If Only You and I …
She Speaks:
1 If you were my brother,
I could kiss you
whenever we happen to meet,
and no one would say
I did wrong.
2 I could take you to the home
of my mother,
who taught me all I know.
I would give you delicious wine
and fruit juice as well.
3 Put your left hand under my head
and embrace me
with your right arm.
4 Young women of Jerusalem,
promise me never to awaken love
before it is ready.
Their Friends Speak:
5 Who is this young woman
coming in from the desert
and leaning on the shoulder
of the one she loves?
She Speaks:
I stirred up your passions
under the apple tree
where you were born.
6 Always keep me in your heart
and wear this bracelet
to remember me by.
The passion of love
bursting into flame
is more powerful than death,
stronger than the grave.
7 Love cannot be drowned
by oceans or floods.
It cannot be bought—
any offer would be scorned
no matter how great.
Their Friends Speak:
8 We have a little sister
whose breasts
are not yet formed.
If someone asks to marry her,
what should we do?
9 She isn't a wall
that we can defend
behind a silver shield.
Neither is she a room
that we can protect
behind a wooden door.
She Speaks:
10 I am a wall around a city,
my breasts are towers,
and just looking at me
brings him great pleasure.
11 Solomon has a vineyard
at Baal-Hamon,
which he rents to others
for a thousand pieces
of silver each.
12 My vineyard is mine alone!
Solomon can keep his silver
and the others can keep
their share of the profits.
He Speaks:
13 You are in the garden
with friends all around.
Let me hear your voice!
She Speaks:
14 Hurry to me, my darling!
Run faster than a deer
to mountains of spices.
1 Ami me zeri kutja ove andakuzu
oove omuṱena kwandje,
nandakuzu wa nyamisisiwa
i mama komavere we.
Otji twa hakaene na ove momuvanda,
etje ku hupita,
nu katjape ninga omundu
ngwatja kara ko na tja.
2 Itje ku twara kondjuwo ya mama,
ove ku mo kendjihongera orusuvero.
Itje ku pa omavinu nga
rungwa novyomoro omuwa,
nomavinu wandje wozondenya.
3 Eke roye rokumuho
ri ri kehi yotjiuru tjandje
nu indi rokunene amari ndji pukata.
4 Ami me mu yanene,
vasuko va Jerusalem,
kutja amu ha kurungisa namu ha
yanḓimuna orusuvero rwetu!
Eimburiro oritjahamboumwe
Ovakazendu
5 Owaṋi ngu ma zu mokuti onguza,
nu ngu ma yama komusuverwa we?
Omuvarekwa
Ami mbe ku pendura kehi yomuve,
poṋa pu wa kwaterwa.
6 Ndji zara otja ongoho
yotjihako komutima woye,
otja ongoho yotjihako kokuoko kwoye;
orondu orusuvero ru nomasa tjimuna onḓiro;
ozonḓuma zorusuvero kaze
notjari tjimuna onḓiro.
Otjiwiyu tjarwo tji ri otja otjiwiyu tjomuriro,
nu ru nyosa tjimuna omuriro mbwa handja.
7 Omipupo vyomeva kavi nokuruzemisa ko,
nomupupo kau nakuruṋiṋa ko.
Nungwari ingwi ngu ma yandja outumbe
we auhe okuranda na wo orusuvero,
ma munu onyengurire porwayo.
Ovaṱena vomuvarekwa
8 Tu nomuṱena kwetu omuangu,
ngu hiya twako nangarire imbwi ouryambaze.
Matu mu tjiti vi, tji kwe ya
omuzandu ngu me mu vareke?
9 Omuṱena kwetu ngwi
tje ri ekuma rondjuwo,
matu mu tungire otjiṱunga tjosilveri.
Nungwari tje ri omuvero worumbo,
matu mu patere mo nomiti vyotupapa.
Omuvarekwa
10 Owami ekuma rondjuwo,
nomavere wandje owo otuhungu twaro.
Omusuverwa wandje u tjiwa
kutja ami mbi nohange mu ye.
Omuvareke
11 Salomo wa ri notjikunino tjomivite
motjirongo tja Baal-Hamon;
eye we tji yandja kovatjevere;
auhe wa sere okusuta ovimariva ovisilveri
eyovi rimwe okuza movihape vyatjo.
12 Otjikunino hi tjomivite
nambano otjandje omuini;
Salomo nga kambure
ovimariva vye eyovi rimwe,
novatjevere mave
haṋasana omasere yevari.
13 Ndji esa mbi zuve eraka roye motjikunino,
musuverwa wandje;
ovakwetu mave undju
okuzuva tji mo hungire.
Omuvarekwa
14 Indjo ku ami, musuverwa wandje!
Amo yata otja ongoṱu,
notja ongorowe orumutanda
mozondundu mu mu hapa ovizumba!
