Nnwom Mu Dwom 1
1 Salomo nnwom mu dwom.
This is [King] Solomon’s most beautiful song.
2 Ma ɔmfa nʼano mfeano no mfe mʼano, ɛfiri sɛ wo dɔ no yɛ ahomeka sene bobesa.
Kiss me [on my lips], because your love [for me] is more delightful than wine.
3 Wʼaduhwam yi hwa a ɛyɛ ahomeka wo din te sɛ aduhwam a wɔahwie. Na ɛnyɛ nwanwa sɛ mmabaawa no dɔ woɔ!
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 Fa me kɔ, ma yɛnyɛ ntɛm! Ma ɔhene mfa me nkɔ ne piam. Nnamfonom Yɛbɛdi ahurisie na yɛn ani agye wo ho. Yɛbɛkamfo wo dɔ asene bobesa. Ababaawa: Sɛ wɔkamfo wo a, na ne kwan so ara ne no!
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 Mebiri deɛ, nanso me ho yɛ fɛ, Ao, Yerusalem mmammaa, mobiri te sɛ Kedar ntomadan, te sɛ, Salomo ntomadan mu ntwamutam!
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 Nhwɛ me haa sɛ mebirie enti, ɛfiri sɛ awia na ayɛ me saa. Memaa mmammarima bo fuu me enti wɔmaa me kɔhwɛɛ bobe nturo so; na amma manhwɛ mʼankasa me bobe turo.
[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 Kyerɛ me me dɔfoɔ, faako a wode wo nnwankuo kɔ adidi na owigyinaeɛ nso faako a woma wo nnwan home. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ meyɛ sɛ ɔbaa a wakata nʼanim wɔ wo nnamfonom nnwankuo ho?
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 Sɛ wonnim a, mmaa ahoɔfɛfoɔ pa ara no, fa ɛkwan a nnwan fa soɔ so na fa wo mpapo mma kɔ adidi wɔ nnwanhwɛfoɔ no ntomadan ho.
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 Me dɔfoɔ, mede wo toto pɔnkɔ bereɛ a wɔde ahoma asa no wɔ Farao nteaseɛnam baako ho.
You [are beautiful], my darling, like the young female horse that pulls the chariot of the king of Egypt.
10 Nsomuadeɛ ama wʼafono ho ayɛ fɛ, na abohemaa a woasina agu wo kɔn mu no fata wo.
Your cheeks are decorated with jewelry, and there are strings of beads/pearls around your neck.
11 Yɛbɛyɛ sikakɔkɔɔ nsomuadeɛ a wɔde dwetɛ asisi mu ama wo.
We will make for you [some] gold earrings that are decorated/inlaid with silver.
12 Ɛberɛ a ɔhene te nʼadidi ɛpono ho no, nʼaduhwam hwa no gyee hɔ.
While the king was on his couch, the smell of my perfume spread [around the room].
13 Me dɔfoɔ ayɛ me sɛ kurobo toa a ɛda me nufu ntam.
The man who loves me is [as delightful as [MET]] a (sachet/small cloth bag) of myrrh between my breasts.
14 Me dɔfoɔ ayɛ me sɛ nhwiren boa a ayɛ frɔmm wɔ En-Gedi bobe turo mu.
He is like [MET] a bunch of flowers from the vineyards at En-Gedi.
15 Me dɔfoɔ, wo ho yɛ fɛ! Ao, ahoɔfɛ nie wʼaniwa aba te sɛ aborɔnoma.
You whom I love, you are beautiful; you are very beautiful! Your eyes are [as delightful/charming as] doves.
16 Me dɔfoɔ, wo ho yɛ fɛ! Ao, ahoɔfɛ nie yɛn mpa so yɛ akɔnɔakɔnɔ.
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 Yɛn fie mpunan yɛ ntweneduro; yɛn nsamsoɔ yɛ pepeaa.
[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].
