Chapter 8

Scene 1 – On the way to the village of Ęin Gédi – Day

The Shulamít and the Shepherd walk back to their village
accompanied by the Daughters of Jerusalem

The Shulamít:
א מִ֤י יִתֶּנְךָ֙ כְּאָ֣ח לִ֔י יוֹנֵ֖ק שְׁדֵ֣י אִמִּ֑י אֶֽמְצָאֲךָ֤ בַחוּץ֙ אֶשָּׁ֣קְךָ֔ גַּ֖ם לֹֽא־יָבֻ֥זוּ לִֽי
1. If only you were like my brother, nursing at my mother's breasts...
I'd find you in the marketplace - I'd kiss you – and no one would mock me!
ב אֶנְהָֽגְךָ֗ אֲבִֽיאֲךָ֛ אֶל־בֵּ֥ית אִמִּ֖י תְּלַמְּדֵ֑נִי אַשְׁקְךָ֙ מִיַּ֣יִן הָרֶ֔קַח מֵֽעֲסִ֖יס רִמֹּנִֽי
2. I'll lead the way, I'll bring you to my mother's house, she'll teach me;
I'll pour for you from my wine-potion, from the juice of my pomegranate.
(to the Daughters of Jerusalem)
ג שְׂמֹאלוֹ֙ תַּ֣חַת רֹאשִׁ֔י וִֽימִינ֖וֹ תְּחַבְּקֵֽנִי
3. With his left hand under my head, his right hand will caress me.
ד הִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּנ֣וֹת יְרֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם...
4. You swore to me, Daughters of Jerusalem...

(Daughters of Jerusalem chime in):
" מַה־תָּעִ֧ירוּ ׀ וּֽמַה־תְּעֹ֥רְר֛וּ אֶת־הָאַֽהֲבָ֖ה עַ֥ד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּֽץ?" {ס}
"...what good would it have done to awaken or arouse love before the time was ripe?!"

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 2 – At the entrance to the village – Day

they approach the village and are seen from afar by the Shulamít's step-brothers

The Shulamít's Step-brothers:
ה מִ֣י זֹ֗את עֹלָה֙ מִן־הַמִּדְבָּ֔ר מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת עַל־דּוֹדָ֑הּ?
5. Who is she, coming up from the desert, leaning on her lover?

The Shulamít:
תַּ֤חַת הַתַּפּ֨וּחַ֙ עֽוֹרַרְתִּ֔יךָ שָׁ֚מָּה חִבְּלַ֣תְךָ אִמֶּ֔ךָ שָׁ֖מָּה חִבְּלָ֥ה יְלָדַֽתְךָ
Under the apple tree I wakened you, there your mother labored at your birth,
there labored the woman who bore you.

(emphatically, afraid that her forwardness, past and present, will drive him off)

ו שִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֨וֶת֙ אַֽהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה
6. Place me like the seal upon your heart, like the seal upon your arm!
For as fierce as death is love, as harsh as the grave is jealousy –

(Daughters of Jerusalem chime in):
רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה
its tongues are tongues of fire, the Divine flame.

The Shepherd:
(reassures her)
ז מַ֣יִם רַבִּ֗ים לֹ֤א יֽוּכְלוּ֙ לְכַבּ֣וֹת אֶת־הָֽאַהֲבָ֔ה וּנְהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּהָ
7. Many waters will never quench my love, nor will rivers wash it away...

The Shepherd and the Shulamít
אִם־יִתֵּ֨ן אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־כָּל־ה֤וֹן בֵּיתוֹ֙ בָּאַֽהֲבָ֔ה בּ֖וֹז יָב֥וּזוּ לֽוֹ {ס}
...if a man give all the wealth of his house for love, surely he will be mocked!

♦ ♥ ♦

Scene 3 – In the village – Day

The step-brothers try to deal with the latest developments...

The Shulamít's Step-brothers:
ח אָח֥וֹת לָ֨נוּ֙ קְטַנָּ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖יִם אֵ֣ין לָ֑הּ מַֽה־נַּעֲשֶׂה֙ לַֽאֲחֹתֵ֔נוּ בַּיּ֖וֹם שֶׁיְּדֻבַּר־בָּֽהּ?
8. We have a little sister and she has no breasts;
what will we do to our sister on the day she is spoken for?
ט אִם־חוֹמָ֣ה הִ֔יא נִבְנֶ֥ה עָלֶ֖יהָ טִ֣ירַת כָּ֑סֶף וְאִם־דֶּ֣לֶת הִ֔יא נָצ֥וּר עָלֶ֖יהָ ל֥וּחַ אָֽרֶז
9. If she be a wall, we'll build upon her a silver turret;
if she be a door, we'll board her up with a cedar panel.

The Shulamít:
י אֲנִ֣י חוֹמָ֔ה וְשָׁדַ֖י כַּמִּגְדָּל֑וֹת אָ֛ז הָיִ֥יתִי בְעֵינָ֖יו כְּמֽוֹצְאֵ֥ת שָׁלֽוֹם {פ}
10. I am a wall and my breasts are like its towers;
that was when he saw that I had found peace.

♦ ♥ ♦



Scene 3 – In the plantations of Ęin Gédi – Evening

The Shulamít and the Shepherd:
יא כֶּ֣רֶם הָיָ֤ה לִשְׁלֹמֹה֙ בְּבַ֣עַל הָמ֔וֹן נָתַ֥ן אֶת־הַכֶּ֖רֶם לַנֹּֽטְרִ֑ים אִ֛ישׁ יָבִ֥א בְּפִרְי֖וֹ אֶ֥לֶף כָּֽסֶף
11. Sh'lomó had a plantation in Ba'al Hamon – he gave the plantation
to others to tend; a man would give a thousand silver pieces for its fruit.

יב כַּרְמִ֥י שֶׁלִּ֖י לְפָנָ֑י הָאֶ֤לֶף לְךָ֙ שְׁלֹמֹ֔ה וּמָאתַ֖יִם לְנֹֽטְרִ֥ים אֶת־פִּרְיֽוֹ
12. My own plantation is here before me – you can have your thousand, Sh'lomó,
and two hundred for those who tend its fruit.

The Shepherd:
יג הַיּוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת בַּגַּנִּ֗ים חֲבֵרִ֛ים מַקְשִׁיבִ֥ים לְקוֹלֵ֖ךְ הַשְׁמִיעִֽנִי
13. You who dwell in the gardens, our friends hear your voice – sing only for me!

The Shulamít:
יד בְּרַ֣ח ׀ דּוֹדִ֗י וּֽדְמֵה־לְךָ֤ לִצְבִי֙ א֚וֹ לְעֹ֣פֶר הָֽאַיָּלִ֔ים עַ֖ל הָרֵ֥י בְשָׂמִֽים {ש}
14. Run away, my lover, and be like a gazelle or a fawn on mountains of perfume...