Cantiques 5
1 Je suis entré dans mon jardin, ô ma sœur, ma fiancée; j’ai récolté ma myrrhe et mon baume, j’ai mangé de mes rayons de miel, j’ai bu mon vin et mon lait. Mangez, mes compagnons, buvez et enivrez-vous, amis.
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 dors, mais mon cœur est éveillé: c’est la voix de mon bien-aimé! II frappe: "Ouvre-moi, ma sœur, ma compagne, ma colombe, mon amie accomplie; car ma tête est couverte de rosée, les boucles de mes cheveux sont humectées par les gouttelettes 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 "J’Ai enlevé ma tunique, comment pourrais-je la remettre? Je me suis lavé les pieds, comment pourrais-je les salir?"
[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 retire sa main de la lucarne, et mes entrailles s’émeuvent en sa faveur.
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 lève pour ouvrir à mon bien-aimé; mes mains dégouttent de myrrhe, mes doigts laissent couler la myrrhe 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’Ouvre à mon bien-aimé, mais mon bien-aimé est parti, a disparu mon âme s’était pâmée pendant qu’il parlait; je le cherche et je ne le trouve point, je l’appelle et il ne me répond 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 des rondes dans la ville me rencontrent, ils me frappent, me maltraitent; les gardiens des remparts m’enlèvent ma mantille.
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 en conjure, ô filles de Jérusalem: Si vous rencontrez 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 En quoi ton amant est-il supérieur aux autres amants, ô la plus belle des femmes? En quoi ton amant est-il supérieur aux autres amants, pour que tu nous conjures de la sorte?
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 amant est blanc et vermeil, distingué 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 comme l’or pur, les boucles de ses cheveux qui pendent sont noires comme le corbeau.
His head is [beautiful, like] [MET] purest gold; his hair is wavy and as black as [SIM] a raven/crow.
12 Ses yeux sont comme des colombes sur le bord des cours d’eau: ils semblent baignés dans le lait, ils sont bien posés dans leur cadre.
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 sont comme une plate-bande de baume, comme des tertres de plantes aromatiques; ses lèvres sont des roses, elles distillent la myrrhe liquide.
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 sont des cylindres d’or, incrustés d’onyx, son corps une œuvre d’art en ivoire, ornée 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 sont des colonnes de marbre fixées sur des socles d’or; son aspect est celui du Liban, superbe 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 n’est que douceur, tout en lui respire le charme. Tel est mon amant, tel est mon ami, ô 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].
