The Bride’s Admiration

The Bride

1  אֲנִי֙ (I am) חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת (a rose) הַשָּׁר֔וֹן (of Sharon),

שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת (a lily) הָעֲמָקִֽים׃ (of the valleys).

The Bridegroom

2  כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ (Like a lily) בֵּ֣ין (among) הַחוֹחִ֔ים (the thorns),

כֵּ֥ן (so) רַעְיָתִ֖י (is my love) בֵּ֥ין (among) הַבָּנֽוֹת׃ (the daughters).

The Bride

3  כְּתַפּ֙וּחַ֙ (Like an apple tree) בַּעֲצֵ֣י (among the trees) הַיַּ֔עַר (of the woods),

כֵּ֥ן (so) דּוֹדִ֖י (is my beloved) בֵּ֣ין (among) הַבָּנִ֑ים (the sons).

בְּצִלּוֹ֙ (In his shade) חִמַּ֣דְתִּי (I have delighted) וְיָשַׁ֔בְתִּי (and sat down),

וּפִרְי֖וֹ (and his fruit) מָת֥וֹק (is sweet) לְחִכִּֽי׃ (to my palate).

4  הֱבִיאַ֙נִי֙ (He has brought me) אֶל־ (to) בֵּ֣ית (the house) הַיָּ֔יִן (of wine),

וְדִגְל֥וֹ (and his banner) עָלַ֖י (over me) אַהֲבָֽה׃ (was love).

5  סַמְּכ֙וּנִי֙ (Sustain me) בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת (with raisin-cakes);

רַפְּד֖וּנִי (refresh me) בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים (with apples),

כִּי־ (for) חוֹלַ֥ת (am sick) אַהֲבָ֖ה (with love) אָֽנִי׃ (I).

6  שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ (His left hand) תַּ֣חַת (is under) לְרֹאשִׁ֔י (my head),

וִימִינ֖וֹ (and his right hand) תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃ (embraces me).

7  הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי (I adjure) אֶתְכֶ֜ם (you⁺) בְּנ֤וֹת (O daughters) יְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ (of Jerusalem),

בִּצְבָא֔וֹת (by the gazelles) א֖וֹ (or) בְּאַיְל֣וֹת (by the does) הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה (of the field),

אִם־ (do not) תָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ (arouse) וְֽאִם־ (or) תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ (awaken) אֶת־ (-) הָאַהֲבָ֖ה (love),

עַ֥ד (until) שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ס (it pleases).

8  ק֣וֹל (The voice) דּוֹדִ֔י (of my beloved)!

הִנֵּה־ (Behold), זֶ֖ה (this one) בָּ֑א (is coming),

מְדַלֵּג֙ (leaping) עַל־ (over) הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים (the mountains),

מְקַפֵּ֖ץ (bounding) עַל־ (over) הַגְּבָעֽוֹת׃ (the hills).

9  דּוֹמֶ֤ה (Being like) דוֹדִי֙ (is my beloved) לִצְבִ֔י (to a gazelle) א֖וֹ (or) לְעֹ֣פֶר (to a young stag) הָֽאַיָּלִ֑ים (of the deer).

הִנֵּה־ (Behold), זֶ֤ה (this one) עוֹמֵד֙ (is standing) אַחַ֣ר (behind) כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ (our wall),

מַשְׁגִּ֙יחַ֙ (gazing) מִן־ (through) הַֽחֲלֹּנ֔וֹת (the windows),

מֵצִ֖יץ (peering) מִן־ (through) הַֽחֲרַכִּֽים׃ (the lattices).

10  עָנָ֥ה (Answered) דוֹדִ֖י (my beloved) וְאָ֣מַר (and said) לִ֑י (to me),

ק֥וּמִי (Rise up), לָ֛ךְ (my) רַעְיָתִ֥י (my darling),

יָפָתִ֖י (my beautiful one), וּלְכִי־ (and come away) לָֽךְ׃ (yourself).

11  כִּֽי־ (For), הִנֵּ֥ה (behold), הַסְּתָו (the winter) עָבָ֑ר (has passed by),

הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם (the rain) חָלַ֖ף (has passed)— הָלַ֥ךְ (it has gone) לֽוֹ׃ (itself).

12  הַנִּצָּנִים֙ (The blossoms) נִרְא֣וּ (have appeared) בָאָ֔רֶץ (in the land);

עֵ֥ת (the time) הַזָּמִ֖יר (of singing) הִגִּ֑יעַ (has come),

וְק֥וֹל (and the voice) הַתּ֖וֹר (of the turtledove)

נִשְׁמַ֥ע (is heard) בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ׃ (in our land);

13  הַתְּאֵנָה֙ (the fig tree) חָֽנְטָ֣ה (puts forth) פַגֶּ֔יהָ (her green figs),

וְהַגְּפָנִ֥ים׀ (and the vines) סְמָדַ֖ר (in blossom) נָ֣תְנוּ (have given forth) רֵ֑יחַ (the fragrance).

ק֥וּמִי (Arise), לְכִי (come), רַעְיָתִ֥י (my darling),

יָפָתִ֖י (my beautiful one), וּלְכִי־ (and come away) לָֽךְ׃ס (yourself).

The Bridegroom

14  יוֹנָתִ֞י (O my dove) בְּחַגְוֵ֣י (in the clefts) הַסֶּ֗לַע (of the rock),

בְּסֵ֙תֶר֙ (in the crevices) הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה (of the cliff),

הַרְאִ֙ינִי֙ (let me see) אֶתּ־ (-) מַרְאַ֔יִךְ (your face),

הַשְׁמִיעִ֖ינִי (let me hear) אֶת־ (-) קוֹלֵ֑ךְ (your voice);

כִּי־ (for) קוֹלֵ֥ךְ (your voice) עָרֵ֖ב (is sweet)

וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ (and your appearance) נָאוֶֽה׃ס (is lovely).

The Friends

15  אֶֽחֱזוּ־ (Catch) לָ֙נוּ֙ (for us) שֽׁוּעָלִ֔ים (the foxes)—

שֽׁוּעָלִ֥ים (the foxes) קְטַנִּ֖ים (little) מְחַבְּלִ֣ים (ruining) כְּרָמִ֑ים (the vineyards)—

וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ (and our vineyards) סְמָדַֽר׃ (are in blossom).

The Bride

16  דּוֹדִ֥י (My beloved) לִי֙ (is unto me) וַאֲנִ֣י (and I) ל֔וֹ (unto him);

הָרֹעֶ֖ה (he is grazing) בַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ (among the lilies).

17  עַ֤ד (Until) שֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙ (breathes) הַיּ֔וֹם (the day) וְנָ֖סוּ (and flee) הַצְּלָלִ֑ים (the shadows),

סֹב֩ (may you turn) דְּמֵה־ (and be likened)

לְךָ֨ (yourself), דוֹדִ֜י (my beloved), לִצְבִ֗י (to a gazelle)

א֛וֹ (or) לְעֹ֥פֶר (to a young stag) הָאַיָּלִ֖ים (of the deer) עַל־ (upon) הָ֥רֵי (the mountains) בָֽתֶר׃ס (of Bether).