Cantiques 6
1 Où est allé ton bien-aimé, O la plus belle des femmes? De quel côté ton bien-aimé s’est-il dirigé? Nous le chercherons avec toi.
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 Mon bien-aimé est descendu à son jardin, Au parterre d’aromates, Pour faire paître son troupeau dans les jardins, Et pour cueillir des lis.
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 Je suis à mon bien-aimé, et mon bien-aimé est à moi; Il fait paître son troupeau parmi les lis.
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 Tu es belle, mon amie, comme Thirtsa, Agréable comme Jérusalem, Mais terrible comme des troupes sous leurs bannières.
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 Détourne de moi tes yeux, car ils me troublent. Tes cheveux sont comme un troupeau de chèvres, Suspendues aux flancs de Galaad.
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 Tes dents sont comme un troupeau de brebis, Qui remontent de l’abreuvoir; Toutes portent des jumeaux, Aucune d’elles n’est stérile.
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 Ta joue est comme une moitié de grenade, Derrière ton voile…
Beneath your veil, your cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
8 Il y a soixante reines, quatre-vingts concubines, Et des jeunes filles sans nombre.
Even if a king had 60 queens and 80 (concubines/slave wives) and more young women than anyone can count,
9 Une seule est ma colombe, ma parfaite; Elle est l’unique de sa mère, La préférée de celle qui lui donna le jour. Les jeunes filles la voient, et la disent heureuse; Les reines et les concubines aussi, et elles la louent.
[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 Qui est celle qui apparaît comme l’aurore, Belle comme la lune, pure comme le soleil, Mais terrible comme des troupes sous leurs bannières?
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 Je suis descendue au jardin des noyers, Pour voir la verdure de la vallée, Pour voir si la vigne pousse, Si les grenadiers fleurissent.
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 Je ne sais, mais mon désir m’a rendue semblable Aux chars de mon noble peuple.
[But] before I realized it, my desire [to make love caused me to be as excited as] a prince riding in a chariot.
13 Reviens, reviens, Sulamithe! Reviens, reviens, afin que nous te regardions. Qu’avez-vous à regarder la Sulamithe Comme une danse de deux chœurs?
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?
