Song of Songs

The Song of Solomon, chapter 2, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 2 New English Translation

The Lily among the Thorns and the Apple Tree in the Forest

   1 (The Beloved to Her Lover) I am a meadow flower from Sharon, a lily from the valleys.
   2 (The Lover to His Beloved) Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens.
   3 (The Beloved about Her Lover) Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.

The Banquet Hall for the Love-Sick

   4 (The Beloved about Her Lover) He brought me into the banquet hall, and he looked at me lovingly.
   5 Sustain me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.

The Double Refrain: Embracing and Adjuration

   6 His left hand caresses my head, and his right hand stimulates me.
   7 (The Beloved to the Maidens) I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and by the young does of the open fields: Do not awaken or arouse love until it pleases!

The Arrival of the Lover

   8 (The Beloved about Her Lover) Listen! My lover is approaching! Look! Here he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills!
   9 My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the window, peering through the lattice.

The Season of Love and the Song of the Turtle-Dove

   10 (The Lover to His Beloved) My lover spoke to me, saying: "Arise, my darling; My beautiful one, come away with me!
   11 Look! The winter has passed, the winter rains are over and gone.
   12 The pomegranates have appeared in the land, the time for pruning and singing has come; the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
   13 The fig tree has budded, the vines have blossomed and give off their fragrance. Arise, come away my darling; my beautiful one, come away with me!"

The Dove in the Clefts of En-Gedi

   14 (The Lover to His Beloved) O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places of the mountain crags, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

The Foxes in the Vineyard

   15 (The Beloved to Her Lover) Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards - for our vineyard is in bloom.

Poetic Refrain: Mutual Possession

   16 (The Beloved about Her Lover) My lover is mine and I am his; he grazes among the lilies.

The Gazelle and the Rugged Mountains

   17 (The Beloved to Her Lover) Until the dawn arrives and the shadows flee, turn, my beloved - be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountain gorges.

King James Version

   1 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
   2 As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
   3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
   4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
   5 Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love.
   6 His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.
   7 I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.
   8 ¶ The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
   9 My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
   10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
   11 For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
   12 The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
   13 The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
   14 ¶ O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
   15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
   16 ¶ My beloved is mine, and I am his: he feedeth among the lilies.
   17 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.