[1] One night as I lay in bed, I yearned for my lover. I yearned for him, but he did not come.
[2] So I said to myself, “I will get up and roam the city, searching in all its streets and squares. I will search for the one I love.” So I searched everywhere but did not find him.
[3] The watchmen stopped me as they made their rounds, and I asked, “Have you seen the one I love?”
[4] Then scarcely had I left them when I found my love! I caught and held him tightly, then I brought him to my mother’s house, into my mother’s bed, where I had been conceived.
[5] Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right.
[6] Who is this sweeping in from the wilderness like a cloud of smoke? Who is it, fragrant with myrrh and frankincense and every kind of spice?
[7] Look, it is Solomon’s carriage, surrounded by sixty heroic men, the best of Israel’s soldiers.
[8] They are all skilled swordsmen, experienced warriors. Each wears a sword on his thigh, ready to defend the king against an attack in the night.
[9] King Solomon’s carriage is built of wood imported from Lebanon.
[10] Its posts are silver, its canopy gold; its cushions are purple. It was decorated with love by the young women of Jerusalem.
[11] Come out to see King Solomon, young women of Jerusalem. He wears the crown his mother gave him on his wedding day, his most joyous day.