If Only You and I …
She Speaks:
1 If you were my brother,
I could kiss you
whenever we happen to meet,
and no one would say
I did wrong.
2 I could take you to the home
of my mother,
who taught me all I know.
I would give you delicious wine
and fruit juice as well.
3 Put your left hand under my head
and embrace me
with your right arm.
4 Young women of Jerusalem,
promise me never to awaken love
before it is ready.
Their Friends Speak:
5 Who is this young woman
coming in from the desert
and leaning on the shoulder
of the one she loves?
She Speaks:
I stirred up your passions
under the apple tree
where you were born.
6 Always keep me in your heart
and wear this bracelet
to remember me by.
The passion of love
bursting into flame
is more powerful than death,
stronger than the grave.
7 Love cannot be drowned
by oceans or floods.
It cannot be bought—
any offer would be scorned
no matter how great.
Their Friends Speak:
8 We have a little sister
whose breasts
are not yet formed.
If someone asks to marry her,
what should we do?
9 She isn't a wall
that we can defend
behind a silver shield.
Neither is she a room
that we can protect
behind a wooden door.
She Speaks:
10 I am a wall around a city,
my breasts are towers,
and just looking at me
brings him great pleasure.
11 Solomon has a vineyard
at Baal-Hamon,
which he rents to others
for a thousand pieces
of silver each.
12 My vineyard is mine alone!
Solomon can keep his silver
and the others can keep
their share of the profits.
He Speaks:
13 You are in the garden
with friends all around.
Let me hear your voice!
She Speaks:
14 Hurry to me, my darling!
Run faster than a deer
to mountains of spices.
1 A ka munta m fee,
i ye ke n kotookewo ti,
meŋ suusuuta m baamaa sunjoo to.
I si a je,
niŋ n niŋ i benta mbeedoo kaŋ,
n si i sumbu, moo te n jalayi la.
2 N si i samba noo,
ŋa i dundi m baa la buŋo kono,
m faŋo wuluuta daameŋ.
N si i mindi wayini* betoo la,
m faŋo la roomaani* yiridiŋ jiyo.
3 A ka munta le ko,
a maraa buloo ye tara n kuŋo koto,
a bulubaa buloo ye tara minindiŋ n na.
4 Alitolu Yerusalaamu dimmusuriŋolu,
ŋa ali daani,
niŋ n niŋ n jusukuŋo be fereriŋ
ka ǹ na kanoo yita ñoo la,
moo kana futa m̀ ma, waraŋ ka m̀ batandi,
fo janniŋ m̀ be kaañaŋ na.
Suukuu wooronjaŋo
Musoolu ko:
5 Jumaa le ka naa teŋ,
ka bo naŋ keñewuloo* kono,
a be minindiŋ a jusukuŋo la?
Musoo ko:
Pomu suŋo koto, ŋa i kuniŋ jee le,
i tiŋo ye i baamaa maa wo le to,
i baamaa meŋ ye i wuluu,
be nuŋ tiŋo to jee le.
6 N ke i jusoo to ko tampoo,
i ye n ke tampoo ti i bulukaŋo to.
Kanoo le semboo warata,
a semboo be warariŋ ne ko saayaa,
a kiiliyaa be jawuyaariŋ ko kaburoo,
a beñoo be ko dimbaa feremetoo,
ko dimbaa hilihiloo.
7 Jiyo la siyaa, wo buka a faa noo,
sako waamoo si a kunuŋ noo.
Hani niŋ meŋ ye ì la suwo sotofeŋo bee le bondi,
ka kanoo saŋ,
wo feŋo si ke jutunna feŋo ti.
Musoo kotookewolu:
8 Ŋà doomusuriŋ ne soto,
dindiŋo le mu,
a sunjoo maŋ bo foloo.
M̀ be muŋ ne ke la ǹ doomusoo ye
luŋ meŋ na, ì ye a la kuwo maa?
9 Niŋ tata sansaŋo le mu,
m̀ be a ñarandi la kodiforo tata jaŋolu le la,
niŋ duŋ, bundaa le mu,
ŋà a ñarandi sedari* babaroo la.
Musoo ko:
10 M mu tata sansaŋo le ti,
n sunjoolu be ko tata jaŋo,
n keta n jusukuŋo ñaa koto
kayiroo naatilaa ti.
Kewo ko:
11 Wayini yiri kankaŋ ne be nuŋ Sulemani bulu,
a be nuŋ Baali-Hamoni maafaŋo le la.
A ye a dii kantarilaalu la,
i meŋ-wo-meŋ ñanta kodiforo kuntu wuli kiliŋ ne naati la,
a yiridiŋolu to, katiri waatoo.
12 Sulemani, kantarilaa keme fula ye tara i bulu,
i ye i la kodiforo kuntu wuli kiliŋo taa,
bari m fanaa la yiri kankaŋo,
n halaaloo, wo mu n taa le ti.
13 N kanuntewo, meŋ be sabatiriŋ naakoo kono,
diyaamu n ye,
n kafuñoolu be i lamoyi kaŋ ne.
Musoo ko:
14 N jusukuŋo, i tariyaa,
bori ko minaŋo,
waraŋ ko daakoyoo, konkoolu to
seerandi feŋolu ka faliŋ daameŋ.
