Chapter 8
Longing for Her Beloved
1
O that you [were] to me like a brother who nursed at my mother’s breasts! If I found you outdoors, I would kiss you, and no one would despise me.
𐤌𐤉 𐤉𐤕𐤍𐤊 𐤋𐤉 𐤊𐤀𐤇 𐤉𐤅𐤍𐤒 𐤀𐤌𐤉 𐤔𐤃𐤉 𐤀𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤊 𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤑 𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤊 𐤂𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤆𐤅 𐤋𐤉
מִ֤י יִתֶּנְךָ֙ לִ֔י כְּאָ֣ח יוֹנֵ֖ק אִמִּ֑י שְׁדֵ֣י אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ בַחוּץ֙ אֶשָׁ֣קְךָ֔ גַּ֖ם לֹא־ יָב֥וּזוּ לִֽי׃ mî yit·ten·ḵā lî kə·’āḥ yō·w·nêq ’im·mî šə·ḏê ’em·ṣā·’ă·ḵā ḇa·ḥūṣ ʾɛ·šå̄·qə·ḵå̄ gam lō- yā·ḇū·zū lî — WLC · 1
2
I would lead you and bring you to the house of my mother who taught me. I would give you spiced wine to drink, the nectar of my pomegranates.
𐤀𐤍𐤄𐤂𐤊 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤀𐤊 𐤀𐤋 𐤁𐤉𐤕 𐤀𐤌𐤉 𐤕𐤋𐤌𐤃𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤓𐤒𐤇 𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤍 𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤊 𐤌𐤏𐤎𐤉𐤎 𐤓𐤌𐤍𐤉
אֶנְהָֽגֲךָ֗ אֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛ אֶל־ בֵּ֥ית אִמִּ֖י תְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִי הָרֶ֔קַח מִיַּ֣יִן אַשְׁקְךָ֙ מֵעֲסִ֖יס רִמֹּנִֽי׃ ’en·hā·ḡă·ḵā ’ă·ḇî·’ă·ḵā ’el- bêṯ ’im·mî tə·lam·mə·ḏê·nî hā·re·qaḥ mî·ya·yin ’aš·qə·ḵā mê·‘ă·sîs rim·mō·nî — WLC · 2
3
His left hand is under my head, and his right arm embraces me.
𐤔𐤌𐤀𐤋𐤅 𐤕𐤇𐤕 𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤉 𐤅𐤉𐤌𐤉𐤍𐤅 𐤕𐤇𐤁𐤒𐤍𐤉
שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת רֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃ śə·mō·lōw ta·ḥaṯ rō·šî wî·mî·nōw tə·ḥab·bə·qê·nî — WLC · 3
4
O daughters of Jerusalem,… I adjure you: Do not arouse… or awaken love until the time is right.
𐤁𐤍𐤅𐤕 𐤉𐤓𐤅𐤔𐤋𐤌 𐤌𐤄 𐤄𐤔𐤁𐤏𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤕𐤊𐤌 𐤕𐤏𐤉𐤓𐤅 𐤅𐤌𐤄 𐤕𐤏𐤓𐤓𐤅 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤏𐤃 𐤔𐤕𐤇𐤐𐤑𐤎
בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָ֑ם מַה־ הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם תָּעִ֧ירוּ׀ וּֽמַה־ תְּעֹֽרְר֛וּ אֶת־ הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃ס bə·nō·wṯ yə·rū·šā·lim mah- hiš·ba‘·tî ’eṯ·ḵem tā·‘î·rū ū·mah- tə·‘ō·rə·rū ’eṯ- hā·’a·hă·ḇāh ‘aḏ šet·teḥ·pāṣ — WLC · 4
The Friends
5
Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.
𐤌𐤉 𐤆𐤀𐤕 𐤏𐤋𐤄 𐤌𐤍 𐤄𐤌𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤌𐤕𐤓𐤐𐤒𐤕 𐤏𐤋 𐤃𐤅𐤃𐤄 𐤏𐤅𐤓𐤓𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤕𐤇𐤕 𐤄𐤕𐤐𐤅𐤇 𐤔𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤌𐤊 𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤕𐤊 𐤔𐤌𐤄 𐤇𐤁𐤋𐤄 𐤉𐤋𐤃𐤕𐤊
מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־ הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־ דּוֹדָ֑הּ עֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָ תַּ֤חַת הַתַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ שָׁ֚מָּה אִמֶּ֔ךָ חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ שָׁ֖מָּה חִבְּלָ֥ה יְלָדַֽתְךָ׃ mî zōṯ ‘ō·lāh min- ham·miḏ·bār miṯ·rap·pe·qeṯ ‘al- dō·w·ḏāh ‘ō·w·rar·tî·ḵā ta·ḥaṯ hat·tap·pū·aḥ šām·māh ’im·me·ḵā ḥib·bə·laṯ·ḵā šām·māh ḥib·bə·lāh yə·lā·ḏaṯ·ḵā — WLC · 5
6
Set me as a seal over your heart, as a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as unrelenting as Sheol. Its sparks are fiery flames, the fiercest blaze of all.
