2As a lily among thorns, so is my friendess among daughters. (Like a lily among the thorns, is my friendess among the daughters.)

3As an apple tree among the trees of woods, so (is) my darling among (the) sons. I sat under the shadow of him, whom I desired; and his fruit was sweet to my throat. (Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, is my darling among the sons of men. I sat under his shadow, yea, he whom I desired; and his fruit was sweet to my taste.)

4The king led me into the wine cellar; he ordained charity in me (he ordained his love upon me).

5Beset ye me with flowers, compass ye me with apples; for I am sick for love. (Put ye flowers about me, yea, surround ye me with apple blossoms; for I am weak, or I faint, because of love.)

6His left hand is under mine head; and his right hand shall embrace me.

7Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you greatly, by caprets, and harts of fields, that ye raise not, neither make to awake the dearworthy spousess, till she will. (Ye daughters of Jerusalem, I strongly command you, by the gazelles, and the harts of the fields, that ye raise not up, nor awaken the dearworthy spousess, until she desireth it.)

8The voice of my darling; lo! this darling cometh leaping in mountains, and skipping over little hills. (The voice of my darling; lo! my darling cometh leaping over the mountains, and skipping over the little hills.)

9My darling is like a capret, and a calf of harts; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and beholdeth by the windows, and looketh through the lattice. (My darling is like a gazelle, or like a hart calf; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and seeth in through the windows, and looketh through the lattice.)

10Lo! my darling speaketh to me, My love, my culver, my fair spousess, rise thou, haste thou, and come thou; (Lo! my darling speaketh to me, and saith, My love, my dove, my beautiful spousess, rise thou up, hasten thou, and come thou away;)

11for winter is passed now, rain is gone, and is departed away. (for the winter is now passed, the rains have gone away, yea, they have departed at last.)

12Flowers have appeared in our land, and the time of cutting is come; the voice of a turtle is heard in our land (the song of a turtledove is heard in our land),

13the fig tree hath brought forth his buds; the vineries flowering have given their odour. My love, my fair spousess, rise thou, haste thou, and come thou. (the fig tree hath brought forth its buds; the flowering vines have given forth their aroma. My love, my beautiful spousess, rise thou up, hasten thou, and come thou away.)

14My culver is in the holes of [the] stone, in the chink of a wall without mortar. Show thy face to me, thy voice sound in mine ears; for thy voice is sweet, and thy face is fair. (My dove is in the holes of the stone, in the chink of a wall made without mortar. Show thy face to me, let thy voice sound in my ears; for thy voice is sweet, and thy face is so beautiful.)

15Catch ye little foxes to us, that destroy the vineries; for our vinery hath flowered. (Catch ye for us the little foxes, that destroy the vineyards; for our vines have flowered.)

16My darling is to me, and I am to him, which is fed among lilies; (My darling is for me, and I am for him, who is fed among the lilies;)

17till the day spring, and shadows be bowed down. My darling, turn thou again; be thou like a capret, and a calf of harts, on the hills of Bether. (until the day spring forth, and the shadows be bowed down. My darling, return thou; be thou like a gazelle, or a hart calf, on the hills of Bether/upon the rugged hills.)