I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.

I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?

My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.

I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.

I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.

The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.

11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.

12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.

13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.

14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.

15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Mladić

Ušao sam u svoj vrt, moja sestro[a], moja nevjesto.
    Berem svoju smirnu i mirisno bilje,
jedem svoj med iz svoga saća,
    pijem svoje vino i mlijeko.

Jeruzalemske djevojke

Prijatelji, jedite i pijte!
    Opijte se vođenjem ljubavi!

Djevojka

Spavala sam, ali budnoga srca.
    Kad začujem, moj dragi kuca:
»Otvori mi, moja voljena ljubavi,
    golubice moja, savršena moja!
Glava mi je sva vlažna od rose,
    kosa mokra od noćne vlage.«
»Ali«, rekla sam, »već sam se svukla,
    zar da se opet oblačim?
Noge sam oprala,
    zar da ih opet uprljam?«
Moj voljeni posegne rukom da otvori vrata,[b]
    a meni uzdrhta cijela utroba.
Ustala sam da ga pustim unutra,
    a iz dlanova mi prokapa smirna.
Po zasunu na vratima tekla je
    smirna s mojih prstiju.
Otvorila sam voljenom,
    ali on je već nestao.
Duša mi je klonula od tuge.
    Tražila sam, ali ga nisam našla,
    zvala sam ga, ali se nije odazvao.
No mene su pronašli gradski stražari.
    Istukli su me, ranili, veo mi uzeli,
    ti čuvari gradskih zidina.

Preklinjem vas, djevojke Jeruzalema,
    ako naiđete na moga voljenog,
    recite mu da sam od ljubavi slaba.

Jeruzalemske djevojke

Zašto je tvoj dragi bolji od drugih,
    ti najljepša od svih žena?
Po čemu je bolji od drugih
    da nas tako preklinješ?

Djevojka

10 Moj dragi je preplanuo i blistav,
    ističe se među njih deset tisuća.
11 Glava mu je kao najčišće zlato,
    kosa kovrčava i crna kao gavran.
12 Oči su mu kao golubice
    kraj potoka, mlijekom okupane,
    kao golubice iznad bazena vode.
13 Obrazi su mu kao vrt balzamovog drveća,
    kao kule od miomirisa.
Usne su mu poput ljiljana
    iz kojih kaplje smirna.
14 Ruke su mu kao šipke od zlata
    ukrašene draguljima.
Tijelo mu je glatko kao bjelokost
    optočena plavim draguljima.
15 Noge su mu kao mramorni stupovi,
    usađeni na podestima od zlata.
Visok je i uspravan
    kao najljepši cedrovi Libanona.
16 Njegovi su poljupci slatki,
    on je sve što mogu poželjeti.
Zaista, jeruzalemske djevojke,
    takav je moj voljeni, moj dragi.

Footnotes

  1. 5,1 moja sestro Ne odnosi se doslovno na mladićevu sestru, nego se radi o pjesničkom izrazu za bliskost.
  2. 5,4 »Ruka« i »vrata« mogu biti eufemizmi za muški i ženski seksualni organ.