Contact Us

TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 8

Translation and Transliteration of 

1If only it could be as with a brother, As if you had nursed at my mother's breast: Then I could kiss you When I met you in the street, And no one would despise me.

mi yit-TEYN-kha k'-a-KH li yo-NEKH sh'-DEI i-MI em-tza-a-KHA va-KHUTZ e-sha-K'-kha gam lo-ya-VU li

אמִ֤י יִתֶּנְךָ֙ כְּאָ֣ח לִ֔י יוֹנֵ֖ק שְׁדֵ֣י אִמִּ֑י אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ בַחוּץ֙ אֶשָּׁ֣קְךָ֔ גַּ֖ם לֹא־יָבֻ֥זוּ לִֽי׃

2I would lead you, I would bring you To the house of my mother, Of her who taught me— I would let you drink of the spiced wine, Of my pomegranate juice.

en-ha-G'kha, a-vee-a-KHA el-bayt i-MEE, t'-la-m'-DE-ni, ash-K'kha, mi-YA-yin ha-re-KHAKH, me-a-SEEYS ri-MO-nee

באֶנְהָֽגְךָ֗ אֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛ אֶל־בֵּ֥ית אִמִּ֖י תְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִי אַשְׁקְךָ֙ מִיַּ֣יִן הָרֶ֔קַח מֵעֲסִ֖יס רִמֹּנִֽי׃

3His left hand was under my head, His right hand caressed me.

s'-mo-LO takh-AT ro-SHEE vi-MEE-no t'-kha-b'-KE-nee

גשְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת רֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי׃

4I adjure you, O maidens of Yerushalayim: Do not wake or rouse Love until it please!

hi-sh'BA-tee et-KHEM b'-not ye-ru-sha-LA-im, mah-ta-i-ROO u-mah-t'-o-r'-RU et ha-a-ha-VAH ad sh'-tekh-PAHTZ

דהִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם מַה־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וּֽמַה־תְּעֹ֥רְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ׃

5Who is she that comes up from the desert, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; It was there your mother conceived you, There she who bore you conceived you.

mi ZOT o-LAH min ha-mid-BAR mit-ra-PE-ket al do-DAH ta-CHAT ha-ta-PU-ACH o-ra-RE-ti-KHA sha-MA chi-B'-la-TE-kha i-ME-kha sha-MA chi-B'-LAH ye-la-DA-te-KHA

המִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־דּוֹדָ֑הּ תַּ֤חַת הַתַּפּ֙וּחַ֙ עֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָ שָׁ֚מָּה חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ אִמֶּ֔ךָ שָׁ֖מָּה חִבְּלָ֥ה יְלָדַֽתְךָ׃

6Let me be a seal upon your heart, Like the seal upon your hand. For love is fierce as death, Passion is mighty as Sheol; Its darts are darts of fire, A blazing flame.

si-ME-ni kha-TOT-am al-li-BE-kha kha-TOT-am al-ze-RO-e-kha ki-a-ZA kha-ma-VET a-ha-VA ka-SHAH ki-SHOL kin-AH re-sha-FE-ha re-sh'-PEI eSH shal-he-ve-TYA

ושִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃

7Vast floods cannot quench love, Nor rivers drown it. If a man offered all his wealth for love, He would be laughed to scorn.

ma-YIM ra-BEEM lo yu-KHE-lu l'-ka-VOT et ha-a-ha-VAH u-ne-ha-ROT lo yish-te-FO-ha, im yi-TEN EEsh et-KOL hoN b'-EI-to ba-a-ha-VAH, BOZ ya-VU-zu LO. (Selah)

זמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֗ים לֹ֤א יֽוּכְלוּ֙ לְכַבּ֣וֹת אֶת־הָֽאַהֲבָ֔ה וּנְהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ אִם־יִתֵּ֨ן אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־כׇּל־ה֤וֹן בֵּיתוֹ֙ בָּאַהֲבָ֔ה בּ֖וֹז יָב֥וּזוּ לֽוֹ׃

8“We have a little sister, Whose breasts are not yet formed. What shall we do for our sister When she is spoken for?

a-KHOT LA-nu k'-ta-NAH v'-sha-DA-yim AYN LAH ma na-a-SEH la-a-KHO-tay-NU ba-YOM she-y'-du-BAR-BAH

חאָח֥וֹת לָ֙נוּ֙ קְטַנָּ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖יִם אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂה֙ לַאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ בַּיּ֖וֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־בָּֽהּ׃

9If she be a wall, We will build upon it a silver battlement; If she be a door, We will panel it in cedar.”

im-KHO-mah HEE ni-VE-ne AL-y'HA tee-RAT ka-SEF v'-im-DE-let HEE na-TZUR AL-y'HA LU-akh a-REZ

טאִם־חוֹמָ֣ה הִ֔יא נִבְנֶ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ טִ֣ירַת כָּ֑סֶף וְאִם־דֶּ֣לֶת הִ֔יא נָצ֥וּר עָלֶ֖יהָ ל֥וּחַ אָֽרֶז׃

10I am a wall, My breasts are like towers. So I became in his eyes As one who finds favor.

a-NEE kho-MAH v'-sha-DAI ka-mig-da-LOT az ha-YEE-tee b'-ay-NAV k'-mo-t'-ET sha-LOM

יאֲנִ֣י חוֹמָ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖י כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת אָ֛ז הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כְּמוֹצְאֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם׃

11Shlomo had a vineyard In Baal-hamon. He had to post guards in the vineyard: A man would give for its fruit A thousand pieces of silver.

ke-REM ha-YAH li-SHO-lo-MO b'-BA-al ha-MON na-TAN et ha-ke-REM la-no-t'-REEM EESH ya-VE b'-fi-RO el-EF ka-SEF

יאכֶּ֣רֶם הָיָ֤ה לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ בְּבַ֣עַל הָמ֔וֹן נָתַ֥ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֖רֶם לַנֹּטְרִ֑ים אִ֛ישׁ יָבִ֥א בְּפִרְי֖וֹ אֶ֥לֶף כָּֽסֶף׃

12I have my very own vineyard: You may have the thousand, O Shlomo, And the guards of the fruit two hundred!

kar-MI she-LI le-fa-NAI, ha-E-LEF le-KHA she-LO-mo, u-ma-ta-YIM le-no-t'-RIM et pi-RYO

יבכַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹטְרִ֥ים אֶת־פִּרְיֽוֹ׃

13O you who linger in the garden, A lover is listening; Let me hear your voice.

ha-yo-SHE-vet ba-ga-NIM cha-VE-rim mak-shi-VEEM l'-ko-LEKH ha-sh'-mi-EE-nee

יגהַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽנִי׃

14“Hurry, my beloved, Swift as a gazelle or a young stag, To the hills of spices!”

b'-RAKH do-DEE ud-MAY l'-KHA litz-VEE O l'-O-fer ha-a-ya-LEEM AL ha-RAY v'-sa-MEEM

ידבְּרַ֣ח ׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים׃

 8:14   To the hills of spices

Almost all commentators agree that the “hills of spices” mentioned in this verse are a reference to the Temple Mount in Yerushalayim. The spices refer to the incense offering that was offered in the Beit Hamikdash, which produced a sweet smell. The Talmud (Yoma 39b) relates that the scent of the incense was so strong that the women in Yerushalayim did not need to use perfume. In this verse, the people turn to Hashem, their beloved, and ask that he hurry like a gazelle “to the hills of spices.” They wish to be redeemed quickly from their bitter exile. They beg for God to return them to the Land of Israel, and for His presence to also return to the Holy Land and to the Beit Hamikdash in Yerushalayim.