श्रेष्‍ठगीत 3

1 प्रेमिका आफैसित बोल्दैः रातमा मेरो ओछ्यानमा मेरो प्राणले प्रेम गरेको प्रेमीलाई मैले खोज्दै थिएँ । मैले उहाँको खोजी गरेँ, तर उहाँलाई भेट्टाउन सकिनँ ।

By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him.

2 मैले आफैलाई भनेँ, “म उठ्ने छु, र सहरबाट जाने छु, गल्ली र चोकहरूबाट जाने छु । मेरो प्राणले प्रेम गरेको प्रेमीलाई म खोज्ने छु ।” मैले उहाँको खोजी गरेँ, तर उहाँलाई भेट्टाउन सकिनँ ।

I will get up now and go about the town, in the streets and in the wide ways I will go after him who is the love of my soul: I went after him, but I did not see him.

3 पहरेदारहरू सहरमा घुम्दै गर्दा तिनीहरूले मलाई भेट्टाए । मैले तिनीहरूलाई सोधेँ, “मेरो प्राणले प्रेम गर्ने मेरा प्रेमीलाई के तपाईंहरूले देख्‍नुभएको छ?”

The watchmen who go about the town came by me; to them I said, Have you seen him who is my heart's desire?

4 तिनीहरूबाट गएको केही समयपछि मात्रै मेरो प्राणले प्रेम गर्ने मेरा प्रेमीलाई मैले भेट्टाएँ । मैले उहाँलाई समातेँ, र मेरी आमाको घरमा, मलाई जन्म दिनुहुनेको कोठाभित्र नल्याएसम्म मैले उहाँलाई जान दिइनँ । प्रेमिका अन्य स्‍त्रीहरूसित बोल्दैः

I was but a little way from them, when I came face to face with him who is the love of my soul. I took him by the hands, and did not let him go, till I had taken him into my mother's house, and into the room of her who gave me birth.

5 हे यरूशलेमका छोरीहरू हो, मैदानका मुडुली मृग र हरिणहरूको नाउँमा म तिमीहरूसित वाचा बाँध्छु, कि आफूले नचाहेसम्म प्रेमलाई नबिउँझाओ वा नजगाओ । प्रेमिका आफैसित बोल्दैः

I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes of the field, let not love be moved till it is ready.

6 व्यापारीहरूद्वारा बेचिएका सबै मसलाबाट बनिएको मूर्र र धूपले सुगन्धित भएर धूवाँको मुस्लोझैँ उजाड-स्थानबाट माथि आउँदै गरेको के हो?

Who is this coming out of the waste places like pillars of smoke, perfumed with sweet spices, with all the spices of the trader?

7 हेर, यो त सोलोमनको पलङ्ग पो रहेछ । इस्राएलका साठी जना योद्धाले यसको वरिपरि सुरक्षा दिँदै छन् ।

See, it is the bed of Solomon; sixty men of war are about it, of the army of Israel,

8 तिनीहरू सबै तरवार चलाउन सिपालु छन्, र युद्धमा अनुभवी छन् । रातको त्रासको विरुद्धमा लड्न हरेकले तरवार भिरेको छ ।

All of them armed with swords, trained in war; every man has his sword at his side, because of fear in the night.

9 राजा सोलोमनले आफ्नै निम्ति लेबनानको काठबाट पालकी बनाउनुभयो ।

King Solomon made himself a bed of the wood of Lebanon.

10 यसका डन्डाहरू चाँदीका थिए । यसको पछाडिको भाग सुनबाट बनेको थियो, र आसनचाहिँ बैजनी वस्‍त्रले ढाकिएको थियो । यसको भित्री भागचाहिँ यरूशलेमका छोरीहरूको प्रेमले सजिएको थियो । प्रेमिका यरूशलेमका स्‍त्रीहरूसित बोल्दैः

He made its pillars of silver, its base of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it of ebony.

11 हे सियोनका छोरीहरू हो, बाहिर गएर राजा सोलोमनलाई एकटक लगाएर हेर, जसले मुकुट लगाउनुभएको छ, जुन उहाँकी आमाले विवाहको दिनमा, उहाँको हृदय आनन्दले भरिएको दिनमा उहाँलाई पहिराइदिएकी थिइन् ।

Go out, O daughters of Jerusalem, and see King Solomon, with the crown which his mother put on his head on the day when he was married, and on the day of the joy of his heart.