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v1
On my bed in the night, I sought ^[Or “I seek”] him whom my heart ^[Literally “soul”] loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.
v2
Now I will arise, and I will go about in the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my heart ^[Literally “soul”] loves. I sought him, but I did not find him.
v3
The sentinels who go about in the city found me. “Have you seen the one whom my heart ^[Literally “soul”] loves?“
v4
Scarcely had I passed ^[Literally “As little that I passed”] by them when I found him whom my heart ^[Literally “soul”] loves. I held him and I would not let him go until I brought him to the house of my mother, into the bedroom chamber of she who conceived me.
v5
I adjure you, O maidens of Jerusalem, ^[Literally “O daughters of Jerusalem”] by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not arouse or awaken love until it pleases! ^[Or “Do not stir up or awaken the love until it is willing,” or “Do not disturb or interrupt our love-making until it is satisfied”]
v6
What is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense from all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
v7
Look! It is Solomon’s portable couch! ^[Literally “couch” or “portable sedan chair”] Sixty mighty men surround it, ^[Literally “her”] the mighty men of Israel.
v8
All of them wield swords; ^[Literally “holders of sword”] they are trained in warfare, ^[Literally “learnt of war”] each with his sword at his thigh to guard against terror ^[Literally “because of the fear”] in the night.
v9
King Solomon ^[Literally “The king, Solomon”] made for himself a sedan chair from the wood of Lebanon.
v10
He made its column of silver, its back ^[Or “its support,” “its base,” “its headrest,” “its litter,” “its cover”] of gold, its seat of purple; its interior is inlaid with leather ^[Or “love.” The Hebrew term here translated “leather” is spelled the same as the term for “love.” Most likely this is an example of a word play that puns on the intentional ambiguity: “Its interior was inlaid with leather//love by the maidens of Jerusalem”] by the maidens of Jerusalem. ^[Literally “by the daughters of Jerusalem”]
v11
Come out and look, O maidens of Zion, ^[Literally “O daughters of Zion”] at King Solomon, ^[Literally “the king, Solomon”] at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, on the day of the joy of his heart!