He Speaks:
1 My bride, my very own,
I come to my garden
and enjoy its spices.
I eat my honeycomb and honey;
I drink my wine and milk.
Their Friends Speak:
Eat and drink until
you are drunk with love.
Another Dream
She Speaks:
2 I was asleep, but dreaming:
The one I love was at the door,
knocking and saying,
“My darling, my very own,
my flawless dove,
open the door for me!
My head is drenched
with evening dew.”
3 But I had already undressed
and bathed my feet.
Should I dress again
and get my feet dirty?
4 Then my darling's hand
reached to open the latch,
and my heart stood still.
5 When I rose to open the door,
my hands and my fingers
dripped with perfume.
6 And I yearned for him
while he spoke to me,
but when I opened the door,
my darling had disappeared.
I searched and shouted,
but I could not find him—
there was no answer.
7 Then I was found by the guards
patrolling the town
and guarding the wall.
They beat me up
and stripped off my robe.
8 Young women of Jerusalem,
if you find the one I love,
please say to him,
“She is weak with desire.”
Their Friends Speak:
9 Most beautiful of women,
why is the one you love
more special than others?
Why do you ask us
to tell him how you feel?
She Speaks:
10 He is handsome and healthy,
the most outstanding
among ten thousand.
11 His head is purest gold;
his hair is wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His eyes are a pair of doves
bathing in a stream
flowing with milk.
13 His face is a garden
of sweet-smelling spices;
his lips are lilies
dripping with perfume.
14 His arms are branches of gold
covered with jewels;
his body is ivory
decorated with sapphires.
15 His legs are columns of marble
on feet of gold.
He stands there majestic
like Mount Lebanon
and its choice cedar trees.
16 His kisses are sweet.
I desire him so much!
Young women of Jerusalem,
he is my lover and friend.
Omuvareke
1 Ami mba hita motjikunino tjandje,
musuverwa wandje, muvarekwa wandje.
Ami me pora ovizumba nemira randje;
Me ri ouitji wandje wozonyutji nomahira;
me nu omavinu nomaihi wandje.
Ovakazendu
Ryee, vasuverwa, nu mu nwe,
nga tji mwa purukisiwa i orusuvero!
Eimburiro oritjaine
Omuvarekwa
2 Ngunda amba rara, omutima
wandje tjandje u ri katumba.
Ami mba rota kutja omusuverwa
wandje ma kongora pomuvero.
Omuvarekwa
Ndji esa mbi hite, muvarekwa wandje,
musuverwa wandje, kangutyona kandje!
Otjiuru tjandje tja ningenisiwa i omueme,
nozondjise zandje ze ura nombundu.
Omuvarekwa
3 Ami mbe rihukura rukuru,
nu me sokurihwikikira tjike rukwao?
Ami mba koho ozombaze zandje,
nu me sokuzeharisira
tjike ondova rukwao?
4 Omusuverwa wandje
wa hitisa eke momuvero,
nami mba hwirira morutu,
eye tja ri popezu.
5 Ami mbe rirongerera okumuhitisa.
Omake wandje ya kutjirwa nemira,
nominwe vyandje vya huwa
noruaze rwomoro omuwa,
ami tji mba kambura kotjipate tjomuvero.
6 Ami mba yezururira omusuverwa
wandje omuvero,
nungwari eye tjandje wa i rukuru.
Eye tja hungire, ami tjandje mba puruka.
Mbe mu yevayeva, nu hi mu mwine;
mbe mu isana, nu vari hi
zuvire omaitaverero we.
7 Ovatjevere votjihuro mbaa
ve ryanga ve ndji muna;
ve ndji tona nave ndji harisa omazeze;
ovatjevere vorumbo ve
ndji yeka erapi randje.
8 Ndji kwizikireye, vasuko va Jerusalem,
kutja tji mwa munu omusuverwa wandje
mamu mu raere kutja ami mba ṱorusuvero.
Ovakazendu
9 Muwa tjinene movasuko,
otjikeṋa tji tja pwisa omusuverwa
woye povakwao avehe?
Otjikeṋa tji tje mu pa ouhimise
nai povakwao avehe
kutja eṱe tu ku ku kwizikire otjiṋa hi?
Omuvarekwa
10 Omuvareke wandje eye omuwa omumanisa,
eye iumwe ngwa tooroka
momayovi omurongo.
11 Otjiuru tje otjo ongoldo ongohoke;
ozondjise ze ze riwoza,
ozonḓorozu tjimuna ekwara.
12 Omeho we omawa tjimuna owozonguti
poturamba tu matu pupu,
ozonguti nḓa kohwa
momaihi naze suva pomupupo.
13 Ovitama vye ovyo vya
pwa tjimuna otjikunino
mu mu hapa omiti vyovizumba.
Omiṋa vye vi ri otja ozongara zozonyanga,
ovyo omitarazu,
nu vi noruaze rwomoro omuwa.
14 Ominwe vye vi ri otja outi
ouputuputu wongoldo,
nu vya harekwa nozongoho
nde nouwe ouhuze.
Orutu rwe oruheze ru ri otja
eyo rondjou nḓa seruka,
nu mu mwa ṋeyerwa omawe omahuze.
15 Omatumbo we ye ri otja
ozongunḓe zomawe omakeṋakeṋe,
nḓe ri mozombawe zongoldo ongohoke.
Omuhapo worutu rwe u
ri otja ozondundu za Libanon
notupapa twazo.
16 Otjinyo tje tji ma hungire, otjo omuzeze.
Eye auhe omuwa omumanisa.
Omusuverwa wandje
nepanga randje wa sana ngo,
vasuko va Jerusalem.
