בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי אֲחֹתִי כַלָּה אָרִיתִי מֹורִי עִם־בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם־דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם־חֲלָבִי אִכְלוּ    5:1

רֵעִים שְׁתוּ וְשִׁכְרוּ דֹּודִים׃

Song 5:1   I come to My garden, My beloved, bride.

                              I gather My myrrh with My spice;

                     I eat My honeycomb with My honey;

                              I drink My wine with My milk.

                    Eat, companions!  Drink, and become drunk, beloved ones!

אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר קֹול דֹּודִי דֹופֵק פִּתְחִי־לִי אֲחֹתִי רַעְיָתִי יֹונָתִי תַמָּתִי שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי נִמְלָא־טָל קְוֻּצֹּותַי    5:2

רְסִיסֵי לָיְלָה׃

Song 5:2   I have been asleep, but my heart rouses:

                              The sound of my Beloved knocking!

                    Open for Me, My beloved, My companion, My dove, My perfect one,

                              of whom My “head” is full of dew,

                    My “locks,” of the drops of the night.

The first two lines are Israel’s, the next three are the Lord’s.

פָּשַׁטְתִּי אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתִּי אֵיכָכָה אֶלְבָּשֶׁנָּה רָחַצְתִּי אֶת־רַגְלַי אֵיכָכָה אֲטַנְּפֵם׃   5:3

Song 5:3   I have taken off my garment; how could I put it back on?

                              I have washed my feet; how could I defile them?

דּוֹדִי שָׁלַח יָדוֹ מִן־הַחֹר וּמֵעַי הָמוּ עָלָיו׃   5:4

Song 5:4   My Beloved stretches out His “hand” from the hole,

                              and my insides clamor for Him.

There must be a hole in the door, through which the Lord puts his “hand.”   See the end of the next verse.

קַמְתִּי אֲנִי לִפְתֹּחַ לְדוֹדִי וְיָדַי נָטְפוּ־מוֹר וְאֶצְבְּעֹתַי מוֹר עֹבֵר עַל כַּפּוֹת הַמַּנְעוּל׃   5:5

Song 5:5   I rise to open for my Beloved,

                              as my hands and my fingers drip myrrh,

                     the myrrh passing onto the handles of the bolt.

פָּתַחְתִּי אֲנִי לְדֹודִי וְדֹודִי חָמַק עָבָר נַפְשִׁי יָצְאָה בְדַבְּרֹו בִּקַּשְׁתִּיהוּ וְלֹא מְצָאתִיהוּ קְרָאתִיו וְלֹא עָנָנִי׃   5:6

Song 5:6   I open for my Beloved,

                              but my Beloved has withdrawn, has vanished.

                    My soul departs with His speech;

                              I seek Him, but do not find Him;

                     I call Him, but He does not answer me.

Seemingly, the Lord “vanishes” just before consummation.

מְצָאֻנִי הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַסֹּבְבִים בָּעִיר הִכּוּנִי פְצָעוּנִי נָשְׂאוּ אֶת־רְדִידִי מֵעָלַי שֹׁמְרֵי הַחֹמֹות׃   5:7

Song 5:7   The watchmen encounter me circling about in the city;

                              they strike me, bruise me.

                     The guards of the walls lift off my mantle from me.

הִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלִָם אִם־תִּמְצְאוּ אֶת־דּוֹדִי מַה־תַּגִּידוּ לוֹ שֶׁחוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי׃   5:8

Song 5:8   I urge you, daughters of Jerusalem,

                              if you encounter my Beloved,

                    what you should tell Him is that love sick am I.

The grammar in this verse matches that of Song 2:7 (and 3:5) as it relates to the daughters of Jerusalem.

מַה־דּוֹדֵךְ מִדּוֹד הַיָּפָה בַּנָּשִׁים מַה־דּוֹדֵךְ מִדּוֹד שֶׁכָּכָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּנוּ׃   5:9

Song 5:9   Why is your Beloved more than any beloved, fairest among women?

                              Why is your Beloved more than any beloved, that you have urged us so?

Questions from the nations, apparently.

דּוֹדִי צַח וְאָדוֹם דָּגוּל מֵרְבָבָה׃   5:10

Song 5:10   My Beloved is dazzling and ruddy,

                              more conspicuous than any multitude.

רֹאשֹׁו כֶּתֶם פָּז קְוּצֹּותָיו תַּלְתַּלִּים שְׁחֹרֹות כָּעֹורֵב׃   5:11

Song 5:11   His “head” is pure gold;

                              His “locks” are wavy, as black as a raven.

עֵינָיו כְּיוֹנִים עַל־אֲפִיקֵי מָיִם רֹחֲצוֹת בֶּחָלָב יֹשְׁבוֹת עַל־מִלֵּאת׃   5:12

Song 5:12   His “eyes” are as of doves by channels of water,

                              rinsed in milk, fittingly set.

לְחָיָו כַּעֲרוּגַת הַבֹּשֶׂם מִגְדְּלוֹת מֶרְקָחִים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו שׁוֹשַׁנִּים נֹטְפוֹת מוֹר עֹבֵר׃   5:13

Song 5:13   His “cheeks” are like a spice bed,

                              a platform of aromatic herbs.

                       His “lips” are lilies dripping overflowing myrrh.

יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ מֵעָיו עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים׃   5:14

Song 5:14   His “hands” are cylinders of gold filled with topaz.

                              His “muscles” are polished ivory, overlaid of sapphires.

שׁוֹקָיו עַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ מְיֻסָּדִים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָז מַרְאֵהוּ כַּלְּבָנוֹן בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים׃   5:15

Song 5:15   His “legs” are columns of marble set on sockets of pure gold.

                              His appearance is as Lebanon, superior, as cedars.

חִכֹּו מַמְתַקִּים וְכֻלֹּו מַחֲמַדִּים זֶה דֹודִי וְזֶה רֵעִי בְּנֹות יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃   5:16

Song 5:16   His “mouth” is more than sweetness.

                              So all His parts are desirable.

                       Such is my Beloved and this is my Companion,

                              daughters of Jerusalem.

What an imaginative picture!

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