¹Oh that you were like my brother, who nursed from the breasts of my mother! If I found you outside, I would kiss you; yes, and no one would despise me.

¹ Doŋ day ni ma ciya sanda ay arme kaŋ n'ay nya fafa naan! Naŋ kulu kaŋ ay di nin taray, Kal ay ma ni garba sunsum, Boro kulu s'ay hahaara mo.

²I would lead you, bringing you into my mother’s house, who would instruct me. I would have you drink spiced wine, of the juice of my pomegranate.

² Doŋ kal ay ma ni candi, Ya konda nin ay nya kwaara, Ni mo m'ay dondonandi. Kala ya ni no duvan* salwata kaŋ gonda yaazi, Kaŋ i te d'ay garenadey, ni ma haŋ mo.

³His left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me.

³ A kambe wow ma bara ay boŋo cire, A kambe ŋwaaro mo m'ay ganday. Arhiijo ne:

⁴I adjure you, daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up, nor awaken love, until it so desires. Friends

⁴ Ya araŋ Urusalima wandiyey, Ay goono g'araŋ kaseeti, Wa si ay baakwa tunandi. Araŋ ma s'a mo hay mo, Kala nd'a yadda jina. Doonko marga ne:

⁵Who is this who comes up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? Under the apple tree I aroused you. There your mother conceived you. There she was in labor and bore you.

⁵ May no wayboro wo kaŋ ga fun saajo ra, Kaŋ go ga jeeri nga baakwa gaa? Arhiijo ne: Pom* nya cire no ay na ni tunandi jirbi, Nango kaŋ ni nya na ni hay, Nango kaŋ ni nya taabi ka ni hay nooya.

⁶Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. . Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yahweh. “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.

⁶ M'ay daŋ ka te sanda kawaatimi ni bina ra, Sanda kawaatimi ni kamba gaa mo. Zama baakasinay gonda gaabi sanda buuyaŋ cine. Canse mo gonda laala sanda Alaahara cine, A deena ya danji beele no, Rabbi danji beela kaŋ ga futu cine.

⁷Many waters can’t quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be utterly scorned. Friends

⁷ Hari zuru boobo si hin ka baakasinay wi, Hari-yaa mo si hin k'a daabu. Baa day boro na nga windi arzaka kulu no ka baakasinay day, A si ganji i g'a cabe donda-caray gumo. Doonko marga ne:

⁸We have a little sister. She has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is to be spoken for?

⁸ Iri gonda kayne wayboro fo kaŋ sinda fafa. Mate no iri ga te iri kayne wayboro wo se han kaŋ hane i tun a hiijay ceeciyaŋ se?

⁹If she is a wall, we will build on her a turret of silver. if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. Beloved

⁹ D'a ciya cinari, kay, Iri ga nzarfu cinari cina a boŋ. D'a ciya windi me mo, Kal iri m'a windi nda sedre kataakuyaŋ. Wayhiijo ne:

¹⁰I am a wall, and my breasts like towers, then I was in his eyes like one who found peace.

¹⁰ Ay wo, waato ay ya cinari no, Ay fafey mo ga hima cinari kuuku yaŋ. Waato din gaa no ay du a do gaakuri.

¹¹Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon. He leased out the vineyard to keepers. Each was to bring a thousand shekels of silver for its fruit.

¹¹ Waato Suleymanu gonda reyzin* kali kaŋ go Baal-Hamon. A na nga kalo sufuray goy-teeri fooyaŋ se, I afo kulu ma kande nzarfu gude zambar fo-fo fari albarka banandi.

¹²My own vineyard is before me. The thousand are for you, Solomon; two hundred for those who tend its fruit. Lover

¹² Ay kalo kaŋ ay wane no go ay kambe ra. Nin mo, Suleymanu, zambaro ni wane no, Ngey kaŋ goono g'a albarka gaay mo ga du zangu hinka. Arhiijo ne:

¹³You who dwell in the gardens, with friends in attendance, let me hear your voice! Beloved

¹³ Ya nin kaŋ goono ga goro kaley ra, Ay hangasiney goono ga hanga jeeri ni jinda se. Naŋ ay mo ma maa. Wayhiijo ne:

¹⁴Come away, my beloved! Be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices!

¹⁴ Ya ay baakwa, ma te da cahãyaŋ. Ma fooru sanda jeer'ize wala ŋwe ize tondey kaŋ yaŋ gonda yaazi haw kaano boŋ.