1 בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה אָרִיתִי מֹורִי עִם־בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם־דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם־חֲלָבִי אִכְלוּ רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דֹּודִים׃ ס | 1 LOVER: I come into my garden, my sister, my promised bride, I pick my myrrh and balsam, I eat myhoney and my honeycomb, I drink my wine and my milk. POET: Eat, friends, and drink, drink deep, my dearestfriends. |
2 אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר קֹול ׀ דֹּודִי דֹופֵק פִּתְחִי־לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יֹונָתִי תַמָּתִי שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי נִמְלָא־טָל קְוֻּצֹּותַי רְסִיסֵי לָיְלָה | 2 BELOVED: I sleep, but my heart is awake. I hear my love knocking. 'Open to me, my sister, my beloved,my dove, my perfect one, for my head is wet with dew, my hair with the drops of night.' |
3 פָּשַׁטְתִּי אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתִּי אֵיכָכָה אֶלְבָּשֶׁנָּה רָחַצְתִּי אֶת־רַגְלַי אֵיכָכָה אֲטַנְּפֵם | 3 -'I have taken off my tunic, am I to put it on again? I have washed my feet, am I to dirty them again?' |
4 דֹּודִי שָׁלַח יָדֹו מִן־הַחֹר וּמֵעַי הָמוּ עָלָיו | 4 My love thrust his hand through the hole in the door; I trembled to the core of my being. |
5 קַמְתִּי אֲנִי לִפְתֹּחַ לְדֹודִי וְיָדַי נָטְפוּ־מֹור וְאֶצְבְּעֹתַי מֹור עֹבֵר עַל כַּפֹּות הַמַּנְעוּל | 5 Then I got up to open to my love, myrrh ran off my hands, pure myrrh off my fingers, on to the handle ofthe bolt. |
6 פָּתַחְתִּי אֲנִי לְדֹודִי וְדֹודִי חָמַק עָבָר נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרֹו בִּקַּשְׁתִּיהוּ וְלֹא מְצָאתִיהוּ קְרָאתִיו וְלֹא עָנָנִי | 6 I opened to my love, but he had turned and gone. My soul failed at his flight, I sought but could not findhim, I cal ed, but he did not answer. |
7 מְצָאֻנִי הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַסֹּבְבִים בָּעִיר הִכּוּנִי פְצָעוּנִי נָשְׂאוּ אֶת־רְדִידִי מֵעָלַי שֹׁמְרֵי הַחֹמֹות | 7 The watchmen met me, those who go on their rounds in the city. They beat me, they wounded me, theytook my cloak away from me: those guardians of the ramparts! |
8 הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם אִם־תִּמְצְאוּ אֶת־דֹּודִי מַה־תַּגִּידוּ לֹו שֶׁחֹולַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי | 8 I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, if you should find my love, what are you to tel him? -That I amsick with love! |
9 מַה־דֹּודֵךְ מִדֹּוד הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים מַה־דֹּודֵךְ מִדֹּוד שֶׁכָּכָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ | 9 CHORUS: What makes your lover better than other lovers, O loveliest of women? What makes yourlover better than other lovers, to put us under such an oath? |
10 דֹּודִי צַח וְאָדֹום דָּגוּל מֵרְבָבָה | 10 BELOVED: My love is fresh and ruddy, to be known among ten thousand. |
11 רֹאשֹׁו כֶּתֶם פָּז קְוּצֹּותָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים שְׁחֹרֹות כָּעֹורֵב | 11 His head is golden, purest gold, his locks are palm fronds and black as the raven. |
12 עֵינָיו כְּיֹונִים עַל־אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם רֹחֲצֹות בֶּחָלָב יֹשְׁבֹות עַל־מִלֵּאת | 12 His eyes are like doves beside the water-courses, bathing themselves in milk, perching on a fountain-rim. |
13 לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם מִגְדְּלֹות מֶרְקָחִים שִׂפְתֹותָיו שֹׁושַׁנִּים נֹטְפֹות מֹור עֹבֵר | 13 His cheeks are beds of spices, banks sweetly scented. His lips are lilies, distil ing pure myrrh. |
14 יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ מֵעָיו עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים | 14 His hands are golden, rounded, set with jewels of Tarshish. His bel y a block of ivory covered withsapphires. |
15 שֹׁוקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ מְיֻסָּדִים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָז מַרְאֵהוּ כַּלְּבָנֹון בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים | 15 His legs are alabaster columns set in sockets of pure gold. His appearance is that of Lebanon,unrival ed as the cedars. |
16 חִכֹּו מַמְתַקִּים וְכֻלֹּו מַחֲמַדִּים זֶה דֹודִי וְזֶה רֵעִי בְּנֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם | 16 His conversation is sweetness itself, he is altogether lovable. Such is my love, such is my friend, Odaughters of Jerusalem. |
17 וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם רָעָב וְחַיָּה רָעָה וְשִׁכְּלֻךְ וְדֶבֶר וָדָם יַעֲבָר־בָּךְ וְחֶרֶב אָבִיא עָלַיִךְ אֲנִי יְהוָה דִּבַּרְתִּי׃ פ | |