1 Waar het u beminde heengegaan, o skoonste onder die vroue? Waarheen het u beminde hom gewend, dat ons hom saam met u kan soek?

2 My beminde het afgeloop na sy tuin, na die balsembeddings om hom te vermaak in die tuine en om lelies te versamel.

3 Ek is my beminde s'n, en my beminde is myne -- hy wat herder is onder die lelies.

4 Mooi is u, my vriendin, soos Tirsa, lieflik soos Jerusalem, verskriklik soos slagordes met vaandels.

5 Draai u oë van my af weg, want hulle verskrik my; u hare is soos 'n kudde bokke wat van G¡lead afgolf.

6 U tande is soos 'n kudde skaapooie wat van die drinkplek af opkom, wat almal tweelinge het, en geeneen onder hulle is sonder lam nie.

7 U slape is soos 'n granaatskyf deur u sluier heen.

8 Daar is sestig koninginne en tagtig byvroue en jonkvroue sonder getal.

9 Een, die is my duif, my volmaakte, die enigste vir haar moeder; sy is die uitverkorene vir die een wat haar gebaar het. Die dogters het haar gesien en haar gelukkig geprys, die koninginne en die byvroue, en haar geroem:

10 Wie is dit wat daar opkom soos die dageraad, mooi soos die maan, rein soos die son, verskriklik soos slagordes met vaandels?

11 Ek het afgeloop na die neutetuin om te kyk na die uitspruitsels in die dal, om te kyk of die wingerdstok uitloop, die granate blom.

12 Voordat ek dit geweet het, het my verlange my verplaas op die waens van my edele volk.

13 Kom terug, kom terug, Sulammitiese, kom terug, kom terug, dat ons u kan aansien. Wat sien julle aan die Sulammitiese? Iets soos die koordans van Mahan im.

1 Where is your loved one gone, O most fair among women? Where is your loved one turned away, that we may go looking for him with you?

2 My loved one is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to take food in the gardens, and to get lilies.

3 I am for my loved one, and my loved one is for me; he takes food among the lilies.

4 You are beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, as fair as Jerusalem; you are to be feared like an army with flags.

5 Let your eyes be turned away from me; see, they have overcome me; your hair is as a flock of goats which take their rest on the side of Gilead.

6 Your teeth are like a flock of sheep which come up from the washing; every one has two lambs, and there is not one without young.

7 Like pomegranate fruit are the sides of your head under your veil.

8 There are sixty queens, and eighty servant-wives, and young girls without number.

9 My dove, my very beautiful one, is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the dearest one of her who gave her birth. The daughters saw her, and gave her a blessing; yes, the queens and the servant-wives, and they gave her praises.

10 Who is she, looking down as the morning light, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, who is to be feared like an army with flags?

11 I went down into the garden of nuts to see the green plants of the valley, and to see if the vine was in bud, and the pomegranate-trees were in flower.

12 Before I was conscious of it, ...

13 Come back, come back, O Shulammite; come back, come back, so that our eyes may see you. What will you see in the Shulammite? A sword-dance.