6 Where has your beloved^{#cen-NIV-17616A" title="See cross-reference A} - A )'> gone,
most beautiful of women?^{#cen-NIV-17616B" title="See cross-reference B - B )'>}
Which way did your beloved turn,
that we may look for him with you?

² My beloved has gone^{#cen-NIV-17617C" title="See cross-reference C} - C )'> down to his garden,^{#cen-NIV-17617D" title="See cross-reference D - D )'>}
to the beds of spices,^{#cen-NIV-17617E" title="See cross-reference E - E )'>}
to browse in the gardens
and to gather lilies.
³ I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;^{#cen-NIV-17618F" title="See cross-reference F} - F )'>
he browses among the lilies.^{#cen-NIV-17618G" title="See cross-reference G - G )'>}

⁴ You are as beautiful as Tirzah,^{#cen-NIV-17619H" title="See cross-reference H} - H )'> my darling,
as lovely as Jerusalem,^{#cen-NIV-17619I" title="See cross-reference I - I )'>}
as majestic as troops with banners.^{#cen-NIV-17619J" title="See cross-reference J - J )'>
5} Turn your eyes from me;
they overwhelm me.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from Gilead.^{#cen-NIV-17620K" title="See cross-reference K - K )'>
6} Your teeth are like a flock of sheep
coming up from the washing.
Each has its twin,
not one of them is missing.^{#cen-NIV-17621L" title="See cross-reference L - L )'>
7} Your temples behind your veil^{#cen-NIV-17622M" title="See cross-reference M - M )'>}
are like the halves of a pomegranate.^{#cen-NIV-17622N" title="See cross-reference N - N )'>
8} Sixty queens^{#cen-NIV-17623O" title="See cross-reference O - O )'>} there may be,
and eighty concubines,^{#cen-NIV-17623P" title="See cross-reference P - P )'>}
and virgins beyond number;
⁹ but my dove,^{#cen-NIV-17624Q" title="See cross-reference Q - Q )'>} my perfect one,^{#cen-NIV-17624R" title="See cross-reference R - R )'>} is unique,
the only daughter of her mother,
the favorite of the one who bore her.^{#cen-NIV-17624S" title="See cross-reference S - S )'>}
The young women saw her and called her blessed;
the queens and concubines praised her.