1 ¶ I have come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I gather my myrrh with my spice; I eat my honeycomb with my honey; I drink my wine with my milk: eat and drink, my friends; yea, drink abundantly of love.

2 ¶ I sleep, but my heart is awake: listen it is the voice of my beloved who knocks, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is wet with dew, and my hair with the drops of the night.

3 I have taken off my clothing; why should I put it on? I have washed my feet; why should I soil them?

4 My beloved put in his hand through the opening in the door, and my feelings were stirred for him.

5 I got up to open for my beloved; and my hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had turned, and gone away: my soul went out to him when he spoke: I looked for him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he did not answer me.

7 The watchmen who went around the city found me, they hit me, and wounded me; those who watch on the walls took my cloak from me.

8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him, that I am sick with love.

9 ¶ What makes the one you love better than another, O you most beautiful of women? what makes him better than another, that you give us such a charge?

10 My beloved is fit and strong, the foremost among ten thousand.

11 His head is like the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are like the eyes of doves by brooks of water, washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are like a bed of spices, like sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

14 His arms are like gold rods set with beryl: his belly is like bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are like pillars of marble, set on bases of fine gold: his appearance is like Lebanon, stately as the cedars.

16 His speech is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.