Longing for Her Beloved

1  מִ֤י (Who) יִתֶּנְךָ֙ (will give you) כְּאָ֣ח (as a brother) לִ֔י (to me),

יוֹנֵ֖ק (one having nursed) שְׁדֵ֣י (at the breasts) אִמִּ֑י (of my mother)!

אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ (If I found you) בַחוּץ֙ (outside), אֶשָׁ֣קְךָ֔ (I would kiss you);

גַּ֖ם (yes), לֹא־ (no one) יָב֥וּזוּ (would despise) לִֽי׃ (me).

2  אֶנְהָֽגֲךָ֗ (I would lead you) אֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛ (I would bring you)

אֶל־ (into) בֵּ֥ית (the house) אִמִּ֖י (of my mother), תְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִי (she who taught me).

אַשְׁקְךָ֙ (I would give you to drink) מִיַּ֣יִן (from the wine) הָרֶ֔קַח (of spice)

מֵעֲסִ֖יס (from the juice) רִמֹּנִֽי׃ (of my pomegranate).

3  שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ (His left hand is) תַּ֣חַת (under) רֹאשִׁ֔י (my head),

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

4  הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי (I adjure) אֶתְכֶ֖ם (you⁺) בְּנ֣וֹת (O daughters) יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (of Jerusalem),

מַה־ (why) תָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ (stir up), וּֽמַה־ (and why) תְּעֹֽרְר֛וּ (awaken) אֶת־ (-) הָאַהֲבָ֖ה (love),

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

The Friends

5  מִ֣י (Who is) זֹ֗את (this) עֹלָה֙ (coming up) מִן־ (from) הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר (the wilderness),

מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת (leaning) עַל־ (upon) דּוֹדָ֑הּ (her beloved)?

The Bride

תַּ֤חַת (Under) הַתַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ (the apple tree) עֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָ (I awakened you);

שָׁ֚מָּה (there) חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ (conceived you) אִמֶּ֔ךָ (your mother);

שָׁ֖מָּה (there) חִבְּלָ֥ה (she travailed) יְלָדַֽתְךָ׃ (and brought you forth).

6  שִׂימֵ֨נִי (Set me) כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם (as a seal) עַל־ (upon) לִבֶּ֗ךָ (your heart),

כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ (as a seal) עַל־ (upon) זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ (your arm).

כִּֽי־ (For) עַזָּ֤ה (strong) כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ (as death) אַהֲבָ֔ה (is love),

קָשָׁ֥ה (cruel) כִשְׁא֖וֹל (as Sheol) קִנְאָ֑ה (is jealousy);

רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ (its flames are) רִשְׁפֵּ֕י (flames) אֵ֖שׁ (of fire),

שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃ (a blazing flame).

7  מַ֣יִם (Waters) רַבִּ֗ים (many) לֹ֤א (not) יֽוּכְלוּ֙ (are able) לְכַבּ֣וֹת (to quench) אֶת־ (-) הָֽאַהֲבָ֔ה (love),

וּנְהָר֖וֹת (and the rivers) לֹ֣א (not) יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ (can wash it away)

אִם־ (if) יִתֵּ֨ן (would give) אִ֜ישׁ (a man) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) ה֤וֹן (the wealth) בֵּיתוֹ֙ (of his house) בָּאַהֲבָ֔ה (for love),

בּ֖וֹז (with despising), יָב֥וּזוּ (they would despise) לֽוֹ׃ס (it).

The Friends

8  אָח֥וֹת (A sister) לָ֙נוּ֙ (is unto us) קְטַנָּ֔ה (little),

וְשָׁדַ֖יִם (and breasts) אֵ֣ין (are not) לָ֑הּ (unto her).

מַֽה־ (What) נַּעֲשֶׂה֙ (shall we do) לַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ (for our sister)

בַּיּ֖וֹם (on the day) שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־ (one should speak) בָּֽהּ׃ (for her)?

9  אִם־ (If) חוֹמָ֣ה (a wall) הִ֔יא (she is),

נִבְנֶ֥ה (we will build) עָלֶ֖יהָ (upon her) טִ֣ירַת (a tower) כָּ֑סֶף (of silver).

וְאִם־ (And if) דֶּ֣לֶת (a door) הִ֔יא (she is),

נָצ֥וּר (we will enclose) עָלֶ֖יהָ (her) ל֥וּחַ (with a plank) אָֽרֶז׃ (of cedar).

The Bride

10  אֲנִ֣י (I am) חוֹמָ֔ה (a wall),

וְשָׁדַ֖י (and my breasts are) כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת (like towers).

אָ֛ז (Then) הָיִ֥יתִי (I have become) בְעֵינָ֖יו (in his eyes)

כְּמוֹצְאֵ֥ת (like one finding) שָׁלֽוֹם׃פ (peace).

11  כֶּ֣רֶם (A vineyard) הָיָ֤ה (there was) לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ (unto Solomon) בְּבַ֣עַל (in Baal-) הָמ֔וֹן (hamon).

נָתַ֥ן (He gave out) אֶת־ (-) הַכֶּ֖רֶם (the vineyard) לַנֹּטְרִ֑ים (to those keeping it).

אִ֛ישׁ (A man) יָבִ֥א (would bring) בְּפִרְי֖וֹ (for its fruit)

אֶ֥לֶף (a thousand pieces) כָּֽסֶף׃ (of silver).

12  כָּרְמִ֥י (My vineyard) שֶׁלִּ֖י (my own) לְפָנָ֑י (is before me),

הָאֶ֤לֶף (the thousand) לְךָ֙ (is unto you), שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה (O Solomon),

וּמָאתַ֖יִם (and two hundred) לְנֹטְרִ֥ים (to those keeping watch over) אֶת־ (-) פִּרְיֽוֹ׃ (its fruit).

The Bridegroom

13  הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת (O you dwelling) בַּגַּנִּ֗ים (in the gardens),

חֲבֵרִ֛ים (my companions) מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים (are listening) לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ (to your voice).

הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃ (Let me hear it)!

The Bride

14  בְּרַ֣ח׀ (Flee), דּוֹדִ֗י (my beloved),

וּֽדְמֵה־ (and liken) לְךָ֤ (yourself) לִצְבִי֙ (to a gazelle),

א֚וֹ (or) לְעֹ֣פֶר (to a young stag) הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים (of the deer)

עַ֖ל (on) הָרֵ֥י (the mountains) בְשָׂמִֽים׃ (of spices).