The Man
1 I have entered my garden,
my sweetheart, my bride.
I am gathering my spices and myrrh;
I am eating my honey and honeycomb;
I am drinking my wine and milk.
The Women
Eat, lovers, and drink
until you are drunk with love!
The Fourth Song
The Woman
2 While I slept, my heart was awake.
I dreamed my lover knocked at the door.
The Man
Let me come in, my darling,
my sweetheart, my dove.
My head is wet with dew,
and my hair is damp from the mist.
The Woman
3 I have already undressed;
why should I get dressed again?
I have washed my feet;
why should I get them dirty again?
4 My lover put his hand to the door,
and I was thrilled that he was near.
5 I was ready to let him come in.
My hands were covered with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
as I grasped the handle of the door.
6 I opened the door for my lover,
but he had already gone.
How I wanted to hear his voice!
I looked for him, but couldn't find him;
I called to him, but heard no answer.
7 The sentries patrolling the city found me;
they struck me and bruised me;
the guards at the city wall tore off my cape.
8 Promise me, women of Jerusalem,
that if you find my lover,
you will tell him I am weak from passion.
The Women
9 Most beautiful of women,
is your lover different from everyone else?
What is there so wonderful about him
that we should give you our promise?
The Woman
10 My lover is handsome and strong;
he is one in ten thousand.
11 His face is bronzed and smooth;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as beautiful as doves by a flowing brook,
doves washed in milk and standing by the stream.
13 His cheeks are as lovely as a garden
that is full of herbs and spices.
His lips are like lilies,
wet with liquid myrrh.
14 His hands are well-formed,
and he wears rings set with gems.
His body is like smooth ivory,
with sapphires set in it.
15 His thighs are columns of alabaster
set in sockets of gold.
He is majestic, like the Lebanon Mountains
with their towering cedars.
16 His mouth is sweet to kiss;
everything about him enchants me.
This is what my lover is like,
women of Jerusalem.
العريس
1 أجِيءُ إلى جَنَّتي،
أجيءُ يا عروسَتي،
أقطُفُ مُرِّي وطُيوبـي،
وآكلُ شَهْدي معَ عسَلي،
وأشرَبُ خمري ولَبَني.
الجوقة
كُلُوا يا رفاقي واشْربوا،
واسْكَرُوا يا أحبَّائي.
العروس
2 أنامُ وقلبـي مُستَفيقٌ.
ها صوتُ حبـيبـي يَدقُّ:
«إفتَحي لي يا أُختي، يا رفيقتي!
يا حَمامَتي، يا كُلَّ شيءٍ لي،
رأسي امتلأَ بالطَّلِّ،
وجَدائِلي بِنَدى اللَّيلِ».
3 خَلَعتُ ثَوبـي فكيفَ ألبَسُهُ؟
غسَلْتُ رِجلَيَّ فكيفَ أوسِّخُهُما؟
4 مِنَ الكُوَّةِ يَمُدُّ حبـيبـي يَدَهُ،
فتـتَحَرَّكُ لَه أحشائي.
5 فأقومُ لأفتحَ لِحبـيبـي،
ويَدايَ تَقطُرانِ مُرًّا،
مُرًّا يَسيلُ مِنْ أصابِــعي
على مِقبَضِ القُفْلِ.
6 أفتحُ ولكنَّ حبـيبـي
كانَ مضَى وانصرَفَ،
فأخرُجُ أنا وراءَهُ.
أطلبُهُ فلا أجِدُهُ
وأدعوهُ فلا يُجيـبُني.
7 يَلقاني حُرَّاسُ اللَّيلِ،
وهُم يَطوفُونَ في المدينةِ.
فيَضْرِبونَني ضَرْبا ويَجرَحونَني،
والّذينَ يَحرُسونَ الأسوارَ
يَنزِعونَ إزاري عنِّي.
8 أستَحلِفُكُنَّ، يا بَناتِ أورُشليمَ،
أنْ تُخبِرْنَ حبـيبـي حينَ تَجِدْنَهُ
أنِّي مريضةٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ.
الجوق
9 ما فَضْلُ حبـيبِكِ على الأَحبَّاءِ
أيَّتُها الجميلةُ في النِّساءِ،
ما فَضْلُ حبـيبِكِ على الأحبَّاءِ
حتّى تَستَحلِفينا هكذا.
العروس
10 حبـيبـي سليمٌ وأسمَرُ لا عَيـبَ فيهِ،
عَلَمٌ بَينَ عشَرَةِ آلافٍ.
11 رأسُهُ ذهَبٌ إبريزٌ،
وغَدَائِرُهُ أغصانُ نَخيلٍ
حالكةٌ بلونِ الغُرابِ.
12 عيناهُ حمامتانِ
على مَجاري المياهِ
مَغسولَتانِ باللَّبنِ،
وهما في مِحْجَرَيهِما.
13 خَدَّاهُ رَوضةُ أطيابٍ
وخميلةُ رَياحينَ.
شَفَتاهُ سَوسَنَتانِ
تَقطُرانِ عَبـيرَ المُرِّ.
14 يَداهُ مُجَلَّلتانِ بالذَّهبِ
مَليئتانِ بالزَّبَرْجَدِ.
جسَدُهُ مُغَشَّى بالعاجِ.
ومُغَلَّفٌ بالياقوتِ.
15 ساقاهُ عَمودا رُخامٍ
على قاعِدَتينِ مِنْ إبريزٍ.
طَلْعَتُهُ مِثلُ لبنانَ،
وهوَ مَهيـبٌ كأرزِهِ.
16 رِيقُهُ أعذَبُ ما يكونُ،
وهوَ شَهيٌّ كُلُّهُ.
هذا حبـيبـي، هذا رفيقي،
يا بَناتِ أورُشليمَ.