Cantiques 5
1 Je suis venu dans mon jardin, ma sœur, [ma] fiancée! J’ai cueilli ma myrrhe avec mes aromates, j’ai mangé mon rayon de miel avec mon miel, j’ai bu mon vin avec mon lait. Mangez, amis; buvez, buvez abondamment, bien-aimés!
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 Je dormais, mais mon cœur était réveillé. C’est la voix de mon bien-aimé qui heurte: Ouvre-moi, ma sœur, mon amie, ma colombe, ma parfaite! Car ma tête est pleine de rosée, mes boucles, des gouttes de la nuit.
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 – Je me suis dépouillée de ma tunique, comment la revêtirais-je? J’ai lavé mes pieds, comment les salirais-je? –
[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 Mon bien-aimé a avancé sa main par le guichet, et mes entrailles se sont émues à cause de lui.
The one who loves me put his hand through the opening [in the wall], and I was thrilled [that he was there].
5 Je me suis levée pour ouvrir à mon bien-aimé, et de mes mains a dégoutté la myrrhe, et de mes doigts, la myrrhe limpide, sur les poignées du verrou.
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 J’ai ouvert à mon bien-aimé, mais mon bien-aimé s’était retiré, il avait passé plus loin; mon âme s’en était allée pendant qu’il parlait. Je le cherchai, mais je ne le trouvai pas; je l’appelai, mais il ne me répondit pas.
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 Les gardes qui font la ronde par la ville me trouvèrent; ils me frappèrent, ils m’ont blessée; les gardes des murailles m’ont ôté mon voile de dessus moi.
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 Je vous adjure, filles de Jérusalem, si vous trouvez mon bien-aimé, que lui direz-vous? Que je suis malade d’amour.
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 Ton bien-aimé qu’est-il de plus qu’un autre bien-aimé, ô la plus belle parmi les femmes? Ton bien-aimé qu’est-il de plus qu’un autre bien-aimé, que tu nous adjures ainsi?
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 Mon bien-aimé est blanc et vermeil, un porte-bannière entre dix mille.
The man who loves me is handsome and healthy, (outstanding among/better than) (10,000/an uncountable number of) [other men].
11 Sa tête est un or très fin; ses boucles sont flottantes, noires comme un corbeau;
His head is [beautiful, like] [MET] purest gold; his hair is wavy and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.
12 ses yeux, comme des colombes près des ruisseaux d’eau, baignés dans le lait, bien enchâssés;
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 ses joues, comme des parterres d’aromates, des corbeilles de fleurs parfumées; ses lèvres, des lis distillant une myrrhe limpide;
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 ses mains, des rondelles d’or, où sont enchâssées des chrysolithes; son ventre, un ivoire poli, couvert de saphirs;
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 ses jambes, des colonnes de marbre blanc, reposant sur des socles d’or fin; son port, comme le Liban, distingué comme les cèdres;
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 son palais est plein de douceur, et toute sa personne est désirable. Tel est mon bien-aimé, tel est mon ami, filles de Jérusalem!
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].
