¹¶ Ko te waiata o nga waiata, ko ta Horomona.

¹The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

²¶ Kia kihia ahau e ia ki nga kihi a tona mangai: he pai atu hoki tou aroha i te waina.

²Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth; For thy love is better than wine.

³He kakara pai to ou hinu; ko tou ingoa ano he hinu kua oti te riringi; na reira i aroha ai nga wahine ki a koe.

³Thine ointments savour sweetly; Thy name is an ointment poured forth: Therefore do the virgins love thee.

⁴Kumea ahau; ka rere atu matou, ka whai i a koe: kua oti ahau te kawe e te kingi ki ona ruma: ka koa matou, ka hari ki a koe; engari tou aroha i te waina hei maharatanga atu ma matou: e tika ana to ratou aroha ki a koe.

⁴Draw me, we will run after thee! -- The king hath brought me into his chambers -- We will be glad and rejoice in thee, We will remember thy love more than wine. They love thee uprightly.

⁵He mangu ahau, otiia he ataahua ano, e nga tamahine o Hiruharama, rite tonu ano ki nga teneti o Kerara, ki nga kakahu tauarai o Horomona.

⁵I am black, but comely, daughters of Jerusalem, As the tents of Kedar, As the curtains of Solomon.

⁶Kaua e titiro mai ki ahau, no te mea he parauri ahau, no te mea kua tahuna ahau e te ra. I riri nga tama a toku whaea ki ahau, meinga ana ahau e ratou hei kaitiaki mo nga mara waina; ko taku mara ia, ko taku ake, kihai i tiakina e ahau.

⁶Look not upon me, because I am black; Because the sun hath looked upon me. My mother's children were angry with me: They made me keeper of the vineyards; Mine own vineyard have I not kept.

⁷¶ Whakaaturia mai ki ahau, e ta toku wairua e aroha nei, ko hea koe whangai ai, ko hea koe mea ai i tau kahui kia takoto i te poutumarotanga; kia rite ahau hei aha ki te mahunga taupoki i te taha o nga kahui a ou hoa?

⁷Tell me, thou whom my soul loveth, Where thou feedest [thy flock], Where thou makest it to rest at noon; For why should I be as one veiled Beside the flocks of thy companions?

⁸Ki te kore koe e mohio, e te mea ataahua rawa o nga wahine, haere atu i runga i nga takahanga o nga hipi, ka whangai i au kuao koati i te taha o nga nohoanga o nga hepara.

⁸If thou know not, thou fairest among women, Go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, And feed thy kids beside the shepherds' booths.

⁹Kua whakaritea koe e ahau, e taku e aroha nei, ki tetahi o nga hoiho o nga hariata a Parao.

⁹I compare thee, my love, To a steed in Pharaoh's chariots.

¹⁰He ataahua ou paparinga i nga whiri o nga makawe, tou kaki i nga tautau o nga mea whakapaipai.

¹⁰Thy cheeks are comely with bead-rows, Thy neck with ornamental chains.

¹¹Ka hanga e matou etahi mekameka koura mou, he mea tia ki te hiriwa.

¹¹We will make thee bead-rows of gold With studs of silver.

¹²¶ I te kingi e noho ana i tona tepu, ka puta te kakara o toku nara.

¹²While the king is at his table, My spikenard sendeth forth its fragrance.

¹³Ko te rite ki ahau o taku e aroha nei kei te paihere maira, e takoto nei i waenganui i oku u.

¹³A bundle of myrrh is my beloved unto me; He shall pass the night between my breasts.

¹⁴He tautau hena ki ahau taku e aroha nei, i nga mara waina o Enekeri.

¹⁴My beloved is unto me a cluster of henna-flowers In the vineyards of Engedi.

¹⁵Nana, he ataahua koe, e taku e aroha nei; nana, he purotu koe; ko ou kanohi kei te kukupa.

¹⁵Behold, thou art fair, my love; Behold, thou art fair: thine eyes are doves.

¹⁶Nana, he ataahua koe, e taku kaingakau, ae ra, he ahuareka: matomato tonu ano hoki to taua moenga.

¹⁶Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant; Also our bed is green.

¹⁷He hita nga kurupae o to taua whare, he kauri nga heke.

¹⁷The beams of our houses are cedars, Our rafters are cypresses.