Chapter 5

¹ Let my kinsman come down into his garden, and eat the fruit of his choice berries. I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spices; I have eaten my bread with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; yea, brethren, drink abundantly.

² I sleep, but my heart is awake: the voice of my kinsman knocks at the door, saying, Open, open to me, my companion, my sister, my dove, my perfect one: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. ³ I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet,

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how shall I defile them? ⁴ My kinsman put forth his hand by the hole of the door, and my belly moved for him. ⁵ I rose up to open to my kinsman; my hands dropped myrrh, my fingers choice myrrh, on the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my kinsman; my kinsman was gone: my soul ¹failed at his speech: I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he answered me not. ⁷ The watchman that go their rounds in the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. ⁸ I have charged you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and the virtues of the field: if ye should find my kinsman, what are ye to say to him? That I am wounded with love.

⁹ What is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, O thou beautiful among women? what is thy kinsman more than another kinsman, that thou hast so charged us?

¹⁰ My kinsman is white and ruddy, chosen out from myriads. ¹¹ His head is as very fine gold, his locks are flowing, black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are as doves, by the pools of waters, washed with milk, sitting by the pools. ¹³ His cheeks are as bowls of spices pouring forth perfumes: his lips are lilies, dropping choice myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are as ²turned gold set with ³beryl: his belly is an ivory tablet on a sapphire stone. ¹⁵ His legs are marble pillars set on golden sockets: his form is as Libanus, choice as the cedars. ¹⁶ His throat is most sweet, and altogether desirable. This is my kinsman, and this is my companion, O daughters of Jerusalem.

¹⁷ Whither is thy kinsman gone, thou beautiful among women? whither has thy kinsman ⁴turned aside? tell us, and we will seek him with thee.