Chapter 4

Scene 1 - The Shulamít's chamber in the palace - Night

The King, who knows of the Shulamít's exploits with the Shepherd,
comes to flatter her, to reassure himself that she is still his, and to announce his intentions.
He is supposed to marry her. But then things get out of hand...

Sh'lomó:
א הִנָּ֨ךְ יָפָ֤ה רַעְיָתִי֙ הִנָּ֣ךְ יָפָ֔ה עֵינַ֣יִךְ יוֹנִ֔ים מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵ֑ךְ שַׂעְרֵךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שֶׁגָּֽלְשׁ֖וּ מֵהַ֥ר גִּלְעָֽד
1. How beautiful you are, my companion, how beautiful you are,
your eyes are doves peeking through your braid;
your hair is like the flock of goats that slid down Mt. Gilead;
ב שִׁנַּ֨יִךְ֙ כְּעֵ֣דֶר הַקְּצוּב֔וֹת שֶֽׁעָל֖וּ מִן־הָֽרַחְצָ֑ה שֶׁכֻּלָּם֙ מַתְאִימ֔וֹת וְשַׁכֻּלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין בָּהֶֽם
2. your teeth, like the flock of choice ewes that came up from bathing,
all of which bear twins and none are barren.
ג כְּח֤וּט הַשָּׁנִי֙ שִׂפְתוֹתַ֔יִךְ וּמִדְבָּרֵ֖ךְ נָאוֶ֑ה כְּפֶ֤לַח הָֽרִמּוֹן֙ רַקָּתֵ֔ךְ מִבַּ֖עַד לְצַמָּתֵֽךְ
3. Like the ribbon of scarlet are your lips and the way you speak is lovely,
like the slice of pomegranate is your temple peeking through your braid.
ד כְּמִגְדַּ֤ל דָּוִיד֙ צַוָּארֵ֔ךְ בָּנ֖וּי לְתַלְפִּיּ֑וֹת אֶ֤לֶף הַמָּגֵן֙ תָּל֣וּי עָלָ֔יו כֹּ֖ל שִׁלְטֵ֥י הַגִּבֹּרִֽים
4. Like David's Citadel is your neck, a landmark for travelers;
a thousand are the shields that hang from it – all the valiant warriors' bucklers.
ה שְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תְּאוֹמֵ֣י צְבִיָּ֑ה הָֽרוֹעִ֖ים בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים
5. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle, grazing among the lilies.
ו עַ֤ד שֶׁיָּפ֨וּחַ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְנָ֖סוּ הַצְּלָלִ֑ים אֵ֤לֶךְ לִי֙ אֶל־הַ֣ר הַמּ֔וֹר וְאֶל־גִּבְעַ֖ת הַלְּבוֹנָֽה
6. By the time the day wind blows and the shadows retreat
I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.
ז כֻּלָּ֤ךְ יָפָה֙ רַעְיָתִ֔י וּמ֖וּם אֵ֥ין בָּֽךְ {ס}
7. Everything about you is beautiful, my companion, and you are flawless.

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 2 – The Shulamít's chamber – Night (continuation of Scene 1)

The Shepherd can't bear this any more - he comes out of hiding
and reveals himself to the King for the first time

The Shepherd:
ח אִתִּ֤י מִלְּבָנוֹן֙ כַּלָּ֔ה אִתִּ֖י מִלְּבָנ֣וֹן תָּב֑וֹאִי
תָּשׁ֣וּרִי ׀ מֵרֹ֣אשׁ אֲמָנָ֗ה מֵרֹ֤אשׁ שְׂנִיר֙ וְחֶרְמ֔וֹן מִמְּעֹנ֣וֹת אֲרָי֔וֹת מֵֽהַרְרֵ֖י נְמֵרִֽים
8. Come with me from Lebanon, O bride, come with me from Lebanon!
Gaze out from the peak of Mt. Amana, from the peak of Mt. Senir and Mt. Hermon,
from lions' dens, from leopards' hills!


Sh'lomó:
(unperturbed)
ט לִבַּבְתִּ֖נִי אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה לִבַּבְתִּ֨נִי֙ בְּאַחַ֣ת מֵֽעֵינַ֔יִךְ בְּאַחַ֥ד עֲנָ֖ק מִצַּוְּרֹנָֽיִךְ
9. You've made my heart pound, my sister-bride,
you've made my heart pound with one of your eyes, with one bead of your necklaces.

The Shepherd:
(letting Sh'lomó know that he has tasted the Shulamít's love)
י מַה־יָּפ֥וּ דֹדַ֖יִךְ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה מַה־טֹּ֤בוּ דֹדַ֨יִךְ֙ מִיַּ֔יִן וְרֵ֥יחַ שְׁמָנַ֖יִךְ מִכָּל־בְּשָׂמִֽים
10. How beautiful was your loving, my sister-bride,
how much better was your loving than wine and the scent of your oils than any perfumes.

Sh'lomó:
(undaunted, promises better)
יא נֹ֛פֶת תִּטֹּ֥פְנָה שִׂפְתוֹתַ֖יִךְ כַּלָּ֑ה דְּבַ֤שׁ וְחָלָב֙ תַּ֣חַת לְשׁוֹנֵ֔ךְ וְרֵ֥יחַ שַׂלְמֹתַ֖יִךְ כְּרֵ֥יחַ לְבָנֽוֹן {ס}
11. Your lips will drip with ambrosia, my bride, milk and honey under your tongue,
and the scent of your garments like the scent of Lebanon.

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 3 – The Shulamít's chamber – Night (continuation of previous scene)

The Shepherd
(tries a different, defensive strategem)
יב גַּ֥ן ׀ נָע֖וּל אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּ֑ה גַּ֥ל נָע֖וּל מַעְיָ֥ן חָתֽוּם
12. A locked garden is my sister-bride; a locked well, a sealed spring.

Sh'lomó:
(pulls out all the stops)
יג שְׁלָחַ֨יִךְ֙ פַּרְדֵּ֣ס רִמּוֹנִ֔ים עִ֖ם פְּרִ֣י מְגָדִ֑ים כְּפָרִ֖ים עִם־נְרָדִֽים
13. Your fields are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest fruit;
henna blossoms with varieties of spikenard,
יד יד נֵ֣רְדְּ ׀ וְכַרְכֹּ֗ם קָנֶה֙ וְקִנָּמ֔וֹן עִ֖ם כָּל־עֲצֵ֣י לְבוֹנָ֑ה מֹ֚ר וַֽאֲהָל֔וֹת עִ֖ם כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים
14. nard and saffron, balsam and cinnamon, with all frankincense trees,
myrrh and aloes with all the choicest perfumes;
טו מַעְיַ֣ן גַּנִּ֔ים בְּאֵ֖ר מַ֣יִם חַיִּ֑ים וְנֹֽזְלִ֖ים מִן־לְבָנֽוֹן
15. a garden spring, a well of living waters flowing from Lebanon...

The Shulamít:
(convinced and enraptured)
טז ע֤וּרִי צָפוֹן֙ וּב֣וֹאִי תֵימָ֔ן הָפִ֥יחִי גַנִּ֖י יִזְּל֣וּ בְשָׂמָ֑יו יָבֹ֤א דוֹדִי֙ לְגַנּ֔וֹ וְיֹאכַ֖ל פְּרִ֥י מְגָדָֽיו
16. Awake, North Wind, and come, South Wind!
Blow through my garden, let its perfumes flow;
let my lover come to his garden and eat its luscious fruit!