Cantares 2

A lily among thorns

¹I am a crocus of Sharon, \q a lily of the valleys.^{a 2}Like a lily among thorns, \q so is my darling among the young women. ³As an apple tree stands among the trees of the woods, \q so my beloved stands among the young men. \q With delight I sat down in his shade, \q and his fruit was sweet in my mouth. ⁴He has taken me into the banquet hall, \q and the banner he raises over me is love.^{b 5}Strengthen me with raisin cakes; \q revive me with apples, \q for I am faint with love. ⁶His left arm is under my head, \q and his right arm holds me close. ⁷Swear to me, women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles \q or by the does in the fields: \q do not stir up or awaken love until it is ready.^c

Come away, my darling

⁸Listen! My beloved! \q Look, here he comes, \q leaping over the mountains, \q bounding over the hills. ⁹My beloved is like a gazelle \q or a young stag. \q There he stands behind our wall, \q looking in through the windows, \q peering through the lattice. ¹⁰My beloved spoke to me and said, \q “Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come away. ¹¹For see, the winter is past; \q the rain is over and gone. ¹²Flowers are appearing in the land; \q the season of singing has come, \q and the cooing of the turtledove is heard in our land.^{d 13}The fig tree is ripening its early figs, \q and the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. \q Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come away.”

My dove in the clefts of the rock

¹⁴My dove, hidden in the clefts of the rock, in the shelter of the cliff, \q show me your face, \q let me hear you speak, \q for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.^e

The little foxes

¹⁵Catch the foxes for us, \q the little foxes that spoil vineyards, \q for our vineyards are blossoming.^{f 16}My beloved is mine, and I am his; \q he grazes among the lilies. ¹⁷Until the day breathes \q and the shadows flee, \q turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle or a young stag on Bether’s mountains.^ghi