Garden of Nuts in Winter, with approaching Spring; Portrait of the Bride by the Daughters of Jerusalem, now becoming one with Her.-PART IV. Garden in the Fields with Blossoms, early Fruits, The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. 2 CANTICLE I.—CHAP. I. 2-II. 7. THE BRIDE SEEKING AND FINDING THE KING. PART I. -CHAP. I. 2-8. The Search for the King. THE BRIDE. Let Him kiss me with the kisses of his lips, 3 For odour are thine ointments precious; 4 The King brought me in to his inner chambers, We shall be glad, and outjoy in thee, 5 We will remember thy love above the wine feast, Swarth am I, yet beautiful, Daughters of Jerusalem, Like the tents of Ishmael, Like the hangings of Solomon: 6 7 8 9 Gaze ye not on me, since I am so black, Tell me, Thou whom my soul loveth, Like to a wandering one, By the flocks of thy companions? THE KING (absent). If thou know not of thyself, In the footprints of the flock, And feed thy kids By the tents of the shepherds. PART II. CHAP. I. 9-II. 7. The King Found. THE KING (present). To the horses in the chariots of Pharaoh Have I likened thee, my Friend; ΙΟ II Beautiful are thy cheeks with rows of jewels, Circlets of gold will we fashion for thee, 12 3 4 THE BRIDE. While sits the King in his banquet circle, A cluster of the fragrant-grape my Beloved is to me, THE KING. Lo thou fair one, Lo thou fair one, Thine eyes the eyes of doves! THE BRIDE. Lo Thou fair One, My Beloved; Yea how pleasant, And our couch how green! THE KING. II. I am the Rose of Sharon, 2 The Lily of the Valleys; Like a lily among thorns, So is my Love among the daughters. THE BRIDE. 3 Like the apple-tree amid the trees of the wood, my Beloved in the midst of the sons; In his shadow I delighted, So is And have sat down beneath it, And his fruit hath been sweet to my taste; 4 He has led me within the house of wine, And his banner above me hath been Love. 5 6. 7 O stay ye me with cordials, Strengthen me with citron-apples, His left hand is beneath my head, And his right infolds me. I lay on you a charge, As among the roes, Or amid the hinds of the field, If ye shall arouse, Love until consenting.1 1 See note at foot of page 31. |