The Song of Solomon
2 “I be ordinary saffron flower* wey dey for level land near sea,
I be lily flower wey dey the lowlands.”
2 “Like lily flower among chuku-chuku plants
Na so my love be among the daughters.”
3 “Like apple tree wey dey among the trees of the forest,
Na so my dear one be among the sons.
E de really hungry me to sitdown for im shade,
And im fruit sweet for my mouth.
4 E bring me come house wey them de do party,*
And im banner wey dey ontop me na love.
5 Give me raisin cakes to make me feel fine;
And give me apples so that I go get power again,
Because love don really de hungry me.
6 Im left hand dey under my head,
And e use im right hand hug me.
7 I want make una swear, O daughters of Jerusalem,
Make una use the gazelles* and the female deers* wey dey bush swear to me:
Make una no try to wake the love inside me or make-am hungry me until e come by imself.
8 My dear one de come, I de hear the sound!
See! E de come,
E de climb the mountains, e de jump the hills.
9 My dear one be like gazelle,* e be like young stag.*
See-am for there, e de stand for back of our wall,
E de look from the windows,
E de look from the lattice windows.*
10 My dear one talk, e tell me say:
‘Get up, my love,
My fine girl, follow me make we go.
11 See! The cold season* don pass.
Rain don stop and e don go.
12 Flowers don come out for the land,
The time to trim vines don reach,
And we de hear the song of turtledove for our land.
13 The first figs for the fig tree don ripe;
The vines de bring out flowers and de bring out their fine smell.
Get up, my love, and come.
My fine girl, follow me make we go.
14 O my dove, wey dey inside rock,
Wey de hide inside-inside high rock,
Make I see you, make I hear your voice,
Because your voice sweet and you fine for body no be small.’”
15 “Catch the fox them* for us,
The young fox them wey de scatter the vine farms,
Because our vine farms don de produce flowers.”
16 “My dear one na my own and I be im own.
E de care for sheep for where lily flowers dey.