<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Lover to His Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Your stature<n id="1" /> is like a palm tree,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and your breasts are like clusters of grapes.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">I was a wall,p> <p class="poetry">and my breasts were like fortress towers.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Then I found favor<n id="2" /> in his eyes.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your teeth are like a flock of newly-shorn sheepp> <p class="poetry">coming up from the washing place;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">each of them has a twin,p> <p class="poetry">and not one of them is missing.p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Speaker:i>b><n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Who is this coming up from the desertp> <p class="poetry">like a column of smoke,p> <p class="poetry">like<n id="2" /> a fragrant billow<n id="3" /> of myrrh and frankincense,<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">every kind of fragrant powder<n id="5" /> of the traveling merchants?<n id="6" />p>

<p class="poetry">Turn your eyes away from me &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">they overwhelm<n id="1" /> me!p> <p class="poetry">Your hair is like a flock of goatsp> <p class="poetry">descending from Mount Gilead.p>

<p class="poetry">Your teeth are like a flock of sheepp> <p class="poetry">coming up from the washing;p> <p class="poetry">each has its twin;p> <p class="poetry">not one of them is missing.p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved&#8217;s Brothers:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">We have a little sister,p> <p class="poetry">and as yet she has no breasts.p> <p class="poetry">What shall we do for our sisterp> <p class="poetry">on the day when she is spoken for?<n id="1" />p>

<p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Lover to His Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry"><v id="(7:2)" /> How beautiful are your sandaled<n id="1" /> feet,p> <p class="poetry">O nobleman&#8217;s daughter!<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The curves<n id="3" /> of your thighs<n id="4" /> are like jewels,p> <p class="poetry">the work of the hands of a master craftsman.p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Lover to His Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Oh,<n id="2" /> you are beautiful, my darling!<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">Oh, you are beautiful!p> <p class="poetry">Your eyes behind your veil are like doves.<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Your hair is like a flock of female goatsp> <p class="poetry">descending<n id="5" /> from Mount Gilead.p>

<p class="poetry">Your neck is like a tower made of ivory.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Your eyes are the pools in Heshbonp> <p class="poetry">by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Your nose is like the tower of Lebanonp> <p class="poetry">overlooking Damascus.p>

<p class="poetry">All of them are skilled with a sword,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">well-trained in the art of warfare.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">Each has his sword at his side,p> <p class="poetry">to guard against the terrors of the night.p>

<p class="poetry">Your neck is like the tower<n id="1" /> of Davidp> <p class="poetry">built with courses of stones;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">one thousand shields are hung on it &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">all shields of valiant warriors.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Your two breasts are like two fawns,p> <p class="poetry">twins of the gazellep> <p class="poetry">grazing among the lilies.p>

<p class="poetry">Surging waters cannot quench love;p> <p class="poetry">floodwaters<n id="1" /> cannot overflow it.p> <p class="poetry">If someone were to offer all his possessions<n id="2" /> to buy love,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">the offer<n id="4" /> would be utterly despised.<n id="5" />p>

<p class="poetry">His cheeks are like garden beds full of balsam trees<n id="1" /> yielding<n id="2" /> perfume.p> <p class="poetry">His lips are like lilies dripping with drops of myrrh.p>

<p class="poetry">Your cheeks are beautiful with ornaments;p> <p class="poetry">your neck is lovely<n id="1" /> with strings of jewels.p>

<p class="poetry">You have stolen my heart,<n id="1" /> my sister,<n id="2" /> my bride!p> <p class="poetry">You have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">with one jewel of your necklace.p>

<p class="poetry">Your head crowns<n id="1" /> you like Mount Carmel.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">The locks of your hair<n id="3" /> are like royal tapestries<n id="4" /> &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">the king is held captive<n id="5" /> in its tresses!p>

<p class="poetry">His eyes are like doves by streams of water,p> <p class="poetry">washed in milk, mounted like jewels.p>

<t /><p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Lover to His Beloved:i>b>p> <p class="poetry"><v id="(7:1)" /><n id="1" /> Turn<n id="2" />, turn, O<n id="3" /> Perfect One!<n id="4" />p> <p class="poetry">Turn, turn, that I<n id="5" /> may stare at you!p> <p class="sosspeaker"><b><i>The Beloved to Her Lover:i>b>p> <p class="poetry">Why<n id="6" /> do you gaze upon the Perfect Onep> <p class="poetry">like the dance of the Mahanaim?<n id="7" />p>