< Hawo 2 >
1 Nyee nye Saron seƒoƒo kple dzogbenya le balimewo.
As a lily among the thorns,
2 Abe ale si dzogbenya le ŋuwo domee ene la, nenemae nye nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ le ɖetugbiwo dome.
So [is] my friend among the daughters!
3 Abe ale si apluti nɔna le avemetiwo dome ene la, nenemae nye nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ le ɖekakpuiwo dome. Melɔ̃a anyinɔnɔ ɖe eƒe vɔvɔli te, eye eƒe kutsetse vivia nunye ŋutɔ.
As a citron among trees of the forest, So [is] my beloved among the sons, In his shade I delighted, and sat down, And his fruit [is] sweet to my palate.
4 Ekplɔm yi ɖe afi si woɖo kplɔ̃ ɖo, eye lɔlɔ̃ nye aflaga si wòtsɔ tsyɔ dzinye.
He hath brought me in unto a house of wine, And his banner over me [is] love,
5 Etsɔ waintsetsebolo do ŋusẽm kple aplu fa dzi nam, elabena lɔlɔ̃ na meku ƒenyi.
Sustain me with grape-cakes, Support me with citrons, for I [am] sick with love.
6 Etsɔ eƒe miabɔ de nye ta te, eye wòtsɔ eƒe ɖusibɔ kpla kɔ nam.
His left hand [is] under my head, And his right doth embrace me.
7 Yerusalem nyɔnuviwo, meta sãde kple zinɔ le gbe me be, “Migaʋuʋu lɔlɔ̃ alo anyɔe o, va se ɖe esime eya ŋutɔ lɔ̃ hafi.”
I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the roes or by the hinds of the field, Stir not up nor wake the love till she please!
8 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, ɖo to afii! Kpɔ ɖa, nye lɔlɔ̃tɔe nye ekem gbɔna, le kpo tim flɔ towo, eye wòle kpo dzom le togbɛwo tame.
The voice of my beloved! lo, this — he is coming, Leaping on the mountains, skipping on the hills.
9 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ le abe sãde alo zivi ene. Kpɔ ɖa, eyae nye ekem le tsitre ɖe míaƒe kpɔ godo, le nu kpɔm to fesre nu, eye wòdo ŋku ɖa to fesrenuvɔ me.
My beloved [is] like to a roe, Or to a young one of the harts. Lo, this — he is standing behind our wall, Looking from the windows, Blooming from the lattice.
10 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ ƒo nu kplim be, “Nye dzi lɔlɔ̃a, tsi tsitre, eye nye tugbefia, va dze yonyeme.
My beloved hath answered and said to me, 'Rise up, my friend, my fair one, and come away,
11 Kpɔ ɖa, vuvɔŋɔli nu va yi, tsidzadza ke, eye enu va yi.
For lo, the winter hath passed by, The rain hath passed away — it hath gone.
12 Seƒoƒo ke ɖe anyigba dzi, hadzidzi ƒe ɣeyiɣi ɖo, eye wose akpakpawo ƒe xɔxlɔ̃ le míaƒe anyigba dzi.
The flowers have appeared in the earth, The time of the singing hath come, And the voice of the turtle was heard in our land,
13 Gbotiwo de asi tsetse me xoxo, eye wainkawo ƒe seƒoƒo le ya ɖem nyuie. Tso va, nye dzi lɔlɔ̃a; nye tugbefia, va dze yonyeme.”
The fig-tree hath ripened her green figs, And the sweet-smelling vines have given forth fragrance, Rise, come, my friend, my fair one, yea, come away.
14 Nye ahɔnɛ le agakpewo tome, le towo ƒe bebeƒewo, do wò mo ɖa, eye na mase wò gbe, elabena wò gbe vivina, eye wò mo nya kpɔna.
My dove, in clefts of the rock, In a secret place of the ascent, Cause me to see thine appearance, Cause me to hear thy voice, For thy voice [is] sweet, and thy appearance comely.
15 Milé abeiwo nam, abeivi siwo le wainkawo gblẽm, eye wole míaƒe wainka siwo ƒo se la gblẽm.
Seize ye for us foxes, Little foxes — destroyers of vineyards, Even our sweet-smelling vineyards.
16 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ nye tɔnye, eye nye hã menye etɔ, eya ame si le tsa ɖim le dzogbenyawo dome.
My beloved [is] mine, and I [am] his, Who is delighting among the lilies,
17 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, trɔ gbɔ hafi ŋu nake, viviti nasi dzo, eye nànɔ abe sãde alo zivi le togbɛ tsakliwo dzi ene.
Till the day doth break forth, And the shadows have fled away, Turn, be like, my beloved, To a roe, or to a young one of the harts, On the mountains of separation!