< Canticum Canticorum 6 >
1 Quo abiit dilectus tuus o pulcherrima mulierum? quo declinavit dilectus tuus, et quæremus eum tecum?
You who are the most beautiful of all the women, where has the one who loves you gone? [If you tell us] which [RHQ] direction he went, we will go with you to search for him.
2 Dilectus meus descendit in hortum suum ad areolam aromatum, ut pascatur in hortis, et lilia colligat.
The one who loves me has now come [to me, who am like] [MET, EUP] his garden, He has come to [enjoy my (charms/physical attractions) which are like] [MET, EUP] spices, to enjoy cuddling up to me [EUP, MET], and [kissing my lips, which are like] [MET] lilies.
3 Ego dilecto meo, et dilectus meus mihi, qui pascitur inter lilia.
I belong to the one who loves me, and the one who loves me belongs to me; he [enjoys kissing] my lips like [MET] [a shepherd enjoys] taking care of [his sheep].
4 Pulchra es amica mea, suavis, et decora sicut Ierusalem: terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata.
My darling, you are beautiful, like [SIM] Tirzah [the capital city of Israel] and Jerusalem [the capital city of Judah are beautiful]; you are as exciting [MET] as a [group/battalion of] troops holding up their banners.
5 Averte oculos tuos a me, quia ipsi me avolare fecerunt. Capilli tui sicut grex caprarum, quæ apparuerunt de Galaad.
Quit looking at me like that, because your eyes excite me very much. Your [long black] hair [moves from side to side] like [SIM] a flock of [black] goats [moving down the slopes] of Gilead [Mountain].
6 Dentes tui sicut grex ovium, quæ ascenderunt de lavacro, omnes gemellis fœtibus, et sterilis non est in eis.
Your teeth are [very white] like [SIM] a flock of sheep [whose wool] has just been shorn and that have come up from being washed [in a stream]. You have all of your teeth; none of them is missing.
7 Sicut cortex mali punici, sic genæ tuæ absque occultis tuis.
Beneath your veil, your cheeks are like [SIM] the halves of a pomegranate.
8 Sexaginta sunt reginæ, et octoginta concubinæ, et adolescentularum non est numerus.
Even if a king had 60 queens and 80 (concubines/slave wives) and more young women than anyone can count,
9 Una est columba mea, perfecta mea, una est matris suæ, electa genitrici suæ. Viderunt eam filiæ, et beatissimam prædicaverunt: reginæ et concubinæ, et laudaverunt eam.
[none of them would be like] my dove, who is perfect, you who are your mother’s only daughter, whom your mother considers to be very precious. [Other] young women who see you say that you are fortunate, and the queens and concubines recognize that you [are very beautiful].
10 Quæ est ista, quæ progreditur quasi aurora consurgens, pulchra ut luna, electa ut sol, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata?
Who is [RHQ] this woman who is [as delightful] as [SIM] the dawn, as fair/delightful [to look at] as [the light of] the moon, as exciting as a [group/battalion of] troops holding up their banners?
11 Descendi in hortum nucum, ut viderem poma convallium, et inspicerem si floruisset vinea, et germinassent mala punica.
I went down to some walnut trees to look at the new plants that were growing in the valley. I wanted to see if the grapevines had budded or if the pomegranate trees were blooming.
12 Nescivi: anima mea conturbavit me propter quadrigas Aminadab.
[But] before I realized it, my desire [to make love caused me to be as excited as] a prince riding in a chariot.
13 Revertere, revertere Sulamitis: revertere revertere, ut intueamur te. Quid videbis in Sulamite, nisi choros castrorum?
You who are the perfect one, come back [to us], in order that we may see you! Why do you want to look at this woman who is perfect, like [SIM] you like to watch two rows/lines of people dancing?