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 have come to my garden, my sister-spouse, I have plucked my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my comb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk. Eat, O friends, drink, Indeed, drink abundantly, O beloved ones!
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.
I am sleeping, but my heart wakes: The sound of my beloved knocking! “Open to me, my sister, my friend, My dove, my perfect one, For my head is filled [with] dew, My locks [with] drops of the night.”
3 Expoliavi me tunica mea, quomodo induar illa? lavi pedes meos, quomodo inquinabo illos?
I have put off my coat, how do I put it on? I have washed my feet, how do I defile them?
4 Dilectus meus misit manum suam per foramen, et venter meus intremuit ad tactum eius.
My beloved sent his hand from the network, And my bowels were moved for him.
5 Surrexi, ut aperirem dilecto meo: manus meae stillaverunt myrrham, et digiti mei pleni myrrha probatissima.
I rose to open to my beloved, And my hands dripped myrrh, Indeed, my fingers were flowing [with] myrrh, On the handles of the lock.
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 to my beloved, But my beloved withdrew—he passed on, My soul went forth when he spoke, I sought him, and did not find him. I called him, and he did not answer me.
7 Invenerunt me custodes qui circumeunt civitatem: percusserunt me, et vulneraverunt me: tulerunt pallium meum mihi custodes murorum.
The watchmen who go around the city, Found me, struck me, wounded me, Keepers of the walls lifted up my veil from off me.
8 Adiuro vos filiae Ierusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuncietis ei quia amore langueo.
I have adjured you, daughters of Jerusalem, If you find my beloved—What do you tell him? That I [am] sick with love!
9 Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adiurasti nos?
What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved, O beautiful among women? What [is] your beloved above [any] beloved, That thus you have adjured us?
10 Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus, electus ex millibus.
My beloved [is] clear and ruddy, Conspicuous above a myriad!
11 Caput eius aurum optimum: Comae eius sicut elatae palmarum, nigrae quasi corvus.
His head [is] pure gold—fine gold, His locks flowing, dark as a raven,
12 Oculi eius sicut columbae super rivulos aquarum, quae lacte sunt lotae, et resident iuxta fluenta plenissima.
His eyes as doves by streams of water, Washing in milk, sitting in fullness.
13 Genae illius sicut areolae aromatum consitae a pigmentariis. Labia eius lilia distillantia myrrham primam.
His cheeks [are] as a bed of the spice, towers of perfumes, His lips—lilies, dripping [and] flowing [with] myrrh,
14 Manus illius tornatiles aureae, plenae hyacinthis. Venter eius eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.
His hands rings of gold, set with beryl, His heart bright ivory, covered with sapphires,
15 Crura illius columnae marmoreae, quae fundatae sunt super bases aureas. Species eius ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
His limbs pillars of marble, Founded on sockets of fine gold, His appearance as Lebanon, choice as the cedars.
16 Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis: talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiae Ierusalem.
His mouth is sweetness—and all of him desirable, This [is] my beloved, and this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!
