It tells of two lovers who crave intimacy and try to out-compliment each other.
FEMALE: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth! For your love is better than wine... Draw me after you; let us run.
MALE: If you do not know, O most beautiful among women... Behold, you are beautiful, my love; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. Etc.
The female tells of a dream she had: she wandered round the city looking for her lover; when she found him, she rushed him to the bedroom.
FEMALE: 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.
They go back to complimenting each other; the male describes her as 'locked', i.e. chaste, still a virgin. They get more intimate.
MALE: You have captivated my heart, my bride; you have captivated my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.
A garden locked is my bride, a spring locked, a fountain sealed. Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with all choicest fruits.
FEMALE: Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits.
MALE: I came to my garden, my sister, my bride, I gathered my myrrh with my spice, I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk.
The female then tells of another dream she had, she wandered round the city looking for her lover, but failed to find him. And some watchmen beat her up.
FEMALE: I sought him, but found him not; I called him, but he gave no answer. The watchmen found me as they went about in the city; they beat me, they bruised me, they took away my veil, those watchmen of the walls.
Some random people then ask the female what is so special about her lover, and the couple get back to praising each other.
OTHERS: What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women? What is your beloved more than another beloved, that you thus adjure us?
FEMALE: His mouth is most sweet, and he is altogether desirable. Etc.
MALE: You are beautiful as Tirzah, my love, lovely as Jerusalem, awesome as an army with banners. Turn away your eyes from me, for they overwhelm me. Etc.
(I may use 'you are awesome as an army with banners' in the future.)
And they get more intimate again.
MALE: How beautiful and pleasant you are, O loved one, with all your delights! Your stature is like a palm tree, and your breasts are like its clusters. I say I will climb the palm tree and lay hold of its fruit. Oh may your breasts be like clusters of the vine, and the scent of your breath like apples,
and your mouth like the best wine.
FEMALE: It goes down smoothly for my beloved, gliding over lips and teeth. I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me. Come, my beloved, let us go out into the fields. There I will give you my love.
The book repeatedly advises that love is dangerous and should only be woken when you are ready for it:
FEMALE: I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases... for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.
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