Revised Literal Translation

Song of Songs 4

1Behold, thou artfairיָפָ֤הya.FahH3303,my loveרַעְיָתִי֙ra'.ya.TiH7474; behold, thou artfairיָפָ֔הya.FahH3303; thou hastdoves’יוֹנִ֔יםyo.NimH3123eyesעֵינַ֣יִךְ'ei.Na.yikhH5869withinמִבַּ֖עַדmi.Ba.'adH1157thy locksלְצַמָּתֵ֑ךְle.tza.ma.TekhH6777:thy hairשַׂעְרֵךְ֙sa'.reKhH8181isas a flockכְּעֵ֣דֶרke.'E.derH5739of goatsהָֽעִזִּ֔יםha.'i.ZimH5795,that appearשֶׁגָּלְשׁ֖וּshe.gal.ShuH1570from mountמֵהַ֥רme.HarH2022Gileadגִּלְעָֽד׃gil.'AdH1568.

2Thy teethשִׁנַּ֙יִךְ֙shi.Na.yikhH8127arelike a flockכְּעֵ֣דֶרke.'E.derH5739of sheep that are evenshornהַקְּצוּב֔וֹתha.ke.tzu.VotH7094,which came upשֶׁעָל֖וּshe.'a.LuH5927from the washingהָרַחְצָ֑הha.rach.TzahH7367;whereof every one bear twinsמַתְאִימ֔וֹתmat.'i.MotH8382, and none isbarrenוְשַׁכֻּלָ֖הve.sha.ku.LahH7909among them.

3Thy lipsשִׂפְתֹתַ֔יִךְsif.to.Ta.yikhH8193arelike a threadכְּח֤וּטke.ChutH2339of scarletהַשָּׁנִי֙ha.sha.NiH8144,and thy speechוּמִדְבָּרֵ֖יךְu.mid.ba.ReikhH4057iscomelyנָאוֶ֑הna.VehH5000:thy templesרַקָּתֵ֔ךְra.ka.TekhH7541arelike a pieceכְּפֶ֤לַחke.Fe.lachH6400of a pomegranateהָֽרִמּוֹן֙ha.ri.mOnH7416withinמִבַּ֖עַדmi.Ba.'adH1157thy locksלְצַמָּתֵֽךְ׃le.tza.ma.TekhH6777.

4Thy neckצַוָּארֵ֔ךְtza.va.RekhH6677islike the towerכְּמִגְדַּ֤לke.mig.DalH4026of Davidדָּוִיד֙da.VidH1732buildedבָּנ֖וּיba.NuiH1129for an armouryלְתַלְפִּיּ֑וֹתle.tal.pi.YotH8530,whereon there hangתָּל֣וּיta.LuiH8518a thousandאֶ֤לֶף'E.lefH505bucklersהַמָּגֵן֙ha.ma.GenH4043,all shieldsשִׁלְטֵ֥יshil.TeiH7982of mighty menהַגִּבּוֹרִֽים׃ha.gi.bo.RimH1368.

5Thy twoשְׁנֵ֥יshe.NeiH8147breastsשָׁדַ֛יִךְsha.Da.yikhH7699arelike twoכִּשְׁנֵ֥יkish.NeiH8147youngעֳפָרִ֖ים'o.fa.RimH6082roesצְבִיָּ֑הtze.vi.YahH6646that are twinsתְּאוֹמֵ֣יte.'o.MeiH8380,which feedהָרוֹעִ֖יםha.ro.'ImH7462among the liliesבַּשּׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים׃ba.sho.sha.NimH7799.

6Until the dayהַיּ֔וֹםhai.YomH3117breakשֶׁיָּפ֙וּחַ֙shei.ya.Fu.achH6315,and the shadowsהַצְּלָלִ֑יםha.tze.la.LimH6752flee awayוְנָ֖סוּve.Na.suH5127,I will getH3212me to the mountainהַ֣רharH2022of myrrhהַמּ֔וֹרha.MorH4753,and to the hillגִּבְעַ֖תgiv.'AtH1389of frankincenseהַלְּבוֹנָֽה׃ha.le.vo.NahH3828.

7Thou artall fairיָפָה֙ya.FahH3303,my loveרַעְיָתִ֔יra'.ya.TiH7474; there isno spotוּמ֖וּםu.MumH3971in thee.

8Comeתָּב֑וֹאִיta.Vo.'iH935with me from Lebanonמִלְּבָנוֹן֙mi.le.va.nOnH3844, myspouseכַּלָּ֔הka.LahH3618,with me from Lebanonמִלְּבָנ֣וֹןmi.le.va.NonH3844:lookH7789from the topמֵרֹ֣אשׁme.RoshH7218of Amanaאֲמָנָ֗ה'a.ma.NahH549,from the topמֵרֹ֤אשׁme.RoshH7218of Shenirשְׂנִיר֙se.NirH8149and Hermonוְחֶרְמ֔וֹןve.cher.MonH2768,from the lions’אֲרָי֔וֹת'a.ra.YotH738densמִמְּעֹנ֣וֹתmi.me.'o.NotH4585,from the mountainsמֵֽהַרְרֵ֖יme.ha.ReiH2042of the leopardsנְמֵרִֽים׃ne.me.RimH5246.

