1 'Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither hath thy beloved turned him, that we may seek him with thee?'
2 'My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine, that feedeth among the lilies.' {S}4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me. Thy hair is as a flock of goats, that trail down from Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes, which are come up from the washing; whereof all are paired, and none faileth among them.
7 Thy temples are like a pomegranate split open behind thy veil.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and maidens without number.
9 My dove, my undefiled, is but one; she is the only one of her mother; she is the choice one of her that bore her. The daughters saw her, and called her happy; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her. {S}10 Who is she that looketh forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible as an army with banners? {S}11 I went down into the garden of nuts, to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower.
12 Before I was aware, my soul set me upon the chariots of my princely people.