On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but I found him not.

On my couch [of grief] in the nights [of my thirty-eight years of rejection], I sought Him whom my soul loved. I sought Him, but I did not find Him [viz. Exodus 33:3].

I will rise now and roam through the city, in the market places and in the streets, I will seek him whom my soul loves; I sought him but did not find him.

I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loves: I sought him, but I found him not.

I said: I will arise and go round the city, in the markets and in the thoroughfares; I will seek Him whom my soul loves [viz. Exodus 33:11, 33:20]. I sought Him, but I did not find him.

The watchmen found me those who circle about the city; him whom my soul loves, have you seen him?

The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Have you seen him whom my soul loves?

They found me, the keepers of the city [i.e., Moses and Aaron], who go round the city. Did you see Him whom my soul loves? [i.e., Did you receive a prophecy from Him?]

Scarcely had I departed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves; I grasped him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mother’s house and to the chamber of her who conceived me.

Scarce had I passed from them, when I found him whom my soul loves: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.

I had almost passed them by [i.e., close to their leaving me, at the end of forty years], when I found Him whom my soul loved, [who was with me in the days of Joshua in the conquering of the thirty-one kings]. I held onto Him and did not let go of Him until I had brought Him to the house of my mother and the chamber of my conception [i.e., the sanctuary of Shiloh.]

I bind you under oath, daughters of Yerusholayim by the gazelles and the does of the field; that you do not cause hatred nor disturb this love while it still pleases.

I charge you, O daughters of Yerushalayim, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that you stir not up, nor awake my love, till it please.

[Wherefore, I have besworn you, [O nations], the daughters [i.e., neighbors] of Jerusalem [that you would become prey], like the roes and hinds of the field, if you vitiated or protested the love [between me and my Beloved [(by attempting to turn me from Him to you)], so long as it desires [i.e., so long as my love remains fixed in my heart and He desires me.]

Who is this ascending from the wilderness, with palm-like pillars of smoke; in a cloud of myrrh and frankincense, of all the powders of the perfume seller?

Who is this coming out of the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all powders of the merchant?

[When the nations saw the pillars of fire and smoke that accompanied me in the desert and removed all destructive agents in my way to pave a path for me, they exclaimed:] Who is this [(i.e., How great must this nation be)] which rises up from the desert as [high and straight as] columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense [(an allusion to the incense cloud that rose from the inner alter)] with all the powders of the merchant? [(the spices being crushed into a thin powder)]

Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty mighty men are around it; of the mighty men of Yisroel.

Behold it is his litter, that of Shelomo! sixty valiant men are round about it, of the mighty men of Yisra᾽el.

Behold, the "bed" of Shlomoh [(the tent of meeting and the ark, which they carried in the desert)]. Sixty [i.e., six hundred thousand] heroes roundabout it of the warriors of Israel [(aside from those under twenty years of age and over sixty)].

All of them holding swords, skilled in battle; each with his sword at his side for fear of the nights.

All girt with swords, and expert in war: every man has his sword upon his thigh because of the fear by night.

All holding the sword, taught in war [(the war of Torah, as, likewise, the Cohanim surrounding the sanctuary, taught in the order of sacrifices)]; each, his "sword" on his thigh [("his sword"; the tradition and the signs whereby they "pinned down" the received tradition)], from fear in the night [i.e., from fear that it be forgotten and bring misfortune upon them (viz. Psalms 2:12)].

A canopy has King Shlomo made of the wood of Levanon.

King Shelomo made himself a palanquin of the timbers of the Levanon.

A palanquin [(the tent of meeting, affixed in the sanctuary of Shiloh)] did the King, Shlomoh, make for Himself from the trees of the Levanon.

Its pillars he made of silver, its covering of gold, its curtain of purple wool; its interior bedecked with love from the daughters of Yerusholayim.

He made its pillars of silver, its back of gold, its seat of purple, the midst of it being inlaid lovingly, by the daughters of Yerushalayim.

Its pillars He made of silver; its base [i.e., the kaporeth (the ark cover)], of gold; its "rider" [i.e., the parocheth (the curtain), suspended and "riding" on columns from pillar to pillar], of purple; its midst inlaid with love: [(ark, kaporeth, cherubs, and tablets)] from the daughters of Jerusalem [(Israel, fearing G-d and whole-hearted with Him)].

Go forth and gaze, daughters of Tzion, upon King Shlomo; upon the crown with which his mother adorned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day his heart rejoiced.

Go forth, O daughters of Żiyyon, and behold king Shelomo with the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the gladness of his heart.

Go out and see — O daughters of Tziyon [(sons who are distinctive unto Him [metzuyanim, like Tziyon] with milah (circumcision), tefillin, and tzitzith)] — the King, Shlomoh — the crown [(the tent of meeting, "crowned" with distinctive colors)] wherewith His "mother" [(the Congregation of Israel)] crowned Him on the day of His wedding [(the day of the giving of the Torah, when they crowned Him as "King" and accepted His yoke)] and on the day of the rejoicing of His heart [(the eighth day of investiture, when the sanctuary in the desert was dedicated)].