The Song of Songs - 1

For a change of pace and so we do not forget the other keys to Torah. There are performances of the song here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. And here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. You can also find Haïk-Vantoura's published score here. It appears that at least part of the DVD that her American Editor John Wheeler sent to me is online in Israel. Note the variation in mode and pitch that Haïk-Vantoura uses. I have left the mode as default in the images below.

Song 1: Syllables: 373; Longest recitation: 18; Tenor: C 25.20%;
Ornament density: 16.1%; Average phrase length: 16.2.

Note that this is one of the books like the psalms that begins on a note other than the tonic. So it is connected to what went before it. What was the sequence of volumes in those unknown years when the te-amim were first used?

I think the opening note marks Psalms, Proverbs, Job and the Song as keys to Torah. They say, if you think you know instruction, then listen to me also.

In these chapters note just how many verses there are without an inner cadence. But there is extensive use of the zaqef-qaton. This being prose, there are ornaments that differ from the poetry. I usually mark the zaqef-qatan with a comma. It is a pause, but not a cadence. In the prose there is only one possible internal cadence, the subdominant A. In the Song many verses have no internal cadence. E.g. verses 9 to 14.

Again if you follow the performances with the score, you will see that there are differences (e.g. bar 42, verse 7 and bar 67 verse 11) where the edition of the Hebrew text being used has a meteg. The singer should ignore metegs. They are identical to the silluq in Unicode, but they are a pronunciation aid, not a change of pitch. If a word has multiple accents, and a silluq in the first syllable, it is suspect, so check it against mgketer.org which seems to have eliminated the majority of the spurious marks.

1 ♪f The Song of Songs which is of Solomon. (f-1-1)
א ש֥יר השיר֖ים אש֥ר לשלמֽה	9		a wir hwirim awr lwlmh
2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for better are your caresses than wine. (1-1)
ב ישק֙ני֙ מנשיק֣ות פ֔יהו כֽי־טוב֥ים דד֖יך מיֽין	17		b iiwqni mnwiqot pihu ci-Tobim dodiç miin
3 For fragrance your oils are good. Oil emptied is your name. So young women love you. (1-4-1)
ג לר֙יח֙ שמנ֣יך טוב֔ים ש֖מן תור֣ק שמ֑ך על־כ֖ן עלמ֥ות אהבֽוך	16 9		g lrik wmniç Tobim wmn turq wmç yl-cn ylmot ahbuç
4 Draw me out. After you we will race. The king brought me into his rooms. We will rejoice and we will be glad in you. We will remember your caresses more than wine. The upright have loved you. (1-4-1)
ד משכ֖ני אחר֣יך נר֑וצה הביא֨ני המ֜לך חדר֗יו נג֤ילה ונשמחה֙ ב֔ך נזכ֤ירה דד֙יך֙ מי֔ין מישר֖ים אהבֽוך ס	10 34		d mowcni akriç nruxh hbiani hmlç kdriv ngilh vnwmkh bç nzcirh dodiç miin miwrim ahbuç s
5 Swarthy am I and lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Shalmah. (1-4-1)
ה שחור֤ה אני֙ וֽנאו֔ה בנ֖ות ירושל֑ם כאהל֣י קד֔ר כיריע֖ות שלמֽה	14 12		h wkorh ani vnavh bnot iruwlim caohli qdr ciriyot wlmh
6 You will not stare at me that I am swarthy, that the sun has glanced on me. My mother's children were scorched by me. They set me up to mind the vineyards. My vineyard that is mine I could not mind. (1-4-1)
ו אל־תרא֙וני֙ שאנ֣י שחרח֔רת ששזפ֖תני הש֑מש בנ֧י אמ֣י נֽחרו־ב֗י שמ֙ני֙ נטר֣ה את־הכרמ֔ים כרמ֥י של֖י ל֥א נטֽרתי	19 26		v al-trauni wani wkrkort wwzptni hwmw bni aimi nikru-bi wmuni noTrh at-hcrmim crmi wli la nTrti
7 Make clear to me, you that are my love, where will you pasture? Where will you recline at noon, lest I become as one who wraps herself by the troops of your companions? (1-4-1)
ז הג֣ידה ל֗י ש֤אהבה֙ נפש֔י איכ֣ה תרע֔ה איכ֖ה תרב֣יץ בֽצהר֑ים שלמ֤ה אֽהיה֙ כע֣טי֔ה ע֖ל עדר֥י חברֽיך	23 15		z hgidh li wahbh npwi aich tryh aich trbix bxohriim wlmh ahih cyoTih yl ydri kbriç
8 If you do not know for yourself, O beautiful among women, go out for yourself in the footsteps of the flock and graze your young kids by the dwellings of the shepherds. (1-4-1)
ח אם־ל֤א תדעי֙ ל֔ך היפ֖ה בנש֑ים צֽאי־ל֞ך בעקב֣י הצ֗אן ורעי֙ את־גדית֔יך ע֖ל משכנ֥ות הרעֽים ס	11 24		k am-la tdyi lç hiph bnwim xai-lç byqbi hxan uryi at-gdiiotiiç yl mwcnot hroyim s
9 To my mares in the chariots of Pharaoh, I have likened you, my friend. (1-1)
ט לססתי֙ ברכב֣י פרע֔ה דמית֖יך רעיתֽי	15		T lsusti brcbi pryh dimitiç ryiiti
10 Lovely your cheeks in the pearl-strings, your neck in strings of beads. (1-1)
י נאו֤ו לחי֙יך֙ בתר֔ים צואר֖ך בחרוזֽים	16		i navu lkiiç btorim xvvarç bkruzim
11 Pearl-strings of gold we will make for you with the studs of silver. (1-1)
יא תור֤י זהב֙ נעשה־ל֔ך ע֖ם נקד֥ות הכֽסף	15		ia tori zhb nywh-lç ym nqudot hcsf
12 While the king is in his surroundings, my spikenard gives its fragrance. (1-1)
יב עד־ש֤המ֙לך֙ במסב֔ו נרד֖י נת֥ן ריחֽו	14		ib yd-whmlç bmsibo nrdi ntn riko
13 An anguish of myrrh is my beloved to me. Between my breasts he will bide. (1-1)
יג צר֨ור המ֤ר דודי֙ ל֔י ב֥ין שד֖י ילֽין	12		ig xror hmor dodi li bin wdii ilin
14 A cluster of henna is my beloved to me in the vineyards of Ein Gedi. (1-1)
יד אשכ֨ל הכ֤פר דודי֙ ל֔י בכרמ֖י ע֥ין גֽדי ס	15		id awcol hcopr dodi li bcrmi yin gdi s
15 Just look at you, my beautiful friend. Just look at you, beautiful. Your eyes are doves. (1-1)
טו הנ֤ך יפה֙ רעית֔י הנ֥ך יפ֖ה עינ֥יך יונֽים	16		Tv hnç iph ryiiti hnç iph yiniiç ionim
16 Just look at you, beautiful, my beloved. Indeed pleasant. Indeed, our bed is luxuriant. (1-1)
טז הנך֨ יפ֤ה דודי֙ א֣ף נע֔ים אף־ערש֖נו רעננֽה	17		Tz hnç iph dodi af nyim af-yrwnu rynnh
17 The rafters of our house are cedar. Our girders are fir. (1-1)
יז קר֤ות בת֙ינו֙ ארז֔ים רהיט֖נו ברותֽים	15		iz qorot btinu arzim rhiTnu brotim