Hawo 5
1 Meva nye abɔ me, nɔvinye nyɔnu, nye ŋugbetɔ; megbe nye lifi kple nu ʋeʋĩwo. Meɖu nye anyito, heno nye anyitsi; meno nye wain kple nye notsi. Miɖu nu, eye miano nu, O xɔlɔ̃wo, miɖu nu miaɖi ƒo, O lɔlɔ̃tɔwo.
My bride, [you who are dearer to me than] my sister, I have come [to cuddle up to you] [MET, EUP]; [it will be as though] I will be gathering myrrh with my other spices, and eating my honey and my honeycomb, and drinking my wine and my milk. You two who love each other, enjoy your lovemaking; enjoy all that you want to.
2 Medɔ alɔ̃, gake nye dzi ya le ŋu. Miɖo to! Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ le ʋɔ ƒom! “Ʋu ʋɔ nam, nɔvinye nyɔnu, nye dzi lɔlɔ̃a, nye ahɔnɛ kple nye kpɔkpɔmatikɔe. Ahũ ƒo nye ta bekee, eye nye ɖa me yɔ fũu kple zãmu.
I was partially asleep, but my mind was [still] awake. Then I heard the one who loves me knocking [at the door]. [He said], “My darling, [you who are dearer to me than] my sister, my dear friend, my perfect one, my dove [MET], open the door for me! My hair is wet from the dew, from the mist [that has fallen during] the night.”
3 Meɖe nye awuwo ɖi; ɖe magatsɔ wo adoa? Meklɔ nye afɔwo; ɖe magaƒo ɖi woa?
[But] I had already taken off my robe; I did not [RHQ] want to put it on again [to open the door]. I had [already] washed my feet; I did not [RHQ] want them to become dirty again.
4 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ do asi ɖe fesre nu, nye dzi tso tititi ɖe eŋu.
The one who loves me put his hand through the opening [in the wall], and I was thrilled [that he was there].
5 Metso be maʋu ʋɔ na nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, eye ami ʋeʋĩ le tsyɔtsyɔm le nye asi kple asibidɛwo ŋu, heɖuɖu ɖe gameti la ƒe asiléƒe ŋu.
I got up to open [the door] for the one who loves me, [but first I put a lot of] myrrh on my hands. The myrrh was dripping from my fingers while I unlatched the bolt.
6 Meʋu ʋɔ na nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, gake nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ dzo; megale ʋɔa godo o. Esi wòdzo la, nye dzi ge ɖe dɔ me nam. Metsa dii, gake nyemekpɔe o. Meyɔe, gake metɔ o.
I opened [the door] for the man who loves me, but he had left. He had turned away and was gone! I was very disappointed [IDM]; I searched for him, but I could not find him. I called him, but he did not answer.
7 Zãɖiala siwo le tsatsam le dua me la do gom. Woƒom, de abi ŋunye; dzɔla siwo le gliwo ŋu dzɔm la hã xɔ awu kpekpe si medo ɖe awu dzi la le asinye!
The city watchmen saw me while they were walking around the city. They beat me and wounded me [because they thought I must be a prostitute]; those men who were guarding the city walls took my robe.
8 O Yerusalem vinyɔnuwo, meta mi; ne miekpɔ nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ la, nya kae miagblɔ nɛ? Migblɔ nɛ be lɔlɔ̃ de dɔ lãme nam.
You young women of Jerusalem, I plead with you, if you see the man who loves me, tell him [DOU] that I am very disappointed that we did not make love.
9 Wò, tugbefia, aleke wò lɔlɔ̃tɔ nyo wu lɔlɔ̃tɔ bubuawoe? Nu ka wò lɔlɔ̃tɔ tsɔ ƒo bubuawo tae hafi nèta nu na mí alea?
You who are the (fairest/most beautiful) among women, why [do you think that] the one who loves you is better than other men? In what way is the man who loves you better than other men with the result that you ask us to tell him that?
10 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ le keklẽm, eye wòbiã, ale wòƒo ame akpe ewo ta.
The man who loves me is handsome and healthy, (outstanding among/better than) (10,000/an uncountable number of) [other men].
11 Eƒe ta nye sika nyuitɔ, eƒe taɖa le mlɔmlɔmlɔ, eye wònyɔ abe akpaviã ƒe fu ene.
His head is [beautiful, like] [MET] purest gold; his hair is wavy and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.
12 Eƒe ŋkuwo le abe ahɔnɛ siwo le tɔʋuwo to la tɔwo ene, woklɔ wo kple notsi, eye wosɔ ɖe ŋkutome nɛ abe dzonu ene.
His eyes [are as gentle] as [SIM] doves along the streams; [the white parts of] his eyes are as white as [MET] milk, [with what resembles] jewels inlaid in them.
13 Eƒe alɔgowo le abe kutsetse ʋeʋĩ si ɖo ɖe ɖoɖo nu, eye wòle ya ɖem nyuie la ene. Eƒe nuyiwo le abe dzogbenya si le ami ʋeʋĩ tsyɔm la ene.
His cheeks are like [SIM] a garden full of spice trees that produce [sweet-smelling] perfume. His lips are [like] [SIM] lilies that have myrrh/perfume dripping from them.
14 Eƒe abɔwo le abe sikati si ŋuti woɖo sohamkpe ɖo la ene. Eƒe ŋutigbalẽ le abe nyiɖu si ŋuti wotutu wòzrɔ̃ nyuie, eye wotsɔ safir ɖo atsyɔ̃ ɖe eŋu la ene.
His arms are like [MET] gold bars/rods that are decorated with precious stones/jewels. His body is like [SIM] [a column/pillar of] ivory that is decorated with (sapphires/valuable [blue] stones).
15 Eƒe afɔwo le abe kpe xɔasi sɔti si wotsɔ sika nyuitɔ ɖo gɔmeɖokpe na la ene. Eƒe dzedzeme le abe Lebanon ene, eye wòxɔ asi abe eƒe sedatiwo ene.
His legs are [like] [MET] pillars of marble that are set in bases made of pure gold. He is [majestic, like the mountains of] [SIM] Lebanon, as delightful/beautiful as [SIM] cedar [trees].
16 Vivi le eƒe nu me gɔ̃ hã, eye eya amea dzeani ŋutɔ. O Yerusalem vinyɔnuwo, esiae nye nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ, esiae nye xɔ̃nye.”
His kisses [MTY] are extremely sweet; he is very handsome. You young women of Jerusalem, all that tells you why the one who loves me and who is my friend [is better than other men].
