TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS
Chapter 5
Translation and Transliteration of
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1I have come to my garden, My own, my bride; I have plucked my myrrh and spice, Eaten my honey and honeycomb, Drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, lovers, and drink: Drink deep of love!
BA-tee l'-ga-NEE a-kho-TEE kha-LAH a-REE-tee mo-REE im b'-sa-MEE a-KHAL-tee ya-REE im div-SHEE sha-TEE-tee yay-NEE im kha-la-VEE ikh-LU ray-EEM sh'-TU v'-shikh-RU do-DEEM
אבָּ֣אתִי לְגַנִּי֮ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּה֒ אָרִ֤יתִי מוֹרִי֙ עִם־בְּשָׂמִ֔י אָכַ֤לְתִּי יַעְרִי֙ עִם־דִּבְשִׁ֔י שָׁתִ֥יתִי יֵינִ֖י עִם־חֲלָבִ֑י אִכְל֣וּ רֵעִ֔ים שְׁת֥וּ וְשִׁכְר֖וּ דּוֹדִֽים׃
5:1 I have come to my garden
According to Metzudat David, this verse is a metaphor for Hashem entering the Beit Hamikdash that the people built for Him, and accepting the sacrifices they offer to Him. The garden is a reference to the Temple and the gathering of myrrh and spice to the acceptance of the incense offering that is brought in His honor. God metaphorically “eats” and “drinks” the offerings and libations, by means of a fire that descends from heaven to consume them. Finally, He calls upon his “friends,” the loyal priests, to partake in their share of the offerings. The use of a garden as the image to represent the Beit Hamikdash paints a picture of beauty and harmony which befits the meeting place of God and mankind on earth.
2I was asleep, But my heart was wakeful. Hark, my beloved knocks! “Let me in, my own, My darling, my faultless dove! For my head is drenched with dew, My locks with the damp of night.”
a-NEE y'-shay-NAH v'-li-BEE ayr KOL do-DEE do-FAYK pit-khee LEE a-kho-TEE ra-ya-TEE yo-na-TEE ta-ma-TEE she-ro-SHEE nim-la TAL k'-vu-tzo-TAI r'-see-SAY LAI-lah
באֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙ יוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל קְוֻצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה׃
5:2 Hark, my beloved knocks!
The words: “My beloved knocks,” in Hebrew kol dodi dofek (קול דודי דופק), form the title and theme of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik’s classic essay on religious Zionism. In this essay, Rabbi Soloveitchik highlights the miraculous events surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel and posits that God “knocked” six times to get our attention. He points to military successes, political opportunities, the theological awakening of the Christian world and other developments as contemporary signs that Hashem is beckoning the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel. Rabbi Soloveichik cautions that we must respond quickly to these knocks, unlike the beloved who hesitates in this chapter, and later regrets her lost opportunity.
3I had taken off my robe— Was I to don it again? I had bathed my feet— Was I to soil them again?
pa-SHAT-ti et ku-TON-ti, ei-KHA-kha el-BA-she-NA, ra-KHA-tzi et rag-LAI, ei-KHA-kha a-tan-PEM
גפָּשַׁ֙טְתִּי֙ אֶת־כֻּתׇּנְתִּ֔י אֵיכָ֖כָה אֶלְבָּשֶׁ֑נָּה רָחַ֥צְתִּי אֶת־רַגְלַ֖י אֵיכָ֥כָה אֲטַנְּפֵֽם׃
4My beloved took his hand off the latch, And my heart was stirred for him.
DO-di sha-LAKH ya-DO min ha-KHOR u-m'-AI ha-MU a-LA-yov
דדּוֹדִ֗י שָׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔ר וּמֵעַ֖י הָמ֥וּ עָלָֽיו׃
5I rose to let in my beloved; My hands dripped myrrh— My fingers, flowing myrrh— Upon the handles of the bolt.
KAM-ti a-NEE lif-TO-akh l'-do-DEE, v'-ya-DAI na-TE-fu-MOR, v'-etz-be-o-TAI MOR o-VER al ka-POT ha-man-Ul
הקַ֥מְתִּֽי אֲנִ֖י לִפְתֹּ֣חַ לְדוֹדִ֑י וְיָדַ֣י נָֽטְפוּ־מ֗וֹר וְאֶצְבְּעֹתַי֙ מ֣וֹר עֹבֵ֔ר עַ֖ל כַּפּ֥וֹת הַמַּנְעֽוּל׃
6I opened the door for my beloved, But my beloved had turned and gone. I was faint because of what he said. I sought, but found him not; I called, but he did not answer.
pa-TA-kh'ti a-NEE le-do-DEE, v'-do-DEE kha-MAK a-VAHR, naf-SHEE ya-TZE-a b'-da-b'-RO, bi-ka-SH'-ti-HU, v'-LO m'-tza-TEE-HU, k'-ra-TEE-v v'-LO a-NA-nee.
