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Chapter 5
Rotherham's Translation
To illustrate the difference in translations I take this from Joseph
Bryant Rotherham's Emphasized Bible; “to set forth the exact meaning, the
proper terminology and the graphic style of the sacred originals. Arranged
to show at a glance narrative, speech, parallelism, and logical analysis,
also to enable the student readily to distinguish the several divine
names; And emphasized throughout after the idioms of the Hebrew and Greek
tongues.”
I have entered my garden, my sister bride,
I have plucked my myrrh with my balsam,
I have eaten the honey of my thicket,
I have drunk my wine with my milk:-
Eat ye, O friends,
Drink, yea drink abundantly, ye beloved!
* *
* * *
[She]
[[I]] was sleeping, but [my heart] was awake,-
The voice of my beloved-knocking!
Open to me, my sister, my fair one, my dove, my perfect one,
For [[my head]] is filled with dew,
[[My locks]] with the moisture of the night.
I have put off my tunic, oh how' shall I put it on?
I have bathed my feet, oh how' shall I soil them?
[[My beloved]] thrust in his hand, at the window,
And [[my feelings]] were deeply moved for him:
[[I myself]] arose, to open to my beloved,-
And [[my hands]] dripped with myrrh,
And [[my fingers]] with myrrh distilling,
Upon the handles of the bolt.
[[I myself]] opened to my beloved,
But, [[my beloved]] had turned away, had passed on,-
[[My soul]] had gone out when he spoke,
I sought him, but found him not,
I called him, but he answered not.
The watchmen who were going around in the city [found me],
The smote me, wounded me,-
The watchmen of the walls [took away my cloak from off me].
I adjure you, ye daughters of Jerusalem,-
<If ye find my beloved> what will ye tell him?
That <sick with love> I am'.
[Daughters of Jerusalem]
What is thy' beloved more than any other' beloved,
Thou most beautiful of women?
What is thy' beloved more than any other' beloved
That <thus> thou has adjured us?
[She]
II My beloved is white and ruddy,
Conspicuous beyond ten thousand:
II His head is pure gold,-
II His locks are bushy, black as a raven;
[[His eyes]] like doves, by the channels of water,-
Bathing in milk, set as gems in a ring;
[[His cheeks]] like a raised bed of balsam,
Growing plants of perfume,-
[[His lips]] lilies, dripping with myrrh distilling;
[[His hands]] cylinders of gold, set with topaz,-
[[His body]] wrought work of ivory, covered with sapphires;
[[His legs]] pillars of white marble, founded on sockets of gold,-
[[His form]] like Lebanon, choice as cedars;
[[His mouth]] most sweet,
Yea [ altogether] he is delightful,-
[[This ]] is my beloved,
Yea [this] is my dear one, ye daughters of Jerusalem. |
