The Wedding Dance
He Speaks:
1 You are a princess,
and your feet are graceful
in their sandals.
Your thighs are works of art,
each one a jewel;
2 your navel is a wine glass
filled to overflowing.
Your body is full and slender
like a bundle of wheat
bound together by lilies.
3 Your breasts are like twins
of a deer.
4 Your neck is like ivory,
and your eyes sparkle
like the pools of Heshbon
by the gate of Bath-Rabbim.
Your nose is beautiful
like Mount Lebanon
above the city of Damascus.
5 Your head is held high
like Mount Carmel;
your hair is so lovely
it holds a king prisoner.
6 You are very beautiful,
so desirable!
7 You are tall and slender
like a palm tree,
and your breasts are full.
8 I will climb that tree
and cling to its branches.
I will discover that your breasts
are clusters of grapes,
and that your breath
is the aroma of apples.
9 Kissing you is more delicious
than drinking the finest wine.
How wonderful and tasty!
She Speaks:
10 My darling, I am yours,
and you desire me.
11 Let's stroll through the fields
and sleep in the villages.
12 At dawn let's slip out and see
if grapevines and fruit trees
are covered with blossoms.
When we are there,
I will give you my love.
13 Perfume from the magic flower
fills the air, my darling.
Right at our doorstep
I have stored up for you
all kinds of tasty fruits.
Omuvareke
1 Oove omukazendu omuwa tjinene!
Ozombaze zoye, tjiri,
ozo ozomanise mozongaku.
Omavango woye ye ri otja
oundjendje wourenga womosengo,
otjiungura tjounongo tjongongo.
2 Omuṱuu woye u ri otja
otjiyaha otjiwa otjiputuputu,
mu tjo kamu kara nokuhinomavinu,
nga rungwa novyomoro omuwa.
Ezumo roye ri ri otja ondundu yovikokotwa,
ndja kondorokisiwa nozongara zozonyanga.
3 Omavere woye ye ri tjimuna
oumbambyona uvari,
tjimuna ozombahona zonḓuno.
4 Osengo yoye i ri otja
ohonga womayo wondjou.
Omeho woye ya sana
novizeva vyotjihuro Hesbon,
meṋe yomuvero wotjihuro hi otjinene.
Eyuru roye oro emanisa
otja oruhungu rwa Libanon,
ndwa tarera komukuma wa Damaskus.
5 Ondomba yotjiuru tjoye i ri
otja indji ondundu Karmel;
ozondjise zoye nḓe rekareka
ozo ozonḓorozu otja orupera oruserarovazu;
ombara i kumisiwa i zo.
6 Oove omumanise, oove omupwe,
tjiri, musuverwa wandje,
ndjoroka yorusuvero rwandje.
7 Omuhapo woye u ri otja imbwi wevare,
nomavere woye
ye ri otja omapunda wevare.
8 Mbe ripura nai: Me rondo kevare,
e kapora omapunda wovihape vyaro;
omavere woye ku ami ye ri
otja omapunda womandjembere,
nomuṋuko womasuvaneno
woye u ri otja imbwi wozombe,
9 notjinyo tjoye tji ri otja
omavinu omawa tjinene.
Omuvarekwa
Omavinu nga maye pundu
nawa oupore momuriu
womusuverwa wandje,
amaye tanana omiṋa nomayo we.
10 Ami owami owomusuverwa wandje,
nomutima we u nonḓero na ami.
11 Indjo, musuverwa, ngatu karyange mokuti,
tu karare movirongo.
12 Menyunguhuka ngatu yende
kovikunino vyomivite,
tu katare kutja omivite vya hapa omikono,
nokutja omikono vya twako osunda,
nokutja omindenya vya ruka ozongara.
Ingo oku me kekupera orusuvero rwandje.
13 Ovihape vyorusuvero
vi yandja omoro omuwa,
nu pomivero vyetu pe
novihape pekepeke oviwaviwa
vyanambano novyombura ndja kapita;
tjiri, musuverwa wandje, ovyo
mbe vi pwikira ove!
