Canticum Canticorum 5
1 Sponsus Veni in hortum meum, soror mea, sponsa; messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis; comedi favum cum melle meo; bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo; comedite, amici, et bibite, et inebriamini, carissimi.
I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; to take my myrrh with my spice; my wax with my honey; my wine with my milk. Take meat, O friends; take wine, yes, be overcome with love.
2 Sponsa Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat. Vox dilecti mei pulsantis: Sponsus Aperi mihi, soror mea, amica mea, columba mea, immaculata mea, quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
I am sleeping, but my heart is awake; it is the sound of my loved one at the door, saying, Be open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my very beautiful one; my head is wet with dew, and my hair with the drops of the night.
3 Sponsa Expoliavi me tunica mea: quomodo induar illa? lavi pedes meos: quomodo inquinabo illos?
I have put off my coat; how may I put it on? My feet are washed; how may I make them unclean?
4 Dilectus meus misit manum suam per foramen, et venter meus intremuit ad tactum ejus.
My loved one put his hand on the door, and my heart was moved for him.
5 Surrexi ut aperirem dilecto meo; manus meæ stillaverunt myrrham, et digiti mei pleni myrrha probatissima.
I got up to let my loved one in; and my hands were dropping with myrrh, and my fingers with liquid myrrh, on the lock of the door.
6 Pessulum ostii mei aperui dilecto meo, at ille declinaverat, atque transierat. Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est; quæsivi, et non inveni illum; vocavi, et non respondit mihi.
I made the door open to my loved one; but my loved one had taken himself away, and was gone, my soul was feeble when his back was turned on me; I went after him, but I did not come near him; I said his name, but he gave me no answer.
7 Invenerunt me custodes qui circumeunt civitatem; percusserunt me, et vulneraverunt me. Tulerunt pallium meum mihi custodes murorum.
The keepers who go about the town overtook me; they gave me blows and wounds; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 Adjuro vos, filiæ Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuntietis ei quia amore langueo.
I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say to him? That I am overcome with love.
9 Chorus Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adjurasti nos?
What is your loved one more than another, O fairest among women? What is your loved one more than another, that you say this to us?
10 Sponsa Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus; electus ex millibus.
My loved one is white and red, the chief among ten thousand.
11 Caput ejus aurum optimum; comæ ejus sicut elatæ palmarum, nigræ quasi corvus.
His head is as the most delicate gold; his hair is thick, and black as a raven.
12 Oculi ejus sicut columbæ super rivulos aquarum, quæ lacte sunt lotæ, et resident juxta fluenta plenissima.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the water streams, washed with milk, and rightly placed.
13 Genæ illius sicut areolæ aromatum, consitæ a pigmentariis. Labia ejus lilia, distillantia myrrham primam.
His face is as beds of spices, giving out perfumes of every sort; his lips like lilies, dropping liquid myrrh.
14 Manus illius tornatiles, aureæ, plenæ hyacinthis. Venter ejus eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.
His hands are as rings of gold ornamented with beryl-stones; his body is as a smooth plate of ivory covered with sapphires.
15 Crura illius columnæ marmoreæ quæ fundatæ sunt super bases aureas. Species ejus ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
His legs are as pillars of stone on a base of delicate gold; his looks are as Lebanon, beautiful as the cedar-tree.
16 Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis. Talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiæ Jerusalem.
His mouth is most sweet; yes, he is all beautiful. This is my loved one, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
