Song of Solomon 2 YLT
Summary: The woman calls herself "a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys" (v. 1), and he answers that she is a lily among brambles compared to other young women. She in turn likens him to an apple tree among the trees of the forest, delighting in his shade and fruit, and describes being brought to a banqueting house under his banner of love, faint with lovesickness, his left hand under her head and right arm embracing her — prompting her refrain not to "stir up or awaken love until it pleases" (v. 7). She then recalls him bounding over the mountains like a gazelle to call her outside now that "the winter is past... the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (v. 11-12), warns of little foxes that spoil the vineyards, and ends affirming "my beloved is mine, and I am his" (v. 16) as he grazes among the lilies until daybreak.
1As a lily among the thorns,
2So is my friend among the daughters!
3As a citron among trees of the forest, So is my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit is sweet to my palate.
4He hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me is love,
5Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I am sick with love.
6His left hand is under my head, And his right doth embrace me.
7I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the hinds of the field, Stir not up nor wake the love till she please!
8The voice of my beloved! lo, this--he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
9My beloved is like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this--he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
10My beloved hath answered and said to me, `Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,
11For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away--it hath gone.
12The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
13The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.
14My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice is sweet, and thy appearance comely.
15Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes--destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
16My beloved is mine, and I am his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
17Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!
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