1 Op my bed snags het ek gesoek na my sielsbeminde, ek het na hom gesoek, maar hom nie gevind nie.

2 Ek wil dan opstaan en in die stad rondgaan, in die strate en op die pleine wil ek na my sielsbeminde soek; ek het na hom gesoek, maar hom nie gevind nie.

3 Die wagte wat in die stad rondgaan, het my aangetref. Het julle my sielsbeminde nie gesien nie?

4 Skaars het ek van hulle af verder gegaan, of ek het my sielsbeminde gevind; ek het hom vasgehou en hom nie gelos voordat ek hom gebring het in die huis van my moeder en in die binnekamer van haar wat my gebaar het nie.

5 Ek besweer julle, dogters van Jerusalem, by die gemsbokke of by die takbokke van die veld om nie die liefde wakker te maak of op te wek voordat dit die liefde behaag nie.

6 Wie is dit wat daar opkom uit die woestyn soos rookpilare, omgeurd van mirre en wierook, van allerhande speserye van die koopman?

7 Kyk, dit is die draagstoel van Salomo, sestig helde daaromheen, van die helde van Israel,

8 hulle almal met 'n swaard gewapend, geoefend vir oorlog, elkeen met sy swaard aan sy heup vanweë die nagtelike verskrikking.

9 Koning Salomo het vir hom 'n draagstoel gemaak van die hout van die L¡banon;

10 die steile daarvan het hy gemaak van silwer, die leuning van goud, die sitplek van purper, die binnekant mooi opgemaak -- 'n liefdegawe van die dogters van Jerusalem.

11 Kom uit, dogters van Sion, en aanskou met vreugde die koning Salomo, die krans waarmee sy moeder hom bekrans het op sy troudag en op die dag dat sy hart vrolik is.

1 By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him.

2 I will get up now and go about the town, in the streets and in the wide ways I will go after him who is the love of my soul: I went after him, but I did not see him.

3 The watchmen who go about the town came by me; to them I said, Have you seen him who is my heart's desire?

4 I was but a little way from them, when I came face to face with him who is the love of my soul. I took him by the hands, and did not let him go, till I had taken him into my mother's house, and into the room of her who gave me birth.

5 I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, let not love be moved till it is ready.

6 Who is this coming out of the waste places like pillars of smoke, perfumed with sweet spices, with all the spices of the trader?

7 See, it is the bed of Solomon; sixty men of war are about it, of the army of Israel,

8 All of them armed with swords, trained in war; every man has his sword at his side, because of fear in the night.

9 King Solomon made himself a bed of the wood of Lebanon.

10 He made its pillars of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it of ebony.

11 Go out, O daughters of Jerusalem, and see King Solomon, with the crown which his mother put on his head on the day when he was married, and on the day of the joy of his heart.