9Thou hast ravished my heartלִבַּבְתִּ֖נִיli.bav.Ti.niH3823,my sisterאֲחֹתִ֣י'a.cho.TiH269, myspouseכַלָּ֑הkha.LahH3618;thou hast ravished my heartלִבַּבְתִּ֙ינִי֙li.bav.Ti.niH3823with oneבְּאַחַ֣תbe.'a.chadH259of thine eyesמֵעֵינַ֔יִךְme.'ei.Na.yikhH5869,with oneבְּאַחַ֥דbe.'a.ChadH259chainעֲנָ֖ק'a.NakH6060of thy neckמִצַּוְּרֹנָֽיִךְ׃mi.tza.ve.ro.Na.yikhH6677.

10How fairיָּפ֥וּya.FuH3302is thy loveדֹדַ֖יִךְdo.Da.yikhH1730,my sisterאֲחֹתִ֣י'a.cho.TiH269, myspouseכַלָּ֑הkha.LahH3618!how much betterטֹּ֤בוּTouH2895is thy loveדֹדַ֙יִךְ֙do.Da.yikhH1730than wineמִיַּ֔יִןmi.Ya.yinH3196!and the smellוְרֵ֥יחַve.Rei.achH7381of thine ointmentsשְׁמָנַ֖יִךְshe.ma.Na.yikhH8081than all spicesבְּשָׂמִֽים׃be.sa.MimH1314!

11Thy lipsשִׂפְתוֹתַ֖יִךְsif.to.Ta.yikhH8193, O myspouseכַּלָּ֑הka.LahH3618,dropתִּטֹּ֥פְנָהti.To.fe.nahH5197asthe honeycombנֹ֛פֶתNo.fetH5317:honeyדְּבַ֤שׁde.VashH1706and milkוְחָלָב֙ve.cha.LavH2461areunder thy tongueלְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְle.sho.NekhH3956;and the smellוְרֵ֥יחַve.Rei.achH7381of thy garmentsשַׂלְמֹתַ֖יִךְsal.mo.Ta.yikhH8008islike the smellכְּרֵ֥יחַke.Rei.achH7381of Lebanonלְבָנֽוֹן׃ סle.va.NonH3844.

12A gardenגַּ֥ן׀ganH1588inclosedנָע֖וּלna.'UlH5274ismy sisterאֲחֹתִ֣י'a.cho.TiH269, myspouseכַלָּ֑הkha.LahH3618;a springגַּ֥לgalH1530shut upנָע֖וּלna.'UlH5274,a fountainמַעְיָ֥ןma'.YanH4599sealedחָתֽוּם׃cha.TumH2856.

13Thy plantsשְׁלָחַ֙יִךְ֙she.la.Cha.yikhH7973arean orchardפַּרְדֵּ֣סpar.DesH6508of pomegranatesרִמּוֹנִ֔יםri.mo.NimH7416,with pleasantמְגָדִ֑יםme.ga.DimH4022fruitsפְּרִ֣יpe.RiH6529;camphireכְּפָרִ֖יםke.fa.RimH3724,with spikenardנְרָדִֽים׃ne.ra.DimH5373,

14Spikenardנֵ֣רְדְּ׀Ne.redH5373and saffronוְכַרְכֹּ֗םve.khar.KomH3750;calamusקָנֶה֙ka.NehH7070and cinnamonוְקִנָּמ֔וֹןve.ki.na.MonH7076,with all treesעֲצֵ֣י'a.TzeiH6086of frankincenseלְבוֹנָ֑הle.vo.NahH3828;myrrhמֹ֚רmorH4753and aloesוַאֲהָל֔וֹתva.'a.ha.LotH174,with all the chiefרָאשֵׁ֥יra.SheiH7218spicesבְשָׂמִֽים׃ve.sa.MimH1314:

15A fountainמַעְיַ֣ןma'.YanH4599of gardensגַּנִּ֔יםga.NimH1588,a wellבְּאֵ֖רbe.'ErH875of livingחַיִּ֑יםchai.YimH2416watersמַ֣יִםMa.yimH4325,and streamsוְנֹזְלִ֖יםve.no.ze.LimH5140from Lebanonלְבָנֽוֹן׃le.va.NonH3844.

16Awakeע֤וּרִי'U.riH5782,O north windצָפוֹן֙tza.fOnH6828;and comeוּב֣וֹאִיu.Vo.'iH935,thou southתֵימָ֔ןtei.ManH8486;blowהָפִ֥יחִיha.Fi.chiH6315upon my gardenגַנִּ֖יga.NiH1588, thatthe spicesבְשָׂמָ֑יוve.sa.MavH1314thereof may flow outיִזְּל֣וּyi.ze.LuH5140.Let my belovedדוֹדִי֙do.DiH1730comeיָבֹ֤אya.Vo'H935into his gardenלְגַנּ֔וֹle.ga.NoH1588,and eatוְיֹאכַ֖לve.yo.KhalH398his pleasantמְגָדָֽיו׃me.ga.DavH4022fruitsפְּרִ֥יpe.RiH6529.

Commentaries on Song of Songs 4