Chapter 7

The Shulamít has made up her mind to leave the palace (and the King)
and go back to her village and her lover the Shepherd.
The King and his entourage are partying as usual in the palace.
The King, somewhat drunk, is sorry to see her go
and still thinks he has a chance of convincing her to stay

The King's Men:
א שׁ֤וּבִי שׁ֨וּבִי֙ הַשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית שׁ֥וּבִי שׁ֖וּבִי וְנֶֽחֱזֶה־בָּ֑ךְ!
1. Come back, come back, O Shulamít! Come back, and let us watch you!

The Shulamít and the Daughters of Jerusalem:
(indignantly)
מַֽה־תֶּחֱזוּ֙ בַּשּׁ֣וּלַמִּ֔ית כִּמְחֹלַ֖ת הַֽמַּחֲנָֽיִם?
What do you mean, "watch the Shulamít"?
Like one who dances The Dance of the Two Camps?

Sh'lomó:
ב מַה־יָּפ֧וּ פְעָמַ֛יִךְ בַּנְּעָלִ֖ים בַּת־נָדִ֑יב חַמּוּקֵ֣י יְרֵכַ֔יִךְ כְּמ֣וֹ חֲלָאִ֔ים מַֽעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י אָמָּֽן
2. How lovely your steps were in your shoes, noble maiden,
the curves of your hips like jeweled circlets made by the hands of a craftsman;
ג שָׁרְרֵךְ֙ אַגַּ֣ן הַסַּ֔הַר אַל־יֶחְסַ֖ר הַמָּ֑זֶג בִּטְנֵךְ֙ עֲרֵמַ֣ת חִטִּ֔ים סוּגָ֖ה בַּשּֽׁוֹשַׁנִּֽים
3. your navel – a cruse of the crescent moon – may the blended wine never lack!
Your belly – a haystack bordered with lilies;
ד שְׁנֵ֥י שָׁדַ֛יִךְ כִּשְׁנֵ֥י עֳפָרִ֖ים תָּֽאֳמֵ֥י צְבִיָּֽה
4. your two breasts like two fawns, twins of a gazelle;
ה צַוָּארֵ֖ךְ כְּמִגְדַּ֣ל הַשֵּׁ֑ן עֵינַ֜יִךְ בְּרֵכ֣וֹת בְּחֶשְׁבּ֗וֹן עַל־שַׁ֨עַר֙ בַּת־רַבִּ֔ים אַפֵּךְ֙ כְּמִגְדַּ֣ל הַלְּבָנ֔וֹן צוֹפֶ֖ה פְּנֵ֥י דַמָּֽשֶׂק
5. your neck like the Ivory Tower;
your eyes – pools in Ħeshbon by the gate of Bat-Rabbím;
your nose like the Tower of Lebanon looking out over Damascus;
ו רֹאשֵׁ֤ךְ עָלַ֨יִךְ֙ כַּכַּרְמֶ֔ל וְדַלַּ֥ת רֹאשֵׁ֖ךְ כָּֽאַרְגָּמָ֑ן מֶ֖לֶךְ אָס֥וּר בָּֽרְהָטִֽים
6. your head upon you like the Carmel and your tresses like purple wool
– a king is captive in the rafters.

ז מַה־יָּפִית֙ וּמַה־נָּעַ֔מְתְּ אַֽהֲבָ֖ה בַּתַּֽעֲנוּגִֽים...
7. How much more beautiful and pleasing you were, love, than any other delight...
ח זֹ֤את קֽוֹמָתֵךְ֙ דָּֽמְתָ֣ה לְתָמָ֔ר וְשָׁדַ֖יִךְ לְאַשְׁכֹּלֽוֹת
8. Thus you stood tall, like a palm tree, and your breasts like clusters;
ט אָמַ֨רְתִּי֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה בְתָמָ֔ר אֹֽחֲזָ֖ה בְּסַנְסִנָּ֑יו וְיִֽהְיוּ־נָ֤א שָׁדַ֨יִךְ֙ כְּאֶשְׁכְּל֣וֹת הַגֶּ֔פֶן וְרֵ֥יחַ אַפֵּ֖ךְ כַּתַּפּוּחִֽים
9. I said: I'll climb a palm, I'll hold onto its panicles,
and may your breasts be like the bunches on the grapevine
and the smell of your breath like the apples
י וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ כְּיֵ֥ין הַטּ֛וֹב...
10. and your mouth like the wine of goodness...

The Shulamít:
(interrupting his rather immodest drunken reverie
before he tells the whole story of their night together)
... הוֹלֵ֥ךְ לְדוֹדִ֖י לְמֵֽישָׁרִ֑ים דּוֹבֵ֖ב שִׂפְתֵ֥י יְשֵׁנִֽים
...which goes straight to my lover's head, making him speak like a sleep-talker.
(decisively)
יא אֲנִ֣י לְדוֹדִ֔י וְעָלַ֖י תְּשֽׁוּקָתֽוֹ {ס}
11. I am my lover's and his desire is for me.

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 2 – The Shulamít's chamber in the palace – Day

The Shulamit is in her room, packing her things. The Shepherd comes in

(to the Shepherd)
יב לְכָ֤ה דוֹדִי֙ נֵצֵ֣א הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה נָלִ֖ינָה בַּכְּפָרִֽים
12. Come, my lover, we'll go out to the field, we'll sleep among the henna blossoms,
יג נַשְׁכִּ֨ימָה֙ לַכְּרָמִ֔ים נִרְאֶ֞ה אִם־פָּֽרְחָ֤ה הַגֶּ֨פֶן֙ פִּתַּ֣ח הַסְּמָדַ֔ר הֵנֵ֖צוּ הָֽרִמּוֹנִ֑ים שָׁ֛ם אֶתֵּ֥ן אֶת־דֹּדַ֖י לָֽךְ
13. we'll wake up to the plantations, we'll see whether the vine has blossomed,
releasing its sweet fragrance,
whether the pomegranates have budded – there I will give you my loving.
יד הַֽדּוּדָאִ֣ים נָֽתְנוּ־רֵ֗יחַ וְעַל־פְּתָחֵ֨ינוּ֙ כָּל־מְגָדִ֔ים חֲדָשִׁ֖ים גַּם־יְשָׁנִ֑ים דּוֹדִ֖י צָפַ֥נְתִּי לָֽךְ
14. The mandrakes have given forth their fragrance and every delicacy assails our senses,
new and old alike – my lover, I hid them away for you.