Daily Bread

² I slept but my heart was awake.
    Listen! My beloved is knocking:
“Open to me, my sister, my darling,
    my dove,^(A) my flawless^(B) one.^(C)
My head is drenched with dew,
    my hair with the dampness of the night.”
³ I have taken off my robe—
    must I put it on again?
I have washed my feet—
    must I soil them again?
⁴ My beloved thrust his hand through the latch-opening;
    my heart began to pound for him.
⁵ I arose to open for my beloved,
    and my hands dripped with myrrh,^(D)
my fingers with flowing myrrh,
    on the handles of the bolt.
⁶ I opened for my beloved,^(E)
    but my beloved had left; he was gone.^(F)
    My heart sank at his departure.^[a]
I looked^(G) for him but did not find him.
    I called him but he did not answer.
⁷ The watchmen found me
    as they made their rounds in the city.^(H)
They beat me, they bruised me;
    they took away my cloak,
    those watchmen of the walls!
⁸ Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you^(I)—
    if you find my beloved,^(J)
what will you tell him?
    Tell him I am faint with love.^(K)

⁹ How is your beloved better than others,
    most beautiful of women?^(L)
How is your beloved better than others,
    that you so charge us?

¹⁰ My beloved is radiant and ruddy,
    outstanding among ten thousand.^(M)
11 His head is purest gold;
    his hair is wavy
    and black as a raven.
¹² His eyes are like doves^(N)
    by the water streams,
washed in milk,^(O)
    mounted like jewels.
¹³ His cheeks^(P) are like beds of spice^(Q)
    yielding perfume.
His lips are like lilies^(R)
    dripping with myrrh.^(S)
14 His arms are rods of gold
    set with topaz.
His body is like polished ivory
    decorated with lapis lazuli.^(T)
15 His legs are pillars of marble
    set on bases of pure gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,^(U)
    choice as its cedars.
¹⁶ His mouth^(V) is sweetness itself;
    he is altogether lovely.
This is my beloved,^(W) this is my friend,
    daughters of Jerusalem.^(X)

6 Where has your beloved^(Y) gone,
    most beautiful of women?^(Z)
Which way did your beloved turn,
    that we may look for him with you?

² My beloved has gone^(AA) down to his garden,^(AB)
    to the beds of spices,^(AC)
to browse in the gardens
    and to gather lilies.
³ I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;^(AD)
    he browses among the lilies.^(AE)