Adjuro vos

General information

Source of text is Song of Songs 5:8-12,13b,16-17,6:1-2a.

Settings by composers

Abundio Antonelli SB soli (vv. 8-12 only) Benedetto Bagni SSAATTBB (vv. 8-10 only) Giovanni Paolo Cima S solo (vv. 8-10 only) Leone Leoni SSAATTTB (vv. all except 5:11-12)

Tiburtio Massaino SSAAATTTBB or SSAATTTBB (vv. 8-12) Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina SATTB (vv. 8-10 only) Heinrich Schütz TT (vv. 8 only) Michael Wise SB in English (vv. 8-10,16)

Text and translations

Latin text 5:8  Adjuro vos, filiae Jerusalem, si inveneritis dilectum meum, ut nuntietis ei quia amore langueo. 5:9  Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, o pulcherrima mulierum? Qualis est dilectus tuus ex dilecto, quia sic adjurasti nos? 5:10  Dilectus meus candidus et rubicundus, electus ex milibus. 5:11  Caput eius aurum optimum: comae eius sicut elatae palmarum, nigrae quasi corvus. 5:12  Oculi eius sicut columbae super rivulos aquarum, quae lacte sunt lotae, et resident juxta fluenta plenissima. 5:13b  Labia ejus lilia, distillantia myrrham primam. 5:16  Guttur illius suavissimum, et totus desiderabilis, et totus amabilis. Talis est dilectus meus, ipse est amicus meus, filiae Jerusalem. 5:17  Quo abiit dilectus tuus, o pulcherrima mulierum? Quo declinavit dilectus tuus, et quaeremus eum tecum? 6:1  Dilectus meus descendit in hortum suum ad areolam aromatum, ut pascatur in hortis, et lilia colligat. 6:2a  Ego dilecto meo, et dilectus meus mihi. Hungarian translation (vv. 8-10) Kényszerítlek titeket, Jerusalem leányai, ha megtaláljátok az én szerelmesemet, vigyétek hirűl neki, hogy a szerelem miatt ellankadok. Minő a te szerelmesed a szerelmesek fölött, oh te legszebbje az asszonyoknak, hogy így kényszerítesz minket? Az én szerelmesem fehér és piros, választott ezrek közűl.

English translation 5:8  I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved, that you tell him that I languish with love. 5:9  What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, O thou most beautiful among women? What manner of one is thy beloved of the beloved, that thou hast so adjured us? 5:10  My beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands. 5:11  His head is as the finest gold: his locks as branches of palm trees, black as a raven. 5:12  His eyes as doves upon brooks of waters, which are washed with milk, and sit beside the plentiful streams. 5:13b  His lips are as lilies dropping choice myrrh. 5:16  His throat most sweet, and he is all lovely: such is my beloved, and he is my friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem. 5:17  Whither is thy beloved gone, O thou most beautiful among women? Whither is thy beloved turned aside, and we will seek him with thee? 6:1  My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the bed of aromatical spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies. 6:2a  I to my beloved, and my beloved to me. Dutch translation Ik bezweer jullie, meisjes van Jeruzalem, als je mijn liefste tegenkomt, zeg hem dan dat ik wegkwijn van liefde. [Meisjes van Jeruzalem:] Wat heeft jouw liefste vóór op een ander, o mooiste onder de vrouwen? Wat heeft hij meer dan een ander, dat je ons dit zo bezweert? [Zij:] Mijn liefste is stralend en blozend; hij is er één uit duizenden. Translation by Anton Hendriks, Ben Terstegge & Hanneke Pot