Loyembo ya Salomo 1
1 Oyo nde nzembo oyo eleki kitoko kati na banzembo ya Salomo.
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 Tika ete bibebu na yo epesa ngai beze, pamba te bolingo na yo eleki vino na elengi.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 Solo ya malasi na yo ezali kitoko, mobimba na yo ezali lokola solo ya malasi ya kitoko oyo epanzani; yango wana bilenge basi balingaka yo!
The fragrance of the cologne on your [skin] is [very] sweet/pleasing [CHI]. And your reputation is [very] good and spreads, [like] [SIM] the fragrance of the special oil spread on your skin. That is why the [other] young women are attracted to you.
4 Tokende na yo elongo, tokima mbangu! Mokonzi akotisi ngai na bashambre na ye! Tovanda elongo na esengo mpe tosepela na tina na yo, tosanzola bolingo na yo, oyo eleki vino ya kitoko na elengi. Solo, ezali na pamba te nde basi balulaka yo!
Take me quickly; take me to your home. [It is as though] you are my king; take me into your room. We are very happy [DOU] about you; we say that your love [for each other] is better than wine. It is not surprising that the other young women adore you.
5 Oh bilenge basi ya Yelusalemi, nazali mwindo, kasi nazali kitoko! Solo, nazali mwindo lokola bandako ya kapo ya Kedari, lokola barido ya kitoko na ndako ya kapo ya Salomo.
You women of Jerusalem, I am dark but beautiful; my dark skin is like [SIM] the tents in Kedar, [or] like the beautiful curtains in Solomon’s palace.
6 Kokamwa ngai te mpo ete nazali mwindo, pamba te moyi nde eyindisi ngai. Bana mibali ya mama na ngai basilikelaki ngai, bakomisaki ngai mokengeli bilanga ya vino. Solo, bilanga na ngai moko ya vino, nazalaki kokoka lisusu te kokengela yango.
[But] do not stare at me because of the sun having caused my skin to become dark; my brothers were angry with me, [so] they forced me to work [out in the sunshine] in the vineyards, so I was not able to take good care of my body/skin [CHI, MET].
7 Oh mobali oyo ngai nalingaka, yebisa ngai esika nini oleisaka bibwele na yo, esika nini opemisaka bampate na yo na midi! Mpo na nini nazala lokola mwasi oyo azali koyengayenga sima na bibwele ya baninga na yo?
You whom I [SYN] love, where will you take your flock of sheep today? Where will you allow them to rest at noontime? I want to know because it is not right [RHQ] for me to wander around like a prostitute looking for you among the flocks that belong to your friends.
8 Oh mwasi oyo aleki basi nyonso na kitoko, soki oyebi yango te, landa kaka matambe ya bibwele, na banzela oyo yango elekeli, mpe leisa bana bantaba ya basi na yo pembeni ya bandako ya kapo ya babateli bibwele.
You who are the most beautiful of all the women, if you [search for me and] do not know [where I will take my sheep], follow the tracks/footprints of the sheep. [Then] allow your young goats to (graze/eat grass) near the shepherds’ tents.
9 Oh bolingo na ngai, nazali komona yo lokola mpunda ya mwasi oyo ebendaka shar ya Faraon.
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 Matama na yo ezalaka kitoko kati na biloko ya matoyi, mpe kingo na yo ebongaka na mayaka.
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 Tokolukela yo biloko ya matoyi ya wolo oyo batia bambuma ya mike-mike ya palata.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 Tango mokonzi azalaki kolia na mesa na ye, malasi na ngai ya nare ezalaki kopanza solo na yango ya kitoko.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 Molingami na ngai azali mpo na ngai lokola liboke ya malasi ya mire, akolekisa butu na ye na kati-kati ya mabele na ngai.
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 Molingami na ngai azali mpo na ngai lokola liboke ya bambuma ya ene oyo ewutaka na bilanga ya vino ya Eyini-Gedi.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Oh mwasi na ngai ya motema, ozali kitoko! Solo, ozali penza kitoko makasi! Miso na yo elala lokola ebenga.
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 Mobali na ngai, tala ndenge nini ozali kitoko! Ozali penza elengi. Mbeto na biso ezali nde matiti ya mobesu,
You who love me, you are very delightful/handsome, you are wonderful! This green grass will be [like] a couch [where we lie down].
17 makonzi ya ndako na biso esalemi na banzete ya sedele, mpe balate na yango, na banzete ya sipele.
[Branches of] cedar [trees] will shade us; [it is as though branches of] juniper/pine [trees] will be like [MET] a roof [over our heads].
