1 Ek het in my tuin gekom, my susterbruid, ek het my mirre met my balsem gepluk, ek het geëet van my heuningkoek met my heuning, ek het gedrink my wyn met my melk; eet, vriende, drink en word dronk, bemindes.
2 Ek het geslaap, maar my hart het gewaak. Hoor, my beminde klop: Maak vir my oop, my suster, my vriendin, my duif, my volmaakte! Want my hoof is vol dou, my haarlokke vol nagdruppels.
3 Ek het my kleed uitgetrek, hoe kan ek dit weer aantrek? Ek het my voete gewas, hoe kan ek dit weer vuil maak?
4 My beminde het sy hand deur die deuropening gesteek; toe het my binneste oor hom in beroering gekom;
5 ek het opgestaan om vir my beminde oop te maak, terwyl my hande drup van mirre en my vingers van vloeiende mirre op die handvatsels van die grendel.
6 Ek het vir my beminde oopgemaak, maar my beminde het weggedraai, verbygegaan; ek het my besinning verloor toe hy gespreek het; ek het na hom gesoek, maar hom nie gevind nie; ek het na hom geroep, maar hy het my nie geantwoord nie.
7 Die wagte wat in die stad rondgaan, het my aangetref; hulle het my geslaan, my gewond; die wagte by die mure het my mantel van my afgeneem.
8 Ek besweer julle, dogters van Jerusalem, as julle my beminde vind, wat sal julle hom vertel? Dat ek krank is van liefde.
9 Wat is u beminde meer as 'n ander beminde, o skoonste onder die vroue -- wat is u beminde meer as 'n ander beminde, dat u ons so besweer het?
10 My beminde is skitterend wit en rooi, uitnemender as tien duisend.
11 Sy hoof is goud, suiwer goud; sy haarlokke is golwende, swart soos 'n raaf,
12 sy oë soos duiwe by waterstrome, in melk gewas, sittend by 'n volle bron.
13 Sy wange is soos balsembeddings, terrasbeddings van geurige plante; sy lippe is lelies wat van vloeiende mirre drup.
14 Sy hande is ronde stawe van goud, ingevul met chrisoliet, sy liggaam 'n kunswerk van ivoor, bedek met saffierstene.
15 Sy bene is marmerpilare wat rus op voetstukke van fyn goud; sy gestalte is soos die L¡banon, uitgesoek soos die seders.
16 Sy verhemelte is pure soetigheid, ja, hy is geheel en al die lieflikheid self. Dit is my beminde en dit is my vriend, dogters van Jerusalem.
1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my bride:
I have gathered my myrrh with my spice;
I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey;
I have drunk my wine with my milk.
Eat, O friends;
Drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I was asleep, but my heart waked:
It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying,
Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled;
For my head is filled with dew,
My locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my garment; how shall I put it on?
I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door,
And my heart was moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved;
And my hands droppeth with myrrh,
And my fingers with liquid myrrh,
Upon the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved;
But my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone.
My soul had failed me when he spake:
I sought him, but I could not find him;
I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that go about the city found me,
They smote me, they wounded me;
The keepers of the walls took away my mantle from me.
8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
If ye find my beloved,
That ye tell him, that I am sick from love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
O thou fairest among women?
What is thy beloved more than another beloved,
That thou dost so adjure us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy,
The chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold;
His locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks,
Washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
As banks of sweet herbs:
His lips are as lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are as rings of gold set with beryl:
His body is as ivory work overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold:
His aspect is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet;
Yea, he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved, and this is my friend,
O daughters of Jerusalem.