Ingoma Yezingoma 6
1 Siye ngaphi isithandwa sakho, wena omuhle phakathi kwabesifazana? Siphendukele ngaphi isithandwa sakho, ukuze sisidinge kanye lawe?
Whither is thy friend gone, O fairest of women? whither hath thy friend turned himself? that we may seek him with thee?—
2 Isithandwa sami sehlele esivandeni saso, emibhedeni yamakha, ukudla ezivandeni, lokukha imiduze.
My beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies.
3 Ngingowesithandwa sami, lesithandwa sami singesami, esidla phakathi kwemiduze.
I am my friend's, and my friend is mine: he that feedeth among the lilies.—
4 Umuhle, mthandwa wami, njengeTiriza, uyabukeka njengeJerusalema, uyesabeka njengebutho eliphethe iziboniso.
Thou art beautiful, O my beloved, like Thirzah, comely like Jerusalem, terrible as armies encamped round their banners.
5 Susa amehlo akho kimi ngoba ayanginqoba. Inwele zakho zinjengomhlambi wembuzi zisehla eGileyadi.
Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have excited me: thy hair is like a flock of goats that come quietly down from mount Gil'ad.
6 Amazinyo akho anjengomhlambi wezimvukazi ezikhuphuka ekugezisweni, okuthi zonke zazo zizele amaphahla, njalo kungekho eyinyumba phakathi kwazo.
Thy teeth are like a flock of ewes which are come up from the washing, all of which bear twins, and there is not one among them that is deprived of her young.
7 Inhlafuno zakho phakathi kweveyili lakho zinjengocezu lwepomegranati.
Like the half of the pomegranate is the upper part of thy cheek behind thy vail.
8 Kukhona izindlovukazi ezingamatshumi ayisithupha, labafazi abancane abangamatshumi ayisificaminwembili, lezintombi ezingelanani.
Sixty are the queens, and eighty the concubines, and the young women without number;
9 Linye ijuba lami, opheleleyo wami, nguye yedwa kunina, ongokhethiweyo wakhe owamzalayo. Amadodakazi ambona, ambusisa, izindlovukazi labafazi abancinyane, bambabaza.
But one alone is my dove, my guiltless one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the chosen of her that bore her: maidens see her, and call her happy; yea, queens and concubines, and praise her.
10 Ngubani lo obonakala njengokusa, omuhle njengenyanga, ocwebileyo njengelanga, owesabeka njengebutho eliphethe iziboniso?
Who is this that shineth forth like the morning-dawn, beautiful as the moon, bright as the sun, terrible as armies encamped round their banners?
11 Ngehlela esivandeni senkelo ukubona okuhlumayo esigodini, ukubona ukuthi ivini liyahluma, amapomegranati ayakhahlela yini.
Into the nut-garden was I gone down, to look about among the plants of the valley, to see whether the vine had blossomed, whether the pomegranates had budded.
12 Ngingakazi umphefumulo wami wangimisa ezinqoleni zobukhosi zabantu bakithi.
I knew not [how it was], my soul made me [like] the chariots of my noble people.
13 Phenduka, phenduka, mShulami, phenduka, phenduka, ukuze sikubuke. Limbukelani umShulami? Kunjengexuku lamabutho amabili.
Return, return, O Shulammith; return, return, that we may look upon thee. “What will ye see in the Shulammith?” As though it were the dance of a double company.
