Solomon’s Praise of His Dancing Maiden

1 How beautiful are your feet in sandals,

O royal princess!

The curves of your thighsare like jewels,

the work of the hands of a craftsman.

2 Your navel is a round wine-mixing bowl

that does not lack mixedwine!

Your belly is a heap of wheat

encircled with lilies.

3 Your two breasts are like two fawns,

twins of a gazelle.

4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory;

your eyes are pools in Heshbon at the gate of Beth Rabbim.

Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon

looking out over Damascus.

5 Your head crowns you like Carmel;

the flowing locks of your head are like purple tapestry;

a king is held captive in the tresses!

6 How beautiful you are and how pleasant,

O loved one in the delights!

7 Your statureis like the palm tree,

and your breasts are like clusters.

8 I say, “I will climb up the palm tree;

I will lay hold of its fruit clusters.”

Let your breasts be pleasing like clusters of the vine

and the scent of your breath like the apples.

9 Your palate is like the best wine that goes down for my beloved,

smoothly gliding over my lips and teeth.

Mutual Possession Refrain

10 I belong to my beloved,

and he desires me!

Rendezvous in the Countryside

11 Come, my beloved, let us go out to the countryside;

let us spend the nightin the villages.

12 Let us rise early to goto the vineyards;

let us see whether the vine has budded,

whether the grape blossom has opened,

and whether the pomegranates are in bloom;

there I will give my love to you.

13 The mandrakes give off their fragrance,

and over our doorway is every kind of delicious fruit;

both fresh and dried fruit I have stored upfor you, O my beloved.