Selected Poems (Engelse vertaling)

59 JEHUDAH HALEVI

Sweet apples of her breasts
Cant. 7,14. Give forth their fragrance;

For thee she hideth in her necklaces
Precious fruits shining like light:
Wait a little for her precious fruits
Until the moon be full.

For full-moon it will be tomorrow—
Like one of the moons of her adornment,
And to thee she will be a lamp,
Lighting up her bowers.

Beautiful is thy fair gazelle—
isa. 30,26. Her light is sevenfold;

She would shame, but for her veil,
All the stars of heaven.
Pomegranates upon a watered branch—
Guard them from other eyes!

Though she bring her serpents forth
From behind her veil,
Thou shalt have no fear of them:
Her adders have no venom.

cant. 4,6. The soul of the hill of frankincense

Thirsteth for the mountain of myrrh,
Hos. 2,22. Until he have betrothed her to himself in
faithfulness,

Ps. 84.4. And the swallow hath found her a nest.
Cant. 6,10. Pure and fair as the moon—
All praise faileth to tell of her.

The dawn of her countenance darkeneth
job 38,32. The Great Bear and his train;

And a lamp of grace she lighteth
Ex. 25.37. Before her face.