Song of Solomon, 6

1. Where has your lover gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your lover gone that we may seek him with you?

1. CHORUS: Where did your lover go, O loveliest of women? Which way did your lover turn so that we can help you seek him?

2. My lover has come down to his garden, to the beds of spice, To browse in the garden and to gather lilies.

2. BELOVED: My love went down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to pasture his flock on the grass and gather lilies.

3. My lover belongs to me and I to him; he browses among the lilies.

3. I belong to my love, and my love to me. He pastures his flock among the lilies.

4. You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my beloved, as lovely as Jerusalem, as awe-inspiring as bannered troops.

4. LOVER: You are fair as Tirzah, my beloved, enchanting as Jerusalem, formidable as an army!

5. Turn your eyes from me, for they torment me. Your hair is like a flock of goats streaming down from Gilead.

5. Turn your eyes away from me, they take me by assault! Your hair is like a flock of goats surging down the slopes of Gilead.

6. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes which come up from the washing, All of them big with twins, none of them thin and barren.

6. Your teeth are like a flock of ewes as they come up from being washed. Each one has its twin, not one unpaired with another.

7. Your cheek is like a half-pomegranate behind your veil.

7. Your cheeks, behind your veil, are halves of pomegranate.

8. There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and maidens without number-

8. There are sixty queens and eighty concubines (and countless girls).

9. One alone is my dove, my perfect one, her mother's chosen, the dear one of her parent. The daughters saw her and declared her fortunate, the queens and concubines, and they sang her praises;

9. My dove is my only one, perfect and mine. She is the darling of her mother, the favourite of the one who bore her. Girls have seen her and proclaimed her blessed, queens and concubines have sung her praises,

10. Who is this that comes forth like the dawn, as beautiful as the moon, as resplendent as the sun, as awe-inspiring as bannered troops?

10. 'Who is this arising like the dawn, fair as the moon, resplendent as the sun, formidable as an army?'

11. I came down to the nut garden to look at the fresh growth of the valley, To see if the vines were in bloom. If the pomegranates had blossomed.

11. I went down to the nut orchard to see the fresh shoots in the valley, to see if the vines were budding and the pomegranate trees in flower.

12. Before I knew it, my heart had made me the blessed one of my kinswomen.

12. Before I knew . . . my desire had hurled me onto the chariots of Amminadib!