ופָּתַ֤חְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ לְדוֹדִ֔י וְדוֹדִ֖י חָמַ֣ק עָבָ֑ר נַפְשִׁי֙ יָֽצְאָ֣ה בְדַבְּר֔וֹ בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֙יהוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מְצָאתִ֔יהוּ קְרָאתִ֖יו וְלֹ֥א עָנָֽנִי׃
7I met the watchmen Who patrol the town; They struck me, they bruised me. The guards of the walls Stripped me of my mantle.
m'-tza-UNI ha-sho-M'-reem ha-so-ve-VEEM ba-IR hi-KU-ni f'-tza-U-ni na-s'-U et r'-di-DEE me-a-LAI sho-M'-REI ha-cho-MOT
זמְצָאֻ֧נִי הַשֹּׁמְרִ֛ים הַסֹּבְבִ֥ים בָּעִ֖יר הִכּ֣וּנִי פְצָע֑וּנִי נָשְׂא֤וּ אֶת־רְדִידִי֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י שֹׁמְרֵ֖י הַחֹמֽוֹת׃
8I adjure you, O maidens of Yerushalayim! If you meet my beloved, tell him this: That I am faint with love.
חהִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם אִֽם־תִּמְצְאוּ֙ אֶת־דּוֹדִ֔י מַה־תַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ שֶׁחוֹלַ֥ת אַהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי׃
9How is your beloved better than another, O fairest of women? How is your beloved better than another That you adjure us so?
mah-do-DEKH mi-DO-d ha-ya-FAH ba-NA-shim, mah-do-DEKH mi-DO-d she-ka-KHA hi-sh'-BA-ta-NU
טמַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד שֶׁכָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽנוּ׃
10My beloved is clear-skinned and ruddy, Preeminent among ten thousand.
DO-di tzakh v'-a-DOM da-GUL me-re-va-VAH
ידּוֹדִ֥י צַח֙ וְאָד֔וֹם דָּג֖וּל מֵרְבָבָֽה׃
11His head is finest gold, His locks are curled And black as a raven.
RO-sho KE-tem PAZ, KE-vu-TZO-tav TAL-ta-LEEM, SHE-cho-ROT ka-o-REB.
יארֹאשׁ֖וֹ כֶּ֣תֶם פָּ֑ז קְוֻצּוֹתָיו֙ תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים שְׁחֹר֖וֹת כָּעוֹרֵֽב׃
12His eyes are like doves By watercourses, Bathed in milk, Set by a brimming pool.
AY-na-YAV k'-yo-NEEM al a-fi-KEI ma-YIM ro-KHA-tzot b'-kha-LAV yosh-VOT al mi-LEET
יבעֵינָ֕יו כְּיוֹנִ֖ים עַל־אֲפִ֣יקֵי מָ֑יִם רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙ בֶּֽחָלָ֔ב יֹשְׁב֖וֹת עַל־מִלֵּֽאת׃
13His cheeks are like beds of spices, Banks of perfume His lips are like lilies; They drip flowing myrrh.
l'-kha-YAV ka-a-RO-gat ha-BO-sem mig-d'-LOT mer-ka-KHEEM, sif-TO-tav sho-sha-NEEM, no-t'-FOT mor o-VER
יגלְחָיָו֙ כַּעֲרוּגַ֣ת הַבֹּ֔שֶׂם מִגְדְּל֖וֹת מֶרְקָחִ֑ים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו֙ שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּ֔ים נֹטְפ֖וֹת מ֥וֹר עֹבֵֽר׃
14His hands are rods of gold, Studded with beryl; His belly a tablet of ivory, Adorned with sapphires.
ya-DAV g'-li-LEI za-HAV m'-mu-la-EEM ba-tar-SHEESH, me-a-YAV e-SHET shen m'-u-LE-fet sa-pee-REEM
ידיָדָיו֙ גְּלִילֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב מְמֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ מֵעָיו֙ עֶ֣שֶׁת שֵׁ֔ן מְעֻלֶּ֖פֶת סַפִּירִֽים׃
15His legs are like marble pillars Set in sockets of fine gold. He is majestic as Lebanon, Stately as the cedars.
sho-KA-yav a-mu-DEI shaysh me-yu-SA-deem al ad-NAY faz, mar-E-hu ka-le-va-NON ba-KHUR ka-a-ra-ZEEM
טושׁוֹקָיו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָ֑ז מַרְאֵ֙הוּ֙ כַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּאֲרָזִֽים׃
16His mouth is delicious And all of him is delightful. Such is my beloved, Such is my darling, O maidens of Yerushalayim!
kh'-KO mam-ta-KEEM v'-khu-LO ma-cha-ma-DEEM, zeh do-DEE v'-zeh re-EE, b'-NOT ye-ru-sha-LA-im
טזחִכּוֹ֙ מַֽמְתַקִּ֔ים וְכֻלּ֖וֹ מַחֲמַדִּ֑ים זֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ וְזֶ֣ה רֵעִ֔י בְּנ֖וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃
