He Speaks:
1 My bride, my very own,
I come to my garden
and enjoy its spices.
I eat my honeycomb and honey;
I drink my wine and milk.
Their Friends Speak:
Eat and drink until
you are drunk with love.
Another Dream
She Speaks:
2 I was asleep, but dreaming:
The one I love was at the door,
knocking and saying,
“My darling, my very own,
my flawless dove,
open the door for me!
My head is drenched
with evening dew.”
3 But I had already undressed
and bathed my feet.
Should I dress again
and get my feet dirty?
4 Then my darling's hand
reached to open the latch,
and my heart stood still.
5 When I rose to open the door,
my hands and my fingers
dripped with perfume.
6 And I yearned for him
while he spoke to me,
but when I opened the door,
my darling had disappeared.
I searched and shouted,
but I could not find him—
there was no answer.
7 Then I was found by the guards
patrolling the town
and guarding the wall.
They beat me up
and stripped off my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
if you find the one I love,
please say to him,
“She is weak with desire.”
Their Friends Speak:
9 Most beautiful of women,
why is the one you love
more special than others?
Why do you ask us
to tell him how you feel?
She Speaks:
10 He is handsome and healthy,
the most outstanding
among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are a pair of doves
bathing in a stream
flowing with milk.
13 His face is a garden
of sweet-smelling spices;
his lips are lilies
dripping with perfume.
14 His arms are branches of gold
covered with jewels;
his body is ivory
decorated with sapphires.
15 His legs are columns of marble
on feet of gold.
He stands there majestic
like Mount Lebanon
and its choice cedar trees.
16 His kisses are sweet.
I desire him so much!
Young women of Jerusalem,
he is my lover and friend.
1 Ndaswika ku nnda wangu, hazwadzi yangu, nlongo wangu,
ndotjela mira ne zwipayisi,
ndoja mape ne butji gwe nyutji,
ndong'wa nkumbi wangu we zhambi ne nkaka.
Ijani, imwi bakwinya bangu, mung'we,
ing'wani kwakanginilila, imwi badani!
Lumbo gwe bunna
2 Ndakayizela, koga moyo wangu wakabe wakalinga.
Teedza, wandinoda unokokodza eti,
“Undizhulile, hazwadzi yangu, tjido tjangu,
njiba yangu, wakapelela,
nsholo wangu unadoba le khawa,
mavudzi angu azhele madokhwe e busiku.”
3 Ndakabe ndakaambula tjiambalo tjangu,
ndakabe ndinga tjiambala tjini?
Ndakabe ndangula makumbo angu,
ndakabe ndowobe ndialongelani shambgwa?
4 Nthu wangu wakabiga luboko gugwe pa buli le dendele,
moyo wangu ukashatha kwazo.
5 Ndakamilika kuno zhulila tjibhayamoyo tjangu,
maboko angu akadubikiwa mu mira,
zwinyala zwangu zwidotha mira,
udothela mu tjizhuli tje dendele.
6 Ndakan'zhulila tjido tje moyo wangu,
ngono awana ashanduka abgwilila.
Ndikatemeka mafupa ngoyenda kukwe,
ndakanshaka, ansheta,
an'dana, akasindidabile.
7 Balindi bakandiwana,
bali mu kuyenda yenda kwabo mu nzi nkulu,
bakandiloba, bakandikubadza,
bakanditolela jasi langu,
ibabaje balindi be makuma!
8 Ndomukumbila, imwi bakololokadzi be Jerusalema
amungabona nthu wangu, mumbudze kuti ndogwala gwe ludo.
9 Tjido tjitjo tjopinda bamwe badiwa ngeni,
iwe mbuya kupinda bamwe bakadzi?
Tjido tjitjo tjopinda bamwe badiwa ngeni,
kwa ungatiambila zwingapa?
10 Tjido tje moyo wangu tjokwidzima tjili tjishaba,
tjopinda balume bali gumi le zwiwulu (10 000).
11 Nsholo uwe i golide mbuyanana nge kwayo,
mavudzi awe akazwipomba matema se gungubo.
12 Mesho awe anonga e njiba dzili pa misenya ye vula,
akangudziwa ne nkaka kwakalizanila, agele zubuyanana.
13 Matama awe anonga minda dze zwipayisi zwinonuhwilila.
Milomo iye inonga maluba inodotha mira inowunga.
14 Maboko awe anonga zwikombo zwe golide,
zwakanakisiwa nge dayimani.
Mbili unonga nyanga dze zhowu dzakakuyungiwa,
wakanakisiwa nge mabgwe e safire.
15 Makumbo awe anonga phanda dze alabhasita,
dzakagadzikiwa pezhugwi kwe golide.
Ndingiko iye ungati Lebanoni,
mbuya se misida.
16 Ndebeleko iye inozipa kwazo,
unoyemulika kwazo kwazo.
Iwoyu tjido tjangu, nzwalani wangu,
imwi bakololokadzi be Jerusalema.