Cantiques 6
1 Les filles de Jérusalem. Où est allé ton bien-aimé, ô la plus belle des femmes? où s’est retiré ton bien-aimé, et 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 L’Épouse. Mon bien-aimé est descendu dans son jardin, dans le parterre des aromates, afin de se repaître dans les jardins, et de 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 Moi, je suis à mon bien-aimé, et mon bien-aimé est à moi, lui qui se repaît 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 L’Époux. Tu es belle, mon amie, douce et gracieuse comme Jérusalem: terrible comme une armée rangée en bataille.
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 les yeux de moi, parce que ce sont eux qui m’ont fait partir promptement. Tes cheveux sont comme un troupeau de chèvres, qui ont apparu venant 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 sont montées du lavoir; toutes portent un double fruit; et de stérile, il n’en est point parmi elles.
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 Comme est l’écorce d’une grenade, ainsi sont tes joues, sans ce qui est caché en toi.
Beneath your veil, your cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
8 Il y a soixante reines et quatre-vingts femmes du second rang, et les jeunes filles sont 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 unique pour sa mère, préférée de celle qui lui a donné le jour. Les jeunes filles l’ont vue, et l’ont proclamée la plus heureuse; les reines et les femmes du second rang l’ont vue, et l’ont louée.
[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 Quelle est celle-ci qui s’avance comme l’aurore se levant, belle comme la lune, pure comme le soleil, terrible comme une armée rangée en bataille?
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 descendu dans le jardin des noyers, afin de voir les fruits des vallées, et afin de regarder si la vigne avait fleuri et si les grenades avait germé.
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 l’ai pas su: mon âme m’a jeté dans le trouble à cause des quadriges d’Aminadab.
[But] before I realized it, my desire [to make love caused me to be as excited as] a prince riding in a chariot.
13 Les filles de Jérusalem. Reviens, reviens, Sulamite; reviens, reviens, afin que nous te contemplions. Que verras-tu dans la Sulamite, sinon les chœurs des camps?
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?
