Rwĩmbo 4
1 Hĩ, kaĩ wee mwendwa wakwa ũkĩrĩ mũthaka-ĩ! Ĩĩ ti-itherũ ũrĩ mũthaka! Maitho maku mahaana ta ma ndutura makĩonerwo hau taama-inĩ ũcio ũkũhumbĩrĩte ũthiũ. Njuĩrĩ yaku no ta rũũru rwa mbũri rũgĩikũrũka Kĩrĩma-inĩ kĩa Gileadi.
How beautiful you look, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil. Your hair flows down like a flock of goats descending Mount Gilead.
2 Magego maku mahaana ta rũũru rwa ngʼondu ciarĩkia kũmurwo guoya o ũguo, ikĩambata ciumĩte gũthambio. O ĩmwe yacio ĩrĩ na ihatha rĩayo; hatirĩ o na ĩmwe yacio ĩrĩ iiki.
Your teeth are as white as a flock of sheep that are just shorn and washed. None of them are missing—they are all perfectly matched.
3 Mĩromo yaku ĩhaana ta uuthi mũtune; kanua gaku kagĩrĩte mũno. Thĩa ciaku ihaana ta ciatũ igĩrĩ cia itunda rĩa mũkomamanga, ikĩonerwo hau taama-inĩ ũcio ũkũhumbĩrĩte ũthiũ.
Your lips are as red as scarlet thread. Your mouth is gorgeous. Your cheeks are the blushing color of pomegranates behind your veil.
4 Ngingo yaku ĩhaana ta mũthiringo ũrĩa mũraihu wa Daudi, wakĩtwo wega mũno; nakuo gũgacuurio ngo ngiri, na ciothe nĩ ngo cia njamba cia ita.
Your neck is as tall and shapely as David's tower, with your necklaces like the hanging shields of a thousand warriors.
5 Nyondo ciaku cierĩ ihaana ta ciana igĩrĩ cia thiiya, ikahaana ciana cia mahatha cia thiiya ikĩrĩa itoka-inĩ.
Your breasts are like two fawns, two gazelles feeding among the lilies.
6 Nĩngũthiĩ kĩrĩma-inĩ kĩa manemane, na nginye karĩma-inĩ ka ũbani, njikare kuo nginya kũrĩĩrura, nacio ciĩruru ciirĩrie.
Before the morning breezes blow and the shadows disappear, I must hurry to those mountains of myrrh and frankincense.
7 Wee mwendwa wakwa ũrĩ mũthaka biũ; ndũrĩ na kameni o na kanini.
You are incredibly beautiful, my darling—you are absolutely flawless!
8 Ũka tũthiĩ nawe, mũhiki wakwa, tuume Lebanoni, nĩtũthiĩ nawe tuume Lebanoni. Harũrũka uume gacũmbĩrĩ-inĩ ka Amana, ũkiume kĩrĩma gĩa Seniru, o gacũmbĩrĩ ka Herimoni, uume kũu imamo-inĩ cia mĩrũũthi, ũkiume irĩma-inĩ icio cia ngarĩ.
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, come from Lebanon. Come down from the peak of Amana, from the peaks of Senir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains where leopards live.
9 Nĩũtahĩte ngoro yakwa, wee mwarĩ wa maitũ, o wee mũhiki wakwa; nĩũtahĩte ngoro yakwa na irora o rĩmwe rĩa maitho maku, na ithaga rĩmwe rĩa mũgathĩ waku wa ngingo.
You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride. With just one look you stole my heart, with just one sparkle from a single one of your necklaces.
10 Wee mwarĩ wa maitũ, o we mũhiki wakwa, kaĩ wendo waku nĩ wa gũkenerwo-ĩ! Ĩĩ wendo waku nĩ wa gũkenania mũno gũkĩra ndibei, naguo mũtararĩko wa maguta maku nĩ mwega kũrĩ wa mahuti mothe marĩa manungi wega!
How wonderful is your love, my sister, my bride! Your love is sweeter than wine. The way you smell from your perfumed oils is better than any spice.
11 Wee mũhiki wakwa, mĩromo yaku ĩtaatagia mũrĩo ta magua ma ũũkĩ; iria na ũũkĩ irĩ rungu rwa rũrĩmĩ rwaku. Mũtararĩko mwega wa nguo ciaku no ta ũrĩa wa Lebanoni.
Nectar drips from your lips; milk and honey are under your tongue. The smell of your clothes is like the fragrance of Lebanon.
12 Wee mwarĩ wa maitũ, o wee mũhiki wakwa, ũhaana ta mũgũnda mũirigĩre, ũkahaana ta gĩthima kĩirigĩre, na ta itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ ihingĩrĩrie.
My sister, my bride, is a locked garden, a spring of water that is closed, a fountain that is sealed.
13 Thuuna ciaku nĩ ta mũgũnda wa mĩtĩ ya mĩkomamanga ĩ na matunda mega mũno, ũrĩ na mĩhanuni, na mĩtĩ ĩrĩa yumaga uundi,
Your channel is a paradise of pomegranates, full of the best fruits, with henna and nard,
14 ĩkoima uundi na manjano, na irago na mĩndarathini, hamwe na mũtĩ o wothe wa ũbani, na manemane na thubiri, na mahuti mothe marĩa manungi wega mũno.
nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon, with all kinds of trees producing frankincense, myrrh, aloes, and the finest spices.
15 Wee-rĩ, ũrĩ itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ rĩrĩ mũgũnda, ũrĩ gĩthima kĩa maaĩ megũtherera, maikũrũkĩte moimĩte Lebanoni.
You are a garden fountain, a well of living water, a flowing stream from Lebanon.
16 Wee rũhuho rwa gathigathini ũkĩra, nawe rũhuho rwa gũthini-rĩ, ũka! Hurutanaai mũgũnda-inĩ wakwa, nĩguo mũtararĩko waguo ũhunje kũndũ kũraya. Mwendwa wakwa nĩatoonye mũgũnda-inĩ wake, na arĩe matunda maguo o macio mega mũno.
Wake up, north wind! Come, south wind! Blow on my garden so its scent may be carried on the breeze. Let my love come to his garden and eat its best fruits.
