< Rwĩmbo 2 >

1 Niĩ ndĩ ihũa rĩa Sharoni, ningĩ gĩtoka gĩa ituamba-inĩ.
[SHE] I am The meadow-saffron of Sharon, The lily of the valleys.
2 O ta gĩtoka kĩrĩ mĩigua-inĩ-rĩ, nĩguo mwendwa wakwa atariĩ arĩ gatagatĩ ka airĩtu arĩa angĩ.
[HE] As a lily among thorns, So, is my fair one, among the daughters!
3 O ta mũtĩ wa mũtunda ũrĩ mĩtĩ-inĩ ya gĩthaka-rĩ, nĩguo mũnyendi atariĩ arĩ gatagatĩ ka aanake arĩa angĩ. Ngenagĩra gũikara kĩĩgunyĩ-inĩ gĩake, namo matunda make ngĩmacama njiguaga marĩ mũrĩo.
[SHE] As an apple-tree among the trees of the forest, So, is my beloved, among the sons: In his shade, I greatly delighted and sat down, And, his fruit, was sweet to my taste.
4 Nĩandoonyetie nyũmba nene ĩrĩa ĩrĩĩagĩrwo iruga, nayo bendera ĩrĩa ahaicĩtie igũrũ rĩakwa nĩ wendo.
He hath brought me into the house of wine, and, his banner over me, is love.
5 Njĩkĩrai hinya na thabibũ iria nyũmithie, mũnjerũhĩrie hinya na matunda, nĩ ũndũ ndĩ mũcuce nĩ wendo.
Sustain me with raisin-cakes, refresh me with apples, —for sick with love, I am.
6 Guoko gwake kwa ũmotho akũigĩte rungu rwa mũtwe wakwa, nakuo guoko gwake kwa ũrĩo gũkaahĩmbĩria.
His left hand under my head, then, his right hand, embraceth me!
7 Inyuĩ aarĩ a Jerusalemu, ndamwĩhĩtithia na thiiya, na mĩgoma ya thwariga cia werũ-inĩ atĩrĩ: Mũtikoimbuthũre wendo o na kana mũwarahũre, o nginya wĩrirĩrie kwarahũka guo mwene.
[HE] I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field, —That ye wake not, nor arouse, the dear love until she please!
8 Ta thikĩrĩria, ũcio nĩ mwendwa wakwa! Ta rora! Ĩĩ nĩwe ũyũ ũroka, akĩrũgaga akĩrĩire irĩma-inĩ, arooka agĩtũrũhaga tũrĩma-inĩ.
[SHE] The voice of my beloved! Lo! here he cometh, —leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills.
9 Mwendwa wakwa ahaana ta thiiya, kana ta thwariga ĩrĩa nyanake. Ta kĩrore! Nĩwe ũũrĩa ũrũngiĩ thuutha wa rũthingo rwitũ, ararorera ndirica-inĩ, agacũthĩrĩria mĩanya-inĩ.
Resembleth, my beloved, a gazelle, or a young stag, —Lo! here he is, standing behind our wall, looking in at the windows, peeping in at the lattice.
10 Mwendwa wakwa aaririe akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Mũrata wakwa, o wee mũthaka, ũkĩra tũthiĩ.
Responded my beloved, and said to me, —Rise up! my fair—my beautiful—one, and come away,
11 Atĩrĩrĩ! Hĩndĩ ya heho nĩ thiru; nayo mbura nĩĩkĩĩte ĩgatiga kuura.
For lo, the winter, is past, —the rain, is over, [and] gone;
12 Nĩ hĩndĩ mahũa marakunũka thĩ; ihinda rĩa kũina nĩikinyu, mĩgambo ya ndutura nĩĩraiguuo bũrũri-inĩ witũ.
The flowers, have appeared in the earth, the time of the spring-song, hath come, —and, the voice of the turtle, is heard in our land;
13 Mũkũyũ-rĩ, nĩũrutĩte ngũyũ cia mbere; mĩthabibũ ĩrĩa ĩratumũra kĩro nĩĩraruta mũtararĩko wayo wega. Ũkĩra, ũka mũrata wakwa; o wee wakwa mũthaka, ũkĩra tũthiĩ.”
The fig-tree, hath spiced her green figs, and, the vines—all blossom, yield fragrance, —Rise up! my fair—my beautiful—one, and come away!
14 Ndutura yakwa wee ũrĩ mĩatũka-inĩ ya rwaro rwa ihinga, kũu ciĩhitho-inĩ cia hurũrũka cia irĩma, nyonia ũthiũ waku, ta reke njigue mũgambo waku; nĩ ũndũ mũgambo waku nĩ mwororo, na ũthiũ waku nĩ mũthaka.
[HE] O my dove! In the retreats of the crag, in the hiding-place of the terrace, Let me see thy form, Let me hear thy voice, —For, thy voice, is sweet, and, thy form, comely.
15 Tũnyitĩrei mbwe, o tũbwe tũu tũnini, tũrĩa tũthũkagia mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ, o mĩthabibũ ĩyo iitũ ĩratumũra kĩro.
[BOTH] Take ye for us, the foxes, the little foxes that are spoiling the vines, —and, our vines, are all blossom!
16 Mwendwa wakwa nĩ wakwa na niĩ ndĩ wake; arĩithagia kũrĩa kũrĩ itoka.
[SHE] My beloved, is, mine, and, I, am, his, he that pastureth among lilies!
17 Hũndũka nginya rĩrĩa kũrĩĩrura, nacio ciĩruru ciirĩrie. Hũndũka mwendwa wakwa, tuĩka ta thiiya, kana ta thwariga nyanake, ĩrĩ irĩma-inĩ cia Betheri.
Until the day, breathe, and the shadows, be lengthened, Again, liken thyself, my beloved, to a gazelle, or to a young stag, upon the cleft mountains.

< Rwĩmbo 2 >