Avoiding the Cliches

^[4]He You are as beautiful as Tirzah, my darling, as lovely as Jerusalem, as majestic as troops with banners. ^[5] Turn your eyes from me; they overwhelm me. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Gilead. ^[6] Your teeth are like a flock of sheep coming up from the washing. Each has its twin, not one of them is missing. ^[7] Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate. ^[8] Sixty queens there may be, and eighty concubines, and virgins beyond number; ^[9] but my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother, the favorite of the one who bore her. The young women saw her and called her blessed; the queens and concubines praised her. ^[10]Friends Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession? ^[11]He I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom. ^[12] Before I realized it, my desire set me among the royal chariots of my people. ^[13]Friends Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, that we may gaze on you! HeWhy would you gaze on the Shulammite as on the dance of Mahanaim? ^[1] How beautiful your sandaled feet, O prince’s daughter! Your graceful legs are like jewels, the work of an artist’s hands. ^[2] Your navel is a rounded goblet that never lacks blended wine. Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies. ^[3] Your breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle. ^[4] Your neck is like an ivory tower. Your eyes are the pools of Heshbon by the gate of Bath Rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon looking toward Damascus. ^[5] Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. ^[6] How beautiful you are and how pleasing, my love, with your delights! ^[7] Your stature is like that of the palm, and your breasts like clusters of fruit. ^[8] I said, “I will climb the palm tree; I will take hold of its fruit.” May your breasts be like clusters of grapes on the vine, the fragrance of your breath like apples, ^[9] and your mouth like the best wine. SheMay the wine go straight to my beloved, flowing gently over lips and teeth.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION