Shir ha-Shirim (שיר השירים ) - Cantico dei Cantici 7

STUTTGARTENSIA-DELITZSCH	NEW JERUSALEM
1 הֲלֹא־צָבָא לֶאֱנֹושׁ [עַל־ כ] (עֲלֵי־אָרֶץ ק) וְכִימֵי שָׂכִיר יָמָיו	1 Is not human life on earth just conscript service? Do we not live a hireling's life?
2 כְּעֶבֶד יִשְׁאַף־צֵל וּכְשָׂכִיר יְקַוֶּה פָעֳלֹו	2 Like a slave, sighing for the shade, or a hireling with no thought but for his wages,
3 כֵּן הָנְחַלְתִּי לִי יַרְחֵי־שָׁוְא וְלֵילֹות עָמָל מִנּוּ־לִי	3 I have months of futility assigned to me, nights of suffering to be my lot.
4 אִם־שָׁכַבְתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מָתַי אָקוּם וּמִדַּד־עָרֶב וְשָׂבַעְתִּי נְדֻדִים עֲדֵי־נָשֶׁף	4 Lying in bed I wonder, 'When wil it be day?' No sooner up than, 'When wil evening come?' And crazythoughts obsess me til twilight fal s.
5 לָבַשׁ בְּשָׂרִי רִמָּה [וְגִישׁ כ] (וְגוּשׁ ק) עָפָר עֹורִי רָגַע וַיִּמָּאֵס	5 Vermin and loathsome scabs cover my body; my skin is cracked and oozes pus.
6 יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי־אָרֶג וַיִּכְלוּ בְּאֶפֶס תִּקְוָה	6 Swifter than a weaver's shuttle my days have passed, and vanished, leaving no hope behind.
7 זְכֹר כִּי־רוּחַ חַיָּי לֹא־תָשׁוּב עֵינִי לִרְאֹות טֹוב	7 Remember that my life is but a breath, and that my eyes will never again see joy.
8 לֹא־תְשׁוּרֵנִי עֵין רֹאִי עֵינֶיךָ בִּי וְאֵינֶנִּי	8 The eye that once saw me wil look on me no more, your eyes wil turn my way, and I shal not be there.
9 כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יֹורֵד אֹול לֹא יַעֲלֶה	9 A cloud dissolves and is gone, so no one who goes down to Sheol ever comes up again,
10 לֹא־יָשׁוּב עֹוד לְבֵיתֹו וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶנּוּ עֹוד מְקֹמֹו	10 ever comes home again, and his house knows that person no more.
11 גַּם־אֲנִי לֹא אֶחֱשָׂךְ פִּי אֲ‍דַבְּרָה בְּצַר רוּחִי אָשִׂיחָה בְּמַר נַפְשִׁי	11 That is why I cannot keep quiet: in my anguish of spirit I shal speak, in my bitterness of soul I shalcomplain.
12 הֲ‍יָם־אָנִי אִם־תַּנִּין כִּי־תָשִׂים עָלַי מִשְׁמָר	12 Am I the Sea, or some sea monster, that you should keep me under guard?
13 כִּי־אָמַרְתִּי תְּנַחֲמֵנִי עַרְשִׂי יִשָּׂא בְשִׂיחִי מִשְׁכָּבִי	13 If I say, 'My bed wil comfort me, my couch wil lighten my complaints,'
14 וְחִתַּתַּנִי בַחֲלֹמֹות וּמֵחֶזְיֹנֹות תְּבַעֲתַנִּי	14 you then frighten me with dreams and terrify me with visions,
15 וַתִּבְחַר מַחֲנָק נַפְשִׁי מָוֶת מֵעַצְמֹותָי	15 so that strangling would seem welcome in comparison, yes, death preferable to what I suffer.
16 מָאַסְתִּי לֹא־לְעֹלָם אֶחְיֶה חֲדַל מִמֶּנִּי כִּי־הֶבֶל יָמָי	16 I am wasting away, my life is not unending; leave me then, for my days are but a breath.
17 מָה־אֱנֹושׁ כִּי תְגַדְּלֶנּוּ וְכִי־תָשִׁית אֵלָיו לִבֶּךָ	17 What are human beings that you should take them so seriously, subjecting them to your scrutiny,
18 וַתִּפְקְדֶנּוּ לִבְקָרִים לִרְגָעִים תִּבְחָנֶנּוּ	18 that morning after morning you should examine them and at every instant test them?
19 כַּמָּה לֹא־תִשְׁעֶה מִמֶּנִּי לֹא־תַרְפֵּנִי עַד־בִּלְעִי רֻקִּי	19 Wil you never take your eyes off me long enough for me to swal ow my spittle?
20 חָטָאתִי מָה אֶפְעַל ׀ לָךְ נֹצֵר הָאָדָם לָמָה שַׂמְתַּנִי לְמִפְגָּע לָךְ וָאֶהְיֶה עָלַי לְמַשָּׂא	20 Suppose I have sinned, what have I done to you, you tireless watcher of humanity? Why do youchoose me as your target? Why should I be a burden to you?
21 וּמֶה ׀ לֹא־תִשָּׂא פִשְׁעִי וְתַעֲבִיר אֶת־עֲוֹנִי כִּי־עַתָּה לֶעָפָר אֶשְׁכָּב וְשִׁחֲרְתַּנִי וְאֵינֶנִּי׃ פ	21 Can you not tolerate my sin, not overlook my fault? For soon I shal be lying in the dust, you wil lookfor me and I shal be no more.