1 I am a rose of Sharon,
a lily of the valleys.
2 As a lily among thorns,
so is my love among the daughters.
3 As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,
so is my beloved among the sons.
I sat down under his shadow with great delight,
his fruit was sweet to my taste.
4 He brought me to the banquet hall.
His banner over me is love.
5 Strengthen me with raisins,
refresh me with apples;
for I am faint with love.
6 His left hand is under my head.
His right hand embraces me.
7 I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,
by the roes, or by the hinds of the field,
that you not stir up, nor awaken love,
until it so desires.
8 The voice of my beloved!
Behold, he comes,
leaping on the mountains,
skipping on the hills.
9 My beloved is like a roe or a young deer.
Behold, he stands behind our wall!
He looks in at the windows.
He glances through the lattice.
10 My beloved spoke, and said to me,
"Rise up, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.
11 For behold, the winter is past.
The rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth.
The time of the singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree ripens her green figs.
The vines are in blossom.
They give out their fragrance.
Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away."
14 My dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the hiding places of the mountainside,
let me see your face.
Let me hear your voice;
for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely.
15 Catch for us the foxes,
the little foxes that plunder the vineyards;
for our vineyards are in blossom.
16 My beloved is mine, and I am his.
He browses among the lilies.
17 Until the day is cool, and the shadows flee away,
turn, my beloved,
and be like a roe or a young deer on the mountains of Bether.
1 Ek is 'n narsing van Saron, 'n lelie van die dale.
2 Soos 'n lelie tussen die dorings, so is my vriendin onder die dogters.
3 Soos 'n appelboom onder die bome van die bos, so is my beminde onder die seuns. Ek het verlang om in sy skaduwee te sit, en sy vrugte is soet vir my verhemelte.
4 Hy het my in die wynhuis ingebring, en sy vaandel oor my was die liefde.
5 Versterk my met rosynekoeke, verkwik my met appels, want ek is krank van liefde.
6 Laat sy linkerarm onder my hoof wees en sy regterarm my omhels.
7 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.
8 Hoor, my beminde, kyk, daar kom hy! Hy spring oor die berge, hy huppel oor die heuwels.
9 My beminde lyk soos 'n gemsbok of soos 'n jong takbok. Daar staan hy agter ons muur! Hy kyk deur die vensters in, hy speur deur die tralies heen.
10 My beminde begin toe en sê vir my: Staan op, my vriendin, my skone, kom dan tog!
11 Want kyk, die winter is verby, die reëntyd is oor, dit het verbygegaan.
12 Die bloeisels word gesien in die land, die sangtyd het aangebreek, en die tortelduif laat sy stem hoor in ons land.
13 Die vyeboom laat sy voorvye uitswel, en die wingerdstokke wat bloei, versprei geur. Staan op, my vriendin, my skone, kom dan tog!
14 My duif in die rotsklowe, in die skuilplek by die krans, laat my u gedaante sien, laat my u stem hoor; want u stem is soet, en u gedaante is lieflik.
15 Vang julle vir ons die jakkalse, die klein jakkalse wat die wingerde verniel, want ons wingerde staan in die bloei.
16 My beminde is myne, en ek is syne wat herder is onder die lelies.
17 Totdat die aandwind waai en die skaduwees vlug, kom aan, my beminde, maak soos die gemsbok of soos die jong takbok op die berge van skeiding.