सर्वश्रेष्ठ गीत 3

1In my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and found him not.

2I will rise, and will go about the city: in the streets and the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, and I found him not.

3The watchmen who keep the city, found me: Have you seen him, whom my soul loveth?

4When I had a little passed by them, I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him: and I will not let him go, till I bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her that bore me.

5I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes and the harts of the fields, that you stir not up, nor awake my beloved, till she please.

6Who is she that goeth up by the desert, as a pillar of smoke of aromatical spices, of myrrh, and frankincense, and of all the powders of the perfumer?

7Behold threescore valiant ones of the most valiant of Israel, surrounded the bed of Solomon?

8All holding swords, and most expert in war: every man’s sword upon his thigh, because of fears in the night.

9King Solomon hath made him a litter of the wood of Libanus:

10The pillars thereof he made of silver, the seat of gold, the going up of purple: the midst he covered with charity for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11Go forth, ye daughters of Sion, and see king Solomon in the diadem, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the joy of his heart.

1[In lectulo meo, per noctes, quæsivi quem diligit anima mea: quæsivi illum, et non inveni.

2Surgam, et circuibo civitatem: per vicos et plateas quæram quem diligit anima mea: quæsivi illum, et non inveni.

3Invenerunt me vigiles qui custodiunt civitatem: Num quem diligit anima mea vidistis?

4Paululum cum pertransissem eos, inveni quem diligit anima mea: tenui eum, nec dimittam, donec introducam illum in domum matris meæ, et in cubiculum genetricis meæ.

5Sponsus Adjuro vos, filiæ Jerusalem, per capreas cervosque camporum, ne suscitetis, neque evigilare faciatis dilectam, donec ipsa velit.

6Chorus Quæ est ista quæ ascendit per desertum sicut virgula fumi ex aromatibus myrrhæ, et thuris, et universi pulveris pigmentarii?

7En lectulum Salomonis sexaginta fortes ambiunt ex fortissimis Israël,

8omnes tenentes gladios, et ad bella doctissimi: uniuscujusque ensis super femur suum propter timores nocturnos.

9Ferculum fecit sibi rex Salomon de lignis Libani;

10columnas ejus fecit argenteas, reclinatorium aureum, ascensum purpureum; media caritate constravit, propter filias Jerusalem.

11Egredimini et videte, filiæ Sion, regem Salomonem in diademate quo coronavit illum mater sua in die desponsationis illius, et in die lætitiæ cordis ejus.]

1Bride: On my bed, throughout the night, I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, and did not find him.

2I will rise up, and I will circle through the city. Through the side streets and thoroughfares, I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, and did not find him.

3The watchers who guard the city found me: “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

4When I had passed by them a little, I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not release him, until I would bring him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who bore me.

5Groom to Chorus: I bind you by oath, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the does and the stags of the open field, not to disturb or awaken the beloved, until she wills.

6Chorus to Groom: Who is she, who ascends through the desert, like a staff of smoke from the aromatics of myrrh, and frankincense, and every powder of the perfumer?

7Chorus to Bride: Lo, sixty strong ones, out of all the strongest in Israel, stand watch at the bed of Solomon,

8all holding swords and well-trained in warfare, each one’s weapon upon his thigh, because of fears in the night.

9Bride to Chorus: King Solomon made himself a portable throne from the wood of Lebanon.

10He made its columns of silver, the reclining place of gold, the ascent of purple; the middle he covered well, out of charity for the daughters of Jerusalem.

11O daughters of Zion, go forth and see king Solomon with the diadem with which his mother crowned him, on the day of his espousal, on the day of the rejoicing of his heart.