| 1 On my bed at night, I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him but I did not find him. | אעַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי֙ בַּלֵּיל֔וֹת בִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו: | |
| 2 I will arise now and go about the city, in the market places and in the city squares. I will seek him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him. | באָק֨וּמָה נָּ֜א וַֽאֲסֽוֹבְבָ֣ה בָעִ֗יר בַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ וּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹת אֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יו וְלֹ֥א מְצָאתִֽיו: | |
| 3 The watchmen who patrol the city found me: “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” | גמְצָא֨וּנִי֙ הַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔ים הַסֹּֽבְבִ֖ים בָּעִ֑יר אֵ֛ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֥ה נַפְשִׁ֖י רְאִיתֶֽם: | |
| 4 I had just passed them by, when I found him whom my soul loves; I held him and would not let him go, until I brought him into my mother’s house and into the chamber of her who had conceived me. | דכִּמְעַט֙ שֶֽׁעָבַ֣רְתִּי מֵהֶ֔ם עַ֣ד שֶֽׁמָּצָ֔אתִי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָֽהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י אֲחַזְתִּיו֙ וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ עַד־שֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אִמִּ֔י וְאֶל־חֶ֖דֶר הֽוֹרָתִֽי: | |
| 5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, that you neither awaken nor arouse the love while it is desirous. | ההִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלַ֙ ִם֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ | וְֽאִם־תְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ: | |
| 6 Who is this coming up from the desert, like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, of all the powder of the peddler? | ומִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר כְּתִֽימְר֖וֹת עָשָׁ֑ן מְקֻטֶּ֤רֶת מֹר֙ וּלְבוֹנָ֔ה מִכֹּ֖ל אַבְקַ֥ת רוֹכֵֽל: | |
| 7 Behold the litter of Solomon; sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel. | זהִנֵּ֗ה מִטָּתוֹ֙ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹ֔ה שִׁשִּׁ֥ים גִּבֹּרִ֖ים סָבִ֣יב לָ֑הּ מִגִּבֹּרֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: | |
| 8 They all hold the sword, skilled in warfare; each one with his sword on his thigh because of fear at night. | חכֻּלָּם֙ אֲחֻ֣זֵי חֶ֔רֶב מְלֻמְּדֵ֖י מִלְחָמָ֑ה אִ֤ישׁ חַרְבּוֹ֙ עַל־יְרֵכ֔וֹ מִפַּ֖חַד בַּלֵּילֽוֹת: | |
| 9 King Solomon made himself a palanquin of the trees of Lebanon. | טאַפִּרְי֗וֹן עָ֤שָׂה לוֹ֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה מֵֽעֲצֵ֖י הַלְּבָנֽוֹן: | |
| 10 Its pillars he made of silver, its couch of gold, its curtain of purple, its interior inlaid with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem. | יעַמּוּדָיו֙ עָ֣שָׂה כֶ֔סֶף רְפִֽידָת֣וֹ זָהָ֔ב מֶרְכָּב֖וֹ אַרְגָּמָ֑ן תּוֹכוֹ֙ רָצ֣וּף אַֽהֲבָ֔ה מִבְּנ֖וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלָֽ ִם: | |
| 11 Go out, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon, upon the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his nuptials and on the day of the joy of his heart. | יאצְאֶ֧ינָה | וּֽרְאֶ֛ינָה בְּנ֥וֹת צִיּ֖וֹן בַּמֶּ֣לֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹ֑ה בָּֽעֲטָרָ֗ה שֶֽׁעִטְּרָה־לּ֤וֹ אִמּוֹ֙ בְּי֣וֹם חֲתֻנָּת֔וֹ וּבְי֖וֹם שִׂמְחַ֥ת לִבּֽוֹ: |
Rita Sibbick 