1 H e puawai ahau no Harono, he rengarenga no nga awaawa.

I am only a little rose or autumn crocus of the plain of Sharon, or a lily of the valleys.

2 H e rengarenga i roto i nga tataramoa, ko taku e aroha nei i waenga i nga tamahine.

But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters.

3 K ei te aporo i roto i nga rakau o te ngahere te rite o taku kaingakau i roto i nga taitamariki. Ahuareka ana taku noho iho i raro i tona taumarumarutanga, a he reka ana hua ki toku ngao.

Like an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 I kawea ahau e ia ki te whare hakari, a ko tona kara i runga i ahau he aroha.

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

5 W hakakahangia ake ahau ki te karepe whakamaroke, whakahauorangia ahau ki te aporo; e mate ana hoki ahau i te aroha.

Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love.

6 K ei raro i toku mahunga tona maui, e awhi ana tona matau i ahau.

his left hand under my head and his right hand embraces me!

7 H e ki tenei naku ki a koutou, e nga tamahine o Hiruharama, i te aroaro ano o nga anaterope, o nga hata o te parae, kaua e whakaohokia, kaua e whakaarahia taku e aroha nei, a kia pai ra ano ia.

I charge you, O you daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the hinds of the field that you not try to stir up or awaken love until it pleases.

8 K o te reo ra o taku e aroha nei! Nana, te haere mai nei ia, e tupekepeke ana i runga i nga maunga, e mokowhiti ana i runga i nga pukepuke.

The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills.

9 R ite tonu taku e aroha nei ki te anaterope, ki te kuao hata ranei: tenei ia te tu mai nei i muri o to matou taiepa, e matakitaki mai ana i nga matapihi, e whakaata mai ana ra roto i te mea ripekapeka.

My beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. Behold, he stands behind the wall of our house, he looks in through the windows, he glances through the lattice.

10 I korero mai taku e aroha nei, i mea mai ki ahau, E ara, e taku ipo, e taku mea ataahua, ka haere mai.

My beloved speaks and says to me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.

11 N ana, kua pahemo te hotoke, kua mutu te ua, kua kore;

For, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.

12 K ua puta nga puawai ki te whenua; kua tata te wa e korihi ai nga manu, a e rangona ana te reo o te kukupa ki to tatou whenua;

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.

13 K ua kopuku nga hua hou o te piki, kua puaka nga waina, e kakara mai nei. Maranga, e toku hoa, e taku mea ataahua, haere mai hoki.

The fig tree puts forth and ripens her green figs, and the vines are in blossom and give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

14 E taku kukupa i roto i nga kapiti o te kamaka, i te wahi ngaro o te pikitanga, kia kite ahau i tou ahua, kia rongo ahau i tou reo; he reka hoki tou reo, he ataahua tou mata.

O my dove, in the seclusion of the clefts in the solid rock, in the sheltered and secret place of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

15 H opukia mai ma taua nga pokiha, nga pokiha ririki e takakino nei i a taua mara waina; kua puawai hoki a taua waina.

Take for us the foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.

16 N aku taku kaingakau, nana hoki ahau: kei waenga ia i nga rengarenga e whangai ana i tana kahui.

My beloved is mine and I am his! He pastures his flocks among the lilies.

17 I te mea kiano i matao te ra, a kiano i rere noa nga atarangi, tahuri mai, e taku e aroha nei, kia rite koe ki te anaterope, ki te kuao hata, i nga maunga o Petere.

Until the day breaks and the shadows flee away, return hastily, O my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart as you cover the mountains.