ye stir not, nor awake my beloved till she will.

The Shulamite
(dreaming in the Shepherd’s arms.)

My own love’s voice. Arise, my fair one, he tells me, arise and let us go....

The Shepherd

I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, that ye stir not, nor awake my beloved till she will.

(Solomon motions; the Shepherd is removed.)

Act II.

A Street in Jerusalem.

In the distance is Solomon and his retinue.

Chorus of Men

Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness, exhaling the odor of myrrh and of frankincense and all the powders of the perfumer?

(Solomon and his retinue advance.)

First Jerusalemite

Behold the palanquin of Solomon. Three score valiant men are about it. They all hold swords....

Second Jerusalemite

King Solomon has had made for him a litter of Lebanon wood. The supports are of silver, the bottom of gold, the covering of purple. In the centre is a loved one, chosen from among the daughters of Jerusalem.

The Chorus
(calling to women in the houses.)

Come forth, daughters of Zion, and behold the King....

Act III.

The Seraglio.

Solomon
(to the Shulamite.)

Yes, thou art fair, my love, yes, thou art fair. Thou hast dove’s eyes.... Thou art all fair, my love. There is no spot on thee.

The Shepherd
(without, in the garden, calling to the Shulamite and referring in veiled terms to the seraglio and its dangers.)

Come to me, my betrothed, come to me from Lebanon. Look at me from the top of Amana, from the summit of Shenir and Hermon, from the lion’s den and the mountain of leopards.

(The Shulamite goes to a window and looks out.)

The Shepherd

You have strengthened my heart, my sister betrothed, you have strengthened my heart with one of thine eyes, with one of the curls that float on thy neck. How dear is thy love, my sister betrothed! Thy caresses are better than wine, and the fragrance of thy garments is sweeter than spice.

The Shulamite

Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its pleasant fruits.

The Shepherd

I am come into my garden, my sister betrothed, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey. I have drunk my wine with my milk.

(To the chorus.)

Eat, comrades, drink abundantly, friends.

(The Shepherd and the chorus withdraw.)

Act IV.

The Seraglio.

The Shulamite
(musing.)

I sleep but my heart waketh. I heard the voice of my beloved. He knocked. Open to me! he said. My sister, my love, my immaculate dove, open to me, for my head is covered with dew, the locks of my hair are wet ... I rose to open to my beloved ... but he was gone. My soul faileth me when he spoke not. I sought him, but I could not find him. I called him but he did not reply.

(A pause. She relates the story of her abduction.)

The watchman that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me, and the keepers of the walls took away my veil.

(To the Odalisques.)

I pray you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, tell him that I die of love.

Chorus of Odalisques

In what is the superiority of thy lover, O pearl among women, that thou beseechest us so?

The Shulamite

My beloved’s skin is white and ruddy. He is one in a thousand.... His eyes are as doves.... His cheeks are a bed of flowers.... He is charming. Such is my beloved, such is my dear one, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Chorus of Odalisques

Whither is thy beloved gone, O pearl among women? Which way did he turn, that we may seek him with thee?

The Shulamite

My beloved is gone from the garden.... But I am his and he is mine. He feedeth his flocks among lilies.

(Enter Solomon.)

(The Shulamite looks scornfully at him.)

Solomon

Thou art beautiful as Tirzah, my love, and comely as Jerusalem, but terrible as an army in battle. Turn thine eyes away. They trouble me....

The Shepherd
(from without.)

There are sixty queens, eighty favorites, and numberless young girls. But among them all my immaculate dove is unique, she is the darling of her mother. The young girls have seen her and called her blessed. The queens and the favorites have praised her.

The Chorus
(astonished at the Shulamite’s scorn of the King.)

Who is it that is beautiful as Tirzah but terrible as an army in battle?

The Shulamite
(impatiently turning her back, and relating again her abduction.)

I went down into the garden of nuts, to see the green plants in the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower. But before I was aware of it, I was among the chariots of my princely people.

The Chorus

Turn about, turn again, O Shulamite, that we may see thee.

A Dancer

What will you see in the Shulamite whom the King has compared to an army?

Solomon
(to the Shulamite.)

How beautiful are thy feet, prince’s daughter,... How fair and how pleasant art thou....

The Shulamite
(impatiently as before.)

I am my beloved’s and he is sighing for me.

(Exit Solomon. Enter the Shepherd.)

The Shulamite
(hastening to her lover.)

Come, my beloved, let us go forth to the fields, let us lodge in the villages. We