Cantiques 5
1 Je viens dans mon jardin, ma sœur, ma fiancée! Je cueille ma myrrhe avec mon baume; je mange mon miel avec le jus de mes raisins; je bois mon vin avec mon lait. « Mangez, compagnons, buvez et vous enivrez d'amour! »
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 J'étais endormie, mais mon cœur veillait. C'est la voix de mon bien-aimé! il heurte! « Ouvre-moi, ma sœur, ma bien-aimée; ma colombe, ma pure! Car ma tête est pleine de rosée, et mes tresses, de la bruine 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 ôté ma tunique, comment la remettrais-je? j'ai baigné mes pieds, comment les souillerais-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 avança sa main par le soupirail, et mon cœur battit pour 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 levai pour ouvrir à mon bien-aimé, et mes mains furent trempées de myrrhe, et mes doigts, d'une myrrhe onctueuse, en se posant 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'ouvris à mon bien-aimé; mais mon bien-aimé était parti, disparu. J'étais hors de moi, quand il me parlait… Je le cherchai, mais ne le trouvai point; je l'appelai, mais il ne 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 Je fus trouvée par les gardes qui parcourent la ville; ils me frappèrent et me meurtrirent; ils m'ôtèrent mon voile les gardes des murs.
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 pensez-vous à lui dire?… 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 Qu'a ton bien-aimé de plus qu'un autre bien-aimé, ô la plus belle des femmes? Qu'a ton bien-aimé de plus qu'un autre bien-aimé, pour nous adjurer 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, remarquable parmi des milliers;
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 pur, ses tresses sont les rameaux flottants du palmier, noires comme l'aile du 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 ceux des colombes près des ruisseaux, baignés dans le lait, comme enchâssés à leur place,
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 un parterre de baume, une couche de parfums, ses lèvres, des lys qui distillent une myrrhe onctueuse,
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 forment des anneaux d'or garnis de chrysolithe; son corps est un travail d'ivoire 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, posant sur des bases d'or; son aspect est pareil à celui du Liban, aussi distingué que celui des 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 la douceur même, et toute sa personne est agréable: 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].
