Revised Literal Translation

Song of Songs 3

1By nightבַּלֵּיל֔וֹתba.lei.LotH3915on my bedמִשְׁכָּבִי֙mish.ka.ViH4904I soughtבִּקַּ֕שְׁתִּיbi.Kash.tiH1245him whom my soulנַפְשִׁ֑יnaf.ShiH5315lovethשֶׁאָהֲבָ֖הshe.'a.ha.VahH157:I soughtבִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יוbi.kash.TivH1245him, but I foundמְצָאתִֽיו׃me.tza.TivH4672him not.

2I will riseאָק֨וּמָה'a.Ku.mahH6965now, and go aboutוַאֲסוֹבְבָ֣הva.'a.so.VahH5437the cityבָעִ֗ירva.'IrH5892in the streetsבַּשְּׁוָקִים֙ba.she.va.KimH7784,and in the broad waysוּבָ֣רְחֹב֔וֹתu.Va.re.cho.VotH7339I will seekאֲבַקְשָׁ֕ה'a.vak.ShahH1245him whom my soulנַפְשִׁ֑יnaf.ShiH5315lovethשֶׁאָהֲבָ֖הshe.'a.ha.VahH157:I soughtבִּקַּשְׁתִּ֖יוbi.kash.TivH1245him, but I foundמְצָאתִֽיו׃me.tza.TivH4672him not.

3The watchmenהַשֹּׁ֣מְרִ֔יםha.Sho.me.RimH8104that go aboutהַסֹּבְבִ֖יםha.soe.VimH5437the cityבָּעִ֑ירba.'IrH5892foundמְצָא֙וּנִי֙me.tza.'U.niH4672me: to whom I said,Sawרְאִיתֶֽם׃re.'i.TemH7200ye him whom my soulנַפְשִׁ֖יnaf.ShiH5315lovethשֶׁאָהֲבָ֥הshe.'a.ha.VahH157?

4It wasbut a littleכִּמְעַט֙kim.'AtH4592that I passedשֶׁעָבַ֣רְתִּיshe.'a.Var.tiH5674from them, but I foundשֶֽׁמָּצָ֔אתִיshe.ma.Tza.tiH4672him whom my soulנַפְשִׁ֑יnaf.ShiH5315lovethשֶׁאָהֲבָ֖הshe.'a.ha.VahH157:I heldאֲחַזְתִּיו֙'a.chaz.TivH270him, and would not let him goאַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ'ar.Pe.nuH7503,until I had broughtשֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙she.ha.vei.tivH935him into my mother’sאִמִּ֔י'i.MiH517houseבֵּ֣יתbeitH1004,and into the chamberחֶ֖דֶרChe.derH2315of her that conceivedהוֹרָתִֽי׃ho.ra.TiH2029me.

5I chargeהִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּיhish.Ba'.tiH7650you, O ye daughtersבְּנ֤וֹתbe.NotH1323of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִַ֙ם֙ye.ru.sha.LimH3389,by the roesבִּצְבָא֔וֹתbitz.va.'otH6643,andא֖וֹ'oH176by the hindsבְּאַיְל֣וֹתbe.'ay.LotH355of the fieldהַשָּׂדֶ֑הha.sa.DehH7704,that ye stir not upתָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ta.'I.ruH5782,nor awakeתְּעֽוֹרְר֛וּte.'o.RuH5782myloveהָאַהֲבָ֖הha.'a.ha.VahH160,till he pleaseשֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ סshe.tech.PatzH2654.

6Who isthis that comethעֹלָה֙'o.LahH5927out of the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּ֔רha.mid.BarH4057like pillarsכְּתִֽימֲר֖וֹתke.ti.ma.RotH8490of smokeעָשָׁ֑ן'a.ShanH6227,perfumedמְקֻטֶּ֤רֶתme.ku.Te.retH6999with myrrhמוֹר֙mOrH4753and frankincenseוּלְבוֹנָ֔הu.le.vo.NahH3828,with all powdersאַבְקַ֥ת'av.KatH81of the merchantרוֹכֵֽל׃ro.KhelH7402?

7Behold his bedמִטָּתוֹ֙mi.ta.ToH4296, which isSolomon’sשֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹ֔הshe.lish.lo.MohH8010;threescoreשִׁשִּׁ֥יםshi.ShimH8346valiantגִּבֹּרִ֖יםgi.bo.RimH1368men areaboutסָבִ֣יבsa.VivH5439it, of the valiantמִגִּבֹּרֵ֖יmi.gi.bo.ReiH1368of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Yis.ra.'ElH3478.

8They all holdאֲחֻ֣זֵי'a.Chu.zeiH270swordsחֶ֔רֶבChe.revH2719, beingexpertמְלֻמְּדֵ֖יme.lu.me.DeiH3925in warמִלְחָמָ֑הmil.cha.MahH4421:every manאִ֤ישׁ'ishH376hathhis swordחַרְבּוֹ֙char.BoH2719upon his thighיְרֵכ֔וֹye.re.KhoH3409because of fearמִפַּ֖חַדmi.Pa.chadH6343in the nightבַּלֵּילּֽוֹת׃ סba.lei.LotH3915.

9Kingהַמֶּ֣לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428Solomonשְׁלֹמֹ֔הshe.lo.MohH8010madeעָ֤שָׂה'A.sahH6213himself a chariotאַפִּרְי֗וֹן'a.pir.YonH668of the woodמֵעֲצֵ֖יme.'a.TzeiH6086of Lebanonהַלְּבָנֽוֹן׃ha.le.va.NonH3844.

10He madeעָ֣שָׂה'A.sahH6213the pillarsעַמּוּדָיו֙'a.mu.DavH5982thereof ofsilverכֶ֔סֶףKhe.sefH3701,the bottomרְפִידָת֣וֹre.fi.da.ToH7507thereof ofgoldזָהָ֔בza.HavH2091,the coveringמֶרְכָּב֖וֹmer.ka.VoH4817of it ofpurpleאַרְגָּמָ֑ן'ar.ga.ManH713,the midstתּוֹכוֹ֙to.KhoH8432thereof being pavedרָצ֣וּףra.TzufH7528withloveאַהֲבָ֔ה'a.ha.VahH160,for the daughtersמִבְּנ֖וֹתmi.be.NotH1323of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ye.ru.sha.LimH3389.

11Go forthצְאֶ֧ינָה׀tze.'Ei.nahH3318,O ye daughtersבְּנ֥וֹתbe.NotH1323of Zionצִיּ֖וֹןtzi.YonH6726,and beholdוּֽרְאֶ֛ינָהu.re.'Ei.nahH7200kingבַּמֶּ֣לֶךְba.Me.lekhH4428Solomonשְׁלֹמֹ֑הshe.lo.MohH8010with the crownבָּעֲטָרָ֗הba.'a.ta.RahH5850wherewith his motherאִמּוֹ֙'i.MoH517crownedשֶׁעִטְּרָה־she.'i.te.rah-H5849him in the dayבְּי֣וֹםbe.YomH3117of his espousalsחֲתֻנָּת֔וֹcha.tu.na.ToH2861,and in the dayוּבְי֖וֹםu.ve.YomH3117of the gladnessשִׂמְחַ֥תsim.ChatH8057of his heartלִבּֽוֹ׃ סli.BoH3820.

Commentaries on Song of Songs 3