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.
My darling, you are beautiful, you are very beautiful! Underneath your veil, your eyes are [as gentle as] [MET] doves. Your [long black] hair [moves from side to side] like [SIM] a flock of [black] goats moving down the slopes of Gilead Mountain.
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 [very white] like [SIM] a flock of sheep [whose wool] has [just] been (shorn/cut off) and that have come up from being washed [in a stream]. You have all of your teeth; none of them is missing.
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 like [SIM] a scarlet ribbon, and your mouth is lovely. Beneath your veil, your [round, rosy/red] cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
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 [long] neck is [beautiful] like [SIM] the tower of [King] David that was built using layers/rows of stone. [The ornaments on your necklaces are like] 1,000 [HYP] shields that are hanging [on the walls of a tower]; each one belongs to a warrior.
5 Nyondo ciaku cierĩ ihaana ta ciana igĩrĩ cia thiiya, ikahaana ciana cia mahatha cia thiiya ikĩrĩa itoka-inĩ.
Your breasts are [as beautiful] [SIM] as two (fawns/young gazelles) that eat [grass] among lilies.
6 Nĩngũthiĩ kĩrĩma-inĩ kĩa manemane, na nginye karĩma-inĩ ka ũbani, njikare kuo nginya kũrĩĩrura, nacio ciĩruru ciirĩrie.
Until dawn [tomorrow morning] and the nighttime shadows/darkness disappear, I will [lie close to your breasts] that are [like] [MET] hills that are covered with incense [DOU].
7 Wee mwendwa wakwa ũrĩ mũthaka biũ; ndũrĩ na kameni o na kanini.
My darling, you are completely beautiful; your body is perfectly [formed]!
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.
My bride, [it is as though you are in] [MET] Lebanon [far away, where I cannot reach you]; come back to me. [It is as though you are inaccessible] [MET] on the top of Hermon Mountain or the nearby peaks. Come from where the lions have their dens and where the leopards live on the mountains.
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.
My bride [DOU], you who are dearer to me than my sister, you have captured my affection [IDM] by only once quickly looking at me, and by one [strand of] jewels in your necklace.
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!
My bride, your love for me is delightful! It more delightful than wine! And the fragrance of your perfume is more pleasing 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.
Being kissed by you is [as enjoyable as eating] [MTY] honey; your kisses are as sweet as milk [mixed with] honey. The aroma of your clothes is like [SIM] the aroma of [cedar trees in] 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 bride, [you who are dearer to me than] [MET] my sister, you are [like] [MET] a garden that is locked [in order that other men cannot enter it]; [you are like] [MET] a spring or a fountain that is covered [in order that others may not drink from it].
13 Thuuna ciaku nĩ ta mũgũnda wa mĩtĩ ya mĩkomamanga ĩ na matunda mega mũno, ũrĩ na mĩhanuni, na mĩtĩ ĩrĩa yumaga uundi,
You are [like] [MET] an orchard of pomegranate trees full of delicious fruit, and plenty of [plants that produce] henna and nard [spices],
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.
and saffron and calamus and cinnamon and many other kinds of incense, and myrrh and aloes and many [other] fine spices.
15 Wee-rĩ, ũrĩ itherũkĩro rĩa maaĩ rĩrĩ mũgũnda, ũrĩ gĩthima kĩa maaĩ megũtherera, maikũrũkĩte moimĩte Lebanoni.
[You are like] [MET] a fountain in a garden, [like] [MET] a spring of clear water that flows [down] from [the mountains of] 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.
[I want] the north wind and the south wind to come, and blow on my garden, [in order that] the fragrance [of the spices will] spread through the air. [Similarly], I want the one who loves me to come and enjoy [cuddling up to me] [like] [MET, EUP] someone comes into a garden and enjoys eating the fruit [that grows there].