𐤔𐤉𐤌𐤍𐤉 𐤊𐤇𐤅𐤕𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤊𐤇𐤅𐤕𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤆𐤓𐤅𐤏𐤊 𐤊𐤉 𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤏𐤆𐤄 𐤊𐤌𐤅𐤕 𐤒𐤍𐤀𐤄 𐤒𐤔𐤄 𐤊𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤓𐤔𐤐𐤉𐤄 𐤀𐤔 𐤓𐤔𐤐𐤉 𐤔𐤋𐤄𐤁𐤕𐤉𐤄
שִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם עַל־ לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ עַל־ זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־ אַהֲבָ֔ה עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ קִנְאָ֑ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁא֖וֹל רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ אֵ֖שׁ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃ śî·mê·nî ḵa·ḥō·w·ṯām ‘al- lib·be·ḵā ka·ḥō·w·ṯām ‘al- zə·rō·w·‘e·ḵā kî- ’a·hă·ḇāh ‘az·zāh ḵam·mā·weṯ qin·’āh qā·šāh ḵiš·’ō·wl rə·šā·p̄e·hā ’êš riš·pê šal·he·ḇeṯ·yāh — WLC · 6
7
Mighty waters cannot… quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If a man were to give all the wealth of his house for love, [his offer] would be utterly scorned…
𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤅𐤊𐤋𐤅 𐤋𐤊𐤁𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤅𐤍𐤄𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤔𐤈𐤐𐤅𐤄 𐤀𐤌 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤀𐤕 𐤉𐤕𐤍 𐤊𐤋 𐤄𐤅𐤍 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤅 𐤁𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤄 𐤁𐤅𐤆 𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤆𐤅 𐤋𐤅𐤎
רַבִּ֗ים מַ֣יִם לֹ֤א יֽוּכְלוּ֙ לְכַבּ֣וֹת אֶת־ הָֽאַהֲבָ֔ה וּנְהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ אִם־ אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־ יִתֵּ֨ן כָּל־ ה֤וֹן בֵּיתוֹ֙ בָּאַהֲבָ֔ה בּ֖וֹז יָב֥וּזוּ לֽוֹ׃ס rab·bîm ma·yim lō yū·ḵə·lū lə·ḵab·bō·wṯ ’eṯ- hā·’a·hă·ḇāh ū·nə·hā·rō·wṯ lō yiš·ṭə·p̄ū·hā ’im- ’îš ’eṯ- yit·tên kāl- hō·wn bê·ṯōw bā·’a·hă·ḇāh bō·wz yā·ḇū·zū lōw — WLC · 7
The Friends
8
We have a little sister, and her breasts are not yet grown. What shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?
𐤒𐤈𐤍𐤄 𐤀𐤇𐤅𐤕 𐤋𐤍𐤅 𐤋𐤄 𐤅𐤔𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤌𐤄 𐤍𐤏𐤔𐤄 𐤋𐤀𐤇𐤕𐤍𐤅 𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤔𐤉𐤃𐤁𐤓 𐤁𐤄
קְטַנָּ֔ה אָח֥וֹת לָ֙נוּ֙ לָ֑הּ וְשָׁדַ֖יִם אֵ֣ין מַֽה־ נַּעֲשֶׂה֙ לַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ בַּיּ֖וֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־ בָּֽהּ׃ qə·ṭan·nāh ’ā·ḥō·wṯ lā·nū lāh wə·šā·ḏa·yim ’ên mah- na·‘ă·śeh la·’ă·ḥō·ṯê·nū bay·yō·wm še·yə·ḏub·bar- bāh — WLC · 8
9
If she is a wall, we will build a tower of silver upon her. If she is a door, we will enclose her with panels of cedar.
