El Ginat Egoz – Moshe Denburg, lyrics: Song of Songs – Chapter VI. v. 11; Chapter VII. v. 12-13.
The words of the biblical book, the Song of Songs, have for thousands of years served as a wellspring of musical composition. The texts here were chosen for their very forthright exposition of love as a reflection and inspiration of the natural world. The music attempts to paint a picture of longing, of rapture, and of passion expressed, and sometimes even misplaced. The overall material belongs in a Middle Eastern context, especially that of the music of Israel.
El ginat egoz yarad’ti, lir’ot b’ibei hanakhal,
I went down into the walnut garden to see the fruits of the valley,
lir’ot hafar’kha hagefen, heineitsu harimonim.
and to see whether the vine flourished, and the pomegranates budded.
L’kha dodi netsei hasade nalina bakfarim.
Come my beloved let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages.
Nashkima lakramim, nir’e im par’kha hagefen,
Let us get up early to the vineyards; let us see if the vine flourish,
pitakh has’madar, heineitsu harimonim;
whether the tender grape appear, and the pomegranates bud forth:
sham eten et dodai lakh.
there I will give you my loves.