Chapter 5

Scene 1 – The palace, outside the Shulamít's chamber – Night

King Sh'lomó has had his way with the Shulamít – or so it seems – without wedding her.
He comes out of the bedroom to where the King's Men
and the Daughters of Jerusalem are gathered. Sh'lomó boasts of his conquest...

Sh'lomó:
א בָּ֣אתִי לְגַנִּי֮ אֲחֹתִ֣י כַלָּה֒ אָרִ֤יתִי מוֹרִי֙ עִם־בְּשָׂמִ֔י אָכַ֤לְתִּי יַעְרִי֙ עִם־דִּבְשִׁ֔י שָׁתִ֥יתִי יֵינִ֖י עִם־חֲלָבִ֑י
אִכְל֣וּ רֵעִ֔ים שְׁת֥וּ וְשִׁכְר֖וּ דּוֹדִֽים {ס}
1. I came to my garden – my sister-bride – I gathered my myrrh with my balsam,
I ate my honeycomb with my honey, I drank my wine with my milk;
eat, friends! Drink and get drunk, lovers!

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 2 – In the Shulamít's chamber – Night

The Shulamít tells the Daughters of Jerusalem how the Shepherd came to find her
and her recurring dream came true and turned into a nightmare...

The Shulamít:
ב אֲנִ֥י יְשֵׁנָ֖ה וְלִבִּ֣י עֵ֑ר ק֣וֹל ׀ דּוֹדִ֣י דוֹפֵ֗ק...
2. I'm asleep and my heart is awake... The sound of my lover knocking!

she quotes:
The Shepherd:
(unaware – perhaps – that the Shulamít has just been with the King)
"פִּתְחִי־לִ֞י אֲחֹתִ֤י רַעְיָתִי֙ יֽוֹנָתִ֣י תַמָּתִ֔י שֶׁרֹּאשִׁי֙ נִמְלָא־טָ֔ל קְוֻצּוֹתַ֖י רְסִ֥יסֵי לָֽיְלָה"
"Open up for me, my sister, my companion, my dove, my undefiled one,
for my head is drenched with dew, my locks – the sprinklings of night."

The Shulamít:
(dissimulating)
ג "פָּשַׁ֨טְתִּי֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתִּ֔י אֵיכָ֖כָה אֶלְבָּשֶׁ֑נָּה רָחַ֥צְתִּי אֶת־רַגְלַ֖י אֵיכָ֥כָה אֲטַנְּפֵֽם?"
3. "I've taken off my robe; how can I put it back on?
I've washed my feet; how can I get them dirty?"

ד דּוֹדִ֗י שָׁלַ֤ח יָדוֹ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔ר וּמֵעַ֖י הָמ֥וּ עָלָֽיו
4. My lover pulled his hand away from the opening and my loins thrilled over him.
ה קַ֥מְתִּֽי אֲנִ֖י לִפְתֹּ֣חַ לְדוֹדִ֑י וְיָדַ֣י נָֽטְפוּ־מ֗וֹר וְאֶצְבְּעֹתַי֙ מ֣וֹר עֹבֵ֔ר עַ֖ל כַּפּ֥וֹת הַמַּנְעֽוּל
5. I myself got up to open for my lover and my hands dripped myrrh,
and my fingers – liquid myrrh on the door handles.
ו פָּתַ֤חְתִּֽי אֲנִי֙ לְדוֹדִ֔י וְדוֹדִ֖י חָמַ֣ק עָבָ֑ר נַפְשִׁי֙ יָֽצְאָ֣ה בְדַבְּר֔וֹ בִּקַּשְׁתִּ֨יהוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א מְצָאתִ֔יהוּ קְרָאתִ֖יו וְלֹ֥א עָנָֽנִי
6. I myself opened up for my lover and my lover had left, he was gone!
My soul left me when he spoke...
I sought him and I couldn't find him, I called for him and he didn't answer me.
ז מְצָאֻ֧נִי הַשֹּֽׁמְרִ֛ים הַסֹּֽבְבִ֥ים בָּעִ֖יר הִכּ֣וּנִי פְצָע֑וּנִי נָֽשְׂא֤וּ אֶת־רְדִידִי֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י שֹֽׁמְרֵ֖י הַֽחֹמֽוֹת
7. They found me, the watchmen who patrol the city, they beat me, they wounded me;
they stripped off my veil, the watchmen at the walls!
ח הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם אִֽם־תִּמְצְאוּ֙ אֶת־דּוֹדִ֔י מַה־תַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ? שֶֽׁחוֹלַ֥ת אַֽהֲבָ֖ה אָֽנִי
8. Swear to me, Daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my lover, what will you say to him?
That I am lovesick.

The Daughters of Jerusalem:
ט מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד הַיָּפָ֖ה בַּנָּשִׁ֑ים? מַה־דּוֹדֵ֣ךְ מִדּ֔וֹד שֶׁכָּ֖כָה הִשְׁבַּעְתָּֽנוּ?
9. What makes your lover different from any other lover, O most beautiful of women?
What makes your lover different from any other lover that you made us swear this to you?

The Shulamít:
י דּוֹדִ֥י צַח֙ וְאָד֔וֹם דָּג֖וּל מֵֽרְבָבָֽה
10. My lover is radiant and manly, distinguished among ten-thousand.
יא רֹאשׁ֖וֹ כֶּ֣תֶם פָּ֑ז קְוֻצּוֹתָיו֙ תַּלְתַּלִּ֔ים שְׁחֹר֖וֹת כָּֽעוֹרֵֽב
11. His head is radiant gold, his locks are ringlets, black as the raven.
יב עֵינָ֕יו כְּיוֹנִ֖ים עַל־אֲפִ֣יקֵי מָ֑יִם רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙ בֶּֽחָלָ֔ב יֹֽשְׁב֖וֹת עַל־מִלֵּֽאת
12. His eyes are like doves by rushing waters, bathing in milk, perfectly set.
יג לְחָיָו֙ כַּֽעֲרוּגַ֣ת הַבֹּ֔שֶׂם מִגְדְּל֖וֹת מֶרְקָחִ֑ים שִׂפְתוֹתָיו֙ שֽׁוֹשַׁנִּ֔ים נֹֽטְפ֖וֹת מ֥וֹר עֹבֵֽר
13. His cheeks are like the Flowerbed of Perfume, nurseries of apothecary plants;
his lips are lilies, dripping with liquid myrrh.
יד יָדָיו֙ גְּלִילֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב מְמֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּתַּרְשִׁ֑ישׁ מֵעָיו֙ עֶ֣שֶׁת שֵׁ֔ן מְעֻלֶּ֖פֶת סַפִּירִֽים
14. His arms are rods of gold encrusted with aquamarine;
his loins – polished ivory inlaid with sapphires.
טו שׁוֹקָיו֙ עַמּ֣וּדֵי שֵׁ֔שׁ מְיֻסָּדִ֖ים עַל־אַדְנֵי־פָ֑ז מַרְאֵ֨הוּ֙ כַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן בָּח֖וּר כָּֽאֲרָזִֽים
15. His thighs are marble pillars set on golden plinths,
his appearance is like the Lebanon, as choice as the cedars.
טז חִכּוֹ֙ מַֽמְתַקִּ֔ים וְכֻלּ֖וֹ מַֽחֲמַדִּ֑ים זֶ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ וְזֶ֣ה רֵעִ֔י בְּנ֖וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִָֽם
16. His mouth is sweetness and everything about him is desirable;
that is my lover and that is my companion, O Daughters of Jerusalem!