you young men and young women, you elderly, along with you children!

Singers walk in front; musicians follow playing their stringed instruments, ¹  in the midst of young women playing tambourines. ² 

Can you play ¹  with it, like a bird, or tie it on a leash ²  for your girls?

The Lover to His Beloved: Like ¹  a lily among the thorns, ²  so is my darling among the maidens.

Fire consumed their ¹  young men, and their ²  virgins remained unmarried. ³ 

She has sent out her female servants; she calls out on the highest places ¹  of the city.

She also gets up ¹  while it is still night, and provides food ²  for her household and a portion ³  to her female servants.

There may be sixty ¹  queens, and eighty concubines, and young women ²  without number.

The fragrance ¹  of your colognes ²  is delightful; ³  your name ⁴  is like the finest ⁵  perfume. ⁶  No wonder the young women ⁷  adore ⁸  you!

I used you to smash men and women. I used you to smash old men and young men. I used you to smash young men and young women.

Then the daughter of Pharaoh ¹  came down to wash herself ²  by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river, ³  and she saw the basket among the reeds. She sent one of her attendants, ⁴  took it, ⁵ 

And there will be enough goat’s milk for your food, ¹  for the food of your household, and for the sustenance ²  of your servant girls.

Old men, young men, young women, little children, and women – wipe them out! But do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary!” So they began with the elders who were at the front of the temple.

The Lover to His Beloved: (7:2) How beautiful are your sandaled ¹  feet, O nobleman’s daughter! ²  The curves ³  of your thighs ⁴  are like jewels, the work of the hands of a master craftsman.

Here I am, standing by the spring. ¹  When ²  the young woman goes out to draw water, I’ll say, “Give me a little water to drink from your jug.”

‘No doubt they are gathering and dividing the plunder ¹  – a girl or two for each man to rape! ²  Sisera is grabbing up colorful cloth, ³  he is grabbing up colorful embroidered cloth, ⁴  two pieces of colorful embroidered cloth, for the neck of the plunderer!’ ⁵ 

But she is unique! ¹  My dove, my perfect one! She is the special daughter ²  of her mother, she is the favorite ³  of the one who bore her. The maidens ⁴  saw her and complimented her; ⁵  the queens and concubines praised her:

How beautiful you are! How lovely, O love, ¹  with your delights! ² 

I will destroy ¹  Daughter Zion, ²  who is as delicate and defenseless as a young maiden. ³ 

They raped ¹  women in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.