Chapter 6 - The maiden and the youth
TO THE MAIDEN
1 Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
THE MAIDEN
2 My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he feedeth among the lilies.
THE YOUTH TO THE MAIDEN
4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, [as] Tirzah, comely [as] Jerusalem, terrible [as] an army with banners.
5 Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is [as] a flock of goats that appear from Gilead.
6 Thy teeth are [as] a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them.1
7 As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks.
8 There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number.
9 My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one (of her) that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.
10 Who is she that looketh forth [as] the morning, fair [as] the moon, clear [as] the sun, and terrible [as] an army with banners?
THE MAIDEN
11 I went down into the garden (of nuts) to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded.
12 Or ever I was aware, my soul made me [like] the chariots of Amminadib.
TO THE MAIDEN
13 Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies.
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1. Read: Song of solomon ch. 4:2