Revised Literal Translation

Song of Songs 8

1O thatיִתֶּנְךָ֙yi.ten.KhaH5414thou wertas my brotherכְּאָ֣חke.'AchH251,that suckedיוֹנֵ֖קyo.NekH3243the breastsשְׁדֵ֣יshe.DeiH7699of my motherאִמִּ֑י'i.MiH517! whenI should findאֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤'em.tza.'a.KhaH4672thee withoutבַחוּץ֙va.ChutzH2351,I would kissאֶשָׁ֣קְךָ֔'e.Sha.ke.chaH5401thee; yea, I should not be despisedיָב֥וּזוּya.Vu.zuH936.

2I would leadאֶנְהָֽגֲךָ֗'en.ha.ga.KhaH5090thee, andbringאֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛'a.vi.'a.KhaH935thee into my mother’sאִמִּ֖י'i.MiH517houseבֵּ֥יתbeitH1004, whowould instructתְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִיte.la.me.De.niH3925me: I would cause thee to drinkאַשְׁקְךָ֙'ash.ke.ChaH8248of spicedהָרֶ֔קַחha.Re.kachH7544wineמִיַּ֣יִןmi.Ya.yinH3196of the juiceמֵעֲסִ֖יסme.'a.SisH6071of my pomegranateרִמֹּנִֽי׃ri.mo.NiH7416.

3His left handשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙se.mo.LoH8040should beunder my headרֹאשִׁ֔יro.ShiH7218,and his right handוִֽימִינ֖וֹvi.mi.NoH3225should embraceתְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃te.cha.be.Ke.niH2263me.

4I chargeהִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּיhish.Ba'.tiH7650you, O daughtersבְּנ֣וֹתbe.NotH1323of Jerusalemיְרוּשָׁלִָ֑םye.ru.sha.LimH3389,that ye stir not upתָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ta.'I.ruH5782,nor awakeתְּעֹֽרְר֛וּte.'o.re.RuH5782myloveהָאַהֲבָ֖הha.'a.ha.VahH160,until he pleaseשֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ סshe.tech.PatzH2654.

5Who isthis that cometh upעֹלָה֙'o.LahH5927from the wildernessהַמִּדְבָּ֔רha.mid.BarH4057,leaningמִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶתmit.ra.Pe.ketH7514upon her belovedדּוֹדָ֑הּdo.DahH1730?I raisedעֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָo.rar.Ti.khaH5782thee up under the apple treeהַתַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ha.ta.Pu.achH8598:there thy motherאִמֶּ֔ךָ'i.Me.khaH517brought thee forthחִבְּלַ֣תְךָchi.be.Lat.khaH2254:there she brought thee forthחִבְּלָ֥הchi.be.LahH2254thatbareיְלָדַֽתְךָ׃ye.la.Dat.khaH3205thee.

6Setשִׂימֵ֨נִיsi.Me.niH7760me as a sealכַֽחוֹתָ֜םkha.cho.TamH2368upon thine heartלִבֶּ֗ךָli.Be.khaH3820,as a sealכַּֽחוֹתָם֙ka.cho.TamH2368upon thine armזְרוֹעֶ֔ךָze.ro.'E.khaH2220:for loveאַהֲבָ֔ה'a.ha.VahH160isstrongעַזָּ֤ה'a.ZahH5794as deathכַמָּ֙וֶת֙kha.Ma.vetH4194;jealousyקִנְאָ֑הkin.'AhH7068iscruelקָשָׁ֥הka.ShahH7186as the graveכִשְׁא֖וֹלkhish.'olH7585:the coalsרְשָׁפֶ֕יהָre.sha.Fei.haH7565thereof arecoalsרִשְׁפֵּ֕יrish.PeiH7565of fireאֵ֖שׁ'eshH784, which hath amost vehement flameשַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃shal.He.vet.YahH7957.

7Manyרַבִּ֗יםra.BimH7227watersמַ֣יִםMa.yimH4325cannotיֽוּכְלוּ֙yu.khe.LuH3201quenchלְכַבּ֣וֹתle.kha.BotH3518loveהָֽאַהֲבָ֔הha.'a.ha.VahH160,neither can the floodsוּנְהָר֖וֹתu.ne.ha.RotH5104drownיִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָyish.te.Fu.haH7857it: if amanאִ֜ישׁ'ishH376would giveיִתֵּ֨ןyi.TenH5414all the substanceה֤וֹןHonH1952of his houseבֵּיתוֹ֙bei.ToH1004for loveבָּאַהֲבָ֔הba.'a.ha.VahH160,it would utterlyבּ֖וֹזBozH936be contemnedיָב֥וּזוּya.Vu.zuH936.

8We have a littleקְטַנָּ֔הke.ta.NahH6996sisterאָח֥וֹת'a.ChotH269,and she hath no breastsוְשָׁדַ֖יִםve.sha.Da.yimH7699:what shall we doנַּעֲשֶׂה֙na.'a.SehH6213for our sisterלַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּla.'a.cho.Te.nuH269in the dayבַּיּ֖וֹםbai.YomH3117when she shall be spoken forשֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־shei.ye.du.bar-H1696?

9If she bea wallחוֹמָ֣הcho.MahH2346,we will buildנִבְנֶ֥הniv.NehH1129upon her a palaceטִ֣ירַתTi.ratH2918of silverכָּ֑סֶףKa.sefH3701: and if she bea doorדֶּ֣לֶתDe.letH1817,we will incloseנָצ֥וּרna.TzurH6696her with boardsל֥וּחַLu.achH3871of cedarאָֽרֶז׃'A.rezH730.

10I ama wallחוֹמָ֔הcho.MahH2346,and my breastsוְשָׁדַ֖יve.sha.DaiH7699like towersכַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹתka.mig.da.LotH4026:then was I in his eyesבְעֵינָ֖יוve.'ei.NavH5869as one that foundכְּמוֹצְאֵ֥תke.motz.'EtH4672favourשָׁלֽוֹם׃ פsha.LomH7965.

11Solomonלִשְׁלֹמֹה֙lish.lo.MohH8010had a vineyardכֶּ֣רֶםKe.remH3754at Baal–hamonH1174;he let outנָתַ֥ןna.TanH5414the vineyardהַכֶּ֖רֶםha.Ke.remH3754unto keepersלַנֹּטְרִ֑יםla.no.te.RimH5201;every oneאִ֛ישׁ'ishH376for the fruitבְּפִרְי֖וֹbe.fir.YoH6529thereof was to bringיָבִ֥אya.Vi'H935a thousandאֶ֥לֶף'E.lefH505piecesof silverכָּֽסֶף׃Ka.sefH3701.

12My vineyardכַּרְמִ֥יkar.MiH3754, which is mine, isbeforeלְפָנָ֑יle.fa.NaiH6440me: thou, O Solomonשְׁלֹמֹ֔הshe.lo.MohH8010, must havea thousandהָאֶ֤לֶףha.'E.lefH505,and those that keepלְנֹטְרִ֥יםle.no.te.RimH5201the fruitפִּרְיֽוֹ׃pir.YoH6529thereof two hundredוּמָאתַ֖יִםu.ma.Ta.yimH3967.

13Thou that dwellestהַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶתhai.yo.She.vetH3427in the gardensבַּגַּנִּ֗יםba.ga.NimH1588,the companionsחֲבֵרִ֛יםcha.ve.RimH2270hearkenמַקְשִׁיבִ֥יםmak.shi.VimH7181to thy voiceלְקוֹלֵ֖ךְle.ko.LekhH6963:cause me to hearהַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃hash.mi.'I.niH8085it.

14Make hasteבְּרַ֣ח׀be.RachH1272,my belovedדּוֹדִ֗יdo.DiH1730,and be thou likeוּֽדְמֵה־u.de.meh-H1819to a roeלִצְבִי֙litz.ViH6643or to a youngלְעֹ֣פֶרle.'O.ferH6082hartהָֽאַיָּלִ֔יםha.'ai.ya.LimH354upon the mountainsהָרֵ֥יha.ReiH2022of spicesבְשָׂמִֽים׃ve.sa.MimH1314.

Commentaries on Song of Songs 8