Chapter 2

Scene 1 –The girls' chambers in the palace – Morning

The Shulamít is still in the women's quarters in the palace.
The Shepherd has come to look in on her but must soon leave to tend his flocks

The Shulamít:
א אֲנִי֙ חֲבַצֶּ֣לֶת הַשָּׁר֔וֹן שֽׁוֹשַׁנַּ֖ת הָֽעֲמָקִֽים
1. I am the crocus of the plains, the lily of the valleys.

Shepherd:
ב כְּשֽׁוֹשַׁנָּה֙ בֵּ֣ין הַֽחוֹחִ֔ים כֵּ֥ן רַעְיָתִ֖י בֵּ֥ין הַבָּנֽוֹת
2. Like a lily among the thistles, so is my companion among the girls.

The Shepherd leaves

The Shulamít:
(to the Daughters of Jerusalem)
ג ג כְּתַפּ֨וּחַ֙ בַּֽעֲצֵ֣י הַיַּ֔עַר כֵּ֥ן דּוֹדִ֖י בֵּ֣ין הַבָּנִ֑ים בְּצִלּוֹ֙ חִמַּ֣דְתִּי וְיָשַׁ֔בְתִּי וּפִרְי֖וֹ מָת֥וֹק לְחִכִּֽי
3. Like an apple tree among the forest trees, so is my lover among the boys,
in his shadow I basked and I sat and his fruit was sweet to my palate.

ד הֱבִיאַ֨נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַֽהֲבָֽה
4. He brought me to the tavern and his banner over me was love.
ה סַמְּכ֨וּנִי֙ בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים כִּֽי־חוֹלַ֥ת אַֽהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי
5. Hold me up with flagons of wine! lay me on a bed of apples! for I am lovesick!
ו ו שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת לְרֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי
6. With his left hand under my head, his right hand will caress me.
ז ז הִשְׁבַּ֨עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֜ם בְּנ֤וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִַ֨ם֙ בִּצְבָא֔וֹת א֖וֹ בְּאַיְל֣וֹת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה
אִם־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וְֽאִם־תְּע֥וֹרְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ {ס}
7. Swear to me, Daughters of Jerusalem, by gazelles or by does of the field,
that you will not awaken nor arouse love until it so desires.

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 2 – The girls' chambers in the palace – Evening

Evening falls. The Shepherd returns

The Shulamít:
ח ק֣וֹל דּוֹדִ֔י הִנֵּה־זֶ֖ה בָּ֑א מְדַלֵּג֙ עַל־הֶ֣הָרִ֔ים מְקַפֵּ֖ץ עַל־הַגְּבָעֽוֹת
8. The voice of my lover... Here he comes! skipping over the mountains, leaping over the hills.
ט דּוֹמֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ לִצְבִ֔י א֖וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֑ים הִנֵּה־זֶ֤ה עוֹמֵד֙ אַחַ֣ר כָּתְלֵ֔נוּ מַשְׁגִּ֨יחַ֙ מִן־הַֽחַלֹּנ֔וֹת מֵצִ֖יץ מִן־הַֽחֲרַכִּֽים
9. My lover is like a gazelle or a doe's fawn; there he is, standing behind our walls,
observing from the windows, peering through the lattices.
י עָנָ֥ה דוֹדִ֖י וְאָ֣מַר לִ֑י:
10. My lover answered and said to me:

she quotes:

The Shepherd:
ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָֽפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ
"Arise, my companion, my beauty, and leave this place.
יא כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֥ה הַסְּתָ֖ו עָבָ֑ר הַגֶּ֕שֶׁם חָלַ֖ף הָלַ֥ךְ לֽוֹ
11. For look, the winter has passed, the rain has passed and gone.
יב הַנִּצָּנִים֙ נִרְא֣וּ בָאָ֔רֶץ עֵ֥ת הַזָּמִ֖יר הִגִּ֑יעַ וְק֥וֹל הַתּ֖וֹר נִשְׁמַ֥ע בְּאַרְצֵֽנוּ
12. The first shoots have appeared in the land, the season of the songbird has come
and the cooing of the turtle-dove is heard in our land.
יג הַתְּאֵנָה֙ חָֽנְטָ֣ה פַגֶּ֔יהָ וְהַגְּפָנִ֥ים ׀ סְמָדַ֖ר נָ֣תְנוּ רֵ֑יחַ ק֥וּמִי לָ֛ךְ רַעְיָתִ֥י יָֽפָתִ֖י וּלְכִי־לָֽךְ {ס}
13. The fig tree has set its young fruits and the grapevines are in bloom,
their fragrant blossoms have opened; arise, my companion, my beauty, and leave this place."

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 3 – Outside the palace, in the King's Garden – Night

The Shulamít sneaks out of the palace to meet the Shepherd

The Shepherd:
(searching for the Shulamít)
יד יֽוֹנָתִ֞י בְּחַגְוֵ֣י הַסֶּ֗לַע בְּסֵ֨תֶר֙ הַמַּדְרֵגָ֔ה הַרְאִ֨ינִי֙ אֶת־מַרְאַ֔יִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִ֖נִי אֶת־קוֹלֵ֑ךְ
כִּֽי־קוֹלֵ֥ךְ עָרֵ֖ב וּמַרְאֵ֥יךְ נָאוֶֽה {ס}
14. My dove, in the crevice of the rock, hiding behind the stair, show me your faces,
let me hear your voice, for your voice is pleasant and your visage is lovely.

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 4 – Outside the palace, in the King's Garden – Night

The Shulamít comes out of hiding

The Shepherd and The Shulamít:
(calling up to the daughters of Jerusalem in the palace)
טו אֶֽחֱזוּ־לָ֨נוּ֙ שֻֽׁעָלִ֔ים! שֻֽׁעָלִ֥ים קְטַנִּ֖ים מְחַבְּלִ֣ים כְּרָמִ֑ים וּכְרָמֵ֖ינוּ סְמָדַֽר
15. Catch us foxes! Little foxes destroy vineyards, and our vineyard is in fragrant bloom!

The Shulamít:
(to the daughters of Jerusalem)
טז דּוֹדִ֥י לִי֙ וַֽאֲנִ֣י ל֔וֹ הָֽרֹעֶ֖ה בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים
16. My lover is mine and I am his – the wanderer among the lilies.
(to the Shepherd)
יז עַ֤ד שֶׁיָּפ֨וּחַ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְנָ֖סוּ הַצְּלָלִ֑ים סֹב֩ דְּמֵֽה־לְךָ֨ דוֹדִ֜י לִצְבִ֗י א֛וֹ לְעֹ֥פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֖ים עַל־הָ֥רֵי בָֽתֶר {ס}
17. By the time the day wind blows and the shadows retreat,
turn and make yourself, my lover, like a gazelle or a fawn on cleft mountains.

English translation and dramatic adaptation: Aryeh Naftaly, all rights reserved