "What is your loved one more than another loved one, O most beautiful among women? What is your loved one more than another loved one, that you tell us to do this?" "My loved one is bright and red, the best among 10,000. His head is like gold, pure gold. His hair has waves and is black as a raven. His eyes are like doves beside rivers of water, washed in milk, and resting in their places. His cheeks are like beds of spices, with sweet-smelling plants. His lips are like lily flowers giving off drops of perfume. His hands are strong pieces of gold set with stones of much worth. His body is made of ivory set with stones of much worth. His legs are pillars of clay put on bases of pure gold. He looks like Lebanon, as beautiful as the cedar trees. His mouth is very sweet, everything about him is pleasing. This is my loved one and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

King Solomon "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my perfume with my spice. I have eaten my honey and the comb. I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat and drink, friends. Drink much, O lovers." "I was asleep, but my heart was awake. A voice! My love was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is wet from the water on the grass in the early morning. My hair is wet from the night.'

I opened the door to my love, but he had already gone! My heart went out to him as he spoke. I looked for him, but did not find him. I called him, but he did not answer me.

"Where has your loved one gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your loved one turned, that we may look for him with you?"

I am my love's, and my love is mine, he who feeds his flock among the lilies." "You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my love, as beautiful as Jerusalem. You are to be feared as an army with flags. Turn your eyes away from me, for they trouble me. Your hair is like a flock of goats that has come down from Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which has come up from the washing. All of them give birth to two lambs at a time, and not one of them has lost her young. The sides of your forehead are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your face-covering. There are sixty queens, and eighty women kept who act like wives, and there are too many young women to number who have never had a man. But my dove, my perfect one, is special. She is her mother's only daughter. She is the pure child of the one who gave birth to her. The young women saw her and knew she was honored. The queens and the women who act as wives praised her, saying, ‘Who is this that looks out like the first light of day? She is as beautiful as the full moon, as pure as the sun. She is to be feared as an army with flags.'" "I went down to the field of nut trees to see the flowers of the valley, to see if the vines or the pomegranates had flowers. Before I knew it, I wanted to be over the war-wagons of the princes of my people." "Return, return, O Shulammite! Return, return, that we may look upon you!" The Woman "Why should you look upon the Shulammite, as upon a dance in front of two armies?"

Turn your eyes away from me, for they trouble me. Your hair is like a flock of goats that has come down from Gilead.

And may your mouth be like the best wine." "For my love, it is smooth going down, flowing through the lips while sleeping.

The mandrakes have given out their sweet smell. And over our doors are all the best fruits, both new and old, which I have saved for you, my love.

"I tell you, O daughters of Jerusalem. You must not wake up my love, until it is pleasing to her." "Who is this coming up from the desert, resting on her loved one?" The Woman "I woke you up under the fruit tree. There your mother suffered and gave birth to you. Put me over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire of the Lord. Many waters cannot put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated." "We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage? If she is a wall, we should build on her a tower of silver. But if she is a door, we should cover her with strong pieces of cedar wood." "I was a wall, and my breasts were like towers. Then I was in his eyes as one who finds peace." "Solomon has a grape-field at Baal-hamon. He put the grape-field into the care of certain men. Each one was to bring 1,000 pieces of silver for its fruit. My own grape-field is for myself. The 1,000 pieces of silver are for you, Solomon. And 200 are for those who take care of its fruit." "O you who sit in the gardens, my friends are listening for your voice. Let me hear it." "Hurry, my love. Be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices."

Put me over your heart and on your arm, never to be taken off. For love is as strong as death. Jealousy is as hard as the grave. Its bright light is like the light of fire, the very fire of the Lord.

Many waters cannot put out love. Rivers cannot cover it. If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would all be hated."

"We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What should we do for our sister on the day when she is promised in marriage?