1 ل َيلَةً بَعدَ لَيلَةٍ، وَأنا عَلَى فِراشِي، اشتَقتُ إلَى حَبِيبِي. بَحَثتُ عَنهُ فَلَمْ أجِدهُ.

On my bed, in the nights, I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

2 س َأقُومُ وَأطُوفُ فِي المَدِينَةِ، فِي شَوارِعِها وَمَيادِينِها. سَأبحَثُ عَن حَبِيبِ القَلبِ. بَحَثتُ عَنهُ، فَلَمْ أجِدْهُ.

I will rise now, and go about the city; In the streets and in the broadways Will I seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.

3 ص ادَفَنِي الحُرّاسُ فِي شَوارِعِ المَدِينَةِ. فَسَألتُهُمْ: «هَلْ رَأيتُمْ حَبِيبِي؟»

The watchmen that go about the city found me:—Have ye seen him whom my soul loveth?

4 و َما إنْ تَجاوَزْتُهُمْ حَتَّى وَجَدتُ حَبِيبِي. فَأمسَكتُ بِهِ، وَلَمْ أُفلِتْهُ مِنْ يَدِي، إلَى أنْ أحضَرتُهُ إلَى بَيتِ أُمِّي، وَإلَى غُرفَةِ والِدَتِي. هِيَ تَقُولُ للفَتَيات:

—Scarcely had I passed from them, When I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, Until I had brought him into my mother's house, And into the chamber of her that conceived me.

5 ي ا بَناتِ القُدْسِ، أستَحلِفُكُنَّ بِالغِزلانِ وَبِالأيائِلِ البَرِّيَّةِ، ألّا تُنَبِّهْنَ أوْ تُيقِظْنَ الحُبَّ، حَتَّى أسْتَعِدَّ لَهُ. فَتياتُ القُدس:

I charge you, daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles, or by the hinds of the field, That ye stir not up, nor awake love, till he please.

6 م َنْ هَذِهِ الخارِجَةُ مِنَ الصَّحراءِ تارِكَةً أعمِدَةَ دُخّانٍ وَراءَها، يَفُوحُ مِنها شَذَى المُرِّ وَالبَخُورِ، أكثَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ مَساحِيقِ التُّجّارِ؟

Who is this, that cometh up from the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all powders of the merchant? …

7 ه ا هِيَ أرِيكَةُ سُلَيْمانَ. يُحِيطُ بِها سِتِّونَ مُحارِباً مِنْ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ.

Behold his couch, Solomon's own: Threescore mighty men are about it, Of the mighty of Israel.

8 ك ُلُّهُمْ حَمَلَةُ سُيُوفٍ ماهِرُونَ، مُتَمَرِّسُونَ فِي القِتالِ. كُلٌّ يَحْمِلُ سَيفَهُ عَلَى جَنبِهِ، مُستَعِدّاً لِأيِّ خَطَرٍ فِي اللَّيلِ.

They all hold the sword, Experts in war; Each hath his sword upon his thigh Because of alarm in the nights.

9 ص َنَعَ سُلَيْمانُ لِنَفسِهِ أرِيكَةً مِنْ أرْزِ لُبنانَ.

King Solomon made himself a palanquin Of the wood of Lebanon.

10 ط َلَى بِالفِضَّةِ أعمِدَتَها، وَبِخُيُوطِ الذَّهَبِ أغطِيَتَها. وَسائِدُها أُرجُوانٌ، وَداخِلُها مُرَصَّعٌ بِالحُبِّ.

Its pillars he made of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple; The midst thereof was paved love By the daughters of Jerusalem.

11 ا خرُجنَ، يا بَناتِ صِهْيَوْنَ، وَانظُرنَ إلَى المَلِكِ سُلَيْمانَ، انظُرنَ إلَى التَّاجِ الَّذِي تَوَّجَتهُ بِهِ أُمُّهُ فِي يَومِ عُرسِهِ، فِي يَومِ احتِفالِهِ.

Go forth, daughters of Zion, And behold king Solomon With the crown wherewith his mother crowned him In the day of his espousals, And in the day of the gladness of his heart.