Canticum Canticorum 5
1 Sponsus. Veni in hortum meum soror mea sponsa, messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis: comedi favum cum melle meo, bibi vinum meum cum lacte meo: comedite amici, et bibite, et inebriamini charissimi.
I have come into my garden, my sister, [my] spouse: I have gathered my myrrh, with my spice; I have eaten my honey-comb with my honey; I have drank my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yes, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 Ego dormio, et cor meum vigilat: vox dilecti mei pulsantis: Aperi mihi soror mea, amica mea, columba mea, immaculata mea: quia caput meum plenum est rore, et cincinni mei guttis noctium.
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.
3 Expoliavi me tunica mea, quomodo induar illa? lavi pedes meos, quomodo inquinabo illos?
I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 Dilectus meus misit manum suam per foramen, et venter meus intremuit ad tactum eius.
My beloved put in his hand by the hole [of the door], and my bowels were moved for him.
5 Surrexi, ut aperirem dilecto meo: manus meæ stillaverunt myrrham, et digiti mei pleni myrrha probatissima.
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.
6 Pessulum ostii mei aperui dilecto meo: at ille declinaverat, atque transierat. Anima mea liquefacta est, ut locutus est: quæsivi, et non inveni illum: vocavi, et non respondit mihi.
I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, [and] was gone: my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 Invenerunt me custodes qui circumeunt civitatem: percusserunt me, et vulneraverunt me: tulerunt pallium meum mihi custodes murorum.
The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my vail from me.
8 Adiuro vos filiæ Ierusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuncietis ei quia amore langueo.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I [am] sick with love.
9 Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adiurasti nos?
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 Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus, electus ex millibus.
My beloved [is] white and ruddy, the chief among ten thousand.
11 Caput eius aurum optimum: Comæ eius sicut elatæ palmarum, nigræ quasi corvus.
His head [is as] the most fine gold, his locks [are] bushy, [and] black as a raven.
12 Oculi eius sicut columbæ super rivulos aquarum, quæ lacte sunt lotæ, et resident iuxta fluenta plenissima.
His eyes [are] as [the eyes] of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, [and] fitly set.
13 Genæ illius sicut areolæ aromatum consitæ a pigmentariis. Labia eius lilia distillantia myrrham primam.
His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, [as] sweet flowers: his lips [like] lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh.
14 Manus illius tornatiles aureæ, plenæ hyacinthis. Venter eius eburneus, distinctus sapphiris.
His hands [are as] gold rings set with the beryl: his belly [is as] bright ivory overlaid [with] sapphires.
15 Crura illius columnæ marmoreæ, quæ fundatæ sunt super bases aureas. Species eius ut Libani, electus ut cedri.
His legs [are as] pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance [is] as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis: talis est dilectus meus, et ipse est amicus meus, filiæ Ierusalem.
His mouth [is] most sweet: yes, he [is] altogether lovely. This [is] my beloved, and this [is] my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
