Canticum Canticorum 5
1 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 charissimi.
I enter my garden, my sister, my bride! I gather myrrh with my spice. I eat my honeycomb with my honey. I drink wine with my milk. Let us eat our fill of love! Let us be drunk with love!
2 Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat: vox dilecti mei pulsantis: Aperi mihi soror mea, amica mea, columba mea, immaculata mea: quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
Though I was asleep, my mind was racing. I heard my love knocking, and calling out, “Please open the door, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect love. My head is soaked with dew, my hair is wet from the night mist.”
3 Expoliavi me tunica mea, quomodo induar illa? lavi pedes meos, quomodo inquinabo illos?
I replied, “I've already got undressed. I don't have to get dressed again, do I? I've already washed my feet. I don't have to make them dirty again, do I?”
4 Dilectus meus misit manum suam per foramen, et venter meus intremuit ad tactum eius.
My love thrust his hand into the opening. Deep inside I longed for him.
5 Surrexi, ut aperirem dilecto meo: manus meae stillaverunt myrrham, et digiti mei pleni myrrha probatissima.
I got up to let my love in. My hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with liquid myrrh, as I grabbed the handles of the bolt.
6 Pessulum ostii mei aperui dilecto meo: at ille declinaverat, atque transierat. Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est: quaesivi, et non inveni illum: vocavi, et non respondit mihi.
I opened up to my love, but he had left—he was gone! I was crushed as a result. I looked for him but I couldn't find him. I called him but he didn't answer.
7 Invenerunt me custodes qui circumeunt civitatem: percusserunt me, et vulneraverunt me: tulerunt pallium meum mihi custodes murorum.
The watchmen found me as they went through the city. They beat me, they hurt me, and stole my cloak, those watchmen of the walls.
8 Adiuro vos filiae Ierusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuncietis ei quia amore langueo.
Women of Jerusalem, promise me if you find my love and wonder what you should tell him, tell him I am weak with love.
9 Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adiurasti nos?
Why is the one you love better than any other, most beautiful of women? In what way is the one you love better than any other that we should promise you that?
10 Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus, electus ex millibus.
My love has dazzling good looks and is very fit—better than ten thousand others!
11 Caput eius aurum optimum: Comae eius sicut elatae palmarum, nigrae quasi corvus.
His head is like the finest gold, his hair is wavy and black as the raven.
12 Oculi eius sicut columbae super rivulos aquarum, quae lacte sunt lotae, et resident iuxta fluenta plenissima.
His eyes are like doves beside springs of water, washed with milk and mounted like sparkling jewels.
13 Genae illius sicut areolae aromatum consitae a pigmentariis. Labia eius lilia distillantia myrrham primam.
His cheeks are like a flowerbed of spices that produces fragrance. His lips are like lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
14 Manus illius tornatiles aureae, plenae hyacinthis. Venter eius eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.
His arms are round bars of gold inlaid with jewels. His abdomen is like carved ivory inlaid with lapis lazuli.
15 Crura illius columnae marmoreae, quae fundatae sunt super bases aureas. Species eius ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
His legs are columns of alabaster set on bases of gold. He looks strong, like the mighty cedars of Lebanon.
16 Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis: talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiae Ierusalem.
His mouth is the sweetest ever; he is totally desirable! This is my love, my friend, women of Jerusalem.
