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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 3

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Upon my couch at night I sought the one I love— I sought, but found him not.

אעַל־מִשְׁכָּבִי בַּלֵּילוֹת בִּקַּשְׁתִּי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו׃

2“I must rise and roam the town, Through the streets and through the squares; I must seek the one I love.” I sought but found him not.

באָקוּמָה נָּא וַאֲסוֹבְבָה בָעִיר בַּשְּׁוָקִים וּבָרְחֹבוֹת אֲבַקְשָׁה אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי בִּקַּשְׁתִּיו וְלֹא מְצָאתִיו׃

3I met the watchmen Who patrol the town. “Have you seen the one I love?”

גמְצָאוּנִי הַשֹּׁמְרִים הַסֹּבְבִים בָּעִיר אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי רְאִיתֶם׃

4Scarcely had I passed them When I found the one I love. I held him fast, I would not let him go Till I brought him to my mother's house, To the chamber of her who conceived me

דכִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי מֵהֶם עַד שֶׁמָּצָאתִי אֵת שֶׁאָהֲבָה נַפְשִׁי אֲחַזְתִּיו וְלֹא אַרְפֶּנּוּ עַד־שֶׁהֲבֵיאתִיו אֶל־בֵּית אִמִּי וְאֶל־חֶדֶר הוֹרָתִי׃

5I adjure you, O maidens of Yerushalayim, By gazelles or by hinds of the field: Do not wake or rouse Love until it please!

ההִשְׁבַּעְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַ ִם בִּצְבָאוֹת אוֹ בְּאַיְלוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה אִם־תָּעִירוּ וְאִם־תְּעוֹרְרוּ אֶת־הָאַהֲבָה עַד שֶׁתֶּחְפָּץ׃

6Who is she that comes up from the desert Like columns of smoke, In clouds of myrrh and frankincense, Of all the powders of the merchant?

ומִי זֹאת עֹלָה מִן־הַמִּדְבָּר כְּתִימֲרוֹת עָשָׁן מְקֻטֶּרֶת מוֹר וּלְבוֹנָה מִכֹּל אַבְקַת רוֹכֵל׃

7There is Shlomo's couch, Encircled by sixty warriors Of the warriors of Yisrael,

זהִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבֹּרִים סָבִיב לָהּ מִגִּבֹּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

8All of them trained in warfare, Skilled in battle, Each with sword on thigh Because of terror by night.

חכֻּלָּם אֲחֻזֵי חֶרֶב מְלֻמְּדֵי מִלְחָמָה אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ עַל־יְרֵכוֹ מִפַּחַד בַּלֵּילּוֹת׃

9King Shlomo made him a palanquin Of wood from Lebanon.

טאַפִּרְיוֹן עָשָׂה לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה מֵעֲצֵי הַלְּבָנוֹן׃

10He made its posts of silver, Its back of gold, Its seat of purple wool. Within, it was decked with love By the maidens of Yerushalayim.

a-mu-DAV a-SAH KHE-sef r'-fee-da-TO za-HAV mer-ka-VO ar-ga-MAN to-KHO ra-TZUF a-ha-VAH mi-b'-NOT y'-ru-sha-LA-im

יעַמּוּדָיו עָשָׂה כֶסֶף רְפִידָתוֹ זָהָב מֶרְכָּבוֹ אַרְגָּמָן תּוֹכוֹ רָצוּף אַהֲבָה מִבְּנוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם׃

 3:10   By the maidens of Yerushalayim

Jerusalem

In a number of places throughout Shir Hashirim in addition to this verse, the “maidens” or “daughters” of Yerushalayim represent the nations of the world (see 1:5, 2:7, 3:5, 5:8, 8:4). The medieval commentator Rashi explains that this is because in the future, Yerushalayim will be the metropolis of all countries, and all people will accept its centrality. Though the nations of the world will one day accept Yerushalayim as their political and religious capital, the Jewish people have always seen it as their eternal capital, providing inspiration and the means for fulfilling their spiritual needs even when they were in exile.

11O maidens of Tzion, go forth And gaze upon King Shlomo Wearing the crown that his mother Gave him on his wedding day, On his day of bliss.

יאצְאֶינָה וּרְאֶינָה בְּנוֹת צִיּוֹן בַּמֶּלֶךְ שְׁלֹמֹה בָּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה־לּוֹ אִמּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֲתֻנָּתוֹ וּבְיוֹם שִׂמְחַת לִבּוֹ׃