Hawo 6
1 Tugbewo ƒe fia, afi ka wò lɔlɔ̃tɔ yi? Mɔ ka wò lɔlɔ̃tɔ to, ne míakpe ɖe ŋuwò adii?
You who are the most beautiful of all the women, where has the one who loves you gone? [If you tell us] which [RHQ] direction he went, we will go with you to search for him.
2 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ yi ɖe eƒe abɔ me; eyi atike ʋeʋĩwo ƒe bo dzi, ne wòatsa le wo me agbe dzogbenyawo.
The one who loves me has now come [to me, who am like] [MET, EUP] his garden, He has come to [enjoy my (charms/physical attractions) which are like] [MET, EUP] spices, to enjoy cuddling up to me [EUP, MET], and [kissing my lips, which are like] [MET] lilies.
3 Nye lɔlɔ̃tɔ nye tɔnye, eye nye hã menye etɔ; ele tsa ɖim le dzogbenyawo dome.
I belong to the one who loves me, and the one who loves me belongs to me; he [enjoys kissing] my lips like [MET] [a shepherd enjoys] taking care of [his sheep].
4 Nye dzi lɔlɔ̃a, èdze tugbe abe Tirza ene, ènya kpɔ abe Yerusalem ene, eye fianyenye le ŋutiwò abe asrafoha siwo lé aflaga ɖe asi ene.
My darling, you are beautiful, like [SIM] Tirzah [the capital city of Israel] and Jerusalem [the capital city of Judah are beautiful]; you are as exciting [MET] as a [group/battalion of] troops holding up their banners.
5 Ɖe wò ŋku ɖa le ŋunye; wowu gbɔgblɔ nam, wò taɖa le abe gbɔ̃ha siwo ɖi tso Gilead to dzi la ene.
Quit looking at me like that, because your eyes excite me very much. Your [long black] hair [moves from side to side] like [SIM] a flock of [black] goats [moving down the slopes] of Gilead [Mountain].
6 Wò aɖuwo fu abe alẽha siwo tso tsileƒe ene. Wo katã wole zɔzɔm eveve, eye ɖeke metsi akogo o.
Your teeth are [very white] like [SIM] a flock of sheep [whose wool] has just been shorn and that have come up from being washed [in a stream]. You have all of your teeth; none of them is missing.
7 Wò tonuƒui le dzedzem le moxevɔ me abe atɔtɔ si woma ɖe eve la ene.
Beneath your veil, your cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
8 Fiasrɔ̃wo le blaade, ahiãviwo le blaenyi, hekpe ɖe ɖetugbi dzadzɛ siwo mele xexlẽme o la ŋuti;
Even if a king had 60 queens and 80 (concubines/slave wives) and more young women than anyone can count,
9 gake nye ahɔnɛ si de blibo si le tɔxɛ, dadaa ƒe vinyɔnu ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ lae nye ame si nye dzila ƒe malɔ̃nulegbɔa. Ɖetugbiawo kpɔe, eye woyɔe be yayratɔ; fiasrɔ̃wo kple ahiãviawo hã kafui.
[none of them would be like] my dove, who is perfect, you who are your mother’s only daughter, whom your mother considers to be very precious. [Other] young women who see you say that you are fortunate, and the queens and concubines recognize that you [are very beautiful].
10 Ame kae nye esi le dzedzem abe agudzedze ene, nyo abe ɣleti ene, le keklẽm abe ɣe ene, eye wòle zɔzɔm fiatɔe abe ɣletiviwoe le asaɖa bɔm ene?
Who is [RHQ] this woman who is [as delightful] as [SIM] the dawn, as fair/delightful [to look at] as [the light of] the moon, as exciting as a [group/battalion of] troops holding up their banners?
11 Meyi ɖe azitiwo te, ne makpɔ gbe fɛ̃ siwo le balime, ne makpɔe ɖa be wainkawo te tsetse alo yevuzitiwo ƒo se mahã.
I went down to some walnut trees to look at the new plants that were growing in the valley. I wanted to see if the grapevines had budded or if the pomegranate trees were blooming.
12 Hafi mava nya la, nye didi kplɔm yi ɖe nye dukɔ ƒe fia ƒe tasiaɖamwo dome.
[But] before I realized it, my desire [to make love caused me to be as excited as] a prince riding in a chariot.
13 Trɔ va, trɔ va, O Sulamitɔ trɔ va, trɔ va, be míalé ŋku ɖe ŋuwò sẽe! Nu ka ta miebe míalé ŋku ɖe Sulamitɔ ŋu abe ale si miewɔna ne wole Mahanaim ɣe ɖum la ene?
You who are the perfect one, come back [to us], in order that we may see you! Why do you want to look at this woman who is perfect, like [SIM] you like to watch two rows/lines of people dancing?
