Rwĩmbo 6
1 Wee mũthaka gũkĩra andũ-a-nja arĩa angĩ othe-rĩ, mwendwa waku athiĩte kũ? Mwendwa waku arorire na kũ, nĩguo tũmũcarie nawe?
[DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM] Whither hath thy beloved, gone, thou most beautiful among women? whither hath thy beloved turned him aside? That we may seek him with thee.
2 Mwendwa wakwa aikũrũkire mũgũnda-inĩ wake, o tũmĩgũnda-inĩ tũrĩa tũtumanĩte mahuti marĩa manungi wega, athiĩte kũrĩithia kũu mĩgũnda-inĩ, agĩtuaga mahũa ma itoka.
[SHE] My beloved, is gone down to his garden, to the beds of balsam, —to pasture in the gardens, and to gather lilies,
3 Niĩ ndĩ wa mwendwa wakwa, nake nĩ wakwa; we arĩithagia itoka-inĩ.
I, am, my beloved’s, and, my beloved, is mine, he that pastureth among lilies.
4 Wee mwendwa wakwa, ũrĩ mũthaka, o ta bũrũri wa Tiriza, ũrĩ wa kwendeka o ta Jerusalemu, na ũkamakania o ta ita rĩrĩ na bendera.
[HE] Beautiful, art thou, my fair one, as Tirzah, comely, as Jerusalem, —majestic as bannered hosts!
5 Wĩhũgũre na kũngĩ, ũtige kũndora; maitho maku nĩmarahoota. Njuĩrĩ yaku no ta rũũru rwa mbũri rũgĩikũrũka Kĩrĩma kĩa Gileadi.
Turn away thine eyes from me, for, they, have excited me, —Thy hair, is like a flock of goats, that are reclining on the sides of Mount Gilead:
6 Magego maku mahaana ta rũũru rwa ngʼondu ikĩambata ciumĩte gũthambio. O ĩmwe yacio ĩrĩ na ihatha rĩayo, hatirĩ o na ĩmwe yacio ĩrĩ iiki.
Thy teeth, are like a flock of sheep which have come up from the washing-place, —whereof, all of them, are twin-bearers, and bereaved, is there none among them:
7 Thĩa ciaku ihaana ta ciatũ igĩrĩ cia itunda rĩa mũkomamanga, ikĩonerwo hau taama-inĩ ũcio ũkũhumbĩrĩte ũthiũ.
Like a slice of pomegranate, are thy temples, from behind thy veil:
8 No gũkorwo na atumia athamaki mĩrongo ĩtandatũ, na thuriya mĩrongo ĩnana, na airĩtu gathirange matangĩtarĩka;
Threescore, are the queens, and, fourscore, are the concubines, —and, virgins, there are, without number.
9 no ndutura yakwa, ũcio wakwa ũtarĩ ũcuuke-rĩ, gũtirĩ ũngĩ mahaanaine, nowe mũirĩtu wa nyina wiki, o we gĩtũnio kĩa ũcio mũmũciari. Airĩtu maamuonire makĩmwĩta mũrathime; nao atumia athamaki o na thuriya makĩmũkumia.
One alone, is my dove, my perfect one, one alone, was she to her mother, Pure, was she to her that bare her, —The daughters, have seen her, and pronounced her happy, Queens and concubines, and they have praised her.
10 Nũũ ũyũ ũroimĩra ta ruoro rũgĩtema, athakarĩte ta mweri, na agathera ta riũa, arĩ na ũkengu ta wa njata irũrũnganĩte?
[THEY] Who is this, that looketh forth like the dawn, beautiful as the moon, pure as the sun, majestic as bannered hosts?
11 Nĩndĩraikũrũkire mũgũnda wa mĩkombokombo, ngarore tũmĩtĩ tũrĩa tũmerete kũu gĩtuamba-inĩ, nĩguo nyone kana mĩthabibũ nĩĩthundũrĩte, o na kana mĩkomamanga nĩĩrutĩte kĩro.
[HE] To the garden of nuts, I went down, to look at the fresh shoots of the ravine, —to see whether: had burst forth the vine, had blossomed the pomegranate: —
12 O na itanamenya ũrĩa gũtariĩ-rĩ, merirĩria ma ngoro yakwa marandwara gatagatĩ-inĩ ka ngaari cia mũthamaki cia ita cia andũ aitũ.
I know not [how it was], my soul, set for me the chariots of my willing people!
13 Cooka, cooka, wee Mũshulamu; cooka, cooka, nĩgeetha tũkwĩrorere! Mwendani Mũkwenda kwĩrorera Mũshulamu ũyũ nĩkĩ, taarĩ rwĩmbo rwa Mahanaimu mũreerorera?
[THEY] Return, return, O Shulamite, Return, return, that we may look on thee! [SHE] What would ye look on in the Shulamite? [THEY] As it were the dance of a double camp…
