Hawo 4
1 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, èdze tugbe loo! O, èdze tugbe ŋutɔ! Wò ŋkuwo le abe ahɔnɛ ƒe ŋkuwo ene le wò moxevɔ la me. Wò taɖa le abe gbɔ̃ha siwo le ɖiɖim tso Gilead to dzi la ene.
My darling, you are beautiful, you are very beautiful! Underneath your veil, your eyes are [as gentle as] [MET] doves. Your [long black] hair [moves from side to side] like [SIM] a flock of [black] goats moving down the slopes of Gilead Mountain.
2 Wò aɖuwo fu tititi abe alẽha siwo woko fu na teti, eye wole tsi na wo la ene. Ɖe sia ɖe le zɔzɔm eveve, eye ɖeke metsi akogo o.
Your teeth are [very white] like [SIM] a flock of sheep [whose wool] has [just] been (shorn/cut off) and that have come up from being washed [in a stream]. You have all of your teeth; none of them is missing.
3 Wò nuyiwo le abe ɖablanu dzĩ ene, eye wò nu nya kpɔna ŋutɔ. Wò tonuƒuiwo le dzedzem le wò moxevɔ me abe atɔtɔ si me woma ɖe eve la ene.
Your lips are like [SIM] a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Beneath your veil, your [round, rosy/red] cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
4 Wò kɔ le abe David ƒe xɔ tsrala si le dzedze tɔxɛ me, eye wotsɔ kalẽtɔ akpe nanewo ƒe akpoxɔnu ku ɖe eŋuti la ene.
Your [long] neck is [beautiful] like [SIM] the tower of [King] David that was built using layers/rows of stone. [The ornaments on your necklaces are like] 1,000 [HYP] shields that are hanging [on the walls of a tower]; each one belongs to a warrior.
5 Wò nowo le abe sãdevi eve ene alo abe sãde ƒe evenɔvi siwo le gbe ɖum le dzogbenyawo me ene.
Your breasts are [as beautiful] [SIM] as two (fawns/young gazelles) that eat [grass] among lilies.
6 Mayi lifitowo kple dzudzɔdonu ʋeʋĩ togbɛwo dzi va se ɖe esime ŋu nake, eye viviti nasi adzo.
Until dawn [tomorrow morning] and the nighttime shadows/darkness disappear, I will [lie close to your breasts] that are [like] [MET] hills that are covered with incense [DOU].
7 Nye dzi lɔlɔ̃a, nu sia nu de le ŋuwò, eye kpɔtsɔtsɔ aɖeke mele ŋuwò o.
My darling, you are completely beautiful; your body is perfectly [formed]!
8 Nye ŋugbetɔ, va mídzo le Lebanon, kplɔm ɖo ne míado go le Lebanon. Ɖiɖi tso Amana tame, tso Senir kple Hermon tame, tso dzatawo ƒe do me kple lãkletowo dzi.
My bride, [it is as though you are in] [MET] Lebanon [far away, where I cannot reach you]; come back to me. [It is as though you are inaccessible] [MET] on the top of Hermon Mountain or the nearby peaks. Come from where the lions have their dens and where the leopards live on the mountains.
9 Wò nu lé dzi nam, nɔvinye nyɔnu kple nye ŋugbetɔ; wò nu lé dzi nam esi nètsɔ wò ŋkuwo kpɔm zi ɖeka pɛ ko, eye nye ŋkuwo lɔ kɔga si nède la.
My bride [DOU], you who are dearer to me than my sister, you have captured my affection [IDM] by only once quickly looking at me, and by one [strand of] jewels in your necklace.
10 Nɔvinye nyɔnu, nye ŋugbetɔ, wò lɔlɔ̃ vivina loo! Wò lɔlɔ̃ vivina wu wain, eye ami ʋeʋĩ si nèsi la ƒe ʋeʋẽ ƒo atike ʋeʋĩwo katã ta!
My bride, your love for me is delightful! It more delightful than wine! And the fragrance of your perfume is more pleasing than any spice!
11 Nye ŋugbetɔ, wò nuyiwo le vivim abe anyitsito ene, eye notsi kple anyitsi le wò aɖe te. Awu siwo nèdo la le ʋeʋẽm lĩlĩlĩ abe Lebanon ƒe ʋeʋẽ ene.
Being kissed by you is [as enjoyable as eating] [MTY] honey; your kisses are as sweet as milk [mixed with] honey. The aroma of your clothes is like [SIM] the aroma of [cedar trees in] Lebanon.
12 Nye ŋugbetɔ, nɔvinye nyɔnu, èle abe abɔ si ƒe ʋɔ wotu la ene. Eye nèle abe vudo si nu wotu nu ɖo kple tsitsetse si nu wotre la ene.
My bride, [you who are dearer to me than] [MET] my sister, you are [like] [MET] a garden that is locked [in order that other men cannot enter it]; [you are like] [MET] a spring or a fountain that is covered [in order that others may not drink from it].
13 Wò nuku siwo nèƒã ɖe agble me la woe nye: atɔtɔ, sikɔni, adrike,
You are [like] [MET] an orchard of pomegranate trees full of delicious fruit, and plenty of [plants that produce] henna and nard [spices],
14 gbe ʋeʋĩwo, agumetaku, sabala, sinamon kple atike ʋeʋĩ vovovowo kpe ɖe lifi, aloe kple nu ʋeʋĩ nyuitɔwo ŋu.
and saffron and calamus and cinnamon and many other kinds of incense, and myrrh and aloes and many [other] fine spices.
15 Èle abe tsi dzidzi si le abɔ me, kple vudo si yɔ gbã go hele sisim tso Lebanon ene.
[You are like] [MET] a fountain in a garden, [like] [MET] a spring of clear water that flows [down] from [the mountains of] Lebanon.
16 Nyɔ, anyieheya, ne nàva; dzieheya, wò hã va! Ƒo to nye abɔ me, be eƒe ʋeʋẽ nakaka ɖe yame. Na be nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ nava eƒe abɔ me, eye wòaɖɔ eƒe kutsetse nyuitɔwo kpɔ.
[I want] the north wind and the south wind to come, and blow on my garden, [in order that] the fragrance [of the spices will] spread through the air. [Similarly], I want the one who loves me to come and enjoy [cuddling up to me] [like] [MET, EUP] someone comes into a garden and enjoys eating the fruit [that grows there].
