The Man
1 What a magnificent young woman you are!
How beautiful are your feet in sandals.
The curve of your thighs
is like the work of an artist.
2 A bowl is there,
that never runs out of spiced wine.
A sheaf of wheat is there,
surrounded by lilies.
3 Your breasts are like twin deer,
like two gazelles.
4 Your neck is like a tower of ivory.
Your eyes are like the pools in the city of Heshbon,
near the gate of that great city.
Your nose is as lovely as the tower of Lebanon
that stands guard at Damascus.
5 Your head is held high like Mount Carmel.
Your braided hair shines like the finest satin;
its beauty could hold a king captive.
6 How pretty you are, how beautiful;
how complete the delights of your love.
7 You are as graceful as a palm tree,
and your breasts are clusters of dates.
8 I will climb the palm tree
and pick its fruit.
To me your breasts are like bunches of grapes,
your breath like the fragrance of apples,
9 and your mouth like the finest wine.
The Woman
Then let the wine flow straight to my lover,
flowing over his lips and teeth.
10 I belong to my lover, and he desires me.
11 Come, darling, let's go out to the countryside
and spend the night in the villages.
12 We will get up early and look at the vines
to see whether they've started to grow,
whether the blossoms are opening
and the pomegranate trees are in bloom.
There I will give you my love.
13 You can smell the scent of mandrakes,
and all the pleasant fruits are near our door.
Darling, I have kept for you
the old delights and the new.
Manoago
1 Pa miro liŋgyi tawi katala ya.
Mi ŋguti liŋgyiekye ono
Ruägu miṛii miro ro laba oso 'bela lagyeamba ronye
losi ŋga ede'ba ro ronye.
2 Ya miro orivoya oso deŋbele ronye,
se vino tägyi ndeṛiekye kye kote ni kigyesi alona.
Ibaembevo miro oso titidri kyifo ro ronye,
kolele orivoya gbikyi lomvoigyesi.
3 Bai miro orivoya oso kaliŋga ritu ronye,
oso yaŋga lezo ronye.
4 Kyembe miro oso tiṛiwiṛa se abete liwasi si ronye.
Mi miro orivoya oso gyigburu se 'bakici Esebona roya,
loto dereŋwa Betarabima ro ana kala ronye.
Komvo miro orivoya oso tiṛiwiṛa Lebanona ro
vookwa ro Damaseka driro ronye.
5 Drî miro eŋgate lekuru oso 'bereŋwa Karemela ronye.
Drikyiri miro a'dite a'dote 'buye'buye ronye;
liŋgyina unina ndi 'bädri'ba urune kamba'ba ro.
6 Mi orivoya yereŋwa azo mi orivoya liŋgyiekye;
mise mulu tawi ono ta miro si ma tawi.
7 Mi orivoya kyokyorokyo oso itu ronye,
ago bai miro orivoya oso doŋgo na coṛo 'do ronye.
8 Mätuna 'da kuru itu dri
ago mapina doŋgo na 'da.
Bai miro laba oso doŋgo coṛo kono ro ronye,
ago lawa miro tägyina oso doŋgo ŋgutruro ronye,
9 ago kala miro oso vino kadopara ndra ronye.
Ŋgagatoko
Ka'do inye mi'ba vino kudi äle nda se mulu tawi ono dri,
kugu udi kala ndaro ndi sii ndaro be yasi.
10 Ma orivoya nda se mulu tawi ono ro ago nda le ma.
11 Nyikyi, mi se mulube ono mi'de moyi 'bädri ya
ago mu'du ŋgäkyi ono si 'baŋwà yasi.
12 Mi'de màŋga ŋboci ago mòyi ämvukono ro yasi
màndre robe kode ànya eto omba gite,
kode fo nai kate kalaupi
ago ice gäṛä'bu ro kate o'do.
Maka'dana ŋgalu maro 'da miri lau.
13 Tägyi ŋgutru luweri ro nda vo te,
tana doŋgo cini kadokado orivoya loto käläsi amaro kala.
Mi se mulube ono, meta se ukuna kadoro ndi
to'dina be te miri.