1 A no te ataahua o ou waewae i roto i ou hu, e te tamahine a te rangatira! Ko nga hononga o ou huha, koia ano kei o nga peara, he mea hanga na nga ringa o te kaimahi mohio.

“How beautiful are your feet in their shoes, O daughter! Your legs are like stones of much worth, the work of an able workman.

2 K o tou pito, koia ano kei te oko porotaka, kihai i hapa i te waina whakaranu; ko tou kopu, ano he puranga witi kua oti te karapoti ki nga rengarenga.

Your navel is like a beautiful glass full of wine. Your stomach is like gathered grain with lilies around it.

3 K o ou u e rua, ano ko nga kuao e rua, he mahanga na te anaterope.

Your two breasts are like two young deer, the two young ones of a gazelle.

4 K o tou kaki ano he pourewa rei; ko ou kanohi, ano ko nga roto wai i Hehepona, i te kuwaha o Peterapimi; ko tou ihu, ano ko te pourewa o Repanona, e titiro atu nei ki Ramahiku.

Your neck is like a tower of ivory. Your eyes are like the pools in Heshbon by the gate of Bath-rabbim. Your nose is like the tower of Lebanon, which looks toward Damascus.

5 K o tou mahunga i runga i a koe rite tonu ki Karamere, a ko te makawe o tou mahunga ki te papura; e mau herehere ana te kingi i roto i ona uru.

Your head crowns you like Carmel. Your flowing hair is like strings of purple. The king is held by the beauty of your hair.

6 A no te ataahua, ano te pai ou, e te mea e arohaina ana, ahuareka tonu!

How beautiful and how pleasing you are, my love! How happy you make me!

7 R ite tonu koe ki te nikau i a koe e tu nei, a ko ou u ki nga tautau karepe.

You stand like a palm tree. And your breasts are like its fruit.

8 I mea ahau, Ka pikitia e ahau te nikau, ka hopukia atu e ahau ona manga: kia rite ou u ki nga tautau o te waina, te kakara o tou ha ki te aporo;

I said, ‘I will go to the top of the palm tree. I will take hold of its branches.’ O, may your breasts be like the fruit of the vine, and the sweet smell of your breath like pleasing fruit.

9 A ko tou mangai kia rite ki te waina tino pai e mania nei tana heke ma taku e aroha nei, e rere ana na nga ngutu o te hunga e moe ana.

And may your mouth be like the best wine.” The Woman “For my love, it is smooth going down, flowing through the lips while sleeping.

10 K ei taku e aroha nei ahau; ko ahau ano tana e hiahia ai.

“I am my love’s, and he wants me.

11 H aere mai, e taku e aroha nei, taua ka haere ki te parae, ka moe taua ki nga pa ririki.

Come, my love, let us go to the country. Let us spend the night in the villages.

12 K ia moata to taua maranga ki nga mara waina; kia kite ai, e tupu ana ranei te waina, kua puta ranei te karepe hou, e kopuku ana ranei nga pamekaranete; ko reira hoatu ai e ahau toku aroha ki a koe.

Let us get up early and go to the grape-fields. Let us see if the buds are on the vines, and if its flowers have opened. Let us see if the pomegranates have flowers. There I will give you my love.

13 K ei te patu te kakara o nga manitareki, kei o taua kuwaha ano nga momo hua papai katoa, nga mea hou, nga mea tawhito, he mea rongoa naku mau, e taku e aroha nei.

The mandrakes have given out their sweet smell. And over our doors are all the best fruits, both new and old, which I have saved for you, my love.