Nhã Ca

1By night on my bed,I sought him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

2I will get up now, and go about the city;in the streets and in the squares I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but I didn’t find him.

3The watchmen who go about the city found me;“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”

4I had scarcely passed from them,when I found him whom my soul loves.I held him, and would not let him go,until I had brought him into my mother’s house, into the room of her who conceived me.

5I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem,by the roes, or by the hinds of the field, that you not stir up nor awaken love, until it so desires.

6Who is this who comes up from the wilderness like pillars of smoke,perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all spices of the merchant?

7Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage!Sixty mighty men are around it, of the mighty men of Israel.

8They all handle the sword, and are expert in war.Every man has his sword on his thigh, because of fear in the night.

9King Solomon made himself a carriageof the wood of Lebanon.

10He made its pillars of silver,its bottom of gold, its seat of purple, the middle of it being paved with love, from the daughters of Jerusalem.

11Go out, you daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon,with the crown with which his mother has crowned him, in the day of his weddings, in the day of the gladness of his heart.

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.