¹Where has your beloved gone , you fairest amongst women?

Where has your beloved turned , that we may seek him with you ?

²My beloved has gone down to his garden ,

to the beds of spices ,

to pasture his flock in the gardens , and to gather lilies .

³I am my beloved ’s, and my beloved is mine.

He browses amongst the lilies .

⁴You are beautiful , my love , as Tirzah ,

lovely as Jerusalem ,

awesome as an army with banners .

⁵Turn away your eyes from me ,

for they have overcome me .

Your hair is like a flock of goats ,

that lie along the side of Gilead .

⁶Your teeth are like a flock of ewes ,

which have come up from the washing ,

of which every one has twins ;

not one is bereaved amongst them .

⁷Your temples are like a piece of a pomegranate behind your veil .

⁸There are sixty queens , eighty concubines ,

and virgins without number .

⁹My dove , my perfect one , is unique.

She is her mother’s only daughter .

She is the favourite one of her who bore her .

The daughters saw her , and called her blessed.

The queens and the concubines saw her , and they praised her .

¹⁰Who is she who looks out as the morning ,

beautiful as the moon ,

clear as the sun ,

and awesome as an army with banners ?

¹¹I went down into the nut tree grove,

to see the green plants of the valley ,

to see whether the vine budded ,

and the pomegranates were in flower.

¹²Without realising it ,

my desire set me with my royal people ’s chariots .

¹³Return, return, Shulammite!

Return, return, that we may gaze at you.

Why do you desire to gaze at the Shulammite,

as at the dance of Mahanaim?