The Bride Searches

¹Sengingenile ensimini yami, dadewethu, makoti wami; ngiyabutha imure lami namakha ami, ngiyadla amakhekheba ami kanye nezinyosi zami, ngiyaphuza iwayini lami kanye nobisi lwami. Yidlani, bangane, niphuze, nisuthe ngothando.

²Bengilele, kepha inhliziyo yami ibiphapheme; kuyizwi lothandiweyo wami elingqongqotha lithi: “Ngivulele, dadewethu, sithandwa sami, juba lami, opheleleyo wami, ngokuba ikhanda lami ligcwele amazolo, nesihluthu sami amaconsi asebusuku.”

³Ngikhumulile isambatho sami, ngingasifaka kanjani? Ngigezile izinyawo zami, ngingazingcoliselani na?

⁴Othandiweyo wayesengenisa isandla sakhe embotsheni, izibilini zami zamhawukela.

⁵Ngavuka ukumvulela othandiweyo wami; izandla zami zaconsa imure, neminwe yami imure elimanzi phezu kwezibambo zesihluthulelo.

⁶Ngamvulela-ke othandiweyo wami, kepha othandiweyo wami ubephendukile, wamuka; umphefumulo wami wawuphela ngokukhuluma kwakhe, ngamfuna, kepha angamthola; ngambiza, kodwa akaphendula.

⁷Abalindi bangifumana behambahamba emzini, bangishaya, bangilimaza; abalindi bezingange bangaphuca imvakazi yami.

⁸Ngiyanifungisa, madodakazi aseJerusalema, uma nimfumana othandiweyo wami, ukuba nimtshele ukuthi ngiyafa uthando.

⁹Othandiweyo wakho udlula ngani omunye, wena muhlekazi phakathi kwabesifazane, na? Othandiweyo wakho udlula kuphi omunye ukuba usifungise kanjalo na?

¹⁰Othandiweyo wami uyakhazimula ngobumhlophe, ubomvu, uyabonakala phakathi kwezigidi.

¹¹Ikhanda lakhe liyigolide elihle elicwengekileyo; isihluthu sakhe sinententezo, simnyama njengegwababa.

¹²Amehlo akhe anjengamajuba ngasemifuleni yamanzi, ageziwe ngobisi ehlezi ngasemifudlaneni egcweleyo.

¹³Izihlathi zakhe ziyizindima zamakha ezithaphuka iphunga, nezindebe zakhe ziyiminduze econsa imure elimanzi.

¹⁴Izingalo zakhe ziyizindilinga zegolide, okufakwe kuzo amakrisolithe; isidumbu sakhe sinjengokwenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu, sembesiwe ngamasafire.

¹⁵Imilenze yakhe iyizinsika zetshe elimhlophe ezisekelwe ezinyaweni zegolide elihle; ukubukeka kwakhe kunjengeLebanoni, kukhethekile njengemisedari.

¹⁶Umlomo wakhe umnandi, uyanxaneleka wonke; yilowo ongothandiweyo wami, yilowo ongumngane wami, nina madodakazi aseJerusalema.