𐤀𐤌 𐤄𐤉𐤀 𐤇𐤅𐤌𐤄 𐤍𐤁𐤍𐤄 𐤈𐤉𐤓𐤕 𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤀𐤌 𐤄𐤉𐤀 𐤃𐤋𐤕 𐤍𐤑𐤅𐤓 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤋𐤅𐤇 𐤀𐤓𐤆
אִם־ הִ֔יא חוֹמָ֣ה נִבְנֶ֥ה טִ֣ירַת כָּ֑סֶף עָלֶ֖יהָ וְאִם־ הִ֔יא דֶּ֣לֶת נָצ֥וּר עָלֶ֖יהָ ל֥וּחַ אָֽרֶז׃ ’im- hî ḥō·w·māh niḇ·neh ṭî·raṯ kā·sep̄ ‘ā·le·hā wə·’im- hî de·leṯ nā·ṣūr ‘ā·le·hā lū·aḥ ’ā·rez — WLC · 9
The Bride
10
I am a wall, and my breasts are like towers. So I have become in his eyes like one who brings peace.
𐤀𐤍𐤉 𐤇𐤅𐤌𐤄 𐤅𐤔𐤃𐤉 𐤊𐤌𐤂𐤃𐤋𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤆 𐤄𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤅 𐤊𐤌𐤅𐤑𐤀𐤕 𐤔𐤋𐤅𐤌𐤐
אֲנִ֣י חוֹמָ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖י כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת אָ֛ז הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כְּמוֹצְאֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃פ ’ă·nî ḥō·w·māh wə·šā·ḏay kam·miḡ·dā·lō·wṯ ’āz hā·yî·ṯî ḇə·‘ê·nāw kə·mō·wṣ·’êṯ šā·lō·wm — WLC · 10
11
Solomon had a vineyard vvv in Baal-hamon. He leased [it] to the tenants. For its fruit, each was to bring a thousand [shekels] of silver.
𐤋𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤄𐤉𐤄 𐤊𐤓𐤌 𐤁𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤌𐤅𐤍 𐤍𐤕𐤍 𐤀𐤕 𐤄𐤊𐤓𐤌 𐤋𐤍𐤈𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤁𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤅 𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤉𐤁𐤀 𐤀𐤋𐤐 𐤊𐤎𐤐
לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ הָיָ֤ה כֶּ֣רֶם בְּבַ֣עַל הָמ֔וֹן נָתַ֥ן אֶת־ הַכֶּ֖רֶם לַנֹּטְרִ֑ים בְּפִרְי֖וֹ אִ֛ישׁ יָבִ֥א אֶ֥לֶף כָּֽסֶף׃ liš·lō·mōh hā·yāh ke·rem bə·ḇa·‘al hā·mō·wn nā·ṯan ’eṯ- hak·ke·rem lan·nō·ṭə·rîm bə·p̄ir·yōw ’îš yā·ḇi ’e·lep̄ kā·sep̄ — WLC · 11
12
[But] my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand [shekels] are for you, O Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit.
𐤊𐤓𐤌𐤉 𐤔𐤋𐤉 𐤋𐤐𐤍𐤉 𐤄𐤀𐤋𐤐 𐤋𐤊 𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤄 𐤅𐤌𐤀𐤕𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤍𐤈𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤕 𐤐𐤓𐤉𐤅
כָּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־ פִּרְיֽוֹ׃ kå̄·rə·mī šel·lî lə·p̄ā·nāy hā·’e·lep̄ lə·ḵā šə·lō·mōh ū·mā·ṯa·yim lə·nō·ṭə·rîm ’eṯ- pir·yōw — WLC · 12
The Bridegroom
13
You who dwell in the gardens, [my] companions are listening for your voice. Let me hear it!
𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤔𐤁𐤕 𐤁𐤂𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤇𐤁𐤓𐤉𐤌 𐤌𐤒𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤋𐤒𐤅𐤋𐤊 𐤄𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉
הַיוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽינִי׃ ha·yō·šɛ·ḇɛṯ bag·gan·nîm ḥă·ḇê·rîm maq·šî·ḇîm lə·qō·w·lêḵ haš·mî·‘î·nî — WLC · 13
The Bride
14
Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
𐤁𐤓𐤇 𐤃𐤅𐤃𐤉 𐤅𐤃𐤌𐤄 𐤋𐤊 𐤋𐤑𐤁𐤉 𐤀𐤅 𐤋𐤏𐤐𐤓 𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤄𐤓𐤉 𐤁𐤔𐤌𐤉𐤌
בְּרַ֣ח׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־ לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃ bə·raḥ dō·w·ḏî ū·ḏə·mêh- lə·ḵā liṣ·ḇî ’ōw lə·‘ō·p̄er hā·’ay·yā·lîm ‘al hā·rê ḇə·śā·mîm — WLC · 14