SONG OF SOLOMON 2 [†] I am a rose [1] of Sharon,

 k a lily of the valleys.

He

2[†] As a lily among brambles,

so is  l my love among the young women.

She

3[^][†] As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

so is my  m beloved among the young men.

With great delight I sat  n in his shadow,

and his  o fruit was sweet to my taste.

4[†] He  p brought me to the banqueting house, [2]

and his  q banner over me was love.

5[†] Sustain me with  r raisins;

refresh me with apples,

 s for I am sick with love.

6[†] His  t left hand is under my head,

and his right hand  u embraces me!

7[†] I  v adjure you, [3] O  w daughters of Jerusalem,

by  x the gazelles or the does of the field,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

8[†] The voice of my beloved!

Behold, he comes,

leaping  y over the mountains,

bounding over the hills.

9[†] My beloved is like  z a gazelle

or a young stag.

Behold, there he stands

behind our wall,

gazing through the windows,

looking through the lattice.

10[†] My beloved speaks and says to me:

 a “Arise, my love, my beautiful one,

and come away,

11[†] for behold, the winter is past;

 b the rain is over and gone.

12  c The flowers appear on the earth,

the time of singing [4] has come,

and the voice of  d the turtledove

is heard in our land.

13  e The fig tree ripens its figs,

and  f the vines are in blossom;

they give forth fragrance.

 g Arise, my love, my beautiful one,

and come away.

14[†] O my  h dove, in the  i clefts of the rock,

in the crannies of the cliff,

let me see your face,

let me  j hear your voice,

for your voice is sweet,

and your face is  k lovely.

15[†] Catch  l the foxes [5] for us,

the little foxes

that spoil the vineyards,

 f for our vineyards are in blossom.”

16[^]  m My beloved is mine, and I am his;

he  n grazes [6] among the lilies.

17[†] Until  o the day breathes

and  p the shadows flee,

turn, my beloved, be like  q a gazelle

or a young stag on cleft mountains. [7]