Cantico dei Cantici 5
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Lo sposo
5 Son venuto nel mio giardino, sorella mia, sposa,
e raccolgo la mia mirra e il mio balsamo;
mangio il mio favo e il mio miele,
bevo il mio vino e il mio latte.
Mangiate, amici, bevete;
inebriatevi, o cari.
QUARTO POEMA
La sposa
2 Io dormo, ma il mio cuore veglia.
Un rumore! E' il mio diletto che bussa:
«Aprimi, sorella mia,
mia amica, mia colomba, perfetta mia;
perché il mio capo è bagnato di rugiada,
i miei riccioli di gocce notturne».
3 «Mi sono tolta la veste;
come indossarla ancora?
Mi sono lavata i piedi;
come ancora sporcarli?».
4 Il mio diletto ha messo la mano nello spiraglio
e un fremito mi ha sconvolta.
5 Mi sono alzata per aprire al mio diletto
e le mie mani stillavano mirra,
fluiva mirra dalle mie dita
sulla maniglia del chiavistello.
6 Ho aperto allora al mio diletto,
ma il mio diletto gia se n'era andato, era scomparso.
Io venni meno, per la sua scomparsa.
L'ho cercato, ma non l'ho trovato,
l'ho chiamato, ma non m'ha risposto.
7 Mi han trovato le guardie che perlustrano la città;
mi han percosso, mi hanno ferito,
mi han tolto il mantello
le guardie delle mura.
8 Io vi scongiuro, figlie di Gerusalemme,
se trovate il mio diletto,
che cosa gli racconterete?
Che sono malata d'amore!
Il coro
9 Che ha il tuo diletto di diverso da un altro,
o tu, la più bella fra le donne?
Che ha il tuo diletto di diverso da un altro,
perché così ci scongiuri?
La sposa
10 Il mio diletto è bianco e vermiglio,
riconoscibile fra mille e mille.
11 Il suo capo è oro, oro puro,
i suoi riccioli grappoli di palma,
neri come il corvo.
12 I suoi occhi, come colombe
su ruscelli di acqua;
i suoi denti bagnati nel latte,
posti in un castone.
13 Le sue guance, come aiuole di balsamo,
aiuole di erbe profumate;
le sue labbra sono gigli,
che stillano fluida mirra.
14 Le sue mani sono anelli d'oro,
incastonati di gemme di Tarsis.
Il suo petto è tutto d'avorio,
tempestato di zaffiri.
15 Le sue gambe, colonne di alabastro,
posate su basi d'oro puro.
Il suo aspetto è quello del Libano,
magnifico come i cedri.
16 Dolcezza è il suo palato;
egli è tutto delizie!
Questo è il mio diletto, questo è il mio amico,
o figlie di Gerusalemme.
Song of Solomon 5
King James Version
5 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.
2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.
3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him.
5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock.
6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me.
8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
9 What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?
10 My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
11 His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
12 His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set.
13 His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh.
14 His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires.
15 His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
16 His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.
Song of Solomon 5
English Standard Version
He
5 I (A)came to my garden, my (B)sister, my bride,
I gathered my (C)myrrh with my spice,
I ate my (D)honeycomb with my honey,
I (E)drank my wine with my milk.
Others
Eat, (F)friends, drink,
and be drunk with love!
The Bride Searches for Her Beloved
She
2 I slept, but my heart was awake.
A sound! My beloved is (G)knocking.
“Open to me, my (H)sister, my (I)love,
my (J)dove, my (K)perfect one,
for my head is wet with dew,
my (L)locks with the drops of the night.”
3 (M)I had put off my garment;
how could I put it on?
I had (N)bathed my feet;
how could I soil them?
4 My beloved put his hand to the latch,
and my heart was thrilled within me.
5 I arose to open to my beloved,
and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with (O)liquid myrrh,
on the handles of the bolt.
6 I opened to my beloved,
but my beloved had turned and gone.
My soul failed me when he (P)spoke.
(Q)I sought him, but found him not;
(R)I called him, but he gave no answer.
7 (S)The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city;
they beat me, they bruised me,
they took away my veil,
those watchmen of the walls.
8 I (T)adjure you, O (U)daughters of Jerusalem,
if you find my beloved,
that you tell him
(V)I am sick with love.
Others
9 What is your beloved more than another beloved,
O (W)most beautiful among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
that you thus (X)adjure us?
The Bride Praises Her Beloved
She
10 My beloved is radiant and (Y)ruddy,
(Z)distinguished among ten thousand.
11 His head is the finest gold;
(AA)his locks are wavy,
black as a raven.
12 His (AB)eyes are like doves
beside streams of water,
bathed in milk,
sitting beside a full pool.[a]
13 His (AC)cheeks are like (AD)beds of spices,
mounds of sweet-smelling herbs.
His lips are (AE)lilies,
dripping (AF)liquid myrrh.
14 His arms are rods of gold,
set with (AG)jewels.
His body is polished ivory,[b]
bedecked with (AH)sapphires.[c]
15 His legs are alabaster columns,
set on bases of gold.
His appearance is like (AI)Lebanon,
choice as the cedars.
16 His (AJ)mouth[d] is most sweet,
and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
O (AK)daughters of Jerusalem.
Footnotes
- Song of Solomon 5:12 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Song of Solomon 5:14 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Song of Solomon 5:14 Hebrew lapis lazuli
- Song of Solomon 5:16 Hebrew palate